July 2011

[Wurzel]

Martin Down was teaming with Dark Green Fritillary (cheers for hot spot Philzoid ) - with 4 in front of my car as I got out! Also the usual suspects - Marbled White, Essex and Small Skippers (I've got my eye in now), a pale Tortoiseshell and fresh looking Small Copper.

Earlier in the morning checked Garston Wood - 2 White Admiral, Small Copper (caerleo-jobby which I can't remember how to spell ), H Comma, SW Frit, GSW Frit and my first Gatekeeper of the year which only had one spot on it's lower wing? More photos to follow on personal diary later...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[NickB]

Fleam Dyke - Got there before the showers to do my transect and hope for DGFs; I was not disappointed. Amongst the usual suspects, I spied my first Peacock for some time along with several Red Admiral, 3 Small Torts and a Comma, plus (looking at my pictures) at least 2 different male and 2, possibly 3, different female DGF . I saw 2 of the females earlier, looking, it seemed, for places to lay eggs in patches of violet leaves, before going back after the transect and trying to get them feeding on the thistles....it was windy and cloudy and they were quick...so not too much success..
These are a first for me on the Fleam Dyke; a couple were spotted last year and there have been several reports this year from the Fleam Dyke and Roman Road, south of Cambridge. Nice to see these Frits back!

[Michaeljf]

Saturday 9th July

We went to Oversley Woods (Warwickshire) today, after getting some great guidance from Phil (Goldnenorfe) on where to walk for the Purple Emperor. We weren't sure how good the weather would be, and once there it fluctuated between cloudy and some nice sunny spells, but with a reasonable breeze. At the car park we met up (by coincidence) with Bill (Willrow) and spent the day walking the reserve with him and having a great chat.

There were plenty of Purple Hairstreaks, Small Skippers, Ringlets, Speckled Woods, Silver-Washed Fritillaries, Marbled Whites, Large, Small and Green-Veined Whites, Meadow Browns, Holly Blues, Red Admirals, Commas, Peacocks and a few fresh Brimstones. We occasionally saw the odd Purple Emperor above the trees and a few lone White Admirals. The breeze and indifferent weather stopped the Purple Hairstreaks from coming down properly for any good photographs. I thought the reserve was a great place to walk (though slightly difficult to find the entrance from the A46) and there were quite a few butterfly enthusiasts wandering through as well as a few families and dog-walkers. We may try and go again before the PE's and PH's have gone completely, if we have time.

We had a great time chatting with Bill - who is smashing company - and had a nice day, even though we never had a proper chance to see the Purple Emperors!

Michael


One of my aborted attempts at photographing the Purple Hairstreak...


One of the Small Skippers - there were several where we weren't sure if they were Essex Skippers or not...


Bill (Willrow) myself and my wife Karen stop on one of the benches for lunch (Bills sandwiches not shown!).


The touching inscription on the bench.

[millerd]

With children in tow, a less varied day that those of last weekend. We had a look locally first, and found a flush of new Peacocks on a "wild" buddleia, plus lots of Speckled Woods, Commas and Gatekeepers. One of the latter was a golden shade rather than orange-brown - quite striking.

Later in the day we popped into a very windy Aston Rowant, and saw very little except for a few Marbled Whites, a Small Tortoiseshell and a Small Copper.

[Neil Freeman]

Saturday 9th July

We went to Oversley Woods (Warwickshire) today..........

Hi Michael,

Just seen the picture of you sitting on the bench and realised it was you that I saw and had a brief chat with later in the afternoon whilst you were waiting to see if the Purple Hairstreaks would come down again.

I was the guy with the Panasonic FZ38, I think I was wearing a blue baseball cap.

It was my first outing with the close up lens attached, I have put a few words and piccies in my personal diary.


Cheers,

Neil.

[ChrisC]

I didn't get out yesterday,which makes looking at everyone elses great photos such a treat. luckily things picked up bigtime in the garden, first real day of butterflies since spring.
White Admiral
Red Admiral
Comma
Silver Washed Frit
Ringlet
Meadow Brown
Large skipper
Brimstone
Large white
GV white
speckled wood
as an aside has anyone else noticed an increased number of hoverflies in the garden? has there been a continental influx as there has been moths?
Chris

[Michaeljf]

Neil,

well it was nice to meet you - albeit briefly. When Phil (Goldenorfe) emailed me information on the walk, he said he'd also sent same information to another UKButterflier, so I don't know if that was you! Shame about the late afternoon cloud but I thought it was a really nice place to go. I'll go and have a look at your blog now...

