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Thanks guys, another simple case of right time, right place (Look away now if you've still not seen any Specklies Wurzel )

23rd April, Normality resumes

It was with the sort of inevitable pinpoint accuracy that professional weather forecasters can barely dream about that having started the day after my last day off, the heatwave ended the day before my next time off ! My Monday half-day started off quite bright but by lunchtime it was overcast and noticeably cooler, but I had a plan and I was sticking to it!

It’s becoming a bit of a regular stop off now, Tottenham Marshes on my way home, and it was here I found myself on a cloudy afternoon. It was thin cloud though so I hoped bright enough for something, although I was only likely to find roosting Orange-tip which had the sun stayed shining, would have been the primary target.

My first sighting was indeed one of these sleeping beauties, a male on some Cow Parsley which was going to be the plant of choice as the afternoon progressed. Occasionally the cloud thinned enough to produce a hazy sun and a few Speckled Wood came out to play. In total there were three egg laying females in one small area but only one took a break somewhere that was useful to me. The next butterfly was the first of many Green-veined White, a nice fresh female enjoying a short-lived period of hazy sun. A second Orange-tip was found roosting low down next to the path was unfortunate to be in the way of a happy go lucky dogs wagging tail. This did however give me the chance to grab a rubbish upperside shot when it settled again. Unfortunately my camera was on the wrong setting but its all I have to show so far this year. Camera settings adjusted I got better shots as he went back to sleep. Over the next hour or so several more Green-veined Whites were found, mostly just sitting around not doing much, occasionally one was feeding. The afternoon was rounded off by a nice Comma, another egg laying Specklie who went up to feed on some Field Maple flowers and a Small white. Not the best afternoon but I saw enough to make the afternoon stroll worthwhile

I do believe you can find butterflies when nobody else can, Bugboy! Even on a dull day you find them

Keep them coming Bugboy, your cheering me up Goldie

David M wrote:Given how common this species is, it's surprising how seldom one sees a pair in-cop so well done with that one, BB.

Indeed, even with the resident Specklies in my garden I have only seen a pair in cop a couple of times and both times they were well hidden down in the vegetation. Well spotted

Cheers,

Neil.

I'm not sure I'm that good Janet
Glad you're enjoying my ongoing saga Goldie
Thanks Neil, this pair were also discreetly nestled down in the vegetation, they just got disturbed by some oaf in his big work boots wandering around with his camera

24th April

My day off arrived just in time for what was to be the cloudiest day of the week. The heatwave already but a distant memory I resigned myself to a day of chores, the hoover seemed to have been doing a rather good job at collecting dust in the corner all by itself whilst I’ve been off clutching at chances to find butterflies.

By the afternoon though it seemed that the cloud cover was thinning. Thinking my luck was in, I grabbed my camera and shot out to Walthamstow Marshes to see if had awoken anything. Had I left an hour earlier and caught the main part of the brighter spell I may well have been in luck but unfortunately, I just caught the tale end and nothing was on the wing. A single Orange-tip lightened my spirits a bit and as I knelt down to get a few shots I noticed a Green-veined White a few feet away. Two hours later that was all I had seen and since it was starting to rain it was all I was likely to see, so I scarpered back home to finish the chores.

25th April

Work returned the following day along with significantly more sun and so it was back to guerrilla style butterflying, camera on standby for any encounters. A lunchtime wander threw up several Specklies, no mating this time, but they did throw some nice poses 26th April

Another lunchtime wander today produced a few more species, a few hyperactive Brimstone escaped me but a nicely marked Green-veined White stopped off near me and a female Comma tried and failed to blend into the background during a passing cloudy spell: When the sun returned she made a beeline for the nearest patch of nettle And a 4pm finish meant yet another stop off at Tottenham Marshes, but despite the sunny afternoon there was surprisingly little about. I suspect the cool breeze had sent most things to an early bed. All I found was a freshly emerged GVW and a nice looking Small Tort. And that brings me up to date with my weekend off about to start….hmmm I wonder what the weather forecast is looking like

Still no Specklies but I looked anyway Bugboy Great sets of reports and it's good to see another 'Lunchtime' butterflier, I'm going to write to my MP and encourage him to get 'lunchtime butterflying' as policy
Don't look at the weather forecast, just don't do it Much better to just wake up and look out the window...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Fabulous stuff, BB, especially the grounded Comma. I've seen very few Whites so far this year, so it's good to know that they're about elsewhere in the country.

