Goldie M

[Allan.W.]

Looks like you had a good visit Goldie ............pleased for you . I,ll have a look there tomorrow ...........good that you got a Silver-Spot ........a male ,nice one ! Been trying to get shot of Silver Spots in-cop for years now..........maybe this year !
You certainly want to give St. Margarets a go ,its an excellent site with Queen of Spain generally reported there most years + Swallowtails and in recent years Long- Tailed Blues + all the usual suspects .
Good Hunting ! Allan.W. PS . Can,t see any Adonis in your shots Goldie ,Chalkhills ,Common Blues ,Brown Args and a Small Blue .

[Goldie M]

Thanks David, I was lucky , I was at the top of the field when others were looking near the bottom , I didn't know at the time Exactly what I saw, a quick flash to the side of me ,I spun round and saw the Skipper, I must admit I was looking for White Spots I did tell the others but by the time they'd climbed the hill the skipper had gone.

Hi! Allan, I hope you found the Skipper, I missed out on the Adonis with what you've said ,I must go back and try again Having said that I got lots of shots last year and missed out on the Skipper The Small Blue were numerous but hard to get shots of .

I'll try to get to Kings down this year I was too busy last year with moving Goldie

[Wurzel]

Cracking Silver-spots Goldie I've looked through and there is one that looks a little like an Adonis but the chequers don't go right to the edge of the fringe so I'd put that one down as a Common The good thing is that now you'll have to get out again to try for an Adonis The second brood is only just starting to emerge over our way so if you do find one it should be really easy to pick it out amongst the other blues

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

I was lucky to find that SSS Wurzel, there was quite a few people there looking for them, when I left ,
still nobody had seen one, as for the Adonis I was going to go back today but it was far too windy, the slope they're usually found on is the same as the SSS, the grass is shorter, but it's very steep, also I think they're just emerging so there's lots of time yet to go back, ( Hope fully ) Goldie

[David M]

..as for the Adonis I was going to go back today but it was far too windy...

Not much longer to wait for those, Goldie. They should be around very soon, and they'll last through to the end of September.

[Goldie M]

Hi! David, I'm thinking of going back tomorrow to TE , I wasn't too pleased when I saw my shots , My SSS was okay but I find if I'm not careful my camera slips onto the wrong settings, it's just me being stupid and not checking I saw loads of Small Blues and could only find the one that wasn't too bad for instance, any way I always seem to be in a hurry to take photo's which is daft Maybe the Clouded Yellow will pay a visit to there tomorrow, ( fingers crossed )

Today I found another way to get to Reculver, it looks like the road going through the town is the one that's closed , any way I remembered the Wall butterfly should be out now and I was lucky to see a few

I'd some lunch in the cafe there , ( they do a lovely Crepe (pancake) I then proceeded up the lane passing the Roman Wall which is the home of the Wall, I didn't have to wait long before they appeared, I'd to take my shots from quite a distance, I zoomed in to try to get the shots avoiding the Bikes which were numerous with the weather being so nice,( It's a cycle track ) and always quite busy.

The Wall's were into the flowers there and quite busy but I managed a few shots Goldie

[Wurzel]

Cracking set of Wall shots Goldie They can be right bu££ers sometimes It must have been harder still what with all those cyclists about Still it cold have been worse I was lining up a male Brown Hairstreak with open wings this morning when out of nowhere a Mountain Biker burst through the undergrowth and spooked it I didn't know that I could swear in so many foreign languages

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Thanks Wurzel, at least I got the Adonis this time talking about Bikes , it's when they ring their bell that gets me they seem to wait until they pass , that makes me jump every time

I went back to Temple Ewell yesterday so I may need your help again Wurzel loads of people were there walking through the flowers looking for the SSS, I couldn't understand why they didn't use their eyes more and stand still for a while , the Skippers after all fly , that's how I saw the one I took a shot of, now I realise how lucky I was last week nobody saw any once again. It was very hot though.

I must admit to taking shots of nearly every thing that flew and landed nearby yesterday Lots didn't open their wings so I'm not too sure about those, even the ones that did were very dark in colour, not sure if they are Female CHB's are Adonis.

I saw a lovely Common Blue Female , also there was a Small Heath, I took a few more shots also of the CHB's , it was a good day out Goldie

[David M]

Glad you got your Adonis, Goldie.

Well done with the Wall Brown too. Fingers crossed for a Clouded Yellow or Long Tailed Blue next!

[Goldie M]

Thanks David, I was pleased to see them although last year I managed to get nearer to them, they were in the top field on a slope, no Clouded Yellows yet though, hope fully soon Goldie

[Wurzel]

"I went back to Temple Ewell yesterday so I may need your help again Wurzel" I'd let you know a few phrases but unfortunately I can say it but I can't write it
Cracking looking Adonis Blues and some still decent looking Chalkhills too If you see a Cloudy can you send it my way please?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Hi! Wurzel, I've not seen a clouded Yellow yet, in fact I've not seen too much of any thing lately except in the garden .

