July Sightings

[David M]

You may well see me there too, as I'm determined to see WLHs feeding at lower levels before the year is out!

[Eris]

Look who popped into the garden this afternoon - a super little Holly Blue

Very pleased to see this as I only ever see one or two per year in the garden.

[felix123]

In the morning about 7:50 while the sun was shining I saw 2 Gatekeepers. Saw a Red admiral and meadow brown on my buddlea in my garden its always pleasing to see butterflies using your garden as a place to feed.

Also at school I saw a Comma(my friends saw me running after it franticly ) and a Humming bird hawk moth and numerous whites.

Felix

[millerd]

Nothing spectacular, but the new round of Common Blue, Brown Argus and Small Copper are appearing on my local patch between the River Colne and the M25. Interestingly, the Brown Argus shown below was slightly larger than the Common Blue, though they could not be persuaded to sit next to one another. The Small Copper was rather dark on the upperside, but refused to display itself fully for the camera (or even sit properly still!). As I've mentioned elsewhere there are abundant Commas in these here parts, and here are just two of them...

Dave

[David M]

I took a chance on a decidedly 'iffy' weather forecast and visited Castlemorton Common today, near Malvern. This is a huge site just below the southern end of the Malvern Hills and I spent a good three and a half hours exploring what is extremely good butterfly terrain. The showers thankfully didn't materialise, although there were fairly long periods where the sunlight was extinguished by clouds.

In spite of that, good numbers of butterflies were seen:

1. Hedge Brown 200-300 (easily overtaken Meadow Browns and were everywhere today)
2. Green Veined White 150-250 (adored the marshy conditions. Saw several mating pairs)
3. Meadow Brown 50-80
4. Common Blue 30-40
5. Small Skipper 15-25
6. Small Copper 23 (ideal conditions for SCs and they were as plentiful as I've ever seen them)
7. Peacock 18
8. Ringlet 10-15 (looking battered now)
9. Large White 8
10. Small White 6
11. Speckled Wood 6
12. Small Tortoiseshell 6
13. Marbled White 3
14. Unidentified Fritillary 3 (flight was more like Dark Green than SWF, but none stopped to settle)
15. Essex Skipper 1 (may have been more, but this one was a definite)
16. Comma 1
17. Brown Argus 1 (the surprise of the day, but it was a surefire BA as I caught it in my hands for a closer look)
18. Silver Washed Fritillary 1 (female on brambles near the woodland at the bottom of the hill)
19. Purple Hairstreak 1 (saw it in flight before it disappeared towards the top of an old oak tree)

[felix123]

Saw a Painted lady in the garden today on the buddlea looking very very fresh!!


Felix

[Pete Eeles]

Saw a Painted lady in the garden today on the buddlea looking very very fresh!!


Felix

Ooh - very interesting! I've seen a good number of fresh Red Admiral around. Let's hope for a Buddleia-filled 2nd half to our summer!

Cheers,

- Pete

[Crispin]

Silver-spotted Skippers appear to starting off well.
I notice the first sighting in Sussex was 11 July which I believe is the earliest since 2002.
On my transect I recorded 6 SSSk and many others off transect - despite the wind and cloud.
This one was very obliging, allowing me to take photos:

Then after licking my finger (I had just eaten a nectarine)it crawled on to my finger:

The upper wings look surprisingly dark - I didn't notice that at the time of taking the photo:

How are Silver-spotted doing at other sites?

I also saw a Dark Green Fritillary at Malling Down, which is unusual as there is no breeding colonies on the Lewes Downs but habitat is there (2 transect records for this year, first since 2000). My father (John Holloway begin_of_the_skype_highlighting     end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting     end_of_the_skype_highlighting) told me he had also had a Dark Green in the garden!
Are Dark Green Fritillary having an exceptional good year and expanding? I hope so.

There is clearly many more whites around, sometimes a bit difficult differentiating between them. Also many more Red Admirals, Humming-Bird Hawks and Silver-Y.

Still good numbers of Marbled White, Chalkhill appear to be a bit late starting off or they are having a poor year?

Six-spot Burnet are doing very well here in Lewes area.

Crispin

[Jonathan Evans]

Today I made my 3rd visit of the week to the fields at Glamorgan Canal Local Nature Reserve. Of note were- 4 White-letter Hairstreak nectaring on Knapweed and Rose bay willow herb, at least 2 Purple Hairstreak in the top of an oak, 7+ Holly Blue, and many frisky Gatekeeper.

Jon

[Michaeljf]

Jon,
I got to the Forest Farm meadows yesterday after work, soon after the 5:15pm downpour . No White-Letter Hairstreaks, but still plenty of common blues (and holly blues?), gatekeepers, meadow browns, speckled woods, green-veined whites and a few commas, especially in the third field. The Rosebay Willow-herbs are in fine fettle. I bet you envy those of us that are stuck in during the day
Michael

[Pete Eeles]

How are Silver-spotted doing at other sites?

Richard Soulsby, the Upper Thames BC SSS champion, says "They are exceptionally early this year, and numbers are climbing rapidly. What’s more there are good numbers of females already – usually they do not appear until some days after the first males – and some of both the males and females seen are starting to look worn. The implication is that they might have been around for some days before the first sightings on the 19th".

Cheers,

- Pete

[Piers]

The upper wings look surprisingly dark - I didn't notice that at the time of taking the photo:
Crispin

Hi Crispin,

I predict that we shall see a good number of dark females this year, they do seem to occur with frequency in hot summers.

It's good news that they seem to be doing well this year, the warm dry weather earlier in the year (and indirectly the dry Winter) will have been particularly beneficial to the larval stage.

If August heats up, it will be very exciting to look at oviposition preferences...

Stay in touch,

Felix.

[felix123]

I saw a Meadow Brown trying to lay eggs on our garden lawn today! I also saw lots of whites and gatekeepers in the graveyard.

Felix

[Pete Eeles]

I saw a Meadow Brown trying to lay eggs on our garden lawn today!

That's the best excuse I've ever heard for not mowing the lawn. Thanks Felix!

Cheers,

- Pete

[felix123]

Well I was telling everyone not to go near it and wanted to put tape around the area where I found the egg to kind of study the area but I think I will just leave it and see what happens!

I'm now on SUMMER HOLIDAY for 6 weeks, lots of butterfly hunting to go on now also going to the new forest in mid august can anyone tell me what butterflies I can see there at that time!!!

Felix

[Piers]

I'm now on SUMMER HOLIDAY for 6 weeks, lots of butterfly hunting to go on

Me, jealous...?

Felix. (the other one).

[felix123]

It will ZOOOOOM by!

Felix(the other one)

[Matsukaze]

Ridiculous abundance of Common Blues on Bathampton Down today, in the tens of thousands at least.

[Ian Pratt]

Earlier this week I was in Scotland and managed to get to Rannoch Moor in the Highlands. Some lovely hot sunshine was mixed with heavy downpours but I did manage to see a common blue which posed for me together with a dark green fritillary and a mountain ringlet. Not as many butterflies as the Isle of Wight but superb scenery and good golf!!

[sahikmet]

To day at Chobham Heath lots of butterflies. Small and large skippers, silver spotted skipper, large white, speckled wood, grayling 3, medow brown, gatekeeper.
Cheers, Sezar