August Sighting 2010

[NickB]

..... but my sister well she prefers the shopping in Dorchester. Felix!

...a lesson for later life....

[sami]

If my darling Sami ever reads these last few comments I can assure you I'll be misidentifying lots of stuff for weeks to come...two black eyes will do that to a fella!!!! Gulp, wish me luck!

here I am....! not one to condone violence but I do need to protect my reputation (which is already in tatters after the skipper debacle). Women can be fearsome creatures so watch what you say, Gibster.... or maybe I should start ID'ing things correctly so you don't have any grounds to mock me! Humph

Happy butterflying everybody, make sure you check out our Big Year Attempt website at www.butterflyblitz2010.webs.com.

Best wishes
Sami

[Trev Sawyer]

Phew, that went well - I think you got away pretty lightly there Gibster .....

Gibster?

Gibsterrrrr?!!

Trev

[Jonathan Evans]

Yesterday I visited Broadcroft Quarry in Dorset, in the hope of seeing a Lulworth Skipper or 2. Unfortunately, I drew a big fat blank; good numbers of other species present but not 1 Skipper of any description . A recent blog entry on another website suggests Lulworth Skipper are now hard to find at Bindon Hill, and numbers are very reduced generally this year . I certainly haven't seen many reports of sightings this year, save those emanating from Durlston Country Park, so it seems a visit is in the offing.

Anyway, on a positive note, there were good numbers of Chalkhill Blue at Broadcroft, with many Common Blue about as well. I saw my first female Wall of the year and a handful of Small Blue. The best sight of the day though, had to be my first Painted Lady of the year , which I almost stepped on, before it proceeded to lead me on a merry chase through the buddleia. I managed one snatched shot.

Jon

[Zonda]

Yep that day is a day to remember I LOVED IT!
My brother Rory is now hooked too on butterflies since he saw the BH but my sister well she prefers the shopping in Dorchester. Oh! haven't I told you all that I'm a Triplet its true!!!

Oh and I'm now over my hundredth post!!!

Felix!

Hey Felix,, glad you had a good day at Alners Gorse. One of triplets eh,,,, i reckon your dad is Superman. I'm hoping for an afternoon of Chalkhill blue and maybe a Grayling or Wall tomorrow. Hope to join a guided tour on Portland. Good luck with your efforts. We all like a keen youth, and i would wish that my grandchildren would develop as strong an interest in the natural world as the one you have. Cheers Zonda.

[Trev Sawyer]

Hi Jon,
Sorry you missed the Lulworth Skippers at Broadcroft Quarry... we were there a couple of weeks ago and there were one or two around then but we only saw 4 insects - all appeared to be males fighting for territory - (in the little flat areas of sheltered grass and flowers just off the main path near the rock faces). We looked around the Corfe Castle car park area, between Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove and the Ringstead Bay area near our accomodation and didn't find any there either. We didn't quite get to Durlston, but walked from Ballard Down to Ballard Point along the hilltop and then back to the car along Ballard Cliff (it took hours) and finally found a very small number of Lulworth Skippers along the low overgrown footpath somewhere around SZ032811. I assumed we couldn't see any because of the annoying wind and that others "in the know" would be able to spot hundreds, but maybe we were lucky to find any at all! Perhaps it has been a bad year for them? I'm damned glad we got a few photos then - I was rather disappointed with not having more chances. I only saw one female and the photo I got was very blurred

Trev

[Jonathan Evans]

Hi Jon,
Sorry you missed the Lulworth Skippers at Broadcroft Quarry...

Thanks for the info Trev, seems they are less numerous than in previous years. Think I will try Durlston.

Jon

[David M]

I was bored this morning and even though the weather was distinctly overcast I thought I'd get out of the house for an hour or two and visit Old Castle Down, near Bridgend, where 4 weeks ago I saw High Brown and Dark Green Fritillaries flying together in numbers.

I was there for about two hours, during which the sun shone for about half an hour (and there were 2 heavy rain showers to boot). No High Browns left now, and I only saw one Dark Green female, but I did spot my first Glamorgan Wall Browns, five in total of which three were females (one busy egg laying down in the grass).

The tally for the day was:

1. Hedge Brown 30-40
2. Green Veined White 30-40
3. Small Heath 25-35
4. Common Blue 25-35
5. Meadow Brown 15-25
6. Brown Argus 14
7. Ringlet 8
8. Wall Brown 5
9. Speckled Wood 2
10. Small Copper 1
11. Large White 1
12. Dark Green Fritillary 1

Brown Argus and Common Blue sharing a basking spot

Nice dusting of blue

Wall Browns on the wing

[Dave McCormick]

Not a lot of butterflies here, I did see hundreds of peacock caterpillars not far from my house. Also two days ago a holly blue and small tortoiseshell graced my garden although I was unable to get a photo. I saw a Green-Veined white on the buddliea today too. Have not had much chance to look for butterflies, but might tomorrow.

