Neil Freeman

[Neil Freeman]

Thanks Dave and Wurzel.
The trick recently has been trying to get the windows in the weather at the same time as I am able to take advantage of them, not always easy or even possible. For example, yesterday (Thursday) we had a couple of really pleasant hours in the morning but I had a dentist appointment at 10.00am and by the time I was out, the weather had turned again and that was it for the rest of the day.

Friday 4th August.

This morning was another dull and cloudy one with some intermittant light drizzle and a cool breeze that kept temperatures well down for the time year.
This afternoon we had a few brief bighter spells, and I mean brief with some glimpses of sun that lasted mere seconds or a minute or two at most.
Even so, this was enough to bring out a few butterflies in the garden with a couple of male Speckled Wood and a female spotted at different times in the afternoon.

Speckled Wood female - Coverdale 04.08.2023

Speckled Wood female - Coverdale 04.08.2023

A female Gatekeeper was also lurking about and would reappear from hiding along with the sun.

Gatekeeper - Coverdale 04.08.2023

Also seen briefly were a couple each of Green-veined Whites and Holly Blues that passed trough without stopping.

It looks like tomorrow is set to be pretty horrible but Sunday is looking better then fingers crossed for next week, especially the second half which is currently looking to be dry and much warmer. Yeah, I know, it could all change again by then.

Cheers,

Neil.

[Neil Freeman]

Well, the forcasts were right. It is indeed a really grotty morning so time to catch up on some moths.

Garden Moths – July.

July should have been a good month for moth trapping but due to the poor weather I only ran my trap on four nights during the month, these being the 7th, 13th, 21st and 26th which averages out at about once a week.
These four nights were not too bad however with the night of 7th producing the highest numbers with a total of 242 moths of 50 species. The night of 13th produced 152 of 32 with the counts for 21st being 147 of 35 and 26th at 208 of 56.
Most of these were the usual suspects for the time of year with a steady flow of new for year species turning up which puts me currently on 223 species (118 macro and 104 micro) so far this year.

Early Thorns are a nice docile and photogenic species.

Early Thorn second gen. - Coverdale 21.07.2023

Another Thorn species I usually get at this time of year is the Dusky Thorn.

Dusky Thorn - Coverdale 26.07.2023

I get loads of Brimstone Moths but they are certainly an eye catching moth.

Brimstone Moth - Coverdale 26.07.2023

An Oak Hook-tip on 26th was only the second of these I have ever seen here.

Oak Hook-tip - Coverdale 26.07.2023

I have been guilty of overlooking the Silver Y Moths that have been turning up to the Ni Moth lure in favour of the Dewick's Plusia so here is one to redress the balance a bit.

Silver Y Moth - Coverdale 26.07.2023

Moving into August, the weather if anything has got worse. Thursday night (3rd August) was one of those nights that I was undecided as to whether to run the trap or not as the forecast looked borderline at best. In the end I went for it, mostly because the following few nights looked even worse. I was glad I did as, although clear to begin with and quite breezy, it clouded up later and the winds dropped a bit.
The result was 98 moths of 36 species, not particularly high but they included a Toadflax Brocade. This was my third one here after getting my first one back in 2020 which was actually the first one recorded around the Solihull area and at the time right on the edge of their expanding range. Since then there have been a few more records from around the Birmingham area and further west into Worcestershire but still a great record for my Solihull garden.

Toadflax Brocade - Coverdale 03.08.2023

I have also continued to run the Ni Moth lure as described previously and have had a couple more Dewick’s Plusia, one on the night of 26th June and another on Thursday night (3rd Aug.) making a total of six here now.

Dewick's Plusia - Coverdale 03.08.2023

Just a few years ago, if someone had said to me that I would get both Toadflax Brocade and Dewick’s Plusia on the same night here in Solihull, I would not have believed them as both species were pretty much confined to the south east as recent colonists or scarce migrants. Just goes to show how things are changing and that despite all the headline grabbing bad news, there are some good news stories out there.

Finally, this September Thorn from Thursday night looks to be as fed up with the weather as the rest of us.

September Thorn - Coverdale 03.08.2023

Bye for now,

Neil.

[Neil Freeman]

Monday 7th August.

After a clear night and quite a chilly start, the clouds soon rolled in this morning to give us one of those days that could feel quite pleasant when the clouds thinned enough to allow a bit of sun through but would also feel a bit cool under the clouds with a breeze blowing from the northwest.

