July Sightings

[Neil Hulme]

Hi David M - and thommo (don't want to 'invade' Mr Zonda's Diary Pages!),
There will always be individual butterflies that break the rules, but ..... thommo, don't go looking for female Brown Hairstreaks at Alners Gorse in the evening! If surveying for male BH around Master Trees - best time is 8.30 - 10.30am. If wanting to see female BH 'down low' - best time is 11.00am - 2.30pm. Particularly if time is limited, by sticking to these guidelines you will greatly increase your chances of success.
Neil

[Zonda]

That's useful info to have, thankyou Neil. --- Also accurate, because my exif data tells me i snapped this one at 12.04, and i'm reasonably sure it is a female. Fingers crossed.

[David M]

Hi David M - and thommo (don't want to 'invade' Mr Zonda's Diary Pages!),
There will always be individual butterflies that break the rules, but ..... thommo, don't go looking for female Brown Hairstreaks at Alners Gorse in the evening! If surveying for male BH around Master Trees - best time is 8.30 - 10.30am. If wanting to see female BH 'down low' - best time is 11.00am - 2.30pm. Particularly if time is limited, by sticking to these guidelines you will greatly increase your chances of success.
Neil

Thanks for the advice re: female Brown Hairstreaks. I guess they will be found fluttering around Blackthorn?

[Neil Hulme]

Yes David. Look for areas where young blackthorn suckers of <6' tall jut out on the sunny, sheltered side of more mature blocks/hedgerows. Once they are 'down' and egg-laying don't worry too much about approaching closely - they are remarkably tolerant. If I had to put all my effort into a single, one hour slot it would be 11.15 - 12.15. Good Luck! It must be warm and sunny.
Neil

[Jonathan Evans]

After finding White-letter & Purple Hairstreaks at Glamorgan Canal Local Nature Reserve, Cardiff, I decided that it would be too much to ask to find Brown Hairstreak , so I went down to Alner's Gorse, Dorset, in order to find some. Purple Hairstreaks were very active, with good numbers settling on brambles and allowing close inspection; 2 out of 3 were worn/tattered to some extent. I saw may first Brown Hairstreak in the tree canopy, but had good views of another on bramble soon after, and by the end of my visit, I had excellent views of another 3, which were also on bramble.

18 species seen- Brimstone, Brown Hairstreak, Comma, Common Blue, Gatekeeper, Green-veined White, Holly Blue, Large White, Marbled White, Meadow Brown, Purple Hairstreak, Red Admiral, Ringlet, Silver-washed Fritillary, Small Copper,Small Skipper, Small White, Speckled Wood.

Jon

[David M]

You are a Hairstreak magnet, Jon!

Were the BHs all males?

[Jonathan Evans]

You are a Hairstreak magnet, Jon!

Were the BHs all males?

Yes David, all the ones I saw were male, and they all seemed pretty fresh as well.

Jon

[walpolec]

I've very much enjoyed hearing of everyone's exploits and am in awe of some of the fantastic images posted recently, so I apologise for asking the following question and showing these very poor quality shots taken on my point-and-shoot in a hurry!

Whenever the opportunity arises I have been creeping up on small Skippers with the hope of spotting Essex. Could you please have a look at these photos and tell me if you think this is an Essex or Small Skipper?

Thanks

Chris

[Neil Hulme]

Hi walpolec,
Essex - I can even see the tiny white stilettos.
Neil

[walpolec]

Hi walpolec,
Essex - I can even see the tiny white stilettos.
Neil

Dear Neil

That's great.

And all the more funny as I thought it was a male!

Thanks very much

Chris

[David M]

Today was dry and occasionally sunny so I left work early and headed off to Mumbles Hill on the Gower Peninsula to take a look at what could be found in a coastal habitat.

I had been hoping maybe to see Wall Browns but there were sadly none around, although I did see my first Painted Lady of the year as well as quite a few Graylings.

