Marbled White - Favourite Photo of 2024

Wurzel · Post by **Wurzel** » Sun Dec 15, 2024 6:13 pm

Marbled White - Favourite Photo of 2024

Week 10

“Ohh oh we’re half way there…” and fast approaching the Solstice too; a little light in the darkness of mid-winter.

Please could I ask that everyone waits until a topic has been opened by me for a particular species before posting photos as then it will be easier to keep track of things? Of course our overseas members are very welcome to fill in the obvious gaps relating to rare UK migrants. As in previous years details of locations, dates, times and circumstances would be welcome as would any accompanying stories and anecdotes or other observations of behaviour and interesting other points.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

David Lazarus · Post by **David Lazarus** » Mon Dec 16, 2024 2:03 pm

My first sighting of a Marbled White in Essex was on the 25th June at One Tree Hill - Johnson's Meadow - West, with a healthy population of 106 seen that day, all freshly emerged. The next day I was surprised to find that they contributed a high percentage to the wide, more open rides at Hatfield Forest where 24 were seen. That would mean the open grassland areas would have had 100+ although I did not check to see. My first sighting within the little meadow at Meadgate Fields Open Space occurred on the 30th of June when this handsome male appeared:

: Marbled White male
Meadgate Fields Open Space 30/06/2024

And 5 days later he was joined by a most splendid brown-tinted female who I absolutely adored:

: Marbled White female
Meadgate Fields Open Space 05/07/2024

She was there again a couple of days later. I never saw him again, let alone together, but I was elsewhere during that period, so I am hoping they got together to continue this minute colony. The adults of the colony only lasted one week before they were gone.

On a happier note, I am hoping that last year this little colony contributed to the expansion of their range into the floodplain at Baddow Meads where I was delighted to find one on the 07th of July. Although I never saw more than 3 at any one time, they were there for 3 weeks and hopefully are the beginnings of a flourishing local colony.

Of note, Marbled White were still in the rides at Hatfield Forest on the 20th July, almost 4 weeks after they first emerged, in even higher numbers with 35 seen. This included some freshly emerged specimens. I never returned again during their flight period so I do not know how long they lasted but they were still within Johnson's Meadow - West on the 13th of August which was the last time I saw one in 2024.

They were also in good numbers within the open grassland adjoining Hockley Woods, and what made me even more happy was a sighting at Lingwood Common, part of the Danbury Ridge Nature Reserves near me in mid-Essex, where they have not been commonly seen during the last 10 years.

Marbled White is of concern in Essex. A 7-week flight period minimum with over 250+ recorded sightings by myself - I would say they were another success story in 2024 like the Wall, Heath Fritillary, and numbers of over-wintering Peacock. So, not all bad news this year.

Goldie M · Post by **Goldie M** » Mon Dec 16, 2024 10:05 pm

I saw my Marbled White on the 11th of July at Monkton NR, they were later this year than the year before when they arrived in June,
there was far fewer as well, the weather didn't help at the time lots of clouds but when the Sun did appear I was pleased to get some shots

Goldie

Butterfly_Julian · Post by **Butterfly_Julian** » Tue Dec 17, 2024 9:39 pm

A trip to Devil's Dyke, Cambridgeshire on the 14th July to see the Chalk hill blue turned out to be a lovely day for us. There was a few Marbled White about which were very active in the lunchtime sun. Sadly there aren't any sites locally to see these, saying that there have been local reports of the odd ones starting to be seen.

About half of the one's which stopped long enough to be photographed had the parasitic red mites, Trombidium breei on them.

Neil Freeman · Post by **Neil Freeman** » Wed Dec 18, 2024 9:15 am

Marbled Whites seemed to do reasonably well this year, probably benefiting from the lush grass growth of the past couple of years.

The highest numbers I saw were at Harbury Spoilbank, a few miles south-east of Warwick, when there were easily 100+ over this relatively small site.

: Marbled White - Harbury 27.06.2024

Locally I saw them at Castle Hills and Blythe Valley park although numbers there seemed a bit down on previous years.

: Marble White - Blythe Valley 18.07.2024

Cheers,

Neil.

David M · Post by **David M** » Wed Dec 18, 2024 11:04 am

Managed to squeeze them in between trips to France and Spain in late July. There were a handful flying around the dunes at Nicholaston Bay, near Oxwich:

Wurzel · Post by **Wurzel** » Sun Dec 22, 2024 5:17 pm

Marbled White

This was taken on a quick stop off on the way home at Woodhenge. I found this species much trickier than usual this year as it was often very warm when I was able to go looking for them and so they were exceedingly flighty. To make matters worse on this particular visit this was exacerbated by a gusty breeze whipping over the hill top and smashing its way through the tall grasses. Hence why this shot of a female won the coveted top spot as she was sitting still atop a giant thistle head. I was really pleased to be able to capture the delicate pale blue spots on the underwing.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

bugboy · Post by **bugboy** » Sat Jan 04, 2025 9:17 pm

I always see them at various sites on my travels but invariably the freshest are always on Box Hill

David M · Post by **David M** » Sun Jan 05, 2025 2:33 pm

Nice how you can see the m/f underside contrast in that first image, Paul.

millerd · Post by **millerd** » Tue Jan 28, 2025 9:09 pm

The Marbled White was one of the success stories on my local patch on 2024, with sightings of 57 butterflies - far more than in any previous year. Go back more than ten years and there were none here at all. The almost relentlessly dull (but warm) weather during their flight season meant they were probably easier to approach than usual. I don't think the sun is out in any of these shots!