Andy Wilson

[Wurzel]

Indeed Andy a lovely looking aberrant showing interesting markings both top and lower side I'm glad your persistence paid off and Lady Luck dealt you a good hand in the end

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

I'm very envious of your trip to the Island, Andy. I looks to have been very well worth the effort in the end, with that rather splendid ab. as a bonus!

Dave

[David M]

That's a very striking aberration, Andy. What started out as a frustrating day certainly transformed into something far more satisfying.

[Andy Wilson]

Thanks for your posts about the aberrant Glanville. I suspect they're a rather variable species, so I didn't want to say it was a definite aberration rather than something within normal bounds. Anyway, I had a great day and thanks for all your comments.

[trevor]

Glad to read of your successful visit to the IOW for the Glanvilles,
I was over there on Wednesday, the weather not so good.
Talking to a local BC member at Wheelers Bay, he told me that Glanvilles are having a bumper year.

All the best,
Trevor.

[Andy Wilson]

I went to Friston Gallops for the second time this year. Conditions were about 19C and quite bright, but with a fresh sea breeze. At times this blew in a bit of mist which (literally) cooled down the butterfly activity, but gave me a chance to get some photos.

Small Heath were still the most numerous species with well over 100 seen. Once again, they are most prevalent along the lower eastern margin of the site, with one or two seen every few yards. However, this time they have been joined by the Blues. There are good numbers of Common Blue all over the site, and I saw one unusually blue female. I don't know if this is a specific aberration or just normal variation.

Common Blue (f, ab?)

At the higher northern end of the site, there is a very extensive carpet of Horseshoe Vetch, where the flowers are now just past their best. In this area, Common Blue are outnumbered by Adonis Blue. I must have seen over 50 in a relatively small area, mostly males but a few females, including a mating pair. I have never had much luck with first brood Adonis Blues at this site, so these numbers are by far the most I have ever seen here. It bodes well for the second brood later in the year, and also for the Chalk Hill Blues when they emerge in a month or so. Perhaps we will have another population explosion like we did in 2011? I live in hope!

Adonis Blue (pair in cop.)

I also saw Dingy Skipper (2), Grizzled Skipper (2), and my first sightings this year of both Meadow Brown (2) and Large Skipper (5), one of which posed nicely for me. Moth-wise, there were several Silver Y, Cinnabar, and a Burnet Companion which also posed for me.

Dingy Skipper

Grizzled Skipper

Large Skipper

Meadow Brown

Burnet Companion moth

[ernie f]

Andy - Great you got a pair of mating Adonis but even better was the very blue female Common Blue.

[David M]

Absolutely stunning female icarus, Andy. Is it possible for them to be more radiantly blue than that?

[Andy Wilson]

I went to Martin Down at the extreme west of Hampshire on Sunday. Conditions were sunny and very warm, about 26C. I've never been there before and it is a wonderful place, with a an extensive tract of unimproved chalk downland and meadows full of wildflowers.

There were butterflies everywhere, especially Common and Adonis Blues, and Small Heath. I also saw a few Green Hairstreaks in places where there were Hawthorn bushes. However, my target species was Marsh Fritillary. I got a possible sighting quite early, but was too slow with my camera. Later, we got some advice from someone with local knowledge, and he recommended a lower-lying flat area by the Bokerly Ditch earthworks (roughly around Grid Ref. SU050187). Sure enough, we found some there, but they were quite flighty and I found it very difficult to get a good open-wing shot. However, I did get some nice undersides when they were nectaring.

Marsh Fritillary

Marsh Fritillary

Anyway, another tick in my Fritillary box for this year. Are the Heath Fritillaries out in Kent yet?

[Andy Wilson]

I had been seriously contemplating a trip to the East Midlands to see Black Hairstreak this year, when I read with astonishment the news that a colony of them has been found at Ditchling Common Country Park. This is only 15 minutes from where I live and I know it well (but obviously not well enough!).

