Bugboys mission

[bugboy]

Thanks Wurzel, GVW are out over here in reasonable numbers but I’ve still only seen two OT’s !
Thanks Dave, Its not been too bad a start, helped in no part by the weather .

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April 2025

Tuesday 1st. Another local trip and another day searching out a small population of Small Tortoiseshell to see if they had survived another year. This time at Wanstead Park. Another cool start meant it was birdwatching that started the day. Great-spotted Woodpeckers and Stock Doves were particularly plentiful, both very much doing what birds and bees are doing at this time of year. The Stock Doves were being discreet, the Woodpeckers somewhat less so!

Stock Dove

A female (top), being eyed by the male (bottom)

Eventually the sun warmed the air enough for the butterflies to start appearing, Whites and Commas kicking off the show.

Then the Peacocks and finally a solitary Small Tortoiseshell appeared.

Commas do have a thing for Ash, I often see them high up at various times of the year. At this time of year the flowers seem attractive to them, at other times they seem to enjoy licking the sticky buds.

In the afternoon a female Small White was flitting around. I had a sneaky suspicion it was one half of the in-cop pair from earlier. The Peacocks today were being particularly camera shy, lots were seen but few sat for their picture.

Repeated returns to the Small Tortoiseshell corner didn’t turn up any more until mid-afternoon. They were all quite flighty, but I managed to pin down another definite three with a fifth escaping the camera.

I finished the day on Wanstead Flats where a couple of Comma and a Peacock were enjoying the late afternoon sun.

[Wurzel]

Good to see that there are still some Small Torts round that neck of the woods. They've been a little sparse over this way but I can't tell if that's because they've emerged in dribs and drabs or they've just sat out the cool weather we had earlier in the spring? I'll be catching you up on the PD soon

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[bugboy]

Thanks Wurzel. Yes, they are clinging on round here, but they are ridiculously localised. Best get a shift on I guess !


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April 2025

Wednesday 2nd. My weeks tour of local spots took me to Epping Forest for the afternoon. The chilly Easterly breeze seemed to have picked up a bit today so I thought a woodland site might provide some shelter. Only marginally as it turned out, I suspect the still mostly naked trees weren’t providing the amount of shelter I was hoping for. The butterflies were up late today with the first Peacocks found partaking in a late breakfast (well brunch really) on the Sallows after midday.

More were found along with a few Commas on the Blackthorn and over the next few hours around twenty Peacocks were encountered, a handful of Comma and a couple of passing male Brimstones.

Small Tortoiseshell are occasionally encountered here but its certainly not somewhere I’d go looking for them, however since Speckled Wood are out elsewhere locally, it was surprising not to see any of them here, or any Whites for that matter!

Back Tortoiseshell hunting tomorrow!

[bugboy]

April 2025

Thursday 3rd. I went a few miles north today to the Lea Valley Country Park between Cheshunt and Broxbourne which straddles the Herts/Essex border. I’ve been here a few times in the past but not every year. Small Tortoiseshells are however always encountered so it was them I was after. There was a little more variety than at Epping Forest. All three Whites were encountered over the course of the day, although only the Green-veined variety sat.

Peacock were by far the most numerous butterfly, in various states of condition, although mostly rather frisky in the warm sun and spending more time picking fights with anything that moved than sunbathing.

A good few Comma were also about

And I finally managed to grab a few shots of a female Brimstone.

I also saw my first Orange-tip of the season. It was a female who was flitting along and settled all too briefly, just one blurred shot of take-off was all she let me have before flitting of over the river.

By mid afternoon though I’d still not had a sniff of a Tortoiseshell, just one last field to check before drawing a blank and bingo, the first thing I saw upon leaving the path!

I stayed here for an hour; they were quite flighty and as well as each other there were plenty of Peacock and Comma to scuffle with. I reckon about half a dozen were here. A male Orange-tip showed up here too, but in high teens with no sign of any clouds, he wasn’t stopping.

[millerd]

Great to see some Small Tortoiseshells, Paul. They have all but disappeared round my way, despite what appears to be ideal damp riverside nettlebed habitat.

