Maximus

[David M]

Tremendous array of butterfly images, Mike, especially that Large White, which looks positively Canarian!!

Nice too that your freshly emerged crocea might well have undergone its development entirely in your garden. That's possibly better than having Swallowtails come to visit!

[millerd]

A very nice (home-grown) backlit Cloudy, Mike. And as Wurzel says, for the Swallowtail - a lovely image of a lovely butterfly.

Cheers,

Dave

[Matsukaze]

...Not sure where our nearest colony of Glanville Fritillaries is, big coastline around the Manche, it’s knowing where to look. Not so many enthusiasts here to share sightings and the only book that I’ve found that’s specific to Normandy with distribution details etc. is out of print...

I have a copy of the atlas in question - the fritillaries are scattered along much of the Cotentin coast, but absent from the rest of the Normandy coast. One or two inland sites in the far south of Normandy. I think it becomes a 'wider countryside' butterfly just a little bit further south - I saw one on a road verge in Sarthe three weeks ago - either I was very lucky or they become much commoner not too far further south.

If you'd like me to scan any pages and send them to you, let me know!

[Maximus]

It’s been a while since my last diary entry due to circumstances beyond my control. Hopefully things are now ‘on the up’, so, roll on Spring 2023.

Thanks, Wurzel, I was very pleased to get the backlit Cloudie shot Also having Swallowtails and their early stages in our garden has been simply amazing.

Thanks, David, that Large White really did stand out, which made me determined to get a photo. It was also a nice thought that the Clouded Yellow may have developed in our garden.

Cheers, Dave, for your kind comments

HI Matsukaze, sorry for the late reply. If it is not too much trouble I would be very interested in the distribution maps/ details for both Glanville and Marsh Fritillary in Manche/ Normandy.
I agree with you that Glanville Frit probably becomes a ‘wider countryside’ butterfly further south, we saw them in the Brenne in late July several years ago and we have read of several people with small colonies in their gardens too, further south.



8th September

While we were working in our polytunnel today I noticed a Wall Brown flying around inside. Cathy coaxed the butterfly onto her finger and we both admired a pristine female before she was released outside. A short while later it was the turn of a male but this time I had my camera so was able to get a shot before he was released. Also another male was seen, but he was happy to nectar on some verbena growing in the tunnel.

Later another male was seen on the house wall.

We didn't realise at the time but this marked the begining of a large emergence of Walls in our garden.


9th September.


Male Wall on verbena.

We saw Walls every day including two mating pairs.

10th September

Fresh male on squash.

Male on wet grass.

First photo of a late brood female.

Female on verbena.

Female on choisia.

12th September


And then another female.

Think this female was resting up after egg laying.

30th September

Male on verbena.

1st October

Female on verbena.

7th October


I spotted a beautifully marked female wall today and as she was wrapped up nectaring on verbena I managed several shots.

I believe this female falls into the category of ab mediolugens.


8th October

Female Comma and Male Wall Brown.

Worn male, last Wall seen in 2022.

These are just a few of those we saw and there were plenty seen and not photographed. Best year for Walls here so far.

[bugboy]

A fantastic array of Walls, particularly THAT female, what a stunner! I remember as a kid having Walls flying in the fields my house backed onto, these days they an hours train ride away, so several for having them in your garden!

[Wurzel]

Wonderful wealth of Walls Maximus That aberrant is wonderfully marked Fantastic!

Have a goodun (Christmas and New Year )

Wurzel

[trevor]

Great selection of Walls, Mike. I particularly like the female from Oct 7th.
You must be something of a Wall charmer to have one on your finger,
they are not that tame over here!

Trevor. ( Have a great Christmas and 2023 ).

[Maximus]

Thanks, bugboy, that female was a stunner. I also remember Walls being very common when I was a lad. There were always loads along the Staines bypass when we cycled along the cycle track! Fortunately they seem to be fairly common here (Have a great Christmas and New Year).

Thanks, Wurzel, She was a nicely marked ab for sure (Have a great Christmas and New Year ).

Cheers, Trevor, you've some great pics of Walls from your visits to Herstmonceux Castle shame they're not so tame though
(Have a great Christmas and New Year).


Its been the best year here so far for Sooty Coppers. The meadow area was last cut for hay in 2020 and they have increased in number since then. There is also plenty of sorrel in the meadow for their larvae to feed on. This year females appeared to outnumber males, so hopefully it will be a bumper year for them in 2023.

A few shots of both males and females.

Meadow area - approx 1/4 acre.

Male.

Male on yarrow?

Male.

Male.

Female.

Female.

Dusky Female.

The following female was the most stunning that I saw all summer and she was nectaring on verbena right outside our front door.

Wishing all at UKB a great Christmas and New Year.

[millerd]

...I also remember Walls being very common when I was a lad. There were always loads along the Staines bypass when we cycled along the cycle track!
Wishing all at UKB a great Christmas and New Year.

Unfortunately there are no Walls in Staines or its environs any more, Mike, but I remember them from my childhood in North London when they were commoner than Speckled Woods and Commas!

I big dose of for the Sooty Coppers - terrific shots of a species that I'm sure would thrive happily in Southern England if only it could manage the trip across the Channel.

Seasonal festive greetings to you too.

