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Looks like there's something in the Welsh air that has precipitated a Small Blue pandemic!!

Crazy really given the unforgiving conditions thus far in 2013 (last few days excepted).

It's odd isn't it that irrespective of conditions, there's always one species at least that makes hay and duly enjoys a bonanza? Certainly, this year at least in Wales, that species looks to be Small Blue.

I was very short of time today but did manage a short trip up to High and Over and was pleased to see my first Adonis Blues of the year. Common Blue numbers were also looking good with many males flying in the late afternoon and settling on the tall grass. One very nice female was the last one I saw before heading home.

In the last week I saw 3 orange tip butterflies, one in Lelant at the water mill in the garden there and 2 3 days ago, 1 at trerice place ant the next on the stennack in St Ives Cornwall

A week's break from work to look after the kids promised lots of opportunity for butterflying. 'Unfortunately' the best part of the week weather wise (Sat to Mon 25th - 27th) was taken up in North Norfolk (based Burnham Thorpe) with the family on a camping break. Lovely area but a surprising lack of butterflies with only a few Green-veined and Large White seen + one solitary scuffed Peacock .

On return to Woking the typical 2013 weather also returned and it was not until Friday that some sunshine put in a decent appearance. Mindful of the sprint of sightings on the May 2013 thread (species missed while I was away) I was itching to get out exploring. I also had this nagging feeling that I might suffer 'Wurzel's curse' and miss out on Green Hairstreak. Green Hairstreak are butterflies which just turn up when you're out looking for other stuff .... aren't they
A trip with the kids to the Gosport Royal Navy Submarine Museum (well worth a visit) saw me putting in an early evening recce to Butser Hill where Tuts had seen Greenstreaks. The only green thing seen were a few Green Carpet Moths ... perhaps a trip to Denbies tomorrow would be better (Green Hairstreak seen by Mildheart) Yesterday at Denbies proved fruitful (what a difference some good weather makes) and my tally for the season climbed with five new species In addition to the ones shown above there were Small Heath; Brimstones and Dingies in good numbers .. and a few Orange-tip too. No Grizzled seen however.

My searching for the 'wee green beastie' finally paid off .... Moving on to Box Hill zig-zag where I'd seen Small Blue in previous years drew a blank for that species. However there were others seen including a single Grizzled Skipper; Holly Blue plus my third encounter this season with courting Brimstone, to round off a top notch day Phil

At Bonchurch esplanade (east of Ventnor IOW) yesterday afternoon there were only 4 or 5 Glanville fritillaries- very low for this time of year. There were a good few common blues and one each of dingy skipper and small blue ( unusual for me at this site.) Several orange tips still around.
Bonchurch Down this morning , apart from being a great place to watch the Round the Island yacht race , was good for small heath (3), dingy skipper(2), and Adonis blue (10).
Ian

Jack Harrison wrote: 30 May Ardnamurchan for Chequered Skipper at Ardery. No luck. The season clearly is very late with the Bugle not yet in full flower and even the Bluebells are hardly out.

Numerous GV Whites, couple of Peacocks, Speckled Wood, possible Green Hairstreak. One roadside ditch had masses of Cuckoo Flower and as many as a dozen Orange Tips in a stretch no more than 70 metres in extent; thye were not seen elsewhere today. All were small individuals, some very small indeed perhaps being no bigger than say Chalkhill Blue. Small Orange Tips are certainly not unknown but the proportion in this colony was approaching 100% with as I say, some very tiny.

The bonus came when wife called be with an uncertain i/d (but she had a very good idea what it was). Just the one PB Fritillary seen at NM745620 on the roadside verge.

13-05-30-403-PBFrit.jpg

One other sighting was of interest that answers an age-old mystery. As you will soon appreciate it was not prudent to take photos. A middle-aged Scot was on the ferry back to Mull. He was probably going to a party as he sported a tartan kilt. It was a bit breezy on the outside deck.
When the wind lifted his kilt it was apparent that he was wearing pale tartan underpants

Jack

Hi, Jack
They are on the wing at Glensanda (c NM 81- 47-) on the Morvern peninsular, not far from you. Three seen on 29th.
Adrian www.bugalert.net

Adrian:

Hi, Jack
They are on the wing at Glensanda (c NM 81- 47-) on the Morvern peninsular, not far from you. Three seen on 29th.