This afternoon I figured it was warm enough under the clouds to have a wander down to my local spot by Wagon Lane. During the next hour or so the clouds thinned enough to allow a bit of sun through occasionally although it was still mostly overcast with the temperature around 17-18 degrees.

Gatekeepers were still flying in good numbers although the males are well past their best now with some of the females still in better condition.

Gatekeeper female - Wagon Lane 07.08.2023

A female excessa would have looked nice when fresh but was now getting on a bit and had a few nicks out of her wings.

Gatekeeper female ab. excessa - Wagon Lane 07.08.2023

The cloud worked in my favour when I spotted a nicely marked female Meadow Brown basking with her wings open. She had the extra orange on her hindwings that I have been seeing more regularly over the past few years.

Meadow Brown female - Wagon Lane 07.08.2023

A couple of male Speckled Wood were holding station in the usual corners and chasing off anything that approached.

Speckled Wood male - Wagon Lane 07.08.2023

Three male Common Blues were seen in three different parts of the site, one of them looking quite fresh and the other two looking a bit older with some damage to their wings.

Common Blue male - Wagon Lane 07.08.2023

Common Blue male - Wagon Lane 07.08.2023

I also spotted two Brown Argus, again in separate parts of the site.

Brown Argus male - Wagon Lane 07.08.2023

Brown Argus male - Wagon Lane 07.08.2023

Having seen the Common Blues and Brown Argus I was on the lookout for a Small Copper to complete the trio of these lycaenids that are only ever found in small numbers here. In the same spot where I saw him last week, I found what looked like the same male, now looking worse for wear. I was waiting for him to settle when he found a female and chased after her. Over the next few minutes I watched as she tried to shake him off and they settled in various spots with much fluttering of wings.

Small Copper pair - Wagon Lane 07.08.2023

Small Copper pair - Wagon Lane 07.08.2023

In the end I lost sight of them as she flew off into the distance with the male in pursuit.

The only other butterflies seen were a few Green-veined and Small Whites, all of which looked worn and faded. No Nymphalids of any kind today.

We have rain forecast here again for tomorrow but it is supposed to be bucking up from midweek onwards although currently different forecasts are saying different things...fingers crossed.

Bye for now,

Neil.

[Wurzel]

Lovely looking Small Coppers Neil And that Excessa is still pretty great despite being a bit worn
" She had the extra orange on her hindwings that I have been seeing more regularly over the past few years." I saw a lot like this in France and Portugal - over there its considered a 'race' but interesting that they're cropping up over here, a response to a changing climate maybe?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Neil Freeman]

Cheers Wurzel.

...but interesting that they're cropping up over here, a response to a changing climate maybe?

I have wondered that myself. Must admit I am a bit wary of putting everything down to climate change but I cannot see any other cause.

Wednesday 9th August.

Tuesday here was dull and wet with drizzle and light rain all day which ended up giving everthing a good soaking. During the evening the clouds cleared to give us a clear and chilly night with clear skies continuing into this morning so that we had a nice sunny start to the day.

Jane had arranged to go to her mom’s for the day so after dropping her off there this morning I continued on to the other side of Solihull to have a wander around Blythe Valley Park. I arrived just before 10.00am under skies that were mostly clear still with just some thin high level cloud approaching from the horizon.
I headed off on my usual route, noticing that the grass was still wet from all the rain the day before and it wasn’t long before my boots and trousers up to the shins were soaked. Some of the paths, especially through the wooded sections were also quite muddy and I reckon I would have been better off with my wellies, not something I usually think in August.

Not having seen any locally yet, I was especially on the lookout for summer Peacocks so was therefore pleased to see a minimum of 20 during the next couple of hours that I wandered around my usual route here. They were almost exclusively feeding up on the plentiful knapweed that is in flower here and were very fidgety as they fluttered constantly between flowerheads.

Peacock - Blythe Valley 09.08.2023

Peacock - Blythe Valley 09.08.2023

Apart from the Peacocks, just two Red Admirals and a single Comma were the only other Nymphalids seen during the morning.

Red Admiral - Blythe Valley 09.08.2023

Around 40-50, mostly worn and faded, Gatekeepers were seen although once again some females were still in decent condition. These also included a mating pair.

Gatekeeper pair - Blythe Valley 09.08.2023

There seems to have been another emergence of Meadow Browns with an increase of fresher looking individuals appearing around here recently. I understand that this is due to larvae developing at different rates leading to a long drawn out emergence rather than any true separation in broods.

