www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Cheers Kev I try to keep up each year but as work gets busier I start falling behind ...if only I was able to retire early - I would next week

Cotley Hill 19-05-2019

This was one of those trips that almost didn’t happen. The weather report had been steadily getting worse as the week progressed but in the end it was all set although an early start would be necessary. Come the morning I could see that it might be a case of cloud racing and so I set off with the intention of getting there for just after 9.

The sun was still shining when I got there and so I almost ran up the track busting forth into the little depression area where I took a moment to get my breath back and readjust my eyes from ‘road’ to ‘butterfly’ mode. Boom! There was a Grizzle and so I set off along the depression. A possible Wall bombed by followed by a much smaller golden blur which reminded me of a Large Skipper. After this it was business as usual with Greenstreaks, Dingies a Brown Argus and another Grizzlie. I was surprised though that there were no Marshies to greet me so I climbed out of the depression and worked my way round to the amphitheatre. Things picked up slightly and in amongst the species that I’d already seen I added Small Heath, a couple of Marshies and a late/early Small Tort to the tally. Scanning round I couldn’t see Dave who was also going to be on site early so I checked my phone. He was on the other side of the Hill with an aberrant Marshie so I made back the way I’d come and cut through the wood which opened out onto the other side of the down. The first little depression held 5 Marshies, 2 Dingies, a Grizzlie and a Greenstreak all in an airspace of 3m X 2m! It appears that the butterflies had decided this side of the Hill was more appropriate to their needs. I carried on round and met up with Dave though not with the aberrant. We chatted away with the occasional interruptions of ‘little bugger’ as our quarry took off. The whole hillside was bedecked with butterflies a lovely mix of electric blues, chocolate and orange and chequerboards. It was a fantastic sight to see. Having caught up with representatives of pretty much all of the species I’d expected to see I must confess to becoming a little blasé about some of the butterflies. So instead of trying to photograph everything I switched to trying for those that presented themselves directly to me or those that stood out from the crowd. In this way I picked up an aberrant male Adonis and two pairs of Marshies courting unsuccessfully. Have a goodun

Wurzel

Hi! Wurzel, it must have been great to stand in a field full of Butterflies , lovely shots too and to add an ab as well can't be bad Goldie

Sounds like a lovely day Wruzel. I had a similar visit to an area near me, but with completely different species!

Hello Wurzel.
I am catching up on diaries and have just finished reading yours. What a lovely selection you bagged in Spring. The Fritillaries are especially exciting for me as I haven't seen either a Marshie ( a particular beauty - Love the pics) or Pearl Bordered so thanks for giving me plenty to look at.

Cheers Goldie It wasn't exactly "Forest bathing" but was pretty close
Cheers Nick I'd like to have seen some of those species, I reckon there could have been a couple of lifers in there for me
Cheers Old Wolf It was a cracking Spring - when it finally got going If you ever want to get some Marshies then give me a call, I know a few good sites for them

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Cotley Hill 19-05-2019 Part 2

The highlight of this technique came when an unusual coloured blue took off from a hidden spot amid the grasses. It didn’t look right - not electric or lilac blue and its flight was all wrong. I followed it and when it landed I could see that it was actually a pair of Small Blues in cop. After some time with this pair we get back to scouring the hillside mooching about, marvelling at the butterflies and adding more and more Greenstreaks, Brown Argus, Adonis and Marshies to a burgeoning tally. Finally I was able to add Common Blue to the list when two males turned up at the foot of the hill. Also nearby was a pair of Marshies in cop – so it seems like at least one male had struck lucky. Philzoid called up and so we head round to the usual side of the Hill to meet him. As we enter the depression a (definite) Wall Brown bombs along and something much, much smaller and darker takes off to intercept it. It’s a Duke and a really lovely fresh one at that. It’s really dark and in mint condish. Luckily for him Philzoid had joined us so all three of us get out shots. While we’re celebrating this find a second Duke appears as if from nowhere proving once again what a cracking part of the site this little depression is. On and round we go towards the Amphitheatre yet when we get there I end up almost back where I started as I try to follow a Wall Brown; determined to get a shot. It would fly at a pace, slow and flutter round sinking lower and closer to the ground looking for all intents as if it is about to land and then it suddenly accelerates away leaving me cursing and trailing in its wake. Muttering many an expletive I re-join the others and we carry on and round the bottom of the Hill looking into all the scrapes and slips although they aren’t as productive as in previous years. On the way we encounter another Wall, a Small Tort and a Small Blue all of which stand out amongst the usual fare. By now it’s clouded over and the threat of sunburn has diminished to be replaced by the treat of a soaking so we wander back, still clicking away and chatting. With impeccable timing we arrive back at the cars just as the clouds start to leak. Dave heads off and Philzoid and I share a coffee in the rain reliving a fantastic morning before we head our separate ways. The Hill delivers again!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

