July 2013

[ChrisC]

silver washed fritillary and single White Admiral seen over the woods today.

Chris

[Steve Babbs]

Plenty of silver-studded blues at Purdis Heath, Ipswich this afternoon. I failed to see any white admirals in Bentley Woods, but I did see my first ringlets of the year.

Bearing in mind the lateness of the season, anyone like to predict which weekend I should keep free for purple emperors?

[kevling]

Visited some sights around Ipswich today.
Firstly at Purdis Heath, we saw 20 Silver Studded Blues, including 2 females (see attached photos). Very encouraging compared to recent years, when you could count the total on one hand. Probably still a week away from their peak too.
Credit to the volunteers that have helped turn this great species decline around at this location.
Then we visited Rushmere Heath, where a single White Letter Hairstreak was seen in an elm. Plenty of Small & Large Skippers at this location too.
Finally at Holywells Park there were large numbers of Small Tortoishell, Meadow Browns, skippers and a solitory Brimstone.
And to think I struggled to see Small Tortoiseshell last year. They're back with a vengeance in 2013

Regards Kev

[Rosalyn]

I arrived at Monks Wood just before 10am, Phil had suggested I look out for Purple Hairstreak in the grasses along the rides so only a few minutes in I spotted a small dark butterfly flying in the grass and already had a lovely Purple Hairstreak, open wing, in my minds eye. It was not to be though. A Black Hairstreak settled on the path and spent 10 mins in the shade before flying up into a nearby tree. Still a few flying but this was the only one I managed to photograph.

Black Hairstreak 4, Speckled Wood and Large Skipper numerous

I didn't see any where only the previous evening I had spotted 5 flying.

A visit to an old graveyard near my home turned up 5 White-letter Hairstreak

[Steve Babbs]

Visited some sights around Ipswich today.
Firstly at Purdis Heath, we saw 20 Silver Studded Blues, including 2 females (see attached photos). Very encouraging compared to recent years, when you could count the total on one hand. Probably still a week away from their peak too.
Credit to the volunteers that have helped turn this great species decline around at this location.
Then we visited Rushmere Heath, where a single White Letter Hairstreak was seen in an elm. Plenty of Small & Large Skippers at this location too.
Finally at Holywells Park there were large numbers of Small Tortoishell, Meadow Browns, skippers and a solitory Brimstone.
And to think I struggled to see Small Tortoiseshell last year. They're back with a vengeance in 2013

Regards Kev

Kev

Where abouts at Rushmere was the white-letter hairstreak? I haven't had any success there for several years; I used to see them near the water tower. Do you know if wl hairstreak is still at Holywells?

[kevling]

Steve,

The white letter hairstreak was along the footpath that leads from Bixley Drive to the water tower. It was up in an elm less than 50 yds from the tower.
I think you can see them at Holywells park (their info board also hints at this). I might try some more visits there over the next week or two. Will let you know if I find any.

Regards Kev Ling

PS Brother of Stuart, who I think you know from the good ole days

[Steve Babbs]

Kev

Thanks for the gen. They used to come down to brambles very well near the water tower but not many flowering brambles there these days. I have seen one white-letter hairstreak at Holywells, but haven't seriously looked there since I moved further away from the park about six years ago.

Yes I used to be good friends with Stuart. I do remember you; I never realised you were interested in wildlife.

Cheers

[EricY]

Large numbers of silver-studded blues @ Kelling Heath today. More than I have ever seen before, every track both side of road seemed to have some. Too tired to sort out my photos tonight after a hectic few days but must take advantage of a bit of fine weather. We have waited long enough for it! Eric

[Neil Freeman]

Spending the weekend at the Hunters Inn in Heddon Valley

On the way down yesterday stopped off at Haddon Hill and saw 6 or 7 Heath Fritillaries.

A walk around Heddon Valley this morning and again later this afternoon produced good numbers of High Brown and Dark Green Fritillaries plus a few Silver Washed Frits. A really old and faded Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary this afternoon has made it a five Frit weekend
Also lots of Meadow Browns, some Ringlets and Large Skippers and a couple each of Common Blue, Red Admiral and Small Tortoishell.

Reports and photos will be in my diary next week when I have (unfortunately) returned to civilisation

Neil F.

[David M]

Saw 10 Lulworth Skippers at Lulworth Cove this morning, all found in the lower reaches of the hill within 150m of the gate from the path:





Moved on to Studland Heath in the afternoon and spotted 14 male Silver Studded Blues:





Stopped off at West Yatton Down near Chippenham on the way home for my first Marbled Whites of the year:



Other species seen today: Large Skipper, Small Skipper, Dingy Skipper, Large White, Adonis Blue, Common Blue, Small Blue, Brown Argus, Green Hairstreak, Wall Brown, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Small Heath, Speckled Wood, Small Tortoiseshell and Brimstone

[Cotswold Cockney]

Garden Observations ~ or more precisely, lack of them :~

Despite superb weather conditions over the past couple of days here in Gloucestershire, clear blue skies without any cloud, not seen a single Butterfly of any description through the garden or anywhere as I drive about. I suspect the six months of near winter like conditions synchronised everything to emerge at the same time locally a few weeks back and that flush has now run its course so nothing for a while. The only wildlife seen in the garden is this nesting Ring Dove. The third nesting this pair in the garden so far including making a start in January. The previous nest in another part of my small back garden produced a single fledgling which was disturbed from the nest by next door's cat. I rescued the poor young bird and placed it up near its nest with the parents nearby. Did not know what happened to it until two weeks later, saw what was almost certainly the same young bird only a little larger on my garage roof. Spent half an hour there before flying off strongly when the two adults chased it away ...

