www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

This is the only photo I have of an Empress which was taken almost 10 years ago (doesn't time fly! ) so I hope I am forgiven my recent confusion over whether a recently photographed specimen was male or female. There was absolutely no confusion whatsoever yesterday. I had read that the females were huge - almost bat-like - but I was not prepared for the size of them when I saw one glide over the tree tops and start to weave around Sallow, pausing briefly from time to time. It looked about 3 times the size of the many males I have seen this season, though she clearly wasn't. A couple of times I almost managed a distant shot (the first of several 'almosts' ) but it was still an exciting encounter.

I only spotted her because I was looking for Purple Hairstreaks and for the second time I 'almost' got a good shot of a PH egg-laying. I have never seen this before so I was probably too engrossed in watching the actual process, rather than focusing on the focusing - if you get my drift. I shall keep the (blurred) shots as it is a first for me but shall only post the resulting egg which is only a few seconds old:
I 'almost' got a nice open wing shot but I was not quite tall enough to reach up any further:
The rest of the shots are pretty much run of the mill but in the heat and the wind they were the best I could get:

You might well be wondering why I am devoting a whole post to a single Common Blue - albeit a very fresh, absolutely gorgeous male Common Blue. The reason is that this is the very first Common Blue I have ever had in the garden bringing the garden total up to 17. When I first spotted the outline I momentarily thought it was a Purple Hairstreak from the Oaks towering above as they occasionally come down. Some might remember last year (or was it the year before?) when I got excited as a Brown Argus turned up on the lawn out of no-where. After that I planted some rock rose and bird's foot trefoil. As I type he seems quite settled on some reeds by the pond:

Brilliant Purple Hairstreaks Pauline, they can be teases, I finally got onto one the other day that was down low and it refused to open up Congrats on the garden Common Blue

Have a goodun

Wurzel

What an extravaganza in blue & purple, Pauline. Emperors and PHs have had the best of times this year. Wouldn't it be great if we could have another, successive year of warm summer weather in 2019 to allow these (and other) species to consolidate?

You actually got a shot of purple Pauline with the Hair Streaks, that's great I've tried to get that this year Must have another go. Goldie

Congratulations on your garden "first", Pauline! And those are terrific Purple Hairstreak shots. I'm very envious!

Dave

Thanks Wurzel but to be fair they're past their best now . I was chuffed with the garden Blue tho'. He was still there this morning but gone after I returned later. Just hope one of the many birds didn't pick him off!

It has been a bit too hot for my liking David (and the animals). Today I was looking around at the foodplants of the DGF where I saw the egg-laying and they are all shriveling up, desperately in need of rain. I am wondering what the implications will be for the larva if we don't get some water on them soon.

Cheers Goldie but I think it would be more appropriate to say half a shot Your last couple of posts (and Wurzel's response) made me chuckle - great finds tho'

Thank you Dave. I'm going to be really boring now as I realised it was actually 18 I have seen in the garden. Would you believe it was Holly Blue I forgot about and it wasn't until I read your diary that I remembered. So, for my own benefit and future reference here is the list:

Small White, Large White, Green-veined White, Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Purple Hairstreak, Green Hairstreak, White Admiral, Comma, Brimstone, Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Brown Argus, Common Blue, Peacock, Holly Blue and last but not least the Silver-washed Fritillaries which were here again today with one being fairly obliging:
After taking his fill he settled down on one of the tables:

Im Surprised you havnt had Orange Tip in your garden as its not on the list.

Great pictures and that really is a great haul of vistitors you have had.

Am I right in thinking that you plant for butterflies? If so, it looks like you are doing great with all the laying going on in your garden.

Some stunning shots there as usual Pauline ,particularly your Siskin shots and your Meadow Brown AB ,What a great find!
And the Gatekeeper shots are excellent too. Thanks for comments for my Purple Hair shot ………..I got lucky ! took six identical pic,s on burst ,and that's the only one that shows double Purple . If you get a moment have a look on the Sussex BC ,Website ,its a bit of a way back ,but have a look at the male PH shot posted by Kirsty Gibbs at Ditchling Common onfri june 22nd.
Regards Allan.W.