I was on site from 1420 to 1700 and saw the following:

1. Common Blue 70-100
2. Small White 50-70
3. Meadow Brown 30-40
4. Large White 20-30
5. Hedge Brown 15-25
6. Red Admiral 15
7. Grayling 15
8. Peacock 15
9. Brown Argus 10-15
10. Speckled Wood 10
11. Green Veined White 5
12. Small Copper 4
13. Small Skipper 4
14. Painted Lady 1
15. Small Tortoiseshell 1

Brown Argus that looks like a Northern Brown Argus

Mumbles Hill (not bathed in sunshine, unfortunately)

[David M]

Having left Mumbles Hill, the skies suddenly cleared and it turned into a beautiful evening, so I drove down to Oxwich Bay to check if any Small Blues were around. I arrived at 1815 and apart from the odd Meadow Brown, Grayling and Gatekeeper I saw nothing until I hit this dip between dunes, whereupon I chanced on four of the little critters. What it proved was that I really must invest in a new camera for next year, as my zoom was largely inadequate for such tiny specimens. Nevertheless, I still snapped away:

First one seen at 1830

They DO like their grass stems

Couldn't really zoom in any further - they're too tiny

Posing amongst the undergrowth

Underside shot

[Vince Massimo]

I have just got back from a trip to Arnside Knott in Cumbria, having had a full day on site on Wednesday 28th and 2 hours this morning. The target species was Scotch Argus and the first was sighted within 3 minutes of starting to climb the north-western slope of the hill. In all, approximately 25 were seen on the first day, but these were only the ones I disturbed from the grass as I wandered around, because they were not flying in the cloudy and showery conditions. They are to be found on almost any part of the site but are concentrated near the top of the hill at SD775455 in the long grass on a north-west facing slope. I saw about 50 there this morning when the sun briefly appeared.

Male Scotch Argus

Male Scotch Argus

Female Scotch Argus

Female Scotch Argus

Other species seen were Meadow Brown, Speckled wood, Gatekeeper, Grayling and Green Veined White plus single sightings of Northern Brown Argus and a tatty unidentified Fritillary.

I will also be posting these photos in the species album shortly.

Vince

[Ian Pratt]

This evening I visited a new site for me where there were about 20 grayling- it's a surprise that I have never visited it before as it is only 5 miles from home!!

[felix123]

Yesterday- Went to Hardown hill in Morcombelake to my surprise I saw 3x Wall browns(first in my life)and they where pristine.

Also went to abbousburry with the family and there was a big buddlea with lots of butterflies on it and one of them was a Silver- washed fritillary and I had a ice lolly and this comma frequently landed on it and chased of other butterflies and came back and landed on it again!

Felix

[David M]

Yesterday- Went to Hardown hill in Morcombelake to my surprise I saw 3x Wall browns(first in my life)and they where pristine.

Also went to abbousburry with the family and there was a big buddlea with lots of butterflies on it and one of them was a Silver- washed fritillary and I had a ice lolly and this comma frequently landed on it and chased of other butterflies and came back and landed on it again!

Felix

Commas love to investigate and will land on you quite readily. I have an orange T shirt with a black logo and whenever I wear it I notice that both Commas and Silver Washed Fritillaries come right up close to check it out.

I've also discovered recently that Graylings are quite partial to landing on you if you stay still.

[felix123]

Oh yeh because when I saw the SWF at the Lyme Regis Undercliff they constantly flew near me and my mum because of the colour of my T-shirt!

Thanks for that info David

Felix

[Zonda]

Did a very exhausting trek around Giant's Hill at Cerne Abbas. Observed many fresh Brown Argus, a lot of Common Blue, a few really fresh Small coppers, two Wall brown, and all the other grasslanders, but not a glimpse of a Chalkhill Blue, the one i was after. I may have to go to north Dorset for this one. Fontmell down here i come.... I could have done with an ice lolly too

[Jack Harrison]

Zonda:

....around Giant's Hill at Cerne Abbas.... Observed many fresh Brown Argus, a lot of Common Blue....

Presumably all females

Jack

[Zonda]

Well,,, you would know better than me Jack. It's butterflies to me. Just looking for a Chalkie.