Thanks Wurzel, lunchtime butterflying is this seasons new black Oh and I looked...
Thanks David, GVW's seem to be having a really good spring in my neck of the woods

28th April, Winter’s coming…

Despite the god-awful prospect for the weekend, (it would seem Spring over reached itself last week and decided to go for a weekend break, leaving Winter to hold the fort for a few days ), I was determined not to waste my weekend off. I decided to hop on a train to the south coast where apparently, there was a hint of some bright(er) weather at some point. Mill Hill near Shoreham seemed worth a punt since two species I’ve yet to see this year are on the wing, one of which I had a fairly good chance of finding without the aid of sun.

As I reached the sheltered lower slope the first thing of interest I found was this gorgeous moth, the Purple Bar, one of the Carpet moths. Despite being common and widespread this is my first one. Nearby I spied my first target species of the day, hiding in plain sight as they do. The first Grizzled Skipper of the year. The cloud cover showed no sign of going anywhere so finding the second target for the day, Green Hairstreaks, was put on hold and I focused on looking for more Grizzlies. I didn’t find any more in the northern corner of the site but come across a roosting Large Red Damselfly in my careful searching. I decided to have a wander further afield, perhaps I’d locate an Orange-tip or two? I didn’t find any, but the soundtrack was rather pleasant. After a few hours the cloud cover did indeed look like it was starting to thin so I returned the lower slopes and discovered a second Grizzlie. A small patch of blue sky passed at just the right moment and I got my shots. With the sun warming the air here and there I hoped it would be enough for the Hairstreaks. Although I’m not sure of the known hotspots here I searched the various areas that looked promising but sadly none showed themselves to me, perhaps it was too little too late.

Before leaving I couldn’t resist another few snaps of the second Grizzlie. It’d been warm enough to move but not far and I quickly relocated it, looking rather cute peering at me from behind a leaf. Sadly it was when I had to leave that the sun really made an effort to rid the sky of clouds but I did manage a Holly Blue to finish the day with I’m glad I made the effort to stop the weekend being a total right off !

It seems as though we've already had two short seasons so far this year.
On a spring like February day I photographed a Brimstone, then we had the beast and mini beast.
More recemtly a mini heatwave, with plenty of action on the slightly cooler days, now tomorrow
your Grizlie might get sleeted on at Mill hill.

I share your frustration, but at least l'm free to go out whenever the Sun shines. ( chores get abandoned ! ).

All the best,
Trevor.

Perseverance paid off Bugboy things over this way are still really quiet with very few records and none yet of Grizzlies And you managed to 'do a Millerd' Hopefully the promised decent weather will actually materialise...they've got to get it right eventually

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Great reports and shots Bugboy, looks like you have made the best of these mixed conditions.

Thanks Trevor, this has been an extremely frustrating season so far, hopefully with summer just around the corner things will settle down now
Haha, thanks Wurzel, that Holly Blue wasn't quite up to Millerds standards, a bit crumpled looking. Give your local Grizzlies a week or two yet, Mill Hill is a south facing slope on the south coast so it's always going to be an early site.
Thanks Andrew, I do try my best when opportunities present themselves

1st May, Spring’s here…?

Well would you Adam & Eve it, a sunny forecast coinciding with a day off. A rare thing for me this year but since I've waited quietly and patiently( ) for such an occurrence, I certainly wasn't going to waste it. I set my sights on my first visit of the year to Denbies and some Green Hairstreak. As always, the walk from the station was a distracting stroll, Speckled Woods inhabiting most the sunny glades along the more wooded parts of the walk, although a little disappointing not to find any Holly Blue which more often than not join them. In the more open areas Whites were present, mostly sporting a distinctive flash of orange as they zoomed past, sadly I was too late to catch any breakfasting, but it was meant to get a little cloudier later so hopefully I'd have better opportunities on the return trip. A Small White did stop long enough though. As usual the wind at Denbies was amplified but at the Hairstreak ‘master shrub’ it was sheltered enough for it not to matter. What did matter (to me) was the complete lack of Hairstreaks ! In fact, for the entire hour I wandered the slope I saw just one solitary Butterfly . I presume this lack of activity is just a blip brought on by the up and down April. Hopefully a second wave of Hairstreaks will appear soon along with the spring Skippers and Lycids, fingers crossed for next week

Little fluffy clouds had begun to appear so I turned my attention to Orange-tip hunting. I had several flybys on the return but the spot that seemed the best was a sunlit lane leading down to the winery. A dark cloud had appeared just in time and very quickly I located a grounded male. As the cloud passed there was a sudden hive of activity, three males jostling for my attention along with an unfortunate male Green-veined White who had to put up with continued dive bombing male Orange-tips. Common Vetch seemed to be particularly attractive. Just before reaching the train station I found a female, not fully asleep and my attention caused her to flutter around a bit but she did pose exceedingly well when settled !
My next destination was Bookham. It's damp meadows are another good spot for Orange-tips plus I hoped I'd be able to locate a few larvae.