Meadow Brown - Blythe Valley 09.08.2023

Half a dozen Speckled Wood were flitting about in the dappled shade along the paths through a couple of the wooded sections but they tended to stay out of reach so I left them alone.

Skippers are practically finished here now with just a few well faded Small / Essex on their last legs so I didn’t bother trying to separate them.

I was pleased to count a minimum of 15 male Common Blues plus a couple of females as I did not see many first brood here, although that could easily have been due to observer bias with me not getting out as much due to poor weather and my other commitments when they should have been flying.

Common Blue - Blythe Valley 09.08.2023

Common Blue - Blythe Valley 09.08.2023

Common Blue - Blythe Valley 09.08.2023

Common Blue female - Blythe Valley 09.08.2023

Common Blue female - Blythe Valley 09.08.2023

At one point a nice female Small Copper appeared right in front of me and I just had time for a couple of quick grab shots before she was off again and I lost her. A pity I couldn’t line up a better angle as she appeared to have a nice set of blue spots.

Small Copper - Blythe Valley 09.08.2023

A bit later and in a different meadow, I found a male that was a bit more amenable although still very active in the now warm late morning sun.

Small Copper - Blythe Valley 09.08.2023

A couple of Brimstones were wandering along the hedgerows and busy feeding up ready for the winter.

Brimstone - Blythe Valley 09.08.2023

A dozen or so Green-veined Whites plus a couple of Small Whites and a single confirmed Large White completed the tally for this morning.

Green-veined White - Blythe Valley 09.08.2023

By 11.30 it was getting quite warm and humid under increasing cloud cover and having spent a good hour and a half here I made my way back to the car and headed home.

Bye for now,

Neil.

[Wurzel]

I love those Small Copper shots Neil, so bright And that is a particularly well marked Green-veined White Hopefully we'll get our three days of summer over the next couple of days

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Those caeruleopunctatas are nice, Neil, but it's that final image of the female Green Veined White that catches my eye. She is a real stunner.

[Goldie M]

Lovely Coppers Neil, I've only seen the one this so far and it was pretty weatheredGoldie

[Neil Freeman]

Thanks Wurzel, David and Goldie. Small Coppers seem to be having one of their better years by me this year, nice to see as they have been thin on the ground here for the past couple of years.
I have been seeing quite a few heavily marked GVW recently, especially noticable wth the females.

Thursday 10th August.

With the return of summer forecast, for a couple of days at least, I managed to wangle a day off from family stuff and figured I would head to Grafton Wood for the day. I had seen a few Brown Hairstreaks reported and Wood Whites were apparently having a good second brood there and as I had missed their first brood this added to the temptation to head over.
I left home around 08.20am and with the kids now off school managed to get clear of Solihull without hitting much traffic. Just under an hour later I was pulling into the car park by the church at Grafton Flyford with the temperature on my car display already showing 20 degrees.

Wandering across the farm fields and entering the wood it was obvious that butterflies were already active with numerous Gatekeepers and Brimstones seen within the first few minutes. I carried on to the junction with the main ride and turned right to head down to the southern end of the wood. As I wandered along I saw more and more Brimstones and during my time spent here today I must have seen hundreds all over the wood, many of them feeding up on the various wildflowers alongside the tracks and paths. I bumped into John Tilt, the reserve manager, at one point and he said that, curiously, you would struggle to find any buckthorn within the wood. Apparently the Brimstones enter the wood to feed up and hibernate and then after mating in the spring, the females spread out around the surrounding countryside to find buckthorn to lay on.

Brimstone - Grafton Wood 10.08.2023

Brimstone male and female - Grafton Wood 10.08.2023

Apart from the Brimstones and Gatekeepers the next most numerous butterfly was the Wood Whites with a very conservative 50 plus seen in all parts of the wood. These are the result of a (re)introduction program a few years back and they appear to be doing really well here.

Wood White - Grafton Wood 10.08.2023

Wood White - Grafton Wood 10.08.2023

Wood White - Grafton Wood 10.08.2023

Wood White - Grafton Wood 10.08.2023

Wood Whites - Grafton Wood 10.08.2023

At the southern end of the main ride, I found another couple of enthusiasts and as we were talking a Purple Hairstreak dropped down on to a flower head of angelica(?) and shuffled about for five minutes. Despite being faded, This was actually the first Purple Hairstreak that I had seen low down this year so I fired off a few shots.

Purple Hairstreak - Grafton Wood 10.08.2023

Purple Hairstreak - Grafton Wood 10.08.2023

Later on, after wandering around the wood for a couple of hours without seeing any Brown Hairstreaks, I returned to this spot and found what I thought was the same Purple Hairstreak, but looking at my photos afterwards shows it to be a different one.

