Bugboys mission

[Wurzel]

Cheers for the Excessa Bugboy Great to see both the Valesina and the Wood Whites as I missed out on both of those this year ...it was certainly a bit 'up and down'
I was just thinking - 'those Wood Whites don't seem to be marked'...and then I read Dave's comment. Definitely a case of 'Great minds...' and not t'other

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[bugboy]

Thanks Dave, yes those WW were VERY white and very difficult to photograph in bright sunshine.
You’re welcome Wurzel, here’s another one .


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August 2024

Friday 2nd. The weather started a bit ‘iffy’ today, some early mist had left everything decidedly soggy and the cloud didn’t seem to want to shift so finding any Brown Hairstreaks down at Bookham seemed a long shot. Just a few Browns and worn Small Skippers was all I disturbed so I decided to kill a bit of time (hoping the cloud would bugger off) looking for White Admiral larvae. I found about a dozen healthy looking 2nd/3rd instars.

It had started to brighten up (and heat up) when I returned to the Hairstreak hotspots however, they were a no show today. I did find another excessa Gatekeeper, who struck lucky with a freshly emerged female. A short chase and very little preamble resulted in a successful coupling.

Amongst the tired looking Small Skippers were a few Common Blues but there didn’t seem to be much else about so I decided to try Denbies.

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It was the Chalk Hill show at Denbies, as one would expect at this time of year, with just a smattering of other species passing in front of the camera. The day had turned from cool and misty to heatwave hot so it was a very slow plod along the top path. The first Chalk Hill to pose was one of the spotless aberrants, obsoleta? I got both sides.

Others were more normal

And the final Chalk Hill was an ab. fowleri, the dark border replaced by pale squares

[Wurzel]

Cracking excessa and aberrant Chalkhills Bugboy I'm glad that you possibly named that 2nd Chalkhill ab. in particular as I think I've photographed one or two like that- something to look for during the winter months

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[bugboy]

Thanks Wurzel, I have a few Chalkhill Blue ab’s this year, another below.


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August 2024

Saturday 3rd Malling Down. The main target today was Silver-spotted Skippers. On what in past years I’ve found to be a reliable site (although declining in recent years), this year it took over an hour of searching to stumble across the only one I saw all day in the old chalk pits. Admittedly the weather wasn’t perfect, variable amounts of cloud and a strong wind but even so I should be disturbing more in the sheltered dips.

There may have been more on the slopes overlooking the allotments but there was a strong wind blowing so I avoided those exposed slopes.

Whilst looking for the Skippers a few other species popped up but in truth there were very few butterflies around. This Marbled White looked to have more extensive white markings than normal and probably looked quite stunning fresh.

I also found singletons of Brown Argus and Common Blues

And a handful of Chalk Hill Blues including another obsoleta ab. I got both sides again, it seems normal that the undersides of these abs aren't particularly symmetrical.

I then wandered over to the slopes overlooking the Allotments but stuck to the top bit where the lightly wooded areas provided shelter from the wind. Here I found a selection of Walls bickering over a path, along with some Speckled Wood who were also claiming the path as their own!

At one end of the path a clump of Hemp Agrimony had attracted the attention of a few Peacock.

I’d been lucky with the weather up to now but returning to the chalk pits a dark cloud arrived but I was able to watch some more Walls dart into the edge of a path looking for a temporary roosting spot out of the squally shower.

Down in Lewes I had a bit of time to kill, and some late sun tempted me to explore the Railway Land nature reserve. There wasn’t a great deal about but a Brown Argus posed on some Willowherb and a couple of Comma were squabbling over a sunny glade.

[essexbuzzard]

That’s disappointing to hear about the SSS. I haven’t visited for a while, but the reports I’ve heard suggested the site is getting overgrown, which the Skippers dislike. Having said that, numbers have been low on many sites the last couple of years. Hopefully just a natural, temporary dip in numbers.

[essexbuzzard]

Your Chalkhill Blues and Walls are rather nice, though!