What a great day that was, Wurzel. The annual pilgrimage to the Hill proves itself to be a highlight of the year once again. So far, the weather has played ball every time even if there were the odd few raindrops at the end on this occasion.

Cheers,

Dave

Looks like your day was a good as mine the day before, although I never caught up with those Dukes. From the look of them though, I think they were still wrapped up in their sleeping bags when I was climbing up that slope so you get one for that!

Wurzel wrote:If you ever want to get some Marshies then give me a call, I know a few good sites for them

Thanks for the offer. I have a year to get in my chaffeurs good books to take me on such a long journey for butterflies. I suppose I need to start looking into the closest place to me that they are found. I believe you are quite alot south west of where I am up in Bedfordshire.

' The dip ' to the left of the main path, at Cotley, was almost bereft of Marshies on my visits.
All the action was on the A36 side of the hill. Your ' blue ' female Adonis looks familiar.

Great stuff,
Trevor.

Alright wurzel? . I’m a bit late coming to this post but methinks you’re catching up with your diary too and leaving me trailing in its wake .
A Cracking day’s butterflying with lots of highlights and the big surprise of those two Dukes . That makes 5 sites that I now know of where you can see them .
I don’t know if it’s my imagination but those two had a sort of ‘woodland duke’ look about them, definitely darker than the ones I’ve seen on the grassy slopes of Noar and Butser hills

Phil

Cheers Dave It was a cracking day, one of their rare times when the weather report being wrong worked in our favour Long may the Hill continue
Cheers Bugboy It would be nice if they remain a common feature on the site, fingers crossed
Cheers Old Wolf There are a few sites in Hampshire that might be nearer and I seem to recall there was Chambers Wood as well?? Next season give em a shout and we can see what we can organise
Cheers Trevor Yep they seem to have moved to pastures new this year but still on the Hill Perhaps they'll move back next year - it all depends on the grazing regime
Cheers Philzoid They were much darker than those I saw at Noar Hill and my Duke site I've been meaning to email but you keep sending me cracking shots of Emperors so I feel like I can't reply util I've got some 'answering shots'

Duke Site 23-05-2019

A couple of days previously I’d chipped off a quarter of a molar – one of the fringe ‘benefits’ of a healthy diet! It meant a couple of days of trying not to chew on one side of my mouth and now it had been drilled and filled and I couldn’t talk properly as half my face was numb. If I set off back to work by the time I got back I’d have to turn around and come back home again so instead I found myself dribbling and drooling around my Duke Site (a bit of a hint there ).

