Wurzel

[Willrow]

I just don't know how you find the time to produce such good PD reports and also manage to produce such good photographs to support them Wurz....I'm going to book you up for some tips on how to do it

Bill

"When in doubt...venture out"

[Wurzel]

Cheers Dave - I think you'd guessed right
Cheers Willrow I'm not sleeping much and it seems that when I'm not working or behind the lens I'm in front of the screen

11-06-2014 Marshie Site

As soon as I got out of the car I felt my mood rise and it went up even more when a lovely fresh Small Tortosieshell flew along the hedge and beckoned me to follow it. I approached cautiously as I thought it would be flighty but it just got on with taking nectar.

I then ran up the side of the hill to get to the hollow and once there it was a similar scene to what had greeted me on previous visits although by now things where looking past their best. The Marshies in particular don’t age well and most were living up t their old name of Greasy Fritillary. It was interesting to note that the larger rectangular block near the inner edge of the fore wing seems to become two or three smaller blocks as it wears first. Also they lose scales from the blocks of colour a giving them a pixelated appearance at times. Others that have passed through this stage look translucent and gleam when the light catches them and they seem even more intent on taking nectar than when freshly emerged.

Further on round there were all the usual suspects with Large Skippers replacing their tired Grizzled and Dingy cousins and looking the freshest of all the species. Even the blues had frayed edges and didn’t seem to glow as much. But even though they appeared worn and torn the sheer biodiversity of the site still astounds. I found yet another confluent 5-Spot Burnett and added Foresters to my mothing. Walls were absent from this visit, they must be between broods and instead any fast flying, zipping orangey butterflies turned out to be more Small Tortoiseshells.

I realised that I better make my way back to the car and then home and bumped into a fellow enthusiast on the way back at the hollow so stopped for a quick chat. Every time I went to go something would appear to entice my attention and so it was actually a god deal later than expected before hitting the road proper. This road trip was fun although next time I need to try it with work being sandwiched in the middle...

Have a goodun

Wurzel
9 ST, 4 CB, 14 AB, GS 2, 3 LS, 40 MF, 5 SH, SB 1

[Goldie M]

Love the Tortoiseshell Photo's Wurzal, looks like you've been really busy great Pic's Goldie

[Wurzel]

Cheers Goldie Everything seems to be happening at once now ti's a job in itself trying to keep up with it all

Five Rivers 14-06-2014

I managed to find a spare hour on Saturday between the usual madness of swimming lessons, shopping and helping break up concrete in my brother in-laws garden. So having gotten this wonderful 60 minutes in front of me I didn’t know where to go – Middle Street, The Devenish or Five Rivers. I went for the later as it’s that time of year when the banks could be awash with butterflies.

I parked and rushed across towards the small spinney to check out the thistle patch which held 4 Small Tortosieshells but I was after other things so numbers noted I made my way to the first of the banks. As I walked up the hill everything felt right for lots of butterflies and there on the first bank were indeed lots of butterflies. It was a glorious sight – in one glance I’d added three more species to my Year Tally – Small Skipper, Marbled Whites and Ringlets. The whole bank was covered in butterflies; one would take off which would upset two others, some would land which others didn’t like and so all would take off and spiral upwards or chase each other across the side of the hill. A tired old Brown Argus was having a hard job sorting out the upstart Small Skippers and for once the butterfly that erupted from in front of me wasn’t a Small Heath but now could be a Meadow Brown or Ringlet. I felt joyous and after 10 or so minutes in awe and wonder I shook myself out of my rapture and got on with the job in hand, first up Ringlets.

I love the way that they appear all velvety early in their flight and also the way that they appear to be black when in flight, brown when their wings are closed and grey/purple when their wings are open and they’re basking. Whilst I was focusing on the Ringlets a golden blur became my first photographed Smessex of the year which was pretty obviously a Small (Essex’s won’t be far behind though). There were an interchangeable pair – one would buzz off elsewhere to be replaced by the second which didn’t have a nick in its wing.

