www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

That's an impressive haul of moths, Neil....and nice to see fresh Holly Blues back on the wing. Much to look forward to over the next week or three.

Thanks for the comments Wurzel, Goldie and David, much appreciated as always

Wednesday 18th July – Oversley Wood.

Wednesday morning dawned with a layer of cloud cover which the forecast said would persist for most of the day albeit with occasional sunny spells and temperatures rising again to the mid twenties. I asked Jane if she fancied going out anywhere and we settled on Oversley Wood down by Alcester which has a good circular track with a hard surface which she can manage with her walking frame.
As it was not as hot as it had been recently we decided to hang on until after the worst of the school run traffic had eased off and following a 45 minute run we arrived at about 10.30.
We set off along the main track and soon saw the usual Ringlets and Meadow Browns bobbing about in the grass verges which were soon joined by Gatekeepers and the three common whites. A couple of faded Marbled Whites also put in an appearance along with the occasional Speckled Wood at intervals all around the track.

One particular male Gatekeeper stood out with its extra spots...one for Wurzel
With the morning warming up, Silver-washed Fritillaries began to show up in good numbers and on a few occasions Jane had these circling around her head, possibly attracted by her blonde hair.
As well as the wide circular track here there are a number of rougher tracks through the interior of the wood and where these meet the main track there are often more open spaces and clearings where Common Blues and Brown Argus were seen along with Small Skippers and a few now faded Large Skippers.
One particular clearing that was set back a little from the main track contained a large stand of thistles which were playing host to a large number of whites plus a few Silver-washed Fritillaries. I spotted a different looking orangey butterfly flitting about on the thistles and a closer look showed it to be a nice Painted Lady.
I returned to this spot a couple of hours later whilst Jane was having a rest back at the car and found the Painted Lady still in the same spot where it was now alternating between feeding on the thistles and basking on the ground
On visits here in previous years I have seen good numbers of White Admirals but today only produced the one and a tired looking example at that. Quite possibly these had gone over quickly in the recent hot weather and in truth many of the butterflies seen today were looking the worse for wear.
Two Purple Emperors were seen, the first one when Jane was taking a rest on one of the benches scattered around the wood and a large dark butterfly came swooping down and landed on the track a few feet away from her. She called me over from where I was checking out some brambles a short distance away and I turned around just in time to see it take off and fly towards me where it came close enough for me to see the flash of purple as it passed by. The second one was seen on the other side of the wood when we were going along the return leg back towards the car park. This time we saw the PE slowly flying along the side of the track and going in and out of the bushes, quite possibly searching for females. It came level with us and flew around us a couple of times, appearing to check us out, before flying off and going up high into the trees.

As well as the butterflies already mentioned, a number of Brimstones were seen, usually feeding up on the various wild flowers in readiness for their long winter hibernation ahead.
A few Commas were scattered around doing their best Fritillary impressions in flight but unmistakable when settled.
A single SWF valezina was also seen but unfortunately didn't come close enough for a photo and a good number of Purple Hairstreaks also stayed well out of reach up in the trees.

So then, the forecast proved to be accurate with it turning into a mostly overcast but warm day with some brief glimpses of sun. The temperature was warm enough for plenty of butterflies to be flying but it was not too hot as to be as uncomfortable as it has been of late. Absolutely loads of whites were flying along with good numbers of SWFs and a good supporting cast of other species, although Ringlet and Meadow Brown numbers seemed lower than usual, something that I have noticed at a number of sites here in the midlands recently.

All in all a great day.

Bye for now,

Neil.

That certainly reads as a great day with the shots to boot Neil , I wish I'd been there I reckon your Hedge Brown could is even better than an excessa Neil as the extra spots appear to have pupils That defo goes into 'I wish I'd taken that' collection!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Nice to see most butterflies 'opening up', Neil. These last few days have been so warm that practically everything I've observed has kept its wings shut at all times once settled.

Cheers Wurzel, just a pity he was a bit worse for wear otherwise he would have been a real cracker.

Thanks David, the cloud helped a bit but with it still being warm there were plenty of butterflies that refused to open up.

Saturday 21st July.