As I strolled from the car I noted the odd Grizzlie and occasional Common Blue in among the Adonis Blues which made up the majority of the butterflies I was seeing. I carried on criss-crossing the sparsely vegetated slope adding Small heath and a few more Grizzlies to break the ‘monotony’ of Adonis until I reached the area of longer tussocks. I was hoping to find some Small Blues here and I wasn’t disappointed with a total of 5 and a Greenstreak to keep me busy. After this I started up the gradual slope of the main trackway accompanied along the way by Brown Argus and Grizzlies and Dingies galore. They would buzz around attractively at the edge of the track attempting to lure me off the path like miniature sirens. I turned right at the top and as I plodded on a Marshie and Common Blue added a bit of colour to the almost uniform beige of the track and green of the grass. A large odd looking butterfly caught my eye as it was so obvious and slightly out of place on a Bramble leaf. As I approached it resolved itself first into an odd looking large Grizzlie and then into a pair in cop. Heartened by this but still ‘face dead’ so I couldn’t smile about it, I carried on up the track and then down to the far corner where the Dukes used to dwell. There were more of the same and then in the far corner a Duke! Brilliant! So my Duke Site can now recall its former name, but I still couldn’t smile. The walk up the Valley and into the base of the rings was reasonably quiet. It felt like Dingies, Grizzlies, Brown Argus and Greenstreaks were the butterflies of the moment as it was these that I mostly saw and no notebook is filled with BA, DS,GS,GH etc. Once in the rings though I started adding more MFs and SHs as both Marshie and Small Heath started appearing more. By the time I’d walked half way round the ring to the North side of the Hillfort I’d found at least 5 more Marshies which isn’t too bad. At the far end of my adventure in the ring I stumbled across a pair of Small Coppers before my attention was diverted by a much larger, faster butterfly – a cracking Wall. On the walk back I’d stop every now and again for a Small Copper, Greenstreak or a Marshie. A pair of Walls flashed past, not stopping and it was these that led me down the stony track rather than back down the Valley when I finally ventured forth from the rings. There was a little crossroads (or rather crosstracks) just beyond the entrance to the rings nd I watched on the corner A Wall would fly along the edge of the main track, checking out the start of the little paths that branched off and into the wood before carrying on past me, turning round and then recovering its tracks. I watched it do this several times and so positioned myself on the edge of one of the larger ‘branches’ ready. It seemed to work as the Wall landed just long enough for a few shots. It was all going so well – the Wall kept covering the same ground, completing the same circuit – until a second Wall appeared. They spiralled upwards locked in battle and one shot off and down the hill. The other started quartering the same area but now flew straight across the cross-tracks before turning about and starting a new circuit. This meant a change of position was necessary but there was no ‘hiding place’ and so I could only settle for distant shots when it finally landed. I was starting to feel my face again by now and there were twinges and throbs starting up so promising myself that I’d return here I made my way back down the hill, past the valley and onwards to the car. A Wall met me half way down, Brown Argus and Common Blues tried to distract me from my course, one pair of blues even starting to copulate as I walked by but seeking Paracetemol I strode home regardless.
Have a goodun

Wurzel

Glad your Duke site can be called that again, Wurzel Grizzlies in cop is not something you see every day, and good to see the Marshies hanging on in there too

MIke.

Cheers Mike I was right chuffed and would have been grinning from ear to ear about it - if I could have felt my face that is The Grizzles also caused similar facial contortions - luckily there wasn't anyone else around as I think I had the slight look of a grinning, maniacal psycho killer

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Sincere congrats. from me too for those mating Grizzled Skippers,
never seen an image of those ' in cop ' before.
Also your mating Small Blues would be a first for me.
Looking forward to your pm Purple Hairstreak shots too.

Try to keep out of Ikea, at least during the butterfly season!.
Trevor.

Wurzel - I'm playing catch-up with your PD. Just "copped" your in-cop shots. What can I say? Fantastic - all of them. I have not seen Marshie's or Grizzlie's mating yet. It's about time I gave you a mister green. What the hell - here's one for each of the two species.

Cheers Trevor I'm doing well with my 'In Cop' collection I do try and stay away from The-Hell-On-Earth (Ikea) but it does make for an easy way of earning Brownie points, plus their vegan hot dogs aren't too bad My PH shots won't be a patch on yours Trevor - brilliant open wings they aren't
Cheers Ernie The Marshies in cop can be quite easy to obtain but the Grizzlies need a fair bit more luck

Have a goodun

Wurzel

I'm just catching up too, Wurzel - the rarity of a grey damp morning! The Grizzlie mating couple are terrific - I have seen this a couple of times, and they seem unusual in that they tend to keep their wings open unlike other species. It's great to be transported back to Spring again, the best time of year for certain in my book.

Cheers,

Dave

WoW !Wurzel, you certainly got some great shots, that shot of the Small Heath is a belter, love it Goldie

Cheers Dave you're right Dave, they didn't 'shut up shop' once but I'm glad that they didn't as that's how I was able to spot them so easily Only Chequered left in the Skippers In Cop collection now!
Cheers Goldie I was very happy with that one as the Browns have been very flighty this year. This one actually sat still and posed for a record breaking 6 seconds

Have a goodun

Wurzel