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Cheers, David. There has been a "hard core" of about a dozen species seen every day here throughout this month, with one or two others joining in here and there - but 14 seems to have been the maximum on any one day so far. Brown Argus continue to pop up all over the site in odd ones and twos, but the hotspot I found in August seems to have gone quiet now. With a brand new one appearing on my next visit (on 9th September), I wonder whether this is a third brood or just an extended late second one.

Monday 9th September was largely dull and a bit cooler, but there were still 13 species on the wing (though only 50 or so butterflies overall. One highlight was, as mentioned, a lovely new Brown Argus. I'd just seen a reasonable older one......when I spotted this immaculate individual.It stretched its wings wide to take advantage of as much UV as possible from the brightness. I took a lot of shots, but can't decide which is the best of the bunch! There wasn't enough sun to liven up this Comma......though it set a few Small Heaths in motion.One looked decidedly bedraggled, however.Small Coppers were also active......but this is the best a Meadow Brown could do at presenting its topside.White butterflies were easy to find. They flew during brighter spells and sat on flowers or just on bits of vegetation when it was duller. I managed shots of all three species.Aside from the splendid Brown Argus, there was one other butterfly that stood out on the day. I'd been seeing Painted Ladies for a few days now while out walking, but failed to find a nicely settled one. However, today one appeared to seek me out, circling me in characteristic wide and fast swoops but instead of just dashing for the treetops, it plonked itself on the ground within a metre or two and just basked. In the end it sat there for some while and allowed some very close approaches. Dave

Tuesday 10th September was forecast to be the last day before temperatures nose-dived and Arctic air flooded the country. In fact, it was another warm but largely dull day with similar results from a local walk as the day before - but with one striking difference: the Red Admirals had arrived. On 9th I counted just 3, but today I managed to see 22 individuals with no trouble at all despite the lack of sunshine.A few Commas were among the Admirals.A species not seen the day before made an appearance today - a couple of Holly Blues.In terms of numbers today, the Green-veined Whites outdid the others notably, with 13 seen. The species has done well here this year, with consistently good numbers - unlike the other two which until the recent immigration have been very thin on the ground.That immigration has resulted in a steady trickle of new Large Whites in particular. Some of them are impressively large, too, dwarfing all the other butterflies including the Red Admirals.A Speckled Wood looked a little strange, I think because of some damage in the pupal stage.I only found two Small Coppers today, but as keeps happening one of them was one I'd not seen before - a female.There are several little Copper spots around my walk, where the same one or two male butterflies appear each day, but females can be seen anywhere as they wander around - initially so that they intersect a male's territory and then later looking for suitable egg-laying locations. I often see males on multiple occasions, but usually only see each female once.

Finally, another Small Heath flyby... Dave

Brilliant Coppers and Whites Dave and that is a 'well rounded' Specklie Star of the show must go to that delightful Brown Argus The local park threw up a Common Blue the other day which, as I'm just pottering, has been the highlight of my week so it's great to see your more 'exotic fare'

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Cheers, Wurzel - the old local patch is doing well for itself at the minute! In terms of both numbers and variety of species it knocks spots off many of the more "specialised" downland sites at this time of year.

Wednesday 11th September was a case in point. With the forecasters confidently predicting low temperatures both night and day for a few days you have to wonder how this would affect the butterfly populations. However, the detail in the forecasts indicated that the chilly mornings would benefit from lots of sunshine before cloud and showers built up later in the day.

There certainly was a nip in the air when I went out on 11th, but out of the northwest wind it felt very pleasant in the sunshine. In the end, it turned out to be one of the better butterfly days of the year here, and I took nearly 900 photos (quite possibly a record for me), and it's taken the best part of a week to go through them all. Overall I counted over 130 butterflies, with 14 species seen - including a first sighting for the year.

With such a catalogue, I will have to split this post into sections...

11th September: Satyrids.

Though they like the sunshine, the cool wind today kept the Small Heaths from making their presence known as much as recently. They really don't like flying when its windy, but I still managed to count 18.Speckled Woods could be found in any of the sheltered patches of the paths through the wooded areas - as you might expect.I reckon I saw 7 of them.

I only managed 4 Meadow Browns today, but like the Small Heaths there were probably others hunkered down in the grass, or blowing past me too quickly to be seen and identified.

White Butterflies.

All three white butterfly species were observed, with GVW predominating again. 17 were counted, but there may well have been more as they also tend to keep low down out of the wind.The same is true of Small Whites, of which I saw just 4......but Large Whites are much more capable of battling the breeze. Part two to follow...

Dave

11th September continued: Blues (including Brown Argus)

At this time of year, when fresh examples of these species are encountered it's difficult to say whether they are second or third brood. However, all 6 of today's Holly Blues looked worn, and mostly stayed out of reach.This one shared its choice of perch with other species.I saw 6 Common Blues too - these three looked fresh, though one had already damaged itself...This one was pristine......and this one was taking a big risk sitting on this particular flower...(It evaded being arachnid lunch this time.)