Although some parts of the midlands had some fairly heavy rain the other night, we still have not had any to speak of locally, just a very brief light shower on Friday which did not even wet the ground.
A couple of hours spare on Saturday afternoon saw me popping round to my local spot at Bickenhill on what was a mostly cloudy but warm and muggy day.
This is primarily a grassland site with a couple of meadow areas with paths along hedgerows around the outside and normally there would be swarms of Meadow Browns here along with Ringlets which by now would be in the latter stages of their flight period. Gatekeeper numbers should be at their peak around now and both Small and Essex Skippers are usually buzzing about all over the place.
In the hour or so that I spent here, I did see all the species mentioned above but in every case they were in much lower numbers than I usually see. I did wonder if the hot and dry weather we have been having had resulted in some earlier and shorter flight periods for some of these and that maybe they were already coming to an end, but from what I have seen elsewhere around here it seems that the Meadow Browns and Skippers in particular have been well down in number this year.
A few Common Blues were flying but only the females were basking with open wings, the males flying almost constantly and keeping their wings clamped firmly shut when they did briefly settle.
On a more positive note, there were loads of whites everywhere with all three common species being seen in roughly equal numbers. It has been some years since I have seen whites in the kind of numbers that we are around this summer.
It was also good to see plenty of Commas with every few yards of hedgerow seeming to have a male vigorously defending his spot from all intruders.
One solitary Peacock was briefly seen plus a few Speckled Woods were flitting in and out of the shadier spots along the hedgerows.
A strange day that felt like things were far more advanced than they really should be at this time of year.

Sunday 22nd July.

The forecast for the weekend had Saturday looking to be the better day with supposedly more cloud and lower temperatures on the Sunday. In the end it turned out that the reverse was the case with more sun and hotter temperatures developing through Sunday afternoon. As it was, I had already decided to catch up on some jobs around the house in the morning and potter about a bit in the garden during the afternoon.

Lots of whites were seen again with 7 or 8 of all three species together in sight at the same time on many occasions. A couple of male Speckled Wood were up to their territorial antics in the usual corners and at least 4 Gatekeepers and a couple of faded Ringlets were bobbing about around the brambles at the bottom of the garden. At least 2 Holly Blues kept coming around and a few times were seen chasing each other about but never came anywhere close to settling.
As usual I kept my camera to hand just in case anything stayed still long enough to grab a photo which wasn’t that often in the heat although the occasional cloud slowed things down now and then.
Still no rain in the forecast here for the foreseeable future, I am getting worried now for the rest of the season and the implications for next year with the state of the parched and withered vegetation all around here.

Bye for now,

Neil

Beautiful pictures Neil. Very sharp.

I particularly like the underside Painted Lady

I know what you mean about the flights appearing to be earlier and shorter Neil, it feels butterfly wise that if you blinked you missed the Ringlets and golden skippers They also seemed down in number this way as well On the other hand your Hedge Browns cheered me up

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Yes I agree, things are happening to quickly for my liking, and the heat is making photography difficult. Whoever thought we would be complaining about the hot, dry weather!

In spite of the unfavourable conditions, Neil, you've still managed to concoct a sequence of butterfly images where the subjects are seemingly well behaved.

There's no doubt about it, we need rain soon, and maybe lots of it.

At this time of year, there's nothing really to be gained by continued Mediterranean weather. For once, I'm praying for cooler weather combined with precipitation. If we don't get it, then I reckon 2019 could be abnormally austere.

Thanks Old Wolf, the underside of Painted Ladies are in many ways more attractive than the upperside.

Cheers Wurzel, I seem to be missing quite a few species this year one way or another. The hot weather and early emergence's have played havoc with my plans. Definitely a season when being retired (or otherwise not tied to having to work) would have bee a big advantage.

Agreed Mark, it goes from one extreme to the other. Mind you, it looks like the weather will be breaking this weekend.

Thanks David, they weren't as well behaved as the photos make them appear, I also managed lots of blurry butterflies disappearing out of the frame.

Friday 27th June

Despite some parts of the midlands having a bit of rain this week, we still have not seen a drop around my local area although that looks to change with a forecast for sun and showers tomorrow and some wet and wild weather coming in on Sunday...just as we are heading up to Arnside & Silverdale for a few days. Oh well, it is certainly needed and the beginning of next week looks to be not too bad up there.

Not much to report in the way of butterflies this week apart from there are still lots of whites and the usual suspects in the garden after work.

