September 2023

[Allan.W.]

Things are beginning to look very Autumnal around my local patch .Rides full to brimming with Devils bit Scabious (including a few pure White ones !) a fair number of Comma ,Red Admiral ,Small and Green-veined Whites ...........Meadow Browns all but finished and the odd Gatekeeper and Silver -Wash ..........just hanging on !

Seen very few Painted Ladies this season ,but Orlestone seems to be temporary home to at least one on most visits .

Still pretty high numbers (for Orlestone !) of Small Heath ,they really seemed to have rallied these past two seasons ,they were very hard to find for around 10+ years .................good to see them thriving again !
Not quite so many Small Coppers as yet ,but i think the third brood has only just started ,even found one feeding on one of the only clumps of Heather in this particular section of the forest.

Talking of Green-veined Whites ,there are some very fine fresh Green-Veins around at present ,one was particularly bright coloured and i picked up on its very yellow coloring from some distance .............my pace quickened towards it thinking my luck was in with a "Helice " Cloudie .........but no ,a very fine Green-Vein.

Allan.W.

[Allan.W.]

Fridays has now become my Butterflying Day ,and i try to fit in as much as possible on these days .I headed out quite early to drive to St .Margarets (Kent ) this morning ,and then walk down to Kingsdown Leas ,in all i managed 14 species including a fresh Painted Lady ,several Small Coppers ,a male Adonis .......and a very tatty Long-tailed Blue ............but alas no Clouded Yellows !
Kept my eyes open for Swallowtail .............you never know .1 was photographed in Walmer Castle ,Kitchen Garden a couple of days back . I t was also around this time last year that the Queen of Spains turned up at Walmer. So you never know .
this afternoon i had a short visit (too hot !) to Orlestone ,lots of Red Admiral and Peacocks around and a couple of fresh Small Coppers ,also came across a rather scarce Grasshopper ...................a male Woodland Grasshopper.
Allan.W.

[David M]

Wednesday 6th, Rhossili Head, Gower:

Small White 300-500
Common Blue 20-30
Red Admiral 6
Small Copper 5
Meadow Brown 4
Large White 2
Clouded Yellow 2
Comma 2
Hedge Brown 2
Speckled Wood 1
Brown Argus 1
Small Heath 1
Painted Lady 1
Small Tortoiseshell 1
Green Veined White 1

[Testudo Man]

Just like Allan, ive seen some very yellow Summer brood Green-veined Whites recently!! I also thought a few times, that in the distance, i could be looking at a Helice CY...but it was not to be, just GVW's...but what beauties they are.

A return trip to Cliffe Pools, in Kent last Sunday...sighted 4 Clouded Yellow, but not one of them landed! What really caught my eye was a few stunning "Lemon Fresh" Green-veined Whites. In the strong sunlight, the yellow on these GVW's was absolutely amazing! Im not sure ive seen such yellow beauties like these before.
Captured some nice images of them, cheers Paul. The mating shot is not cropped, but the other 2 images are cropped some.



"Lemon Fresh" Green-veined Whites.

[David M]

...What really caught my eye was a few stunning "Lemon Fresh" Green-veined Whites. In the strong sunlight, the yellow on these GVW's was absolutely amazing! Im not sure ive seen such yellow beauties like these before.

Beautiful, Paul. The image of the mating pair really shows how yellow the female is by comparison.

[David M]

Thursday 7th, National Botanic Gardens, nr. Cross Hands:

Small White 100-150
Red Admiral 50-60
Small Tortoiseshell 25-35
Comma 3
Speckled Wood 3
Large White 2
Green Veined White 1
Peacock 1
Holly Blue 1
Small Copper 1

[Jack Harrison]

Scotch Argus still flying 9th September.

Two seen at my local hotspot but I stayed only a few minutes as I wanted to get back to watch the football.
(England versus Ukraine).

Jack

[millerd]

Before the temperature rose to 33 degrees this afternoon on my local patch near Heathrow, one or two things were flying when it was a cooler 23 degrees at nine this morning. Small Whites are everywhere at the moment.

Also seen: Red Admiral, Large White and Holly Blue.

Dave

[David M]

Before the temperature rose to 33 degrees this afternoon on my local patch near Heathrow, one or two things were flying when it was a cooler 23 degrees at nine this morning. Small Whites are everywhere at the moment.

33c in September!!

Mind you, it was 27c on the coast in south Wales today.

Small Whites are certainly enjoying the conditions. Like you say they are absolutely everywhere.

[David M]

Friday 8th, Port Eynon, Gower:

Small White 200-300
Meadow Brown 23
Speckled Wood 9
Red Admiral 7
Common Blue 5
Large White 3
Painted Lady 2
Small Copper 1
Green Veined White 1
Clouded Yellow 1
Small Tortoiseshell 1

[Bertl]

Visited logie steading near Forres again this morning for breakfast and had a wander around the walled gardens.

A few red admirals and peacock butterfly still around but I was also very happy to see 3 comma butterflies that stayed still long enough for a photo .

Cheers

Bert.

[David M]

Love that first image especially, Bertl. Are Commas relatively recent arrivals up there?

[millerd]

On a hot and humid morning down at Denbies today, a few male Adonis were recognisable among the many worn and largely unidentifiable females of various blue species. Particularly bright among them was this much fresher individual.

On the other hand, this was the best the Chalkhills could offer.

Dave

[Bertl]

Love that first image especially, Bertl. Are Commas relatively recent arrivals up there?

Thanks David.

It's the first year I have seen them at this location. Haven’t seen them in great numbers.....only 3 to 4 on the wing on both visits.

Bert.

[Matsukaze]

Linlithgow, West Lothian, 9 September - 1 Red Admiral giving a good display of gliding above head height, its wings lit brilliantly from above. 3 Speckled Woods, dallying at woodland edge.

[David M]

It's the first year I have seen them at this location. Haven’t seen them in great numbers.....only 3 to 4 on the wing on both visits.

Thanks for that, Bertl. I remember Jack Harrison commenting that his area round Nairn had only fairly recently seen them colonise. Good to know they're around your way too.

[David M]

Saturday 9th, Aberthaw Beach, Glamorgan:

Small White 200-300
Meadow Brown 25-35
Painted Lady 20-30
Large White 15-20
Red Admiral 8-12
Clouded Yellow 3
Common Blue 2
Small Tortoiseshell 1
Small Copper 1

[MrSp0ck]

Brown Hairstreak at Hutchinsons Bank today.

[Matsukaze]

Golspie, Sutherland, 12 September. 1 Red Admiral, 2 Speckled Woods. I was not expecting the latter this far north.

[David M]

..I was not expecting the latter this far north.

I think they're even on Orkney, Chris. It's ssp oblita if I'm not mistaken?