All today's 4 Brown Argus looked a little past their best. After the very slow start of their second brood in mid-July, there has been a steady stream of this species and they have been popping up all over the site in ones and twos. Part three next...

Dave

11th September continued: Small Coppers

This species has been a bit of an enigma this season. It started as usual in the spring with reasonable numbers, though never numerous in the first brood. Then came the second brood - or rather it didn't. For the majority of the summer period I think I saw just two examples of the species and didn't hold out much hope for the third brood in early Autumn. However, things have been turning out rather better, with different examples appearing almost every time I go out at present. On 11th, I counted 9 individuals: here are some of them. Part four next...

Dave

September 11th part four: Commas

The emergence of brand new hibernating Commas at this time of year is always a delight and today I spotted 9 altogether (no sign of the late hutchinsoni example seen a few days before though). They do have a penchant for fermenting blackberries, and this one was indulging in a big way and took no notice of me poking a lens at it close to.A bit of context...I noticed one with a non-standard pattern of spots along the wing margins......a couple of standard examples......and one that failed to camouflage itself against the wood of a gatepost.There was also this darker individual, newly emerged. I have seen several betraying their recent emergence by depositing drops of meconial fluid from their spell in the chrysalis, but I think this was the first time I captured the moment. Part five follows shortly...

Dave

September 11th part five: Admirals and Ladies

With recent reports of numbers of migrating Red Admirals (and to a lesser extent, Painted Ladies), I had just noticed a distinct uptick locally. Painted Ladies had appeared on several recent days, and today I counted 6 - the highest of the year so far. Red Admirals however put this figure to shame as they numbered at least 37 during my walk, also a high for the year.

I found the Painted Ladies reasonably approachable too (at least 4 out of six were).I didn't really concentrate on taking many shots of the Admirals - I probably have as many photos of this species as of any other. Which just leaves part six...

Dave

900 pictures in a day, pah, amateur (a reason why my diary soon drifts far behind.) Looks like it was a very busy day though, I'm sure when I was a kid September was pretty much the end of the season!

September 11th part six: Clouded Yellow

In 2023, I saw my only Clouded Yellow of the year here on my local patch - but I had to wait until the very end of October to do so. It sounded from all I'd heard that they were even thinner on the ground this year than last, and that they weren't even turning up in their usual haunts along the south and east coasts.

I was in the middle of trying to get some decent shots of one of the Small Coppers, but it was restless, and like many of its species kept launching after other butterflies. I looked up in exasperation as it sailed off yet again, but I suddenly realised what it was chasing this time - a Clouded Yellow. I prepared for the butterfly to disappear into the distance as the sun was out with no clouds around, but instead it proceeded to skip from yellow flower to yellow flower which allowed me to catch up with it. It was a male, not especially fresh, but I knew I needed to make the most of the opportunity. I managed a few standard side-on shots (though getting on the sunny side of the butterfly proved surprisingly difficult).I then opted for some backlit ones, a view of this species I always like.I then did my best at getting some open-wing shots. I remembered from a few years ago that the species doesn't have a high "flap-rate" and the point of take-off or landing affords the best chance of success.I was reasonably pleased with the results.

Overall, a pretty extraordinary day. Lots to see, several points of interest, and a butterfly I might be lucky to come across anywhere again this year. Coming after the Long-tailed Blue a week before (and not forgetting the Painted Ladies and all the Red Admirals) I have started to wonder what attracts migrant butterflies to this particular location...

Dave

millerd wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2024 9:15 pm ...I have started to wonder what attracts migrant butterflies to this particular location...
Dave

Here in the midlands, migrants tend to follow the Severn and Avon valleys and disperse along their tributaries, unfortunalty I am some distance from both. I would assume that the Thames and it's tributaries ( the River Coln?) are utilised as similar routes down your way.

Cheers,

Neil.

Fantastic Cloudies Dave, a very rare sighting in 2024 I might be able to drive by Monday so I'm hoping they hang around/turn up If not when's the next Big Cloudy year?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

millerd wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2024 9:15 pm...and a butterfly I might be lucky to come across anywhere again this year...

Good to see that, Dave, although there's still time for more of them to get over to the southern parts of the UK. I'm not aware of any being sighted here in Wales yet, unlike last year when I was seeing them regularly.

You could well be right about migrants following the Colne, Neil. I'm guessing that they head in a roughly northwestward direction from the SE corner of the country and funnel through places like the Mole Gap (between Box Hill and Denbies - sometimes stopping off on the latter to nectar). They would then pass west of Central London and encounter the Thames; the Colne valley would be one of the first tributaries that could easily be followed northwards as a clear green corridor and the northern part of my local patch is where this green part is squeezed between the river and the M25. It starts to make sense... (and reinforced by me seeing another Cloudie today (19th), though it pretty well evaded the camera. )

Cheers, Wurzel - it was a a great bit of luck to find the Cloudie and to have it amenable to photos. As just mentioned, the female I saw here today was not so well-behaved. If you're in the vicinity I could show you the area, but it would be a real fluke to find another...

There must be a steady trickle coming in, David, if I've chanced upon two well inland in just over a week. I remember you had a lot of luck with them last year in South Wales, and because of that I suspect the source then was probably Spain, whereas this year France and the Low Countries seem more likely.