Cheers,

Dave

[Wurzel]

Fantastic set of Sooty Coppers and very seasonal too as now is the time of year for Terry's Chocolate Oranges

Have a goodun, Christmas that is!

Wurzel

[David M]

Two superb female butterflies of different species, Mike. The Wall Brown from 7th October is exceptionally striking - I've never seen such a pattern in all the multi-thousands I've encountered.

The Sooty Copper is remarkable too. Looks like it hasn't made up its mind whether it's tityrus or subalpinus!

Hope you have a happy new year.

[Maximus]

It's hard to believe that it's been over a year since I last posted in my personal diary! We've now sold our house in France and are back in the UK. Like everyone else we've had to endure the (seemingly) endless winter, which has been one of the wettest on record too. That was until this week when we finally got some respite in the form of two consecutive warm sunny days. As we've been staying near Salisbury, on Tuesday we decided to visit one of Wurzels local patches at Five Rivers. It proved to be a good decision as during our visit we encountered all five of the adult hibernators. Brimstones (mainly males) and Peacocks made up most of the numbers, but we also found a few Commas and Red Admirals and a single Small Tortoiseshell. It was nice to be out and about again seeing plenty of butterflies and listening to the many calling Chiff Chaffs. We were also treated to an occasional burst of song from a couple of nearby Cetti's Warblers.

Nice to see Brimstones stopping to nectar in spring

Small Tort harassing a Peacock

Stand of blackthorn which was attracting many Peacocks

[Wurzel]

Great to see you back on UKB Maximus and very pleased that Five Rivers produced the goods for your 'return to the fold' post You've done better than me there this year - three visits so far and all I have to show is a glimpse of a Peacock and a Comma - still there's always the morrow Looking forward to hearing more from you...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Chris L]

Welcome home and welcome back Maximus. Absolutely superb sharp, clear and colourful photos. I enjoyed looking at those.

[Maximus]

Thanks for the welcome back, Wurzel I think I got very lucky with my timing at Five Rivers It's now back to winter weather again


Thanks for your welcome back too, Chris, and I'm glad you enjoyed the photos.


When we sold our French house we decided to take a break at our favourite Dordogne campsite. We drove down from Normandy at the beginning of June and, in order to break our journey we had booked a B and B in the Park Natural Perigord-Limousin for a couple of nights. This was run by an English couple, who had eight hectares of meadows and woodland which they managed for wildlife, and for butterflies in particular. What a lovely peaceful spot it was.

After breakfast next morning we were out walking in flower filled and butterfly filled meadows.

At mid morning the temperature was already in the low twenties and the butterflies were very lively but they were a joy to see. With some effort and perseverance we managed to get a few shots. We'd not seen Black-veined Whites since 2018 so it was nice to see good numbers of these lovely butterflies on the wing.

It was also pleasing to see plenty of Fritillaries as we walked through the sunlit meadows.

Knapweed Fritillaries

Spotted Fritillary

Spotted Fritillary

Spotted Fritillary

Marbled Fritillary

Heath Fritillary

We also found worn Meadow and Glanville Frits. There were also some very fresh Southern White Admirals which were defending territories and so allowed a close approach, but only for undersides.

S White Admiral

By 2pm it was too hot for both us and the butterflies so we headed back for a cooling shower. The next morning we had decided to visit an old quarry which our hosts had recommended and was a half hour drive away.

[Wurzel]

Cracking set of images Maximus You were definitely spot on with your timing at Five Rivers - I've made a few visits and it's proving really hard work so far this year

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Sad that we won't see your regular selection of French species, Mike, but I'm glad you've got all the logistics sorted and can now settle back in the UK.

Love those French Fritillaries, but equally, that British Peacock is hard to beat.

Welcome home!

[trevor]

Your garden visitors will be a little more predictable now you are back in the UK.
You certainly picked a choice spot in France, with some incredible butterfly visitors.

Welcome home!

[Maximus]

Cheers, Wurzel, I hope that Five Rivers has come good for you now.

Thanks, David, we'll miss the French species too. I certainly agree with you regarding the Peacock though.

We did have a nice selection of French species in our garden, Trevor. It's harder here in the UK as you have to go out looking for butterflies



Yesterday we went looking for Green Hairstreaks and decided on Cotley Hill as it might provide some shelter from the cold wind. The normal side was being battered by the wind and all the trees along the boundary had been cut down, we saw nothing at all. Moving around to the other (sheltered) side we saw nothing to begin with but during a brief spell of sun some Orange-tips appeared. There was too much scrub and bramble on the hillside to follow them when it clouded over and they went to ground. Along the bank was some Herb Robert and sure enough a couple were nectaring here. The problem was that they only stopped briefly on each flower and I found it impossible to get a shot. We saw a few Lattice (heath) moths and one of these disturbed a small butterfly which turned out to be our target, a Green Hairstreak. It wasn't happy with the wind and was hard to follow but it eventually settled in the grass allowing a couple of shots, our first Green Hairstreak for a few years.

I coaxed it onto my finger and relocated it in a sheltered spot.

We also saw four Orange-tips, a Peacock, a Small/Green-veined White and possibly another Green Hairstreak.

[Wurzel]

Lovely Greenstreak images Maximus It'll soon be very busy butterfly at Cotley (that is if the weather finally sorts itself out ) hopefully with Marshies galore Hope to bump into you somewhere this season

Have a goodun

Wurzel