www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Cheers Goldie It's a right cracker of a site indeed
Cheers Neil Sorry you're missing out on Marshies but I bet you've got something else lined up - Chequered Skipper, Swallowtail?

Larkhill and the Devenish 16-05-2014

Today was a tale of the two ends of the season with a real early spring butterfly and one which I associate with the end of spring and the beginning of summer.

I stopped off on the way to work amongst glorious blue skies and a surprisingly warm sun. Having discovered the Grizzlies seemed to like hanging out further along the bare parts of the Western path that was where I headed straight away. It was quite quiet this time with only the odd one or two butterflies about – both of which were grizzlies. After work the weather was still holding and so I headed out onto the not so open road towards the Devenish. I’ve got a route sorted now and also timings so for instance I know that I have to be at Netheravon by 3:50 and High Post by 4:05 in order to get 10-15 minutes on site and still be home on time. Today the world and his wife seemed intent on winding me up and making me late for my on route deadlines but somehow I managed to make it to each one of the staging posts on schedule and so when I pulled into the car park I still had about 10 minutes .

As I made my way up the side of the down a Peacock flushed from basking on some of the old wood left decomposing. On the side of the Down there were the usual couple of Dinghies and Grizzlies and a Brimstone made its usual pass across the top of the hill. And then something silvery shot by me. I knew straight away what it was, not so much by the colouration or the flight but by the fact that it was a belligerent little bugg£r as it went onto hassle a Grizzlie and then Dinghy before settling down to take nectar for the briefest of fuel stops. It was then off to go and pick on someone bigger than it. The initials of the Brown Argus are also the same as those of a mohawked character from one of my favourite childhood TV programmes. In the case of Mr Baracus they stood for Bad Attitude, very apt for A. agestis! I left it being a little bully boy and tried the down on the other side of the style spooking a Red Admiral and only adding another Dinghy to the list. All too quickly time was up so I made my way back to the car at a sprint. I’ll have to keep checking here as I know that there is a population of Adonis Blues which I’d like to see.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Upton Country Park 18-05-2014

This was a family trip out to one of our old haunts. I grew up in Poole and visited Upton Country House on numerous occasions so it’s full of memories; mad Peacocks, the old tree that was hollow and so a great hidey hole, completing ‘Monkey Challenges’ in the Rhododendrons as well as learning to differentiate Song and Mistle Thrush, seeing my first Pied and Spotted Flycatchers and collecting a prize for my YOC birding log books . So pulling into the car park was quite a shock as even this part has changed so much.

We eventually found a shady spot and settled down to lunch. While the girls played and others let their food go down I had a quick stroll around and in a little glade along one of the walks I found a pair of Green Veined Whites fluttering about. Also a Speckled Wood and Holly Blue flew through the camp while enjoying a cuppa. Throughout the rest of the day we did various walks – down to Holes Bay, through the Walled Garden as well as the Play Trail as well. There were a few butterflies about but they were few and far between and they were mainly Whites apart from two Peacocks which were right down near the beach. On the Play trail a neighbouring field boosted a huge amount of Cuckoo Flower and there were about 4 or 5 Orange-tips fluttering over the flower tops. Occasionally they would fly into each others’ paths and then they would spiral upwards locked in battle and I could only spectate and watch from the wrong side of the fence. On the way back there was a Small White but it didn’t stop for very long.
I was almost giving the day up for lost butterfly wise and so once back at camp and a cup of coffee I espied a fluttery white that was actually in reach and also seemed to be feeding up. So I grabbed my camera and gently approached it and managed to get a few shots.
Have a goodun

Wurzel

Hi Wurzel

I have not managed to catch up with BA 'Baracus' yet, yours are great. Thanks for the Marsh Fritillary advice. I did not venture into Dorset in the end, but I did manage to find my own Marshies

Cheers Jack - if you're after a BA look out for a Black van with a red stripe Glad to see you got your Marshies

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Some lovely shots of MF there Wurzel - they look nice and fresh.

Cheers Pauline They'd only been out for a few days back when I first visited, since then I've returned and they're looking a bit more worn now although there are still plenty of fresh females and latecomers

Bentley Wood 18-05

Having gotten back from the family outing and gotten in the girls in bed I headed over to Bentley Wood to make the most of the weather and then golden evening light. Small Pearls had been reported so I was hoping to find at least one and also hoping that it would be roosting, wings closed for the definitive shot.
As I mooched on down to the Eastern Clearing a couple of Pearls flitted by, looking pale and slightly past their best and I espied something which is always a good sign when out butterflying – grown men standing around and peering into a Bramble bush and occasionally leaning in with their cameras.

In amongst the thorns and prickles was a Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary. I followed the usual etiquette of waiting for them to finish before checking whether it was okay to move in for my own shots and there you go job done. I came for my first Small Pearl of the year and I’d gotten it. It was in great nick, positively glowing in the evening sun. It tentatively closed its wings from three quarters open to almost shut and then relaxed he back to slightly open. Once or twice it shifted position possibly to move out of the spreading shadows and to make the most of the falling sun. It definitely wasn’t because of disturbance from us as we’d be talking and the butterfly would move so then we’d shift with it, take a few more shots, resume talking and it would move again. Perhaps it was trying to regain our undivided attention? Eventually I said my thanks and then looked around the rest of the site but apart from a GS Woody and a battered old Peacock it was surprisingly empty. I would have said quiet but the multitude of birds singing made that phrase erroneous. I ended up back where I’d started and now had the Bramble bush to myself but the Small Pearl had moved to the reedy looking grass so I knelt down getting wet knees to try for some stained glass shots. Another quick saunter around didn’t produce anything much – plenty of Speckled Yellow moths and also what I think was a Fox moth; large, fast moving and reddish in colour? By now much of the site was in shadow so I decided to have one last look in on the Small Pearl which was by now back on the Bramble. So parting shot in the bag I bade farewell to the Small Pearl wishing it some more company in the coming days when hopefully I’ll be back... Have a goodun

Wurzel

Beautiful Small Pearl Bordered...
Lovely photo's
Hope to see some SPBF's this weekend

You put a great deal of time and effort into your sightings and reports Wurzel, always very interesting to peruse!!!

