Neil Hulme

[Maximus]

Hi Neil, your Long-tailed Blue photos have been stunning epecially the photo of the female you saw at Shoreham, surely a competiton winner!

Regards,

Mike

[Jack Harrison]

Maximus

Hi Neil, your Long-tailed Blue photos have been stunning

You might say that there are almost DSLR quality (where's the smilie for "stir"?)

Jack

[Neil Hulme]

Thanks Mike and Jack, and glad to hear you bagged one Mike.

Paul: Just read of your success at Kingsdown. Phew!

BWs, Neil

[Neil Hulme]

Early Retirement Cancelled

I had decided to stop chasing butterflies this year, after getting so lucky at Beeding Cement Works, but the lure of Long-tailed Blues and a welcome return to sunshine soon changed my mind. It didn't help my resolve when I saw B. rex's shot of a mating pair - outrageous!

Today (6th October) I joined James (B. rex) and Brian Henham to look at a site on the outskirts of Newhaven. This location is particularly interesting, as it appears that the butterfly has been breeding on Broom, supplemented by a small amount of pea. My suspicions were confirmed when I found larval feeding damage on a couple of Broom seed pods. Although the morning was very slow going, despite perfect weather conditions, things began to get more interesting in the early afternoon. Eventually we saw a total of 7 male butterflies, all recognised as different on the basis of variable wear & tear. Before this season I had never seen LTB in the UK and would have been satisfied with just one; I've now seen a total of at least 22 individuals spread over three very different sites, something I would have previously regarded as rather unlikely.

The 2013 butterfly season has provided many high-points and happy memories, but the sight of a British Long-tailed Blue attacking a freshly emerged Clouded Yellow is one mental image I'll never forget!

[Paul Wetton]

All I can say is "Nice One" Neil.

We dipped at this site due to the weather on Saturday. I think any site with previous sightings would have been fine in the weather on Sunday.

Great shots

[cl-bucks]

are any details of the Newhaven/seaford site availbale? Off to Shoreham cement works and would appreciate a back up site, just in case avoiding a trip to Kent - such as heading to Minnis Bay

[Jack Harrison]

Go for it Neil. Start writing. We can't wait.

Jack

[Neil Hulme]

cl-bucks: The Tide Mills site has been producing for some time now around TQ454005, although they have also been seen quite close to the actual ruins. Also worth trying the embankment covered in Broom as you first enter Seaford on the A259.

Jack: It shouldn't take as long as the photography took!

BWs, Neil

[Neil Hulme]

Blues At Home

My brother Mark, who lives in Antwerp, keeps a close eye on goings-on back in Blighty. Although they can't compete with the British Long-tailed Blues we've been enjoying, here are a couple of nice shots he took in the South of France back in 2009.

[selbypaul]

Hi Neil
Your report from Sunday, and more specifically the photo's are literally stunning. 2013 - A butterflying year to remember forever.
Paul

[Pete Eeles]

Couldn't agree more. I mean - they're bl**dy good photos anyway, but when you add the rarity factor they really are something special! Neil gave me a good impression of how much effort he's put in to get those shots when I spoke with him last week. My hat goes off to him

Cheers,

- Pete

[lee3764]

Couldn't agree more. I mean - they're bl**dy good photos anyway, but when you add the rarity factor they really are something special! Neil gave me a good impression of how much effort he's put in to get those shots when I spoke with him last week. My hat goes off to him

Cheers,

- Pete

I have to agree with Pete's comments. If it wasn't for Neil's enthusiasm & willingness to share the Long-tailed Blue sightings & related information on here and personally by phone then quite a few folk (including myself & my family) wouldn't have known enough to have the confidence to make a long journey to hope to see this rare migrant to our shores! This forum actually makes this species (Long-tailed Blue butterfly) seem common at present which is testiment to the power of this website's forum in bringing the lepidoptera community together when something very notable happens such as this!
Pinch yourself and you'll realise that 2013 wasn't actually a dream after all!!!
Cheers all,
Lee Slaughter (Cornwall).

[Neil Hulme]

Beginning Of The End?

Long-tailed Blue action is still coming thick and fast on the north Kent coast, but I suspect we have already seen 'the beginning of the end' of this historic event in Sussex, where it has suddenly become quite tricky to find the species. Today (8th October) I spent the entire day looking for LTB in perfect weather conditions. I eventually got lucky at Southwick docks (Aldrington Canal) where a couple of LTB had been reported by John and Val Heys. Bearing in mind the suitability of habitat, and quantity of food-plant, I suspect this site might have supported a good population until recently. However, I could only find one male today. As the Sussex LTB bonanza begins to tail off, I'm determined to enjoy every sighting as if it was my last - it might be. Although a little weary looking, I would have given my right arm for a view such as that below before the 2013 season exploded.

This industrial site supported a few other species to keep me interested during my search. 6 British Clouded Yellows, all fresh and vibrant, constantly patrolled the water's edge. Most were male, but a helice was busy laying eggs. Common Blue, Small Copper and a few Small White were also present.

I later moved on to the site between Newhaven and Seaford where I saw at least 7 male LTB only the day before yesterday. Others had been here for several hours without a sighting, and I didn't do much better. Just after 2 pm I saw a male at the east end of the site, all too fleetingly. What a difference a couple of days make!