Cheers,

Dave

[bugboy]

Thanks Dave, it is good to see them but you really have to know where to go to find them round here now. You might well still have some near you but if they're anything like the ones this side of London they're ridiculously localised as the maps below show. In all images the first shows the outline of the site (blue) with the Small Tort hotspot in red. the second image is a closeup of the Small Tort hotspot with a more accurate outline of where they are most likely to turn up.

Walthamstow Marshes:

Tottenham Marshes:

Wanstead Park:

Lea Valley Country Park:

The country park extends further than the blue line but I usually stay within the area outlined.

Of course they can turn up anywhere but the hotspots highlighted seem to be the only spots I can (almost) guarantee seeing them in the spring.

[bugboy]

April 2025

Friday 4th. After a few days looking specifically for Small Tortoiseshells, todays destination was more of a punt than any real expectation, the Thames estuary near East Tilbury, home to last years third brood Wall explosion. As usual Peacock and Comma were about, this rather plump female Comma posed nicely.

A few Whites were active but the only one that allowed a photograph really had no choice in the matter!

A few speckled Wood flittered along the shady path before it opened out to where the Walls proliferated last year.

There wasn’t a great deal along the sea wall, it was rather exposed to the stiff breeze and the few Whites and Peacocks that were around were very reluctant to settle long enough for photos.

I returned back along the shady path with the intention of walking north to Mucking Marshes. The Green-veined White was still in the jaws of its assassin 2 hours later.

The paths afforded plenty of shelter from the wind and Peacocks were numerous. Commas less so but still plentiful and a few Brimstone fluttered along endlessly.

It was much the same on the Marshes, Peacocks and Commas and returning along the paths back towards East Tilbury they were if anything even more numerous.

Butterflies took second stage for a while on the return, a small flock of noisy Mediterranean Gulls stopped me as I walked along one of the old gravel pits. They have a very distinctive call, less course than other Gulls. I’ve only seen them once before, two winters ago and from quite a distance so it was good to get some better views.

Back to the butterflies, it was more of the same for the last part of the day.

The Crab Spider had finally finished its meal but just to add insult to injury, she’d dropped his lifeless corpse into an abandoned spider web!

[Wurzel]

Great to see those Med Gulls Bugboy Not quite so great but fascinating to see the fate of the Green-veined White It always amazes me that the Crab Spider can hold onto such comparatively bigger prey - they have some very powerful jaws/palps

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[bugboy]

Thanks Wurzel. It’s probably a fast-acting venom that subdues the prey before it has a chance to struggle free. I imagine it’s first job is to act on the nerves and/or muscles.


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April 2025

Tuesday 8th. Mill Hill near Shoreham-by-sea seems to have lost its mojo in recent years. Increasing amounts of scrub and vigorous course grass growth seem to be the reason for a depletion in the habitat specialists. This change has been brought on by the loss of the Rabbit population here which did do a good job in managing the slope. Because of all this the day was a bit of a washout as far as butterflies were concerned. I did manage to find my first Grizzled Skipper of the year, but it managed to give me the slip before any photos were had and no amount of searching could re-find it. A few Speckled Wood could be found enjoying the shady paths leading up to the top car park and it was in one of the clearings near there that I found my first Green Hairstreak of the year, a female.

That was it for Mill Hill. From here we walked over to Southwick Hill. I’ve found pockets of Small Tortoiseshell along the paths and at the Hill in past years but non were seen this time. There were plenty of Peacock and Green-veined White and a few more Speckled Wood but little else.

And well, there endeth this report.

[bugboy]

April 2025

Saturday 12th was a significant improvement on my last day out, the Rabbits on Denbies Hillside are very much still with us and munching away on the slope! The springtime trio, two Skippers and a Hairstreak, were todays target.

The Skippers turned out to be quite easy to find. Dingies looked to be just starting and were around in small numbers, these were my first for the year.

The Grizzlies have been out for a while (I’m told since March) and were around in good numbers but with plenty still fresh so clearly still emerging.

Green Hairstreaks had also been out since March but proved a lot more troublesome to track down and I only managed three individuals in 5 hours.

During those 5 hours I had a bonus appearance of my first Small Copper of the year, a male who scarpered after a few record snaps and a much briefer appearance of my first Small Heath of the year.