Michael

[Neil Freeman]

Michael,

No, not me that Goldenorfe sent info to. Oversley is only 30 mins from my house, I have been there a few times this year.

My Wife had a stroke just before Christmas last year and although recovering still needs a wheelchair to go any distance. Oversley is one of the places that I can take her to as the circular path around the wood is good enough for me to push her round.

As you say, its a really nice place. Well worth a visit in Spring as well when there are loads of Bluebells.

Cheers,

Neil.

[Hoggers]

My first Clouded Yellow of 2011 flew by me on my Patch this afternoon ( In Ashford, Kent )

[admiral halsey]

Planted a Buddleia in the garden about six weeks ago. Rewarded with a Red Admiral this afternoon.

Rich

[badgerbob]

My first 2nd brood Wall Brown of the year this afternoon at the back of Seaford, Sussex. This is 11 days earlier than last year.

[Willrow]

Thoroughly enjoyed the time spent at Oversley Woods, Warwickshire on Saturday with Michaeljf and his lovely wife Karen (see Michael's post above).

I have to be utterly honest now, when I arrived at the car park at Oversley Woods I was rather concerned, the track leading to it from the main road (off the A46) had pot holes in the pot holes, I'm sure I saw a poor unsuspecting gang of night roaming Hedgehogs still trying to climb out of one of them but it does'nt end there, you then have to go under a New York style subway (the A46 is overhead) complete with graffiti top to bottom, and then your in the car park where you need to have at least a mountain rescue vehicle if your not one of the few fortunates that manage to get to park on the limited amount of tarmac...and please tell me that shattered glass is not from a recent car break-in...but it is Okay...'pull yourself together' methinks, there's Purple Emperor in them thar woods...

I spent about an hour and a half doing a circular with eyes peeled for PE, no luck, so I meandered back to the car, half of me wanting to check it was still there and the other half needing a cup of coffee, it was while I was devouring a Kit Kat with my coffee that a very cheery fellow introduced himself, it was the famous UK Butterflier MichaelJF, I can state here that I would have most probably moved on to somewhere else around mid-day had not Michael and Karen been such good company, and their enthusiasm is spiffin! Please don't misunderstand me Oversley is probably a great place on the right day, it perhaps was'nt the right day, not a great deal was happening. The Purple Hairstreaks were frustrating to put it mildly and myself and Karen had to stop Michael climbing the Oak tree to get at the b******* stupid critters My moment of the day though was when I jokingly suggested that a gentleman riding his small foldaway cycle harmlessly up the path towards us was probably Matthew Oates and Michael ran towards the poor fellow doing a series of bows of worship as he approached him, the fellow stopped dead in his tracks literally, he must have thought who is this bloody nutter!!!...myself and Karen thought it was hilarious, and thank heavens Michael explained he was a rather confused and eccentric UK Butterflier...it was great

I won't duplicate the species list, Michael has covered it perfectly, all I will say is that a few hours like this is a tonic...even if you don't get to see your hoped for butterfly...thanks Mike and Karen

Bill

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Bill,

As with Michael above, I recognise you from his photo.
It was me that bumped into you again as I was heading out and you were going back in for a last look. I mentioned the Oak down the side track with loads of Purple Hairstreaks frustratingly out of reach.

Know what you mean about it not being the right day. I have put some comments and pics in my blog and mentioned there that the weather had put the mockers on it.

Cheers,

Neil.

[millerd]

A lunchtime perambulation round a slightly different part of my local patch revealed that the Essex Skippers were now out in force. Curiously, all last week's Ringlets had disappeared, to be replaced by Gatekeepers, and the new brood of Brown Argus was doing well. No Common Blues, however - always seems odd to see Brown Argus and no Common Blue. However, there were some Holly Blues, silvery-white in the sunlight. There were serious numbers of Peacocks about, mostly nectaring, but with one or two acting territorially like they do in the spring - I wonder if they'll produce a second brood like they did in 2009.