[bugboy]

Thanks Essex. The SSS did indeed have a disastrous season in the Surrey and Sussex sites I visit and you're right about Malling Down too, at least the Chalk pits on the north side getting very over grown. They did have cattle grazing parts of it this year so perhaps things will improve.


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I forgot to include this Gatekeeper in the last post, a bit worn but I don't think that would explain how unusually dark it is, perhaps an ab. lugens but I never saw the uppers so it'll have to go down as a mystery

[bugboy]

August 2024

Sunday 4th. Whilst waiting for the Brown Hairstreak season to start, I took an early train to explore the wilds of Sussex for the day. It started off a bit cool and overcast but eventually the sun started to break through, and I was pleasantly surprised to find a couple species that had been largely absent all season.

Also coming out to play were a few aristocrats showing their age.

Gatekeepers, Marbled White and Small Skippers were also looking a tad tired here today, especially the latter but much fresher were some of the Chalk Hill Blues which were mixing it up with the other Lycaenids

One female Chalk Hill was particularly attractive with a flush of powder blue on the hindwings

tbc

[bugboy]

August 2024

Sunday 4th cont. Another MIA species for most of the season also putting in a welcome appearance was the Small Copper, a fine blue badger being the first of a trio to sit for me over the course of the day.

Looking remarkable fresh considering it was the start of August was this Essex Skipper.

Others were very much at the other end of their life!

There was no aged Adonis today, just very fresh males all looking like they’d been plugged into the mains under the bright but mostly overcast skies.

Later in the day a couple more aristocrats showed up and almost as eye-catching a fresh Small White.

As always, the skies here are filled with BoP and I caught a pair of Buzzards playing in the wind.

A very worthwhile excursion into Sussex.

[bugboy]

August 2024

Monday 5th. Bookham and another attempt at locating a Brown Hairstreak who seemed to be winning at hide and seek here this year! This time last year I was already seeing double figures daily, in fact the only way not to see one was to walk around with your eye’s closed! Of course, last year was exceptional, spending hours looking for a few felt much more normal, if frustrating.

Whilst waiting for things to liven up I did my usual rounds with a White Admiral larvae head count, they were surprisingly plentiful, 14 in total with many most likely having been seen before now reaching the point where they should be thinking about knitting together their sleeping bag.

There were a decent selection of new kids on the bloc too

And one who looked to be bypassing hibernation, this one looked to be a 3rd instar preparing to moult.

Back to Hairstreak hunt, I found a female gatekeeper who did look very fresh and possibly wafting pheromones, an Essex Skipper and a Millerd.

There were a few other pairs of eyes lurking around in the bushes hopeful for a Hairstreak encounter, one of whom got lucky with a female. Said female had scarpered when we reached the spot though, probably off to the nearest Ash tree looking for romance.

Dave and I spent nearly two hours wandering all the various hotspots, finding very little that tempted us to reach for the camera. As is often the case with this species, he found us. We’d all but given up and were crossing one of the small bridges on the site when a fresh male flew up inches from my nose from where it had been feeding on some Thistles. Thankfully he fluttered straight back down and we both managed to get a run of shots off before he fluttered into surrounding bramble thickets, out of sight.

That was nearly it for the day but to finish a Painted Lady put on a welcome surprise show for us

[millerd]

That really was a lucky encounter after all the searching, Paul. It does make you wonder how many may have been sitting there under our noses... That Painted Lady was a handsome beast too.

Cheers,

Dave

[Wurzel]

Cracking Painted Lady and Brostreak shots Bugboy "As is often the case with this species, he found us."...this seems to be their m.o. This year I scanned a particular section of Creeping Thistle and hung around and waited to see if anything would turn up...nothing did but as I turned to go, right next to me at head height was a female Where she'd been hiding I don't know...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[bugboy]

Oh dozens if not more I have no doubt Dave, sneaky little buggers. Luckily when they get a taste for nectar they forget to hide .
Probably on your shoulder Wurzel .


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August 2024

On Thursday 8th I decided to go back to Sussex for another dose of High summer Downland fare. When I was here a few days previously I noticed that the female Chalk Hills tended towards having a decent seasoning of male scales which seems a scarce thing at most other sites I visit.