I then turned my attention to the Marbs though I wasn’t too concerned about them as now I knew that they were about I’d be stopping at Woodhenge over the next week or so where they are easier to photograph.

There were also Small Heath, Common Blues (3 males and a female), a solitary Brown Argus and Meadow Browns a plenty but I focused on the three key species I’d come to see so I decided to check the second bank which had more of the same.

The lower edges of the banks were more shaded and cooler and the grasses were reaching over my head but there were the occasional Ringlet or Meadow Browns here as well as Banded Demoiselles.

I then checked out the banks again and it seemed that the best place was the first bank that I’d come to – whilst everything else was present on the other two they were in greater numbers on the first. This will change during the late summer when the second bank becomes the most productive due to the large Buddleia which has fed 7 different species in one sitting before now.

Time up I wandered dazed and happy back to the car, an afternoon of hard labour awaiting me. I just can’t get enough of the Smessex Skippers so perhaps tomorrow I should go for a second Thymelicus?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Katrina]

Gorgeous skipper photos!

[CJB]

Hi Wurzel,

Your reports are as enjoyable as ever!

My tally at home now is up to 16 species which I can't believe are all in the garden, with Ringlet and Large Skipper being the new arrivals. Keeping my fingers crossed for a DGF.

I just wanted to say that after you were kind enough to point me towards Bentley Wood, that if you can make the trip, you really should go to Daneway Bank at Sapperton; it is amazing. I you do plan to go let me know and I will give you some pointers

Flutter on!

CJB

[Neil Freeman]

Great reports as usual Wurzel, I too have a soft spot for fresh Ringlets, love the white fringe against the soft velvety brown .

Nice Small Skippers, almost glowing orange Saw my first one on Sunday, just the one so just getting started by me, the Essex are usually a week or two behind them around here. We are going to be in Weymouth for family hols with my daughter and grandson next week so by the time I am back I should be having trouble telling them apart again

Cheers,

Neil.

[Wurzel]

Cheers Katrina They were lovely and fresh
Cheers CJB Cheers for the offer of info about Daneway I'll have to look into which is closer Collard or Daneway Good luck with the garden list
Cheers Neil I hope you have a great time in Dorset and enjoy a spot of Grockling It will soon be time to crick your neck and search out the Smessex

Slop Bog 15-06-2014

Having been out and seen three new species for the year yesterday and also recently completed a bit of a road tour I planned to use Father’s Day to combine both of these things to do a bit of ‘mopping up’. I’d read on the Dorset Branch website that Silver Studs had been reported from Slop Bog, Lulworth Skippers had been out for a few weeks and Dark Green Fritillary had also been notched up by others so I set out to hopefully bag all three.

Once we got to Ferndown I reminded the girls about the need for Tick checks as I remember that this site is crawling with them and then we set off through the wood, towards the boardwalk and on to the open heather. On arrival the first butterfly of the day was a Silver Stud fluttering lazily across the Cotton Grass strewn bog which is normally home to the Dragonflies. Excellent we’d been on site for less than 2 minutes and I was already one up for the yearly Tally. It’s actually quite hard to write about the morning in the proper chronological order as it’s such a small site. A brief saunter round and then you’d end up back where you started encountering the same things and possibly the exact same individual. So in no order...

After the first sightings once we go to the aptly named ’Silver Studded Heath’ they were all around us. The girls set up camp and I sauntered around reacquainting myself with these delightful little butterflies. When fresh they look so tidy and smart like they’re dressed in a tuxedo and the colours that appear as they shift in the light are a joy to see. There were one or two slightly scruffier ones around with either margins frayed and worn or the smooth greyness of the ground colour of the under wing looking more flaky even though they’d only been reported recently. Mind you handing around on the scratchy heather can be particularly good for scale maintenance.