The pair including the sitting bird seem oblivious to my family working in the garden very close by and my working on my hobby cars.

[Ian Pratt]

Garden Observations ~ or more precisely, lack oft
Despite superb weather conditions over the past couple of days here in Gloucestershire, clear blue skies without any cloud, not seen a single Butterfly of any description through the garden or anywhere as I drive about. I suspect the six months of near winter like conditions synchronised everything to emerge at the same time locally a few weeks back and that flush has now run its course so nothing for a while. The only wildlife seen in the garden is this nesting Ring Dove. The third nesting this pair in the garden so far including making a start in January. The previous nest in another part of my small back garden produced a single fledgling which was disturbed from the nest by next door's cat. I rescued the poor young bird and placed it up near its nest with the parents nearby. Did not know what happened to it until two weeks later, saw what was almost certainly the same young bird only a little larger on my garage roof. Spent half an hour there before flying off strongly when the two adults chased it away ...

The pair including the sitting bird seem oblivious to my family working in the garden very close by and my working on my hobby cars.

My experience too, sadly. Ian

[nomad]

I Went to Daneway Banks, Glos, Friday to search for Large Blues. Small numbers seen, most were flying strongly in the hot sunshine, a few half decent images, no one seemed to be getting any photos. Marbled Whites were in large numbers. There was even a few Dingy Skippers about. Peter.

Large Blue

Large Blue female

Large Blue feeding at Self-heal

Marbled White at Daneway

Marbled White resting on Dogwood

[David M]

9 High Brown, 7 Small Pearl Bordered, 6 Dark Green and 30+ unidentified DG/HB Fritillaries seen in just over two hours at Old Castle Down/Alun Valley in Glamorgan:



Moved down the coast to Crymlyn Burrows in Swansea where, in less than an hour, I counted 132 Dark Green Fritillaries!!!

[cl-bucks]

Insect News: London, Monarch still at Rainham Marshes RSPB in wildlife garden mid-afternoon

[John Chapple]

Aish Tor on the edge of Dartmoor in Devon is one of the South West's strongholds for the nationally rare High Brown Fritillary. The population here appeared very healthy as on this hot sunny day we encountered well over forty butterflies, most in pristine condition. Several mating pairs were observed as well as females ovipositing in the undergrowth hopefully ensuring next years generation. Good numbers of their close relative the Dark Green Fritillary were also on the wing causing a little confusion at times but it seemed that the majority of identifiable views were of High Browns. Great news for this beautiful and rare butterfly.

video here..........http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlOStgQR ... R3UCMvDcbA

[A_T]

Very fine day. Trip to Fenn's and Whixall Moss - Large Heaths were abundant (davus subspecies)- I saw none last weekend. Everything is a bit behind here - there was several days of lying snow at the end of March. Difficult species to photograph - always on the move and tending only to settle within growth.

Also lots of Ringlets, Large Skippers and Meadow Browns. One or two veteran Brimstones still around.

[aeshna5]

Denbies, Surrey today: highlights:

c25 Marbled White
8 Dark Green Fritillary
early fresh male Chalkhill Blue.

Also 45+ Small Heath, Speckled Wood, c30 Meadow Brown, 9 Large Skippers, 2 faded Common + 4 Adonis Blues, Red Admiral, Large + Small White + a pair of Brimstones.

On Friday 2 White-letter Hairstreaks on Horsenden Hill, west London + another 2 yesterday at Runnymede.

[millerd]

On Friday 2 White-letter Hairstreaks on Horsenden Hill, west London + another 2 yesterday at Runnymede.

Can I ask whereabouts at Runnymede you saw the WLH? I've often wondered about whether there were any here, and now you've confirmed it! It's only a matter of minutes from home for me.

Cheers,

Dave

[Butterflymax]

After a family gathering for my mum’s birthday, the men’s Wimbledon final was becoming too painful to watch (or so I thought at the time) and so decided to drive out to Ashlawn Bridge and spend an hour or so at Ashlawn Cutting. Summer appears to have finally arrived here in Rugby in the last week, with the car thermometer reading 29º today. As I stepped onto the former track-bed I was greeted by my first Ringlet of the day, but it refused to land and pose for photos, although a Meadow Brown obliged a short while later. In the increasingly tropical heat I began clambering up the eastern embankment and was quickly rewarded with my first Marbled Whites of the year and achieved some reasonable photos (better than last year). I also saw my first Small Skippers of the year, but strangely no Large Skippers today (saw four on 30th June in same location). Plenty of Ringlets and Meadow Browns, all very hyperactive, one Small Tortoiseshell and one Comma. No whites of any kind today. However, it has to be said that already 2013 is proving better for butterflies at Great Central Walk than 2012, which was truly dismal. The back garden is a different story though, and I’ve taken no photos there as yet, having seen nothing but various whites. Summary of today’s confirmed sightings:

Small Skipper: 4
Marbled White: 15 approx
Ringlet: 50 approx
Meadow Brown: 20 approx
Small Tortoiseshell: 1
Comma: 1