September 2018

[Rivoldini]

Comma has now made friends with a Speckled Wood, Gateshead this morning.

[jenks]

Hi all,

I`ve just read on the Portland Bird Obs website that there is a Monarch butterfly in their garden at the moment. The message was posted about 58 minutes ago, together with photo. So if there are any UKB members in the area you may wish to check it out.

Jenks

[Jack Harrison]

I have been off line for nearly three weeks with some unknown access problem. Pete did his best to diagnose but without success. Suddenly for no obvious reason, it's working again today.

So back to the Tortoiseshell in my car.

Hmmmmmmmmm...looks like air/heat venting for a Volvo?

I have only ever seen a Volvo from the outside I have a very ordinary Skoda (aka VW Up!)

Jack

[Allan.W.]

Another flying, after work visit to a site beside the local footie ground ,which generally holds a few Small Coppers, very overgrown now,
I haven,t been back since the Grizzles finished there back in Mid-June ,but was pleased to find 9 Fresh Coppers ,6 females and 3 Males, Ithink perhaps an earlier visit at the weekend may be in order !
Regards Allan.W.

[Vince Massimo]

A glorious day on the Sussex coast at Lancing produced a predictably high number of Small Whites, but the next most numerous species was Clouded Yellow, with 6 seen including a mating pair.

Clouded Yellow pair - Lancing, Sussex 25-Sept-2018

There is some superb habitat on either side of the long promenade, including Widewater Lagoon.

Widewater Lagoon, Lancing

Other sightings were singletons of Small Copper and Common Blue.

Vince

[Padfield]

A trip to Shingle Street, on the Suffolk Coast, to see if any clouded yellows had blown in. When I discovered my usual clover field had been reclaimed by the plough I held out little hope, but I found a single, rather sorry male nevertheless:



He was on the shingle and had perhaps just come in from the sea. After that one photo he headed south along the coast.

Also about on the coast were small whites, common blues and small coppers.

Guy

[Allan.W.]

Another afternoon visit to a site near Ashford (Kent) and had a very respectable count of 31 Small Coppers ,including two egg-laying
females ,at this site the females seem to outnumber the males by about 3-1 , the site also has a large Common Lizard population ,and one of the female Coppers had a very lizard like chomp out of its hindwings,the only other butterfly I saw here was a single male Common Blue .
Later at the local footie ground I found 5 Coppers ,all males ,would probably have been more ,but for the wind.
Regards Allan.W.

[David M]

I don't think I've ever known Small Coppers to be so plentiful in the UK!

It's been an absolute conundrum these last few weeks and I'd love someone more learned than I to postulate a theory on it.

[Deborah]

A fresh looking Brimstone (one of three), numerous Speckled Woods, Peacocks, Red Admirals and Whites. A solitary Copper, a Brown Argus a Hummingbird Hawkmoth and many tantalising glimpses of a pair of Clouded Yellows that won't sit still.

[Matsukaze]

Westbury Beacon & Stoke Camp BC reserves, Somerset. Small Coppers (around 20, many fresh, a few a little faded, a couple very small), Common Blue (2 worn females, 2 fresh females, perhaps third-generation), Peacock, Wall (2 relatively fresh males, 1 worn female), Small White (freshly emerged female), Speckled Wood, Small Tortoiseshell (pristine), Brimstone (pristine male). A good species list for the time of the year, but the surprise is the number of apparently freshly-emerged insects, particularly the ones that should overwinter. Could they have emerged late or been aestivating?

[Allan.W.]

At Dungeness today counted 32 Small Coppers ,most past there best but still a few in fresh condition ,also saw 6 Common Blues ,all males ,actually I haven't seen a single female in this brood ! fair numbers of large and small Whites ,3 Clouded Yellows ,3 Meadow Browns
14 Small Heath ,a Painted Lady ,2 Peacocks ,lots of plants starting to flower again.
Regards Allan.W.

[Allan.W.]

12 species today at Reculver ,Kent. as follows 12 Common Blues (inc 1 female ,my first 3rd brood. ) ,8 Small Coppers ,numerous
Small and Large whites , 4 Peacocks ,4 (min) Clouded Yellows, 2 Green-veins , 4 Peacocks, 2 Wall,and singles of Red Admiral, Brown Argus ,Painted Lady , Small Heath. Amongst the Small Coppers was this individual.
Regards Allan.W.

[David M]

Thursday 27th - Ten butterflies seen in just less than two hours at West Williamston in Pembrokeshire:

Small Copper 4
Speckled Wood 2
Small White 1
Red Admiral 1
Peacock 1
Brown Hairstreak 1

[Jack Harrison]

Challenge for you David (or anyone else for that matter) - October Brown Hairstreak.

Jack

[David M]

Challenge for you David (or anyone else for that matter) - October Brown Hairstreak.

..oh, I'm sure they're still about, Jack. In fact, the latest date I've seen one is 5th October back in 2013 and I believe the all-time record at the Pembroke site is 14th Oct:

viewtopic.php?f=29&t=4876&start=100

[Vince Massimo]

An update on the Peacock pupa found at Mill Hill, Sussex as reported here: viewtopic.php?f=29&t=4065&start=3240#p137057

I finally managed to get to Mill Hill on Saturday 29th September and readily located the Peacock pupa thanks to the detailed directions provided by David Cook. As suspected, the pupa has been parasitised (as evidenced by a large hole in the left side), but it is a very rare find nevertheless.

Peacock pupa (right side) 29-Sept-2018

Peacock pupa (left side) 29-Sept-2018

Vince

[Allan.W.]

This afternoon at Dungeness and Dengemarsh still reasonable numbers of butterflies on the wing ,the third brood Coppers are now past their best ,but still managed 14 at Dungeness and 1 at Dengemarsh ,all well worn except the one pictured ,also 11 Common Blues (9 males ,2 females )
2 Brown args; (1 fresh ,1 worn ) around 20 Small Heath ,1 Red Admiral , a few Small Whites ,1 Large White ,2 Clouded Yellow (both Dengemarsh )
and surprisingly a fresh female Meadow Brown.
Regards Allan.W. The plant ,is the scarce, Red Hemp nettle.

[David M]

That's a stunning Brown Argus, Allan, one of the best marked I've ever seen in the UK.

[Allan.W.]

Sorry folks ,posted the above in wrong month ! She was a beauty ,thanks David ,she hung around for just two shots before disappearing ! Regards Allan.W.

[David M]

She was a beauty ,thanks David ,she hung around for just two shots before disappearing !

Indeed she is, Allan. In fact, she looks more like the ones you see on the continent with those much bolder than usual orange lunules.