I went there today and joined the throng of other butterfly enthusiasts, who completely filled the car park and the blackthorn hot spots at the south-west corner of the site, causing a lot of head-scratching among the regular dog-walking community. My wife and I got there just before 10, and I just managed to get a quick few shots of a Black Hairstreak that had been found in the bracken. This gave me a lifetime first! After that, we saw a few more jinking about high in the blackthorn, but none came down to lower levels. It was getting very hot now, so at about 11:30 we decided to call it a day and go home.

After lunch, there was a bit more cloud cover, so we went back at about 2:30. This time, we managed to see about 4 hairstreaks at close quarters and I got some better photos.

I think they will need a multi-storey car park there this weekend. My advice, both for the butterflies and the parking, would be to get there early!

[Wurzel]

If you manage to make it to Martin Down again the best bit for Marshies is the hollow to the West of the main car park, it's also good there for DGFs Great set of Blackstreaks

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[trevor]

Good to meet you and your wife at Ditchling common.
At least, living locally, you should be able to re-visit the common, if the weather returns to ideal.
And yes, the car park was indeed full on Wednesday.

Best Wishes,
Trevor.

[Andy Wilson]

Thanks, Wurzel. I doubt I'll get back during this year's flight period, but I've made a note for the future.

Thanks also Trevor. It was very nice to meet you and I will be going back to Ditchling Common, but probably not this weekend when the world and his wife will be there! I might call in there on the way back from Knepp on Monday.

[Pauline]

Glad to see that despite the shaking hands you managed some nice shots of the BH Andy. I've also just noticed that fabulous Glanville ab - great find - and that beautiful blue female CB. Well done!

[Andy Wilson]

After all the excitement about the Sussex Black Hairstreaks and the Purple Period hopefully imminent, I decided today to head east on my annual Canterbury pilgrimage. On parking the car at East Blean Woods, I immediately saw a Heath Fritillary even as I still had my hands on the steering wheel. Three others were also flying close to the car park, together with some Holly Blues.

We then left the car park and walked on through the woods on the route I have taken in past years and... nothing! Just a solitary Meadow Brown. Although I had seen a few of my quarry at the car park, I was starting to get worried. However, we then turned left back towards the road and soon a solitary Heath Fritillary came into view. I took a few quick snaps and walked on. Suddenly, there were butterflies everywhere... and what was noticeable was that this was an area that had been much more recently coppiced, with maybe one or two years of growth in the Sweet Chestnut. The other significant fact was that there was quite a carpet of Cow Wheat along the sides of the path, whereas in the older coppices it is absent.

Anyway, having found the right area, we must have seen hundreds of Heath Fritillaries. When the sun came out, they all sprung into life, and at times I could see at least a dozen flying simultaneously in my line of sight. Fortunately, a few clouds passed over from time to time, allowing photo opportunities, and my camera drank its fill. This site is certainly a credit to the people who manage it.

If you want to get straight to the Fritillaries from the car park, turn left a few yards after leaving it, and follow the path that runs parallel to the road.

Heath Fritillary orgy

[David M]

Nice to see the Heaths, Andy, especially your penultimate one, which I'd have had down as a False Heath Frit if I'd seen it in France!!

[Andy Wilson]

I see what you mean, David. It does have a darker background. Perhaps it's for the best that we have only two Melitaea species in the UK!

[Andy Wilson]

Following a single report of a Purple Emperor at Knepp yesterday evening, I spent a couple of hours wandering around there today. Conditions weren't good, being rather cool and cloudy, and worst of all, windy. I am definitely crazy or a wild optimist (probably both).

No Emperors were seen, but during the occasional sunny interludes I saw 3 Admirals (2 white, 1 red) and there were lots of ordinary seamen (Meadow Brown and Speckled Wood).

[Wurzel]

Great set of Heaths Andy I've only been to East Blean twice and the second time the Heaths were in a totally different place, they do like the more recently cleared areas Was it this species that was known as 'the woodman's friend'?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Andy Wilson]

Hi Wurzel. Yes, that's right. It seems they favour the recently cleared areas, hence the name the "woodman's friend". The other clue, especially in this Kent site is, follow the Cow Wheat. There are extensive swards of it in the area that the Heath's are flying this year.