It was with some disappointment that I arrived under a grey sky. The little harmless fluffy white clouds now replaced with foreboding dark blankets . It's a good job I give scant regard for forecasts these days I thought as I put on my coat to the first spots of rain.

I easily located my first target though. Two years in a row now I've managed to locate a Brown Hairstreak egg on a small isolated sprig of blackthorn, making finding the resulting larvae that much easier. This ones already moulted once or twice from the looks of things. My rescued ones I returned last time are all still unhatched but then they've only had a fortnight of spring to start development. The cloud cover remained, accompanied by the occasional light shower so I was left to look for sleepers, finding just the one, another female, hanging like a mossy tear from some Greater Stitchwort. A little sunny spell awoke her briefly from her slumber where she fed as quickly as she could before settling again, showing off the remarkable camouflage this species possesses, something I shall never tire from seeing . Butterfly-wise that was it for the day, which, considering the sunny start, was a little disappointing. On the upside, at least I had Orange-tips, even if the most compliant ones lacked the orange .

Looking for sleepers inevitably meant eggs were found and given the number, and that i saw no larvae, I’d say I have a good few weeks left here before they are done for another year . Some new birds did fall victim to the new lens. A Garden Warbler. I know it was a Garden Warbler because I spent ages looking for the singing Blackcap until I noticed the sound was coming from this rather nondescript chap. And another Warbler, the Whitethroat. Things look to be getting better after tomorrow so I can only hope it's true, I'm off all next week and all other plans are currently shelved in favour of chasing butterflies!

I like your 12 th photo down a lot the female orange-tip counter balancing the white flowers - very nice
Katrina

It's a shame you drew a blank with Hairstreaks at Denbies, Buggy. Next week should be better. Very nice Orange Tips though, and that Brown Hairstreak larva is a goodie too.

Dave

Love your OT shots Bugboy and you even got a Grizzled Skipper that alone would make my year Goldie

Things are still slow going but we're getting there Love the lemon blush on that open wing female OT

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Well done locating female Orange Tips, that open wing shot is what I'm after.
My local site has plenty of males, but no females yet.
I've even been scrutinising every white Butterfly, even though the flight pattern is wrong
in the hope of a female. Last year there were plenty and they were easy to spot.

Great stuff,
Trevor.

You certainly look to have exorcised your Orange Tip demons, BB. All we need now is for the explosion of mid-spring species - Green Hairstreak, Small Blue, Dingy Skipper, Dukes, et al.

I've a feeling this Bank Holiday weekend is going to be busy for all of us!

Great selection of Orange-tip photos Bugboy

I like that shot of the two Specklies together as well, at first glance I thought it was a male trying to court a female but a closer look shows it to be two males, unusual to catch males together like that early in the season without them trying to chase each other off.

Cheers,

Neil.

Thanks Katrina, rather chuffed with that one myself, not least because it was a rushed snap. I was late for my train and was just leaving when I saw her settle there so very quickly clicked of a run of shots and then legged it for the station, I was a 20 minute walk away and the train was due in 10. I was very happy when I checked them whilst getting my breath back on the train
Thanks Dave, yes I hope Denbies comes to life next week, Hairstreaks, Skippers and perhaps a few Brown Argus would suit me just fine
Don't worry Goldie, you'll get your Grizzlies soon I'm sure
Thanks Wurzel, it has been slow going with several false starts but I think this weekend is when things will finally kick off properly for us unfortunates who still have to work for a living!
Thanks Trevor, although I see you finally got lucky with one of your own at last
Sure did David still a good few weeks to enjoy their company too, had a male flying round me at work today, brightened up my day no end
Thanks Neil , I have to admit that until I read your comment I was still assuming it was a pair . It was quite early in the morning so they were still warming up, perhaps still a little too bleary eyed to notice he was chasing another boy I'm sure an hour later normal male battles were well underway with this pair sharing the same glade!