Neil Freeman

[Goldie M]

Great Blues Neil, I must say though your photos of the Dingy make it look great, certainly not Dingy, Goldie

[Neil Freeman]

Thanks Dave, that one is certainly the 'bluest' Small Blue I have seen yet.

Hi Trevor, with the cloud around on the day they were not too active and quite easy keep sight of. I find Grizzled Skippers and especially Silver-spotted Skippers much harder to follow in flight.

Cheers Wurzel, it doesn't quite have same ring does it...or should that be capture on SD card?

Thanks Goldie, the Dingy Skipper is quite an attractive butterfly when fresh although when they are a bit older and more faded you can see where the name comes from.

Friday 27th May

Since last weekend it became colder as the week went on with a cold wind blowing from the north and midweek temperatures struggling into the low teens during the day and down into single figures overnight. I have not seen many butterflies, just a few Holly Blues and 'whites' in the garden when I got in from work. The whites appeared to all Large and Small, the Green-veined and Orange-tips both being notable by their absence this week.

At least the cloud meant that the Holly Blues were less active including one female that actually posed for me for a few minutes,

Holly Blue - Coverdale 24.05.2016

Holly Blue - Coverdale 24.05.2016

Today (Friday) felt much warmer with some decent sunny spells that pushed the temperature up and brought more butterflies out in the garden this afternoon although they were all still Holly Blues or the two 'cabbage whites'. I even had another female Holly Blue settle briefly.

Holly Blue - Coverdale 27.05.2016

Large White - Coverdale 27.05.2016

Small White - Coverdale 27.05.2016

I have been running the moth trap in the garden most nights as I have been doing a little experiment to see if the same moths return to the trap. The dropping overnight temperatures haven't helped with this as the numbers of moths have dropped through the week but I have had some new species, particularly on last Sunday and Monday nights. I have photographed every moth I have caught, made easier to do by the low numbers, and can say that so far I have never had a moth return to the trap the following night. I have had a couple turn up again a few nights later which I have recognised by comparing photos but at least they were free to go about their normal 'mothy' business in between.

I was pleased to get my first Hawk Moth in the trap, a nice Poplar Hawk,

I had a Puss Moth which was actually sitting on an upturned bucket that I place as a rain shield over my extension lead, a good ten feet away from the trap,

My first Pale Tussock also turned up earlier in the week,

I have been getting a nice selection of Carpet Moths including,

Garden Carpet...

...and Flame Carpet,

One of the things that is fascinating but at the same time quite confusing is the degree of variation in some moths, a good example being the nice fresh May Highflyer below...

...which had me stumped for a bit compared with others of the same species that I have been seeing which look more like this,

These could easily be taken to be two separate species but is apparently well within normal variation and this is by no means unusual in the moth world. It seems I have entered a whole new world with so much new stuff to learn.

Anyway, the weather looks to be picking up a bit for the bank holiday weekend although I am not sure if I will be getting out much as I have some family stuff on and things to do before a trip up north at the end of next week.

Bye for now,

Neil

[Wurzel]

That first Holly Blue Neil is a stunner, perfect Plus you've got shots of a Poplar Hawk Moth Good luck getting the family stuff done so you can get out...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Neil Freeman]

Thanks Wurzel, I managed to get out for a bit this afternoon (Sunday)

Sunday 29th May

Yesterday (Saturday) I went up to Nottingham to fetch my youngest son's stuff back from the house he has lived in up there for the past few years whilst he was at Uni. He has now finished at Uni and is starting a job in Bristol in a few weeks and has a place sorted out to move into down there but will be back with us for a week or two in the meantime. His new job is with a technology company that does work for the European Space Program, so next the next time someone says to him 'it's not exactly rocket science' he will be able to say 'well, actually...'
Anyway, by the time we got back that was the day done but I did see a couple of Green-veined Whites whilst loading the car up in Nottingham.

This morning was taken up by more family stuff but I managed to wangle a couple of hours free this afternoon, just enough time for a walk around the footpaths at my local site at Castle Hills. I wanted to see if Common Blues, Small Heaths and Small Coppers were out yet here and was pleased to find half a dozen or so of the former two species, particularly the Small Heaths as these have been doing poorly in Warwickshire in recent years. Apparently recent analysis indicates that this species has declined by 52% in distribution since 1999.

Common Blue - Castle Hills 29.05.2016

Common Blue - Castle Hills 29.05.2016

Common Blue - Castle Hills 29.05.2016

Small Heath - Castle Hills 29.05.2016

Small Heath - Castle Hills 29.05.2016

Small Heath - Castle Hills 29.05.2016

I did not manage to find any Small Coppers today, this being another species that had a poor year last year around here. I did however see a couple of hibernators still hanging in there, a Peacock and a raggedy Small Tortoiseshell.