Although the nights have been quite warm, they have also been clear with a bright moon and an appreciable drop in temperature overnight so I have not put the moth trap out since last Sunday night when I was pleased to get my first Red Underwing for the garden...even though it was in a bit of a sorry state, looking like its wings had not developed fully as well as being quite worn.
The underside of this moth is particularly attractive so I teased it onto my hand in an attempt to capture this.
and a few other favourite moths from the last couple of sessions,
As well as seeing Silver Y Moths during the day they are also turning up in the trap at night which gives me an easier chance to get a photo than when they are rapidly buzzing about with blurry wings.
Anyway, lets hope that the rain we are due over the weekend helps thing before too much damage has been done by the recent hot and dry weather.

Bye for now,

Neil.

That Pale Prominent is an odd looking moff Neil, it looks like it's missing its head The Red Underwing underwing is really attractive

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Fabulous selection of moths there Neil - as usual . My favourite is the Broad-bordered Yellow-underwing. Does it really look so metallic or is that just the way the light is catching it? I'd love to see one.

Thanks for the comments Wurzel and Pauline ...my apologies for the late response, I have been away for a few days

I think that is the way the light is catching the BBYU Pauline. They have really attractive deep orange hindwings which so far I have totally failed to get a photo of https://ukmoths.org.uk/species/noctua-fimbriata

Arnside Knott 30th & 31st July part 1 – Scotch Argus.

On Sunday (29th July) we set off up the M6 for a couple of days at Arnside. After weeks and weeks of no rain here at home in the Midlands the heavens opened up on Sunday and down it came. With a forecast for rain for most of the day we decided to leave it until around midday before setting off and after passing though a couple of spells when it really lashed it down on the way up the M6 we turned off the motorway 3 hours later for the Arnside & Silverdale area in dull, cloudy and drizzly conditions. With a bit of time in hand before we could check in at our B&B we stopped off at Warton Crag for a quick look, although to be honest I wasn't expecting to see much in the less than favourable conditions. I went for a quick walk along the path through the woods and out onto the slopes and found that the higher I went the windier it became until it was blowing a gale on the higher paths.
Nevertheless, I did find a few butterflies with a couple of Speckled Wood and singles of Small Skipper, Meadow Brown, Comma, Red Admiral and Painted Lady all briefly seen before the wind whisked them away. A handful of Common Blues were also hunkered down in the grassy area by the car park.

The following morning (July 30th) was again dull and drizzly but with a forecast for some brighter weather in the afternoon, so we decided to spend the morning at RSPB Leighton Moss which is just a few minutes drive from our B&B, before heading up to Arnside Knott later.

During the few days before heading up to this area I had been wondering how it had been affected by the hot and dry weather that most of the country has had this year and it soon became obvious that, along with the rest of us, they have suffered from a lack of rainfall, with water levels at Leighton Moss being the lowest I have seen there.
Moving on to Arnside Knott just after midday I saw that the hillside was brown and parched which the rain over the weekend had done little to alleviate. The clumps of marjoram that so often attract butterflies here were mostly shrivelled and on their last legs and apart from a couple of small stands of hemp agrimony it was ragwort that was providing most of the nectar sources.