Purple Hairstreak - Grafton Wood 10.08.2023

Purple Hairstreak - Grafton Wood 10.08.2023

As I was watching the PH another shape fluttered on to a flower head close by, a Brown Hairstreak. I fired off a couple of quick shots but before I could get into a better position it was off again and disappeared up into the treetops.

Brown Hairstreak - Grafton Wood 10.08.2023

The forecast had brought a few people out and it appears that maybe four different Brown Hairstreaks were seen in various spots around the wood, although only a couple managed to get a photo. A West Midlands BC work party the previous day had apparently also seen a few but when I spoke to John Tilt earlier, he reckoned they are only just getting going here and it should be better in a week’s time, weather permitting. Whether I will be able to return for another look is another question.

Other butterflies seen during my wanderings included plenty of ‘common’ Whites with Green-veined being most numerous with just a few Small and Large Whites confirmed. Also half a dozen Peacocks with singles of Red Admiral and Comma plus half a dozen now worn and faded Silver-washed Fritillaries were also about

Silver-washed fritillary - Grafton Wood 10.08.2023

A few Common Blues, a single Small Copper and a single well worn Large Skipper completed the species seen.

Small Copper - Grafton Wood 10.08.2023

By the time I had completed a couple of circuits around the wood, it was getting on for 2.00pm and getting very warm, a bit too warm for me to be honest, so I decided to call it a day and head home.

Bye for now,

Neil.

[trevor]

Great Wood Whites, Neil. It's good that you can use the word ' numerous ' for this scarce species.
Their behaviour is always a delight to watch, especially the head to head ' greeting '.

Great stuff!

[Wurzel]

That would count as a great day in anyone's books Neil - two Hairstreaks and Wood Whites Good to hear that the reintroduction scheme seems to be doing so well

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Some nice surprises in that line-up, Neil. I'm so pleased to hear that Wood Whites are thriving at that location. Can't be too many places where you can see those along with Purple & Brown Hairstreaks on the same day!

[Neil Freeman]

Thanks Trevor, Wurzel and David. Yes, it was a great day with loads of butterflies
It appears that Wood Whites are having a good year in a number of midlands woods with particularly good numbers of second brood being reported.

Not such a good weekend around here. Much cooler again with a few whites and a couple of Speckled Wood in the garden on Saturday during the occasional bit of sun on an otherwise very windy day.

Speckled Wood - Coverdale 12.08.2023

After some overnight rain, today (Sunday) has been calmer but mostly dull with some occasional light drizzle. Heavy rain forecast for tonight and then a couple of days of 'changeable' weather before things look to be improving again for Wednesday and Thursday.

Bye for now,

Neil

[millerd]

That was an amazing array of species for just one location (Grafton), Neil. I know places where you can see some of that selection, but nowhere nearby where you would see them all. All it needs are a few spring Fritillaries!

Cheers,

Dave

[Neil Freeman]

Thanks Dave. There was a reintroduction of Pearl-bordered Fritillary into Grafton Wood a few years ago, 2011 if I remember right, but they fizzled out again after a few years. I saw a few there back in 2015 which may well have been one of the last years that they were seen there.

Tuesday 15th August.

After a good soaking on Sunday night, Monday and today saw an improvement in the weather with a mix of cloud and sunny spells. There was a forecast for scattered showers on both days but we managed to avoid them for a change.

I had some running about to do yesterday but this afternoon managed an hour down at my local spot by Wagon Lane. Overall butterflies numbers are on the wane now with Gatekeepers (18) still being the most numerous albeit mostly well past their best now.

Four male Speckled Wood holding station in the usual corners, all looking like they had been around for a while.

A couple of faded male Common Blues were seen while a nice female plus singles of Holly Blue and Small Copper were the only butterflies that posed for me.

Small Copper - Wagon Lane 15.08.2023

Small Copper - Wagon Lane 15.08.2023

Common Blue female - Wagon Lane 15.08.2023

The Holly Blue posed against a background of rosebay willowherb which gave a pleasing effect.

Holly Blue - Wagon Lane 18.08.2023

Around a dozen whites were seen with a couple each of Large, Small and Green-veined confirmed with the rest staying too far away to be sure of.

A couple of Commas and a single Red Admiral completed the tally for the session, all flypasts that didn’t settle.

Bye for now,

Neil.

[Neil Freeman]

Saturday 19th August.