As the LTB sightings subside, at least locally, I've started to look at the Sussex data and try to make sense of the pattern (note: I have only calculated sex ratios where sex was confidently determined). The emergence of wild, British Long-tailed Blue in Sussex began with Colin Knight's sighting at Newhaven on 20th September. Initially, the females made all the running, with 7 females (88%) and 1 male (12%) during the first eleven days (20th - 30th September). In most species it is the males which usually appear earlier in the flight season. Things changed on the 2nd October when a spate of males brought the cumulative totals to 10 females (59%) and 7 males (41%). Since then, the balance has swayed very much in favour of the males, with 19 males (90%) and only 2 females (10%) seen between 5th and 8th October. Where did the females go at the start of October, and where are the males going now?

Jeremy Thomas considers that it is likely that Long-tailed Blues mate before migrating, unlike many other voyagers (Butterflies of Great Britain & Ireland, 2010). We know that mating has occurred in the UK, with at least 3 pairings seen (Seaford and Reculver, Kent). However, to the best of my knowledge, no egg-laying and no eggs have been observed since the British emergence began. The data suggest the possibility that mated females have been heading south, perhaps triggered by photoperiod as we passed the Autumn Equinox on 22nd September.

Male LTB also appear to be disappearing quite rapidly now from sites in Sussex. Whereas, at least for a while, numbers remained quite static (refusing to substantially build despite a succession of newly hatched individuals), we seem to have passed a tipping point, now with a rapid net reduction. I suspect the males are following the females south. Enjoy it while it lasts!

[cl-bucks]

thanks - re site details - tried Beeding wihtout luck, and the embankement - again without luck though there was a report of briefing sightings, but did not try Tidal Mills as I only pick up the grdi ref upon return home

[Neil Hulme]

Many thanks Paul, Pete and Lee - much appreciated. Without the ability to communicate so widely and rapidly, it would be very much harder for the majority of naturalists to enjoy some of the once inaccessible aspects of British Wildlife. There's sometimes a price to pay, but the more we enjoy it, the more we're likely to conserve it.
BWs, Neil

[Maximus]

Hi Neil, with galeforce winds from the north forecast (especially in Kent) for Thursday and Friday, perhaps the LTB's will 'hitch a lift' south to warmer climes.

Mike

[David M]

I have to agree with Pete's comments. If it wasn't for Neil's enthusiasm & willingness to share the Long-tailed Blue sightings & related information on here and personally by phone then quite a few folk (including myself & my family) wouldn't have known enough to have the confidence to make a long journey to hope to see this rare migrant to our shores! This forum actually makes this species (Long-tailed Blue butterfly) seem common at present which is testiment to the power of this website's forum in bringing the lepidoptera community together when something very notable happens such as this!
Pinch yourself and you'll realise that 2013 wasn't actually a dream after all!!!
Cheers all,
Lee Slaughter (Cornwall).

Good post, Lee.

Yes, Neil is infectiously enthusiastic and a willing giver of his time and fieldcraft savvy to anyone who wishes to elicit information.

I was lucky to bump into him at Botany Bay during July, and my knowledge of Purple Emperor behaviour must have increased twenty-fold in a mere half hour of his company.

[Susie]

Beginning Of The End?
Male LTB also appear to be disappearing quite rapidly now from sites in Sussex. Whereas, at least for a while, numbers remained quite static (refusing to substantially build despite a succession of newly hatched individuals), we seem to have passed a tipping point, now with a rapid net reduction. I suspect the males are following the females south. Enjoy it while it lasts!

I am really glad to read this. I had assumed that these long tailed blues and any eggs they had/were going to lay were doomed (DOOMED I say ...) so it's a really nice thought that they'll be sunning themselves in foreign parts soon.

A huge thanks from me also for all the assistance you have given and for your wonderful photos.

[NickMorgan]

Really interesting posts about the Long-tailed Blues and Clouded Yellows. It is great to hear that butterflies are still doing well down there. The season more-or-less came to an end here at the beginning of September. I was hoping for a late hot spell with the hope that some Clouded Yellows would have made it up here!

[Neil Hulme]

Last Chance Saloon

I hope that there will be more opportunities and I believe that more Long-tailed Blues will almost certainly emerge, but I suspect that the best is now over in Sussex, particularly with the forecast of much less favourable weather to come. After attending to some business in Brighton this morning (9th October) I returned to the Southwick site (Grid Ref: TQ24820502), where a couple of friends were already busy searching. With sunshine predicted to disappear by early afternoon there was little time in which to work. Fortunately the Long-tailed Blues played ball and we enjoyed a good spell of action before the cloud built and the temperature dropped.

I quickly spotted a male LTB in reasonable condition, but missing a tail. This was undoubtedly the insect I saw here yesterday. While a small group of us started to photograph it I noticed another male only a few metres away, this time in much worse condition, particularly over its rear left wing. While the better specimen had gone AWOL a female appeared from nowhere and was accosted at lighting speed. A couple of us watched the frantic pursuit, which took the butterflies far out over the water until they were lost from sight. It wasn't long before another male appeared, this time fully tailed, undamaged but very faded. In the space of an hour we had seen 3 different males and a female!

Several enthusiasts turned up at just the right time and managed to see their first LTB with ease. Sadly, a couple more turned up just too late. With sunshine forecast tomorrow it must be worth trying this site if you are yet to connect, despite the fall in temperature. The Clouded Yellows continue to put on a good show here.