Peacock - Castle Hills 29.05.2016

Small Tortoiseshell - Castle Hills 29.05.2016

I was also pleased to get a reasonable photo of a Latticed Heath, this day flying moth can be a tricky subject with its usual habit of settling low down in the grass.

Latticed Heath - Castle Hills 29.05.2016

Despite a forecast for clear sunny conditions this afternoon it was actually mostly cloudy with just the occasional few minutes of sun. There was also a cool northerly breeze that made itself felt on the more open parts of this site which is quite close to Birmingham Airport. In fact at one point whilst walking along one of the paths I could see an Airbus A380 taking up position for its take off run, this large double decked aircraft having recently started scheduled flights to Dubai from Birmingham.

Looking across the A45 to the Airbus at the end of the runway.

Airbus A380 climbing into the distance over Birmingham.

Bye for now,

Neil.

[Wurzel]

Glad to see that you managed to 'escape' for a bit this afternoon Neil - lovely sequence of Small Heaths - they can be right pains, for me they always seem to sit at a very slight angle, that's when they sit still for more than two seconds

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Neil Freeman]

Cheers Wurzel, I managed to get out again for a bit yesterday

Monday 30th May

Bank Holiday Monday and a change of plans at home meant that I had the afternoon free and was not on the clock as to what time I had to return which meant that I had the time to get over to Ryton Wood and Meadows for a look around. The Warwickshire BC open day had taken place there the previous day (Sunday) but my limited time had meant that I wasn’t able to attend. The weather for today was not looking too promising with a grey overcast and a chilly breeze but I figured that within the shelter of the wood itself I may find something.

My particular target for the afternoon was Wood White which has been hanging on at Ryton in small numbers for a few years now and I had seen on twitter that some had been seen during the open day. There had also been a few Pearl-bordered Fritillaries seen as well, these being a more recent (re)introduction to the wood.

I arrived at the wood and ambled along some of the paths, seeing a few Green-veined Whites and Speckled Woods and at one point disturbing my first Red Admiral of the year which disappeared high into the trees.
The weather forecast has said that it should brighten up a bit during the afternoon and whilst waiting for this to happen I wandered through to the meadows to check out one of the usual Green Hairstreak spots. Sure enough, despite the still grey overcast there were half a dozen or so flitting between a small oak and patch of brambles. Although settling regularly at low level they were constantly shuffling about as they do to angle themselves to catch the sun, or in this case the bit of sky where the sun should be.

Green Hairstreak - Ryton 30.05.2016

Green Hairstreak - Ryton 30.05.2016

Green Hairstreak - Ryton 30.05.2016

After a while, with the clouds breaking up a bit and a few bits of blue sky appearing, I headed back into the wood. Walking down the main ride, I soon saw the distinctive lazy flight of a Wood White heading towards me. This first one was soon joined by a second and during the next hour or so of walking along this ride and some side paths I saw at least 7 and maybe 8 different individuals. These are not high numbers compared with somewhere like Salcey Forest but it was the most I have ever seen at Ryton which has never been a large colony.

Wood White - Ryton 30.05.2016

Wood White - Ryton 30.05.2016

Wood White - Ryton 30.05.2016

Wood White - Ryton 30.05.2016

Wood White - Ryton 30.05.2016

I also saw a single Pearl-bordered Fritillary before the clouds built up again and it started to feel cooler.

Pearl-bordered Fritillary - Ryton 30.05.2016

Also seen but not photographed were a few Dingy Skippers in the meadows but that was it on what was a mostly cool and cloudy afternoon with few butterflies seen in total. Even so it was well worth getting out and seeing the Green Hairsrstreaks and PBF and especially the Wood Whites which is a species I have missed out on for the past couple of years.

Bye for now,

Neil

[bugboy]

Lovely Wood Whites Neil, I've always thought they look so ethereal in pictures

[Goldie M]

Lovely Wood Whites Neil, I've yet to see them Goldie

[Wurzel]

Cracking Wood Whites Neil You have a great species list up our way

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Neil Freeman]

Thanks Bugboy, I think ethereal is the perfect word to sum up Wood whites, even more so when you watch their delicate flight.

Hi Goldie, it is a strange thing that there is a good colony of Wood Whites at Salcey Forest, just over an hours drive from me, and yet I have missed out on seeing them for a couple of years.

Cheers Wurzel, Ryton is the only site in Warwickshire where Wood Whites and PBFs can be seen and they are just about holding on there currently. There are good sites for both species a bit further afield around the midlands though.

Thursday 2nd June.

A cloudy week for the most part with a cold blustery wind blowing from the north has meant that I have not seen a single butterfly since Monday. The cold breezy nights have also meant that moth numbers have been low in the garden, although there has been a trickle of new species for me on the nights when I have run the trap.