We only saw one other species of butterfly the whole time we were there meanly that I have failed in my personal Target of seeing a Small Tortoiseshell at every site I visit. It was the now ubiquitous Large Skipper although here were only a couple around.

Near the base camp I found a freshly emerged or emerging Silver Stud which I kept coming back to throughout the course of the morning. I saw it low down nestled deep in the Heather and at first I thought it was a female as another older looking male was trying to barge into it as it climbed up the stem to the top of the heather. Then when I realised that it was a male from the glimpses of blue as it moved it’s wigs I realised that my hypothesis was wrong. I then noticed that the wings seemed folded and ridged so thought that it was still drying it’s wings. Once the other male had gone and left it be (perhaps it was trying to help out a pal?) it sat at the top of the Heather until just before I left giving more evidence to it being a new emergee.

Towards the end of our visit I finally saw two females. Only one of them wanted to stop and so I followed the 3 disturbances and leave it maxim. Luckily during the times between flying it posed quite nicely first showing off the livid blue studs, then the oily sheen of the open wings before finishing off with a nice backlit “stained glass’ shot.

Also around were various Dragon and Damselflies and despite being n a butterfly road trip I did take s bit of time out to try and get some shots of the ‘monster of Slop Bog’ which I think is an Emperor Dragonfly?

So one species in the bag we packed up and headed off to Lulworth Cove...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Lulworth Cove 15-06-2014

Once we got down to the Cove I herded the girls down the main street straight towards the Bindon Hill path. I was looking forward to the girls seeing the Bucket Tree again – but that was gone! As was the path to Bindon Hill, the one by the ice cream kiosk. There had been a cliff collapse and now it wasn’t deemed safe – mind you if I hadn’t of had the girls I might have given it a closer inspection but as it was didn’t want to drag them all the way back up the hill to the Heritage Centre to then make them climb the hill.

So instead we worked our way along to my usual site approaching it from above this time as it was easier to get down to the little hotspot than climb up from the beach. Almost as soon as we got there two males started having a scrap. Brill the second target species for the day sorted. They seem to be highly territorial as after seeing off any other butterflies that flew too far into their airspace they kept returning to the same blade of grass to perch and watch out for the next invader.

I had a quick walk up and around on the little paths that criss-cross this side of the Cove hoping for Wall or (even better) a DGF but it was so hot nothing was about apart from the odd mad Large or Lulworth Skipper. In fact some butterflies were actively seeking shade

Once back at the hot spot things started happening the two males were still occupying their territories but they were joined by a Dingy Skipper, a Small Tortoiseshell as well as a few Blues going by. Occasionally the odd Meadow Brown and Marbled White would drift from over the cliff top and tumble down much to the annoyance of the Large Skippers that seem to be everywhere at the moment. There was also a bee/wasp species that I haven’t encountered before which I think is a Spider Wasp plus a fantastically calm Mother Shipton.

There was also a Smaworth Skipper – it could ‘just’ be a Small but seems to have very faint traces of the crescent moons which mean that it could be fresh male Lulworth?

We then decided to head back to the car park so I could check around the area at the base of the Durdle Door path. We took the longer route so that the girls could see Stair Hole and there was another Small Skipper round here.

After a brief pit-stop at the car we made our way past lines of Grockles (though both my girls are Wiltshire born they are Dorsetian by descent ), through the gate and had a bit of a mooch around the lower slopes of the Durdle Door path. There was a nice array of species here with Adonis and Common Blues, Brown Argus, Small Heaths, Meadow Browns, Ringlets, Marbled Whites, Small Torts, Large Skippers and of course good numbers of Target number 2 including a few females.

