Katrina

[Katrina]

Thanks Wurzel, it was a lucky surprise.
Thanks Trevor I put it up rather than found it but I suppose I did manage to track it. After I found it I heard second hand that 3 or 4 had been seen the day before.
Thanks zigzag, it was unusually approachable.

[David M]

...Sadly I didn't find any brostreaks but I did see a Clouded Yellow...

Well done. I doubt that club will have too many members this year!

[Katrina]

Thanks David, you never know what will turn up.

[Katrina]

I went to Chantry this morning hoping just a little too late for roosting time. Sadly it was very blustery which was not good for spotting or photographing butterflies. They were being carried by the breeze far and fast and most were staying low in the undergrowth when they landed.
I saw Meadow Browns , Gatekeepers, Small Skippers, a few Chalkhill blues and Common Blues and Brown Argus and quite a few things I couldn't identify as they shot past at high speed.

[Katrina]

I went to Steyning again and saw one brostreak flying but couldn't find where it landed. There were some more obliging Brimstones . I found a wasp spider with a meadow brown in its larder Also seen were Walls , Gatekeepers, Common Blues , Holly blues , Speckled Woods and one Small Copper.
This evening I went to Mill Hill and saw Common Blues, Brown Argus Chalkhill Blues, 2 Adonis Blues and Walls. One , I think Brown Argus, seemed to have a large eye to body ratio.

[Katrina]

I went to Anchor Bottom this lunchtime which unfortunately was very windy.
I took a different route to normal as there was a single cow and calf in the valley close to one of my favourite spots, separate to the rest of the herd which were up the top. I wondered if the calf was new as it was lying down most of the time and the cows normally all stay together. It was standing by the time i came back. I was giving them as much room as possible so headed for the top of the side of the valley.
I saw Meadow Browns, Common Blues, Adonis blues and Small Heaths. No chance of a good shot too windy and they were all staying close to the ground.
I found some Autumn Ladies Tresses and put the camera on sports mode to get a shot.
I found a bee in a more sheltered area. Zero evil Rad Kites and zero painted ladies of any kind
In the lane I saw some fresh Red Admirals, some Speckled Woods, a large white , an unidentified white and a Comma.
I went to the cement works to check for LTBs. I didn't see any but probably spent sub 5 mins there . I got a moody shot of a crow.
I went back to the lane to take some more photos and one of the Red Admirals , a bialbata obliged or is it female ocellata?

[trevor]

Love your Red Admiral underside, the intricate detail is sometimes difficult to capture.
Still never seen Autumn ladies tresses!

[Katrina]

Thanks Trevor! I notice something different every time . The new thing for me today is the cross on the Red Admirals eye.

[Katrina]

Today I arranged to meet Trevor at Herstmonceaux Castle and we had an enjoyable day amongst the butterflies, bees and dragonflies with the spectacular backdrop of the castle.
We saw Small Whites, Large Whites and GVWs, Common Blues (very active no chance of a photo), Red Admirals, a Peacock , a Silver-washed Fritillary , Small Heaths , Meadow Browns and some obliging dragonflies. Trevor also found a Small Copper near the end.
The Folly and its small garden was closed but it was worth the walk as we saw a Holly Blue near it.

[trevor]

Great to meet you today, and to have your company on what is usually a solitary pursuit most of the time.
Hope you found the day as relaxing as I did, just a shame some of the high summer species failed to appear.
I particularly like your Small Copper underside shot. ( I clean forgot about the Dragon Flies ).

[Katrina]

Thanks Trevor, it looked less old in that shot for some reason
I forgot about the Brimstone despite having photos of it.
Yes, it was relaxing and more photos I was happy with than I thought at the time.

[Wurzel]

Great to see the Small Copper Katrina I saw a post on Facebook a while back asking where they all were - good to know there are still some about

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Padfield]

Hi Katrina. Your dragonfly is a common darter. It's one of the most photogenic dragonflies, not least because it spends so much time perching (and then darting from its post, unlike the hawkers, for example, which spend all their time hawking and much less posing for the photographer!).

Guy

[Katrina]

Thanks Wurzel - we were not sure what brood it was - we are hoping they are late rather than not coming. I was relieved to see it as Small Coppers are one of the stars of the show there.

Thanks Guy - I suspected it might be as very approachable. There were 3 on perches about 2m apart and all very obliging. I feel I am seeing more dragonflies around than usual

[millerd]

Good to see a Small Copper, Katrina - they really have been difficult this summer, and after a distinct first brood in the spring, I have no idea where we are now with them!

Cheers,

Dave

[Katrina]

Thanks Dave, they certainly have been few and far between.

[Katrina]

I went to Anchor Bottom yesterday for about half an hour in the early afternoon
Fresh Adonis Blue about but it was again quite breezy. I managed to get some shots of one nectaring

[trevor]

Lovely shot. Not seen any of the present brood yet.

[Katrina]

Thank you Trevor
I was aiming for an open wing female but couldn’t stay long and was pretty lucky to get that shot in the breeze

[David M]

What kind of numbers were Adonis around in, Katrina?

So far, the reports I've seen contain only a handful of individuals.