Common White Wave.

Common Marbled Carpet.

May Highflyer...yet another colour variation

Seraphim...a nice boldly marked individual.

Common Swift

Flame Shoulder.

Miller.

I am lending the trap to my son Chris for the next week so he can give it a go in his garden as I am heading up North in the morning. Jane and myself are off on our first trip of the year for a couple of nights in the Arnside/Silverdale area before carrying on to Scotland for a few days stopping at Fort William. The weather is looking promising for the next few days as well so fingers crossed...

Bye for now,

Neil.

[millerd]

Very interesting to see all those species from Ryton, Neil (great photos too!). I may get a chance to visit on Saturday, so a trek in the wood would have be on the menu. I had no idea the PBFs had been brought back, and I've yet to see a Wood White here either.

Dave

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Dave, thanks for the comments and apologies for the delayed reply. I am currently in Scotland with intermittent Wi-Fi so am only logging on occasionally.

Lots of catching up to do when I get back...both with this diary and seeing what every one else has been up to.

Cheers,

Neil.

[Wurzel]

Looking forward to those Scottish reports Neil - is a Chequered Skipper on the cards?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Neil Freeman]

Yes Indeed Wurzel, Chequered Skippers to come

June 3rd -10th A trip up North part 1.

We have just returned from a fabulous week during which we stayed at Silverdale in the Arnside & Silverdale AONB for a couple of nights before carrying on to Scotland for four nights at Fort William. We then returned to Silverdale for another couple of nights before heading home this morning (Saturday 11th).
The weather during the whole trip was absolutely fabulous with temperatures on most days, including those spent in Scotland, reaching the mid-twenties. The only rain we saw was last Tuesday night in Fort William, when we had a few hours of proper heavy straight down stuff, and yesterday morning in Silverdale when it drizzled a bit until late morning and then brightened up again. It was also drizzly this morning when we left for home but in a way that was probably for the best as otherwise I would have been tempted to hang around the area for a bit and I had already given the brownie points a major hit over the previous week.

No doubt as a result of the good weather that the North-West seems to have had recently the season around Silverdale/Arnside seemed a little early. So much so that I was surprised to find Northern Brown Argus (salmacis) already out when we stopped off at Warton Crag on the Friday afternoon (June 3rd). I had hoped to find early NBA on our way back the following weekend but did not expect to see them on the way up.

The season was even further ahead in the area around Fort William but more of that to come when I have had time to sort my notes and photos out into some sort of order.

My main target for the trip was Chequered Skipper which would be a first for me and would be the last species I needed to see for the UK mainland list, with just Cryptic Wood White in Ireland now remaining for completeness. I ended up seeing 20 species, including plenty of CSK, which far outweighed my expectations for the trip and included some pleasant surprises

In no particular order;
Northern Brown Argus (salmacis) – seen at Warton Crag, Arnside Knott, Gait Barrows, Latterbarrow.
Speckled Wood – Warton Crag, Arnside Knott, Gait Barrows, Meathop Moss
Common Blue – Warton Crag, Arnside Knott, Glen Loy.
Small Copper – One worn individual seen at Glasdrum Wood.
Green Hairstreak – Warton Crag, Glen Loy.
Dingy Skipper – Warton Crag, Arnside Knott.
Large Skipper – one at Warton Crag (June 3rd), one at Latterbarrow June 10th).
Chequered Skipper – Glasdrum Wood, Glen Loy, Alt Mhuic.
Orange-tip – Warton Crag, Arnside Knott, Glen Nevis, Loch Arkaig.
Green-veined White – Warton Crag, Glasdrum Wood, Glen Nevis.
Brimstone – one at Arnside Knott.
Peacock – one at Gait Barrows (June 4th) and one very worn individual at Meathop Moss (June 10th).
Painted Lady – one at Cuil Bay (June 7th), one at Latterbarrow (June 10th).
Small Tortoiseshell – one very fresh summer brood at Latterbarrow (June 10th).
Large Heath – ssp.scotica at Glen Loy (June 7th & 8th) and ssp.davus at Meathop Moss (June 10th)
Small Heath – appeared almost everywhere.
Marsh Fritillary – two worn examples at Cuil Bay (June 7th).
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary – all sites in Silverdale/Arnside plus loads at Glasdrum Wood and Glen Loy
Dark Green Fritillary – two fresh examples at Arnside Knott (June 10th)
Mountain Ringlet – Irton Fell (June 9th)

As well as the butterflies there were also plenty of moths seen during the day including;
Chimney Sweeper – loads at Warton Crag, also at Glen Loy.
Clouded Buff – Cuil Bay, Glen Loy, Irton Fell.
Silver Hook – Glen Loy.
Northern Eggar - Alt Mhuic, Glen Loy, Loads of males flying about at high speed.
Argent & Sable – one seen at Glen Loy.
Small Argent & Sable – A few identified at Glen Loy
White-spotted Sable – Glasdrum Wood.
Plus loads of various day flying moths that wouldn’t stop still to be identified.