Bill

"When in doubt...venture out"

Good stuff, Wurzel. SPBFs aren't the easiest of subjects in warm, sunny conditions.

Your wet knees were worth it, Wurzel. Lovely underside shots.

Best wishes,

Lee

I agree lovely series of photos!

Great SPBF images Wurzel, lovely stained glass shots

Mike

Cheers Jason Good luck this weekend
Cheers Willrow My wife thinks that perhaps sometimes I put too much time and effort into my butterflying Oh well, that's what boxes of chocolates and bunches of flowers are for
Cheers David First and last thing are the best times for SPBFs
Cheers Lee My knees still don't think they were worth it
Cheers Katrina Having such photogenic species makes it easier
Cheers Mike I try to get those of most species, another one of my book ideas, I really will have to retire early and start writing them

The Devenish 19-05-2014

Having seen my first (official)Brown Argus of 2014 at The Devenish on a mad stop off I thought it was about time to get back there and see if the arrival of the Brown Blue meant their showy cousins would be emerging soon. Even if they weren’t I was also anxious to catch up with some more Brown Argus as they’re in my top five butterflies. I have waxed lyrical before about their sublimely matched palette and their boisterous nature so any chance to spend time with them is always special.

So having negotiated the various stages of my usual rally drive home I pulled into the car park and hared up the first side of the down. Straight away there was a miniscule silver streak bombing across the side of the down on its way to hassle a poor defenceless Grizzlie. After a few minor scuffles it finally landed and so I was able to get a few shots. As well as the Brown Argus a couple of Dinghies also messed me around for a while and then a second Brown Argus arrived on the scene scattering other butterflies in its wake. It was in much better nick, almost pristine. Over the stile there were a couple more Dinghies and Grizzlies which were trying to keep a low profile and were more flighty than usual. I hazarded a guess why and sure enough just off of the steps cut into the chalk was my third Baracus of the 10 minute stop-off. This one was less heavily marked with the orange lunules on the forewings and the chocolate brown had a luscious purple patina. A fourth was in the meadow hassling another Grizzlie but time was gone. As I burnt rubber on the final stretch home I mused that there were still no Adonis emerging here?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

BA 4, DS 5, GS 4

Lovely shots of the SPBF Wurzal, It's great when you get Photo's of them with out all the grass etc .

I've to make another trip next week or the week after to look for them at GB Last year I missed them completely. I was pleased with some of the shots I took of the PBF but frustrated because they only opened their wings when in deep grass, if I'd got on my knees I probably wouldn't have got up not as young as I used to be I also want the Northen Brown Argus, fingers crossed I'll get both.

Your photo's of the Brown Argus are fantastic keep them coming Goldie

Many of us find Brown Argus tough to photograph, but I think you've nailed it here Wurz super stuff!!!

Bill

"When in doubt...venture out"

Wurzel wrote:Cheers Neil Sorry you're missing out on Marshies but I bet you've got something else lined up - Chequered Skipper, Swallowtail?

Oh I wish...no, not these two this year, maybe next, I have seen Swallowtails before but not Chequered Skipper yet. My main target for this year was Glanville Fritillary which I have just seen in the IOW. Anything else will depend on if I can make the most of family breaks as usual

Great Brown Argus and SPBF photos

Cheers,

Neil.

Some fantastic shots there Wurzel ..lovely Green-veined, stained glass Small Pearls and that underside shot of the Brown Argus with the lunules like glowing embers ...beautiful

Cheers Goldie I always try for morning or evening shots of SPBFs and for PBF Philzoid and I try to find them freshly emerged as then they play ball!
Cheers Willrow The trick is to inject a sedative while it's attention is diverted - am I taking the A-Team analogy too far
Cheers Neil Congrats on the Glanvilles - stunning
Cheers Philzoid I'll have to show you The Devenish next time you're over this way, hope you got your Glanville today , actually strike that as then you'd be two up

Larkhill 21-05-2014

Having made more and more stop-offs at The Devenish I felt like I was neglecting my old favourite Larkhill. I have been making stops in the morning but this site really seems to get going when the Ringlets and Marbled Whites arrive. By then it’s generally warmer, drier and the sun is up earlier so I can get some shots with a nice ‘glow’. Still I stopped off this morning just to check on how things are progressing. As I expected there wasn’t much butterfly activity, the cloud and mists had seen to that but a few moths were flying. I also came across a cat still active even though it was carrying a litre or more of water! Later on the way home I stopped in and conditions were a bit more favourable. There were plenty of medium sized and micro moths and then I almost stumbled across a Small Heath. It seemed to be slightly worn and whenever I can get up close and personal to a Small Heath I’m always reminded of a grizzled old man, possibly a Gold prospector. This one had a tiny second black spot on the forewing. A quick saunter down the Westbound path didn’t throw much else until I started to make my way back to the car with the time ticking away. There off to my right was a little ‘flag’ swaying with the breeze. It was another Small Heath and this one was fresh out of the box and beautifully marked with an arc of five little eyes on the hind wing. I got a few shots and then stood back for my remaining minute to enjoy it before legging it back to the car and flying home. Have a goodun

Wurzel

1 GS, 2 SH

Just had to login when I saw your cat photo Wurzel - fabulous

Great Brown Argus shots Wurzel, but the cat shot really takes the biscuit

Mike