It's quite hard to follow a day like that, especially at the tail end of the season, but the local butterfly fauna had a stab at it. No more Cloudies appeared on Thursday 12th September, another day of chilly northwesterlies and bright sunshine giving way to the threat of heavy showers, but all the other 13 species seen on 11th put in an appearance. Numbers were lower, however, as was the temperature by a degree or so (barely reaching 16C). Todays totals:

Red Admiral 26
GVW 13
Comma 9
Small Heath 9
Small Copper 7
Speckled Wood 6
Large White 6
Meadow Brown 5
Common Blue 4
Brown Argus 3
Small White 3
Painted Lady 3
Holly Blue 2

Still, nearly 100 butterflies is a respectable total for mid-September. First, a general selection of these species in no particular order. The Blues I'll leave for a separate post as they were really the highlights of the day.

Dave

12th September: Common Blues and Holly Blues.

Fresh Common Blues were appearing, and I was able to get a few shots before they went off and damaged themselves as they seem to quickly do here.Right at the other end of the walk came the Hollies - or one at least. There had been several worn ones around in low numbers, but today I spotted something much newer looking.She was a splendid butterfly: the species continues to come up trumps.

Dave

I think you could achieve celebrity status on here, as the man with multiple
Clouded Yellow shots for 2024 .
In desperation yesterday I took a sightseers open top bus from Eastbourne Pier
to Birling Gap in order to spot any Cloudies from the top deck. Nothing !

Lovely shots .

PS. Beautiful female Holly Blue.

Absolutely cracking Holly Blue Dave, she's a real beaut! Cheers for the offer but they've turned up a little closer to home (Southbourne) with a couple of LTBs thrown in for good measure - but guess what? I still can't drive

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Its a for the Holly Blue from me too - beautiful!

Cheers, Trevor - amazingly another Cloudie turned up today, but proved impossible to catch up with. That makes three in ten days now, so maybe they really are following the river. All three have been within 20 metres of it. I wondered if any would appear down at Southbourne, Wurzel - they are a bit of a fixture down there over the years. I hope you get to see them somehow - and bonus LTBs too!

Thank you Katrina (and Trevor and Wurzel) for the Holly Blue appreciation. Such a reliable and obliging species here, but this was a particularly splendid individual.

More sunshine was forecast on Friday 13th September, and temperatures up a notch with less of a chilly northwest wind. I tore myself away from my local patch and headed down to Denbies to see if anything remained of the summer butterflies, and bearing in mind my local sighting, whether any Cloudies had turned up down there as they often do.

In the end there was a spectacular lack of migrant butterflies, with just a couple each of Large White and Red Admiral possibly coming into that category. Small Heaths......and Meadow Browns were probably the commonest species, though there were also quite a few female blues - many of which were almost impossible to identify even close up because of the degree of wear. However, there were some identifiable female Adonis alongside the bright and shiny but worn males.There was this one, which I have down as Adonis - but I'm not 100%......and this one, which I think was a Chalkhill but I'm not entirely certain about that either!This one I'm confident is a Chalkhill Blue...One of the males was an aberrant (ab. krodeli, or something close to that), but it refused to pose with its wings shut in a sensible place.Also seen was a single Small Copper - in past years they could be found in several spots around the hillside, but this one was the first for a while.I expected that the Silver-spotted Skipper season would be over now, but was pleased to come across a solitary female in traditional pose, nectaring on one of the last remaining scabious flowers.She then moved down onto the grass, no doubt to continue laying eggs.The contrast between here and my local patch is that Denbies seemed to have very few flowers left, whereas at home there is still a riot of colour. Ironically, the annual big grass cut back in July that concerned me a little at the time has proved beneficial by removing all the rampant grass growth from the wet spring and letting the wild flowers bloom a second time without the competition. Denbies relies on grazing, and the cows were taken off the hill while the grass was still long and getting longer, so many of the flowers have been choked - and certainly didn't have a second flowering.

Dave

Saturday 14th September was the sunniest in a run of days featuring several hours of sunshine. This coupled with 20 degree temperatures made sure the butterflies were flying once more on my local patch. Red Admirals were once again the most numerous, but their numbers were dropping - presumably as the migrants move on and disperse northwards.One displayed the characteristics of both bialbata and fructa variations (these are so common as to not really be considered aberrant in my book). However the extra bialbata white spot appeared on one side only...There were once again a variety of Brown Argus and Common Blues.One of the latter looked very fresh.Though Small Heaths were nearly as numerous as the Red Admirals today, I failed to take any shots of them, mainly because the sunshine made them almost unapproachable. GVW were the commonest white, and I managed just one shot of those for much the same reason.I did find a nice Speckled Wood, but in this case the sunshine just meant it wouldn't open its wings very far to avoid overheating.That left Small Coppers. I counted six of these today, and unusually I actually found two of them together......but the other four were widely separated.One of them displayed a greenish iridescence (as well as a couple of blue badges) The species is certainly providing good value at the moment!

Dave