The areas that we went to have some stunning scenery but unfortunately the impact and grand scale of this doesn’t really come across in photos but here are a few shots, book-ended with the first and last butterflies that I photographed on the trip.

The first - Northern Brown Argus(salmacis) at Warton Crag 03.06.2016

The view from our first B&B just up the road from RSPB Leighton Moss.

A stop off at Glasdrum Wood on the way to Fort William.

The view over Loch Linnhe that greeted us each morning from our bedroom in Fort William...and the sky was like that most days.

The same view as above but just before 10.00pm at night...it stays light for ages up there.

The track into Glen Loy...fabulous country.

Clouds building over Ben Nevis. A few patches of snow lingering up there but twenty plus degrees in the glens.

Wildflowers at Latterbarrow in South Cumbria.

The last butterfly seen late on Friday afternoon, a female Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary at Arnside Knott.

The rest of the butterfly photos will follow over the next few days when I get time to sort through them all and put some reports together.

Bye for now,

Neil.

[David M]

Looking forward to this, Neil. Great timing what with the warm spell the north enjoyed during that period. It really is a joyous part of the world when the sun shines and the rain keeps away.

[trevor]

I trust the SPBF is just a teaser of what's to come.
Just to think I was able to see them locally, just a few years ago. Now extinct in Sussex.

All the best,
Trevor.

[Neil Freeman]

Hi David, I had been watching the weather up there for the previous couple of weeks and was concerned that it would break before we got there but in the end it held for us, in fact it was sometimes too warm...didn't expect to be saying that

Cheers Trevor, plenty of SPBFs to come...amongst others. They certainly seem to be doing well in the northern parts of their range

June 3rd -10th A trip up North part 2.

A dull and wet Sunday here in the midlands has given me the chance to sort out a few photos and put some words together for a report. As I saw a lot of species on multiple days I have decided to do a series of reports on the more notable species that I saw rather than day by day which would become a bit repetitive.

So, by virtue of being the first species seen, the first report is;

Northern Brown Argus.

We left our house in Solihull mid-morning on the Friday (June 3rd) and after suffering the joys of the M6 we pulled into the car park at Warton Crag at about 2.30pm. As this site involves some steep paths, Jane opted to stay in the car and read her kindle whilst I had a look around for an hour.
The first part of the path here passes through a wooded stretch and after coming out into the more open area my attention was drawn to a small silvery movement that turned out to be a Northern Brown Argus. The NBAs around this area are of the salmacis race which tend not to have the distinctive white forewing spots of their Scottish cousins and in most respects look very similar to ‘normal’ Brown Argus.
During the next hour I found at least half a dozen more NBAs here, mostly fresh looking males which indicated they had not been out long. In fact I had not expected to see this species yet although I was hoping that they would be out by the time we returned this way at the end of the following week. This was the first sign, among many more to come, that the season up here was well ahead of ours back in the midlands.

NBA salmacis - Warton Crag 03.06.2016

NBA salmacis - Warton Crag 03.06.2016

NBA salmacis - Warton Crag 03.06.2016

We then carried on to our B&B to check in and freshen up to go out for a meal later. We spent two nights at the B&B here before carrying onto Scotland, which gave us all day Saturday (June 4th) in the area during which we visited Arnside Knott and Gait Barrows and found NBAs at both sites.

NBA salmacis - Arnside Knott 04.06.2016

NBA salmacis - Gait Barrows 04.06.2016

The following Friday (June 10th) during our return from Scotland we visited Latterbarrow nature reserve near Witherslack and found around half a dozen or so NBAs there. Those I saw were again all males but being a week later, they appeared to be a little more worn.

NBA salmacis - Latterbarrow 10.06.2016

NBA salmacis - Latterbarrow 10.06.2016

Right then, Chequered Skipper will probably be next but I have many more photos of these to sort through of examples in all kinds of condition.

Bye for now,

Neil

[Maximus]

Beautiful NBA's, Neil, they look really fresh and you've caught that lovely sheen on their wings in your shots This is a species I've yet to see and your report has got me thinking, ouch that hurts Looking forward to seeing some Chequered Skippers.

Mike

[David M]

Beautiful NBA's, Neil, they look really fresh and you've caught that lovely sheen on their wings in your shots

Indeed, one of your specimens has a sheen more reminiscent of one of the continental Brassy Ringlets. Can't say I've noticed this before (but then I have precious little experience with this species, particularly when fresh).

[bugboy]

Wow, I've never seen such an intense sheen on a butterfly that wasn't iridescent