It was another day with questionable weather but it was warm enough for some activity and the first female Blue I found was an Adonis, no mistaking those blue scales.

A male of the species refused to open his wings but still posed for me.

Male Chalk Hills were looking a little worn now but I found another with reduced spotting

The first female Chalk Hill I came across had an odd patchwork of blue scales which made me wonder whether she was a minor mosaic gynandromorph?

Others had the attractive seasoning I was looking for.

Later in the day a male Adonis were more willing to show off his wares.

It’s a productive site with many species jostling for attention, Common Blue, Brown Argus, Small Heath and Small Skippers were amongst the also rans again plus a tired looking solitary Small Blue.

The questionable weather deteriorated drastically mid afternoon and it was a long, soggy walk back to the station, made even more unpleasant by my walking boots deciding today was a good day to give up being waterproof

[bugboy]

August 2024

Friday 9th. A half day at work gave me enough time to squeeze in a visit to Box Hill for another stab at finding some Silver-spotted Skippers. Suffice to say I was to be disappointed, I saw just two and not a single shot of either! There wasn’t a great deal about in general and I came home with just over fifty pictures, which by my standards if appalling , a selection:

Male Adonis

[Wurzel]

"Probably on your shoulder"... Isn't that from a Beatles song?” The brostreak you seek is on you shoulder...”

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[bugboy]

Can’t say I’m familiar with that particular lyric Wurzel. Wish they were that easy to find sometimes though!


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August 2024

Tuesday 13th, Bookham again. After a week away it was time to see if the Brown Hairstreaks were being any more cooperative. A sunny day beckoned and early on I found a few of the local supporting cast to wile away the time with.

Early morning turned to mid-morning and still no sign of the target, a nice looking excessa Gatekeeper was amongst the consolation for the time being.

Close to midday I finally found a Hairstreak sat in the Blackthorn… wrong colour though.

Twenty minutes later I was looking at the right colour. The only problem I just couldn’t get any decent shots. I gave up after 10 minutes and to catch up with the WA caterpillars. Numbers had taken a severe dent, many no doubt consumed by small woodland birds but I found five. A 2nd instar moulting to 3rd, a 3rd instar, a couple of occupied hibernaculum and a shiny new 4th instar who’d decided to bypass the whole hibernation malarky.

3rd instar

Occupied

The classic 'cut and fold' technique

4th instar

Brown Hairstreaks maybe sneaky little buggers but they are also creatures of habit, so it was no surprise whatsoever to find the earlier one still glued to the same patch of thistles when I returned and I finally managed a few shots. Not perfect but then this year wasn’t the year to be fussy about such things.

A few shots of a Brimstone and it was off for yet another attempt with the Silver-spotted Skippers on Box Hill.

[David M]

That's a nice Gatekeeper, Paul.

Glad you managed to see Brown Hairstreak (along with bonus Purple)!

[Wurzel]

"Can’t say I’m familiar with that particular lyric Wurzel"...It comes from a mishearing of Hey Jude
Cracking ab.excessa and Brostreak Bugboy. Mind you I'd have been more than happy with the Purp - I think I got one shot this year of them this year

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[bugboy]

Thanks David, those Browns were back to their usual tricks this year!
Thanks Wurzel. You should come east for the Purples, they seem to come down in droves over here.


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August 2024

Tuesday 13th, Box Hill. It was by now pretty clear that Silver-spotted Skippers were having a disastrous season, at least on the sites I frequent, so I wasn’t hopeful of finding many this afternoon. Thankfully I was to have more luck with butterflies in general than the last visit. A few Blues were about

Small Heath flitted between grass blades (and occasionally posed)

And I came across not one but two mating pairs of Meadow Brown (making three pairs for the year so far). Other females looked fresh out the box too.

An end of season DGF showed up and a fresh Red Admiral.

Best of all though were several of the targets who, with a little patience, allowed a few snaps. Probably about half a dozen buzzing around in the afternoon sun, some fresh, some rather worn.

[essexbuzzard]

Not many SSS about this year, so well done for finding them. They all count!