The Holly Blues have had a great season also the Whites, the Red Admirals and Peacock keep arriving as well.

I set off for Seasalter today to look for the Cloudy yellow but the dark clouds came and the forecast was for rain so I didn't go, this weekend doesn't look too bad weather wise so I'll try again.

I feel a bit despondent really , every time I've set off to go some where they've closed the road, I've eventually found other ways to get to where I want to go but so as loads of traffic

I've put a few shots in my post of the Butterflies in my garden, it's the usual trend

I took the first photo of the Gate Keeper in Blean Woods, it was the only Butterfly we saw there on Monday, next week I'm definitely going to try Kingsdown weather permitting Goldie

[Wurzel]

"every time I've set off to go some where they've closed the road," I feel your pain with this Goldie, it's the same round this way. In fact half of Salisbury seems to be shut off at the moment It's definitely getting to that time of the year when the coast is where things are at Fingers crossed that you can get there

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Hi! Wurzel, thanks for your post I'm going to visit Kingsdown tomorrow, if I don't see a LTB I may just see CY Fingers crossed has you say Goldie

[David M]

...I'm going to visit Kingsdown tomorrow, if I don't see a LTB I may just see CY

Good thinking, Goldie. That's where I'd be going too if I lived in that area.

Keep your eyes open for any potential happenings at Walmer too, following last year's Queens of Spain there.

[Allan.W.]

Hello Goldie ,
I did see Silver Spots at Temple Ewell a couple of days back ,i reckon around 8-9 of which only 2 could be described as "fresh " the others ,tatty !
As i said in an earlier post to you Cloudies are very thin on the ground (as are Painted Ladies ) this season i,ve done Dungeness and Rye Harbour several times recently,but not a one ..........that said ,i think that approaching September ........when i generally see most of my Cloudies ......so hopefully things may yet improve!
I,ve not heard of any Q of S locally as yet .................but you never know ! especially if you,re off to Kingsdown tomorrow . A female (LT) was photographed yesterday at the base of the cliffs ,along the footpath somewhere at Kingsdown .........and i have heard a whisper that some have been seen on the clifftop walks ,but have been kept quiet ...............there was plenty of BLEP in flower a while back ..........don,t know how its looking now ,but if you can find the Pea clumps along the cliff top i,d position myself close by ............and wait ! you may (I hope ) get lucky !
Along the cliff top keep an eye out for Adonis ,Chalkhill and Wall ,which are all present as well .
PS; A poor season for Silver Spots at TE , Still high numbers of Chalkhill (though down on last season ) and plenty of Adonis !
Hope you get lucky at Kingsdown !
Good Hunting ! Allan.W.

[Goldie M]

Well, Allan!, I think we picked the wrong day to go to Kingsdown, it was cloudy all day and we even got a spot of rain.

We walked along the lower path to no avail , not even a White showed up, we then went up the steps to the top of the cliff and walked along there , I saw couple of Sweet Peas but no Butterflies

I must warn you though, the traffic was awful, before we even got there, there was a long traffic jam ( road works again ) if you decide to go I would take the Dover road other wise you'll get stuck trying to get through Deal which also as road works on the out skirts. I'm glad I went though, it was the only way to stop the ( Shall I, or Shan't I go ) in my head

Hi! David, has I said to Allan, the weather was no friend today, I thought the forecast said the cloud would clear and we'd get the Sun, No way! It's been a disappointing Summer here for me, with the exception of actually getting shots of the SSS Skipper briefly but still a couple of shots Hope fully we may get a second chance for a Cloudy, I can't see me going back to Kingsdown with my Daughter again. We ended up on the cliffs at Dover eating Cornish Pasties at the cafe there A consolation food.

I think I've seen more in the Garden lately than when I've been out, mostly the same
Species but they're setting down more on the flowers now, couldn't help posting a few shots Goldie PS hope to get new glasses soon

[Allan.W.]

Bad luck Goldie ! ....................win some ,lose some . Sounds like you were definately in the right area ,was there any sign of others having looked for Long -Tails (ie;trampling ) ? must admit its a bit of a stomp up the hill ,my missus struggles with it ,so we generally take the longer (but easier for her ) walk along the cliff top from the war memorial (at St.Margarets ) theres loads of Pea on this route as well and they have been seen along this route in the past.
I reckon you,ve still got a good chance of Cloudies at either Reculver , Samphire Ho ! ,Seasalter or St.Margarets .
Good Hunting ! Allan.W.

[Goldie M]

You can't win them all can you Allan we thought of going to St Margarets but decided the weather was too dark and after trampling round the cliff's and climbing those steps , plus the traffic jam's on the way in to Kingsdown , we'd had enough

I'll concentrate on Reculver and Seasalter now Goldie

[Wurzel]

Sorry you didn't get your quarry Goldie I almost went for Cloudies today but very few have been reported so far, although there was some positive news from Portland so maybe they're on their way? Fingers crossed

Have a goodun

Wurzel