Over the next couple of hours the weather was mixed with some nice sunny spells but also a couple of drizzly showers with the temperature rising up to around the high teens. I had seen Scotch Argus being reported for a week or so before coming up but apparently not in high numbers and I had been wondering what I would find this year. Back home, numbers of some of the 'browns' and skippers seem to have been hit by the dry conditions and I wondered if this would be the case with the Scotch Argus here. I did a circuit of the sheltered clearings where I have always had success in the past and although I found maybe 12-15 scattered about they appeared to be flying in much lower numbers than I have seen here in previous years.
The following morning was a bit warmer with some good sunny spells, but with more cloud forecast to build up in the afternoon I decided to make the most of the morning and return to the Knott again. Arriving just before 10.00 it was warming up nicely although it was a bit breezy, as it often is on the more exposed parts of the Knott, and it was not long before I was seeing a few Meadow Browns and Gatekeepers flapping about.
As on the previous day, I did a circuit taking in the usual 'hotspots' but despite the better conditions, numbers were still low with no more than 20 at most seen scattered widely about during the couple of hours I spent here.
This is a species that soon begins to look worse for wear with scuffs and scratches showing against its dark ground colour and many of those seen, both this morning and the previous afternoon, were getting quite worn and faded with some looking like they had been around for some time. Also, the sun kept coming in and out from behind the clouds leading to rapidly changing light conditions which, along with the breeze, meant that getting a half decent photo was a real challenge.
I have already mentioned the dry conditions this year and how it seems to have hit the numbers of some of the species with grass feeding larvae and I suspect this is the case with the Scotch Argus here as well. Also, I couldn't help but notice that the usual prime spots here were becoming choked up with brambles and encroaching scrub which would also be having an adverse effect.
During my wanders around the Knott I met a number of people, including members of both Cumbria and Lancashire BC branches who all expressed concern about the low numbers of Scotch Argus this year. In fact, it appears that numbers have been dropping steadily for a number of years now, a fact that I have noticed on my visits over the past couple of years when I have seen dozens compared to the hundreds I was seeing when I first started coming here. The opinion was expressed to me more than once that the conservation focus has centred on the High Brown Fritillary in this area with the plight of the Scotch Argus here seemingly going under the radar and that the species could be lost from Arnside Knott if the current trend continues.
Whatever the truth is, and I suspect that a combination of the habitat becoming less favourable has been exacerbated by the dry weather this year, there is no doubt that something is not right and I was a bit surprised at how few Scotch Argus were flying here this year..
I really hope that I am wrong and that the Scotch Argus population on Arnside Knott recovers, particularly as it is one of only two sites where it can be seen in England.
At least, from what I was told, there are good numbers flying this year at Smardale Gill.

Of course, I also saw other butterflies up there...

Bye for now,

Neil.

Considering the worrying situation you mentioned, you did well to get the excellent shots that you did, Neil. Arnside looked parched right at the start of July, so I can't imagine how it was at the end... It would be a great shame to lose one of the two English populations.

Dave

Lush set of shots Neil It is a common problem that whilst you can improve a habitat for one species it can be detrimental for another but hopefully the tide can be turned Back to a brighter note - looking forward to seeing what else you saw

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Hi! Neil, I was thinking of visiting Arnside but wonder now if I should, your shots are still great and make me want to go but I think I'll visit Gait barrow first then see what happens.
last year when I was up at Arnside the conditions were cloudy and dark but in the afternoon when the Sun shone we saw loads of SA they were even low down near the car park, I assumed then that things were well with them, so it's strange to hear they're not doing well, lets hope they don't go down too much like the Dukes at Gait Barrow.
Sunday is seemingly a good weather day to go so hope fully we'll see some thing Goldie

Interesting report Neil. I'm off up there for 3 days from tomorrow. It did look rather dry and withered when I was up there a few weeks back. I hope things can change but with climate change, and hot dry summer's set to be the norm, some things are unfortunately out of our hands

Some lovely images there Neil of a butterfly I'm unlikely to ever see. Quite worrying tho' about both the recent decline and current conditions .

All your images of the Scotch Argus are ' half decent ', and those last two
female shots positively glow !. If I came home with a bag full of images like
those I would be highly delighted.
One day I must make the pilgrimage to the North for some of those species
never seen in the south.

Great report Neil,

Trevor.

PS. Hope the relevant local BC. branch take note of the habitat becoming unsuitable.

It would indeed Dave, here's hoping that they get some more rain up there soon...it is certainly needed to reinvigorate the grasses on the Knott.

Cheers Wurzel, other stuff coming up soon hopefully when I have had chance to put some words together.

Hi Goldie, it is still worth visiting Arnside, there is plenty to see. I saw plenty of Scotch Argus last year myself but still fewer than the hundreds that used to be there. I have always found them near the car park, just the other side of the tree line and there were a few there again this year. I paid a brief visit to Gait Barrows and didn't see much there but it was dull and cloudy and late afternoon on the Tuesday when I arrived.

Best of luck with your visit to Arnside Bugboy. I look forward to seeing what you find.

You never know Pauline, I used to think that I would never see some species but have managed to see all the mainland residents now.

Thanks Trevor, I was speaking to some of the local BC branch (both Cumbria and Lancashire) up there and they were going to raise it at their branch meetings.

Cheers,

Neil.