Warwickshire BC were holding their open day at Ryton Wood Meadows today (Saturday 19th) and as I had not been to Ryton for a few years now I decided to go over. Also the main target species for the day was Brown Hairstreak and as I have never seen these at this site, this added to the temptation.
Apparently, there were historical records of Brown Hairstreak from the 1940s from the Princethorpe area, in which Ryton Wood lies, then eggs were found between 1968 and 1972. No further evidence was found after 1972 and the species was then considered extinct in Warwickshire until 2004 when it was rediscovered in hedgerows near Ryton Wood. Successful egg searches were undertaken between 2004 and 2011 but it was not until 2012 that the first adult was seen which demonstrates the elusive nature of this butterfly. Since 2015 standardised egg searches have been undertaken and now include the nearby Ryton Pools Country Park. Targeted blackthorn management is also now undertaken in the area to which the Brown Hairstreaks appear to be responding well with good numbers of eggs being found during recent winter searches. The blackthorn is cut on a 4 year rotation and at each session a volunteer has the job of searching all the cut material for eggs which are then wired back onto new growth.

Anyway, I arrived at Ryton just before 10.30am with the first walk due to take place at 11.00am. This gave me chance to catch up with some familiar faces and by the time we set off on the walk there were approximately 20 people present.

Gazebo set up with snacks and drinks.

I must admit, I am not usually a fan of looking for butterflies in large groups, much preferring to be by myself or maybe with one or two others, but part of my reason for coming here today was to have a catch up with other Warwickshire BC members, plus with Brown Hairstreaks all those extra eyes cannot be a bad thing. There was quite a blustery wind and long periods of dull cloud during the morning which was keeping the butterflies down a bit but nevertheless we saw Common Blues, Brown Argus, tatty Silver-washed Fritillaries, various whites, a few high up Purple Hairstreaks and singles of Red Admiral and Comma.

We were heading back for a spot of lunch when one of the guys called us back to where he had just seen a female Brown Hairstreak along a stretch of path where we had been earlier. A couple of us headed over but the rest carried on back to grab a drink and a bite to eat.
We were in luck, as the female was still there and we watched as she pirouetted around the blackthorn stems and appeared to be testing them out and performing some ‘oviposturing’. At one point she came out and posed on a leaf in a good position and then flew down lower where she opened up albeit tucked under the lower part of the hedge and in some shade where it was awkward to get a good shot.

Brown Hairstreak female - Ryton 19.08.2023

Brown Hairstreak female - Ryton 19.08.2023

We also spotted a male higher up in the hedge where I managed to get a long distance shot before he flew off higher up and we lost sight of him.

Brown Hairstreak male - Ryton 19.08.2023

We then headed back to join the others for a drink and a bite to eat.

A bit later a few of us went back to the stretch of path where we had seen the female earlier. One of the guys was already there and he reckoned that there were two and maybe three different females which kept appearing along that stretch of path. As he was telling us this one of the females appeared and started performing for us, alternatively walking up and down the stems then posing with wings closed and basking with wings open.
Every so often she would fly off but before long would return again and perform for a while before flying off again.

Brown Hairstreak female - Ryton 19.08.2023

Brown Hairstreak female - Ryton 19.08.2023

Brown Hairstreak female - Ryton 19.08.2023

Brown Hairstreak female - Ryton 19.08.2023

Brown Hairstreak female - Ryton 19.08.2023

Brown Hairstreak female - Ryton 19.08.2023

Brown Hairstreak female - Ryton 19.08.2023

View along the path where three females were seen.

Around 2.30pm I decided it was time to make a move and head home. On the way back to my car I spoke to another group who had seen a couple of Brown Hairstreaks along another path so around half a dozen had been seen seen on the day.

If that wind had dropped a bit there may have been a few more around, and taking photos would have been a bit easier, but overall it was a really enjoyable day and great to catch up with some old faces and meet some new ones plus good views of the Brown Hairstreaks.

Bye for now,

Neil.

[Pauline]

Some smashing shots there of the BH Neil - sounds like an exciting, enjoyable and sociable day

[bugboy]

This year does seem like a particularly good year for BH, I've found them at 4sites so far, 2of which I wasn't even looking for them!

[millerd]

Yes, I saw a couple at Box Hill, which is a first for me, and I've seen a photo of one seen up the road from me close to Bedfont Lakes. They do appear to be doing well.

Cheers,

Dave

[trevor]

Lovely fresh female BH Neil. Great open wing shots too.