They being Chequered Skippers or Greenstreaks? Glensanda indeed isn't far as the Hooded Crow flies but has no road access. It is the site of a huge quarry and when one of the bulk carrier cargo ships caught fire a few years ago, the fire services had terrible trouble dealing with it,

However on Mull at nearest point to Glensanda there is some potential CS & GS habitat so will give it a try this week - the weather forecast is very good for next few days.

Jack

Here are some of the images I took last Week in Scotland. I enjoyed some wonderful weather. The Chequered Skipper were in very small numbers at Glasdrum. I managed to find another site outside of the reserve and here the Small Peal bordered and Pearl-bordered were on the wing, both still fresh and here they were more numerous. I met several people looking for the Marsh Fritillary but they had no luck. A visit to the Island of Lismore was unsuccessful, so I was very pleased to find a few at Taynuilt where a few were on the wing. One of the highlights of the week was finding a number of the amazing Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk moths, on one common at Taynuilt they were visiting Lousewort and bluebells and the females were egg-laying on their food plant, the Devil's- Bit Scabious. One word of warning, Glasdrum Wood is alive with ticks, as I found to my cost. While engaged in taking photos, a army of ticks were on the march upwards, so do tuck your trousers in your socks and cover those arms if you want to remain tick free!

Cracking shots Nomad That Marshie looks really pale - is it an aberrant?

Philzoid I don't believe that was a Green Hairstreak - good job we got some bona fide Greenstreaks today That Green Carpet is a little belter, as is the Small Copper shot

Have a goodun


Wurzel

Wurzel wrote:Philzoid I don't believe that was a Green Hairstreak - good job we got some bona fide Greenstreaks today

Yep, our sightings yeaterday certainly settle the issue

Wurzel wrote:Cracking shots Nomad That Marshie looks really pale - is it an aberrant?

Must admit it looks paler than expected Perhaps a look at the introduction section and the images on the species page might clarify.

I really like the Narrow-bordered Bee hawk Nomad :

Philzoid wrote:It's a Green Hairstreak honest!

and strangely, it seems to have caught that elusive colour better than many "regular" photos

Mike

Thank you for your comments Wurzel. The female Marsh on the Dandelion clock may be a slight aberrant but this is a very variable species. The brown line separating the outer forewing white patches is very thin. The female on the Sallow is a different butterfly and I have included another image with her wings nearly open for a comparision. I have added a few more images including two more of Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moths taken at Taynuilt for Philzoid and others who may be interested in this fascinating species.

That Fritllary looks very similar to E. iduna the Lapland fritillary .

Great moths pics and the sexton beetle ... good job those arachnid hitch hikers are not parasitic. In scale it would be like us carrying ticks the size of tennis balls (pinhead size is bad enough).

Great Black guillemot shot . No problem with posting bird pictures once in a while .... many of the UKB'ers take an interest in them and other wildlife as well as the butterflies.

Phil

Wurzel wrote:Cracking shots Nomad That Marshie looks really pale - is it an aberrant?

Philzoid I don't believe that was a Green Hairstreak - good job we got some bona fide Greenstreaks today That Green Carpet is a little belter, as is the Small Copper shot

Have a goodun


Wurzel

Hi, gang
Scottish (and Irish) populations of Marsh Fritillary are extremely variable in appearance. The latter has been attributed subspecific status (ssp hibernica) by one authority (Birchall, 1873) but apparently he stands alone. It is clear that such variation in this species from these colonies is, to a major degree, population density dependent (Ford & Ford, 1930). Subspecifc status is therefore inappropriate. The pale Scottish individuals are named as form (note not 'ab') scotica by Robson (1880) on the basis that the majority are separable by the greater contrast between the orange and pale cream markings. However, the instability and range of variation again precludes subspecific standing. The fact that these pale forms occur regularly certainly elevates them to a higher status than 'ab'. This is a blanket anachronistic collectors term for something slightly out of the ordinary. A true abberation is something extreme that is encountered perhaps only as a one-off (or almost so). A gynandromorph may be so described. The taxon 'form' probably therefore suits our Irish and Scottish Marsh Fritillary more accurately.
Hope that helps
Adrian Riley http://www.bugalert.net