By mid-afternoon, and after walking the hillside for several hours it was getting uncomfortably warm but the walk back to Westhumble is mostly downhill and has plenty of shade so I had enough energy left to go looking for Orange-tips at the foot of Box Hill before going home. A few males were still too active but a female stopped to feed. A Few Peacock were also enjoying the evening sun.

[David M]

Things just as early round my way, Paul.

With more warm weather on the way, I guess this trend will continue.

[bugboy]

Thanks David. Think it’s earlier everywhere at the moment!

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April 2025

Sunday 13th. A selection of unhelpfully variable forecasts kept me close to home today. In the end it was a few hours of sunny spells in the morning before clouding over so it was a few hours wandering around Walthamstow Marshes. Some Whites were out, both Small and GV

And a solitary Orange-tip doing the rounds stopped a couple of times just long enough to get the camera on him.

Along the shadier paths there were good numbers of Speckled Wood.

Not long before the cloud swallowed the sun the Peacocks began to appear along with one each of Comma and Brimstone

I did look for my local Green Hairstreaks but they weren't out yet, at least I didn't see any.

[Wurzel]

Love the OTs and Greenstreaks Bugboy Things have been early round here but not in any great numbers - almost as if the majority are waiting for the weather to get really good and don't want to get caught out in a cold snap Mind you Glannies, Marshies and Dukes all in April are really early for round this way so exciting times ahead

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[bugboy]

Thanks Wurzel. Dukes in April is nothing new over this side of the country but Marshies and Glannies! Am I gonna have to move a trip to Wiltshire forward this year? Are the ones near Warminster out too?


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April 2025

Thursday 17th. A trip down south for my first session with the Sussex Pearls of the year. I’d arranged to meet Neil H. at Arundel from where it’s a short drive to Rewell Wood. The first ones had only been seen a week before, a modest total of three individuals so what awaited us? More than three! We did systematic transects of all the appropriate habitat, areas with a year or two’s growth of Sweet Chestnut coppice and it didn’t take long for them to start showing up, and as the sun warmed the air, in ever growing numbers.

It was also novel to see them associating with Violet (of which there were carpets in places) as much as the more usual Bugle.

Bearing in mind they hadn’t even started to emerge this time last year, reaching three figures long before the end of the count was quite impressive. Once more they’re living up to their old name the April Fritillary, at least for this year.

The final total was 345 Pearls, virtually all males. Only a few females were confirmed, which is what you would expect at the start of the emergence, but the females that were seen were already busy sorting out next years brood. Hardly surprising really, with 300+ males already searching endlessly there was little chance of any female being able to dry her wing before being found and mated!

Just laid, they don't really bother searching out the foodplant, eggs are laid on anything suitable leaving the larvae to wander off to find the Violets when they hatch.

the egg

The inevitable harassment.

Neil had to shoot off after we finished counting for a Knepp session but I stayed for a few more hours, there was still plenty of sun left to enjoy and how could I possibly tear myself away from so many butterflies!

There were actually other species on the wing too, although non anywhere near three figures and most in single figures but I'll save those for the next post.

[Wurzel]

That is cracking news Bugboy It's funny you should mention the Wiltshire Marshies - I was PMing Dave last night reckoning that it may have been another week til they emerged and then on the Evil-book-of-face a post popped up and they're out at Cotley already - that's a couple of weeks early at least So if you can get over this way earlier it might be a good idea

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[bugboy]

Thanks Wurzel. I have a few days off next week so as long as the weather holds…

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April 2025

Thursday 17th cont. With so many pearls darting around it would have been easy to forget there were other species on the wing, albeit in much lower numbers. During the transects we came across the first Grizzlies recorded on the site this year

And the first Green Hairstreak

After Neil had left I managed to pin down an Orange-tip, we’d seen more females than males oddly.

And this Speckled Wood seemed oddly obsessed with this Broom, not sure what was so tasty but he repeatedly came back for more.

All in all a worthwhile day out.

[Wurzel]

Those are cracking Greenstreak shots Bugboy Next week is looking like a case of reasonable temperatures with sunny intervals - although how much sun counts towards a 'sunny interval' I'm not sure but overall I reckon you picked a good time to have a few days off

Have a goodun

Wurzel