A quick look around at about 8pm revealed that all the local oak trees contain Purple Hairstreaks. They cannot resist dancing in the evening sunlight on a warm still evening!

Dave

[Gibster]

Finished work nice and early and tried Mitcham Common for WLH...no luck but I've given a sizeable chunk of the site a darn good recce! Masses of Creeping Thistles so I've high expectations. There were hundreds and hundreds of skippers, the bulk being Essex rather than Small. Also 2 Marbled Whites which surprised me this close to London. My first 2nd generation Small Coppers and Brown Argus were noted along with fresh Peacocks, Commas, a few Small Tortoiseshells, Gatekeepers, Speckled Woods and Red Admirals. Complete species list stood at 17 species - not too shabby for 2 hours on a south London common. Also a gazillion grasshoppers competing with the buzz of Roesel's Bushcrickets and a recently fledged Sparrowhawk wheeling beneath the adult female. Very nice! Only other sighting of note concerned the huge numbers of Cinnabar larvae on ragwort - should be a veritable explosion of pink and black in the near future!

Gibster.

EDIT - forgot to mention, a patch of Black Horehound was noted as being extremely attractive to Small and Essex Skippers with 9 individuals nectaring in close proximity to each other. Anybody else seen this? Many skippers scattered across acres of creeping thistle, ragwort and other wildflowers - but not in the dense concentration seen on the horehound.

[EricY]

Perfect wind free conditions this morning. Just had time to pop up to our local NNR with strict instructions to be back to meet visitors at 10.30am. Found a reported master purple hairstreak oak within easy walking distance of home. 4/5 flying high at 8.45 who dissapeared when sun went very hazy. Sun full out at 9.45 & about 15 were flying all around, some close enough to get some shots. Eric

Pueple Hairstreak head on

Purple Hairstreak nectering on oak

[jenks]

Made a trip down to Pembrokeshire yesterday ( Saturday ) for family reasons, but after leaving them I managed to spend the late afternoon/ early evening in the Deer Park, Marloes, overlooking Skomer Island. The main objective was to see Puffin, Chough and Manx Shearwaters ( feeding in the tide race and congregating before coming on-shore during darkness to avoid predation by gulls) but what surprised me was the number of Dark Green Fritillaries still flying energetically at 8 p.m. It was a warm, sunny evening with a light breeze and I must have seen 20 or so still at that hour, with at least the same number going to roost in the bracken. Meadow Brown, Red Admiral & Small Tortiseshell all seen late afternoon.

Just seen the weeks weather forecast on Countryfile-- "wet and windy next weekend for us all ". And there was I thinking summer had returned !

Jenks.

[NickB]

What a strange season; I see my first Marbled White ever in Mill Road Cemetery today Managed a long-distance shot with my wrong lens...

....and at the weekend I met a resident who immediately identified (from some fritillary pictures I gave her), a male Silver Washed Fritillary that had been on her allotment round the corner that weekend! Better than that; she claims to have seen one at the same time last year too.....
So much for Fritillary-free Cambridge, let alone Cambridgeshire (as PhilB showed me earlier).....
N

[Susie]

Denbies hillside this morning; chalkhill blue numbers are building nicely. Still good numbers of marbled whites around as well as large and small skippers, small copper, brown argus, meadown brown and small white. I didnt see any dark green frits today.

I tried some of my purple emperor bait on the chb butterflies and it pulled them in in threes and fours but not huge numbers.

[Crispin]

Spent much of today lying down on 30 degree slope looking for larvae or pupa - I got bloody sore elbows from the dry chalky ground and the stem-less thistles!

But I found what I was looking for:

First I found the silky web above then this fully grown Silver-spotted Skipper lava.

I expect most are pupa by now.

I wondered if this could have been from one of the above?

Saw at least 7 Humming-bird Hawks on Sunday and 3 together zooming round this morning.
Surprised not to see any Painted Lady

Not seen a Small Heath for about a week, yet to see my first Chalkhill and gen 2 Common.
Seeing quite a few Peacock and lots of Red Admiral.



Any idea on the identification of the following:
These little puffs of cotton wool appear to be egg sacks- a spider?

Not sure I have ever noticed the smaller snail species