Yes that Kirsty Gibb shot is enough to make me throw the camera away.
Possibly the best Butterfly image ever taken by anybody. Do look, envy gauranteed .

By the way I think your ' him ' on the table is a her.

Good to see you the other week,
Trevor.

I was going to mention the gender of the Silver-washed as well but great shots of a cracking addition to any garden list

Have a goodun

Wurzel

How could I have forgotten the Orange Tip Martin?? After all, it is only a couple of month ago that I was posting shots of the eggs they had laid in the garden and I still have the pupa. Thank you for reminding me. As I was thinking about it I also remembered a few years back I had a Painted Lady in the garden so that brings the total now to 20 - unless there's any more I've forgotten!

Thank you Old Wolf. I am not really a gardener and plants that thrive do so in spite of me rather than because of me That said, I do try to be accommodating - I planted violets around the Oak trees (which are covered in moss) hoping the SWF might lay and I have a huge Thistle in one of the borders on the slim chance that a passing Painted Lady might lay on it , several patches of nettles etc. A new addition this year is the bedstraw as I get Hummingbird Hawk moth every year and that is one of their food plants.

Thank you Allan, it is very kind of you to say so. I have checked out the image that yourself and Trevor mentioned and it is indeed a very fine photograph

Cheers Wurzel, Trevor - my only excuse is that I had just seen ANOTHER PE and I had HIM on my mind

A quick visit to Oxenbourne this afternoon provided a few record shots of a single SSS:
I shall be back!

I decided to have a quick look around Noar Hill this morning. It was teeming with butterflies but I didn't see any BH. SWF were numerous - there were some aged and worn but many really very fresh individuals - which provided a great opportunity to observe them as they interacted with each other. Most folk know the well-documented rejection sign given by female whites whilst some other species drop to the ground and play dead. I hadn't realised that female SWF's give quite a different sign - head goes down and abdomen which is initially straight curls under. The male's initial interest in the abdomen seems to be the first stage to the courtship ritual as his nudging and touching either results in the described rejection signal or the pair of them taking off to do that frequently observed ritual with one looping round the other as they fly along. I watched this 4 times with different couples - 3 resulted in rejection and the 4th flew off together. It would seem that the male doesn't even have to get very close to trigger this signal - if a female detects a male approaching and doesn't want his attentions then she will curl the abdomen under. Not the best pics but I hope they are good enough to illustrate what I am trying to describe:
There were a couple of times when I saw him tapping her with his antennae

...and some other couples:

Fantastic shots Pauline, Love the Silver Washed Frit, If your seeing the SSS they must be out here shortly ,love your shots of them , in fact all your shots are Brill ! you've more in your Garden than I have, How did you go on with the Boules Mauve Did you take a cutting Goldie

There were of course a few other species which caught my attention, not least some glowing Commas and lots of Skippers:
and then it was back to those fascinating Fritillaries:

Great sets of SWFs Pauline, especially the close-up Where about's is Oxenbourne - I have some time on Saturday so might be able to make a trip?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Aah! Silver Spotted Skippers. I wondered when they would be out!

Only Scotch Argus & Brown Hairstreak to go before the list of emergences runs its course once more.

Nice SWFs by the way, Pauline. I hope to catch up with them myself real soon.

Thank you Goldie. Following your advice I did indeed take half a dozen cuttings and they have gotten so big I had to re-pot them a few days ago. I was astonished that it was so easy and that being the case, why do they charge £9.99 for a small plant?!

Cheers Wurzel - it seems a long way to come for a single Skipper and a cup of tea? Why not wait a week or two when there will be a few more about and you can cover Noar Hill for Hairstreaks at the same time? I will pm you shortly.

Thank you David. It passes so quick doesn't it? - and my season is even shorter than most