The girls were by now getting a bit foot sore and tired so I loaded them into the car and we set off home. Hopefully I’ll be able to get back here slightly later in the season or possibly try Durlston when we come away camping as I love watching this Dorset speciality! As I drove the familiar by-ways home I suddenly remembered that we would be passing Martin Down...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Willrow]

Another couple of fantastic reports Wurz, its great to see you can combine your hobby (obsession ) with family days out, your girls will always remember these magical summer days spent butterflying with their Dad ...as of course will you

Best Wishes,

Bill

"When in doubt...venture out"

[Wurzel]

Cheers Willrow The great thing about taking my girls out with me, apart from obviously spending time with them, is that I'm out butterflying and earning Brownie points for further butterflying at the same time

Martin Down 15-06-2014

I’d pushed my luck today - both girls, on a road trip, 80 odd miles and in the end I thought I’d push it even more just to see how far I could. So as we were passing I pulled in at Martin Down for DGFs. After a brief refuel the girls were up for it and so we headed straight off to the hollow and ridge at the start of Bokerley. We waded through the long grass to reach the ridge, my younger daughter as almost totally submerged in a sea of grass and I was nervously scanning around for purple flower heads among the beige. The Knapweed was actually looking scarce so I wasn’t too hopeful that there would be any DGFs around, perhaps I’d pushed my luck too far? Still we enjoyed the numerous Large Skippers (seem to be having a really good year) and the Ringlets although Marbled Whites didn’t seem as numerous here as elsewhere.

Hold the phone what was that big ginger bugger? Yep my first DGF of 2014, unmistakable – three for three! There were two here and every now and again a Small Tortoiseshell would have a go at one and off they would both go careering across the grass tops. Eventually after what felt like an age one would return and would move between the small clumps of Knapweed flowers feeding in a frenzied manner and never staying still for an instant. At this time of day the textbook closed wing shot was out of the window so I just enjoyed the fiery glow of this fantastic species.

A short walk along the Ditch also threw up a tired looking Small Copper and another couple of DGFs but there wasn’t anything else to add to the day list, just more of the same so we made our weary way back along the ridge to the car, stopping on the way for the occasional glimpse and quick photo of any passing DGFs

There were probably 4 DGFs all the time we were here so it's still early in their emergence and the Knapweed is still thin on the ground– I’ll give it a week or two and hopefully there will be many, many more! As for the day a roaring success with three new species for the year tally and so stunning habitats from subtle and cryptic Lowland Heathland to the majesty of Lulworth and on to the gentle rolling Downland – fantastic .

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[badgerbob]

Great stuff Wurzel. Regrettably I will be missing many of the species from the West this year again. Hoping you got your Large Blues!!

[Neil Freeman]

Cracking reports and photos Wurzel

Hoping for a few Lulworth Skippers myself next week when(if) I can pretend I am not a Grockle

Cheers,

Neil

[millerd]

A great set of adventures, Wurzel! Do you ever pop across the road at Martin Down and look for SWF and White Admirals at Kitt's Grave? I visited a few years back with success, but haven't been for a while. I'm pleased your girls are more tolerant of your escapades than my boys are: William in particular can't understand why a 2014 Lulworth Skipper is just as important as the 2013 version. It's good those Lulworths have such a long season - plenty of time yet to go looking for them.

Can't wait for the next episode...

Dave

[Willrow]

I think you must be on some type of 'nectar' yourself Wurz the amount of butterflying you do you need it

Lovely report as is usually the case.

Bill

"When in doubt...venture out"

[CJB]

Hi Wurzel,


DGF's galore! I can't seem to find them at the moment but as we are relatively early I am hoping that they will start to appear.

Flutter on!