[NickB]

Battling Blues...

..these two were at it a couple of times...no quarter given...
N

[millerd]

I visited Box Hill and Denbies today, despite the rather unkind weather. This did not appear to deter the butterflies - there were quite a few Silver-spotted Skippers at Box Hill, including one egg-laying female. The lack of Chalkhill Blues here was more than made up for at Denbies, where they were out in their hundreds, shimmering in the grass and on the ubiquitous marjoram. There were plenty of females too, including one somewhat lacking in underside spots - though not as spotless as the male I saw here a couple of weeks ago. The first of the second brood Adonis Blue males were out and about too, but I didn't see any Silver-spotted Skippers or second Brood Dingy Skippers as I have in previous years. To be fair, it really wasn't very sunny. There were plenty of Common Blues, Brown Argus and Small Heath too.

Dave

[Dave McCormick]

Seasons picking up here a little. I was at Strangford Lough doing some moth trapping overnight on a nearby hill and went along the shore to see what was around. Saw common carpet and a small white female and a micro moth. Coming home I saw a red admiral, 3 large whites (two female) and a small white, but I was unable to get a photo of any.

[Jack Harrison]

8th August

And it could fly strongly!

Jack

[fourwings]

[quote="Jonathan Evans"]A recent blog entry on another website suggests Lulworth Skipper are now hard to find at Bindon Hill, and numbers are very reduced generally this year . I certainly haven't seen many reports of sightings this year, save those emanating from Durlston Country Park, so it seems a visit is in the offing.

Jon

We visited Bindon Hill last weekend and despite 4 hours of searching did not see a single Lulworth Skipper, numbers of other species were very impressive, 17 species recorded.
We moved on to Durlston in the afternoon and we did manage to find a small colony of around 12 Lulworth Skippers in the long grass besides the diagonal path that runs off the bottom of the carpark, both males and females present, it was a bit windy for good images but I was pleased to bag a few as this was my first sighting of this fantastic little butterfly.

[millerd]

"Always take the camera" - worthwhile today as I spent the afternoon with my five-year-old son at Runnymede children's playground. The border hedge was alive with nectaring Holly Blues, allowing me photo opportunities hitherto undreamt of. There must have been a dozen of them along a hundred metres of hedge. Several three- and four-way squabbles ensued, usually involving a female in the middle.

Dave

[NickB]

...my Battling Blues at it again; there is one that is really aggressive (he flies after passing whites too) - I've named him Arnie

...his opponent today was freshly-emerged (and had not quite yet fully unfolded one wing... Arnie is a bully )

and lots of HB too, nectaring and approachable...

[David M]

First sunny day for a couple of weeks and I wasted no time in getting down to Kenfig Dunes near Port Talbot.

I'm pleased to say Walls were positively common, although I was disappointed by the lack of Graylings (just one) as well as a complete absence of Brown Argus. Still, it was a good three hours on a lovely site:

1. Meadow Brown 150-250 (abundant all over the reserve)
2. Hedge Brown 80-120 (abundant wherever there was shelter)
3. Common Blue 40-50
4. Green Veined White 30-40
5. Wall Brown 25-35 (they love those Hawkweed plants)
6. Small Heath 17
7. Peacock 9 (including one I rescued from the jaws of a spider)
8. Speckled Wood 8
9. Small Blue 8 (surprised to see them quite spread out rather than concentrated in a few areas)
10. Red Admiral 7
11. Small Tortoiseshell 4
12. Brimstone 4
13. Large White 3
14. Comma 3
15. Grayling 1
16. Small White 1
17. Dark Green Fritillary 1

All 'Walled out' after today - not seen so many for a long time

Saw quite a few odd singletons

Lovely, docile female Brimstone

This male was nearby, but never saw the female (shame as I've never witnessed Brimstone courtship)

Managed to get a Comma underside shot

Several Red Admirals today

[Ian Pratt]

At least 6 brimstones in pristine condition seen in Walters Copse IOW this afternoon. Also 3 tatty silver-washed fritillaries plus usual meadow browns, gate keepers, 2 very fresh commas, large and small whites and a ringlet without rings- is that unusual?

[Pete Eeles]

and a ringlet without rings- is that unusual?

Yes - but a known aberration - either ab. arete or ab. caeca, I believe, depending on how much spotting is lacking!

Cheers,

- Pete

[Ian Pratt]

No rings at all. Ian