CJB

[Wurzel]

Cheers Bob I'm a fair bit behind on my PD so I can't reveal about any success or lack of on the Large Blue front.
Cheers Neil Good luck with the Lulworths and if you get any hassle for being a Grockle tell them I've made you an honorary Dorsetian for your stay
Cheers Dave I know where you mean and I went there last year but I haven't been back since, I guess I get spoiled by Bentley Wood Good luck with the Lulworths, I'm sure you'll pick them up
Cheers Bill I don't know if it's too much coffee or my extra hot Lime Pickle sandwiches that pep me up and keep me going
Cheers CJB I'm sure you'll get bucket loads of DGFs soon

Larkhill 16-06-2014

I realised that midsummer was fast approaching this morning when I found a few vans parked in the lay-by at Larkhill. I remember that last year they were friendly and interested in the wildlife of the area and when they left the place was totally rubbish free – in fact I think they’d taken some of the rubbish that had already been there with them and I was quite looking forward to re-aquainting myself again.
This morning though they were all still tucked up so I had a look around as quietly as possible. The first thing I found was what I think is a Marbled White cat as it had a ‘smiley face’ which I recall seeing on Badger Bobs PD. Then there were a few 5-spot Burnets locked in a love embrace.

A little way on the path I got a nice two species shot and while I was photographing them I got a little distracted by a neighbouring Ringlet though when I caught the Brown Argus opening her wings out of the corner of my eye I soon paid more attention their way. Especially as the female BA had such pronounced orange lunules.

When I called in on my way home briefly there were now two Large Skippers, five ringlets and no sign of the BA. Instead a Marbled White flapped in amongst the long grass and as it was my first for the area I concentrated over my limited time on that.

I expect that over the next few days the number of vehicles here will start to increase and by about midweek I’ll have to think about stopping at another site for a day or two...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Pauline]

It is hard enough to keep up with the butterflies Wurzel and even harder to keep up with the diaries so apologies that I am a bit behind. You have taken some great shots in your last few posts, in particular I think both Marbled White shots are great and I really enjoyed your account and shots from Lulworth

[Maximus]

I agree with Pauline, everything is moving so fast, emerging butterflies and posts on PD's, which makes it difficult to keep up I too enjoyed your report and shots from Lulworth

Mike

[Wurzel]

Cheers Pauline and Mike for your kind comments Everything has started to go a little bit crazy at the moment I just hope that the butterflies don't burn out too quickly...

Larkhill 18-06-2014

After a day spent nursing a migraine with the occasional painful and wistful peep outside of the curtains I was more than ecstatic to wake with only the mildest of twinges in my head. Not because it meant that I could go to work, but because I could stop off on the way to and from work.
As I pulled into the lay-by at Larkhill I noticed that the number of Traveller vans had increased to 4 or 5 in preparation for the Solstice at the weekend. As I started up the walk up the North path I was greeted by a comment of “I haven’t seen any of those small purple butterflies this year” in a Wolverhampton twang. It was the traveller that I bumped into last year so. He was easy to remember what with all his piercings and facial tattoos but how he remembered me I don’t know? Still it was nice to catch up with him again and then I set off up the Northbound path. There were good numbers of 5 Spot Burnett moths emerging and sitting clinging to the grass stems.

A few more steps in and I found a couple of Ringlets, at least 3, the best posed one of which was sitting at perfect kneeling height in a Hawthorn.

Time was ticking by too quickly so it was on to work – honestly one day off and I slip out of practice.
On the way home I was informed that they’d seen some of the small purple butterflies which I thought were Small Blues so I set about trying to find them. First butterfly as a Small Tortoiseshell and then I spotted a male Brimstone and Small Heath sitting quite close to each other, both looking tired and worn.

Walking further up the path I came across a female Common Blue but I couldn’t get a decent shot as she seemed to be sheltering or hiding in the shade under a leaf. There were also about 8 Ringlets, 4 Large Skippers, a Marbled White and a Mother Shipton that were not stopping for love nor money, completely solar charged. A blue Damselfly actually stayed still longer than the butterflies which is an unusual occurrence.

Wishing all “Have a goodun” I headed off, I think I’ll stop off somewhere else in the mornings for the next few days to give them some peace, the last thing anyone wants first thing is to have someone wandering around their garden with a camera. So possibly Woodhenge for Marbled Whites tomorrow...
Then when I got home I had to get my camera out again as a Riband Wave was resting on my door.

Have a goodun

Wurzel