Scotch Argus 10+ - freshly hatched males cruising for females through the grass near the trig point and photographed mating by some other butterfly watchers I bumped into High Brown Fritillary 10 or so seen attempting to mate too Dark Green Fritillary 50+ mostly looking a bit ragged now Painted Lady 1 Large White 1 Small White 1 many other whites not ID'd Small Skipper 10 Small Heath 1 Common Blue just 1 seen by me Speckled Wood 2 Grayling 30+ Small Tortoiseshell just 1 Meadow Brown 100s Gatekeeper 6
Witherslack Hall 4.50-6.10
Ringlet 2 Large Skipper 2 Dark Green Fritillary 1 No Silver-washed Fritillary unfortunately
16 species for the day
-- Edited by Tim Wilcox on Saturday 28th of July 2012 12:20:32 PM
Hi Tim, I've never been to Arnside before but reading that report has tempted me into a visit. Is there anywhere specific to go on the Knott to look for the butterflies or are they all over? I'm on the train so would be getting off in Arnside and walking, would I just walk along the front and up onto the knott? High Brown would be a new one for me, but they'd all be new in front of the lens for me so that list has made me very envious! Many thanks, Joe
Tim Wilcox said
Mon Jul 30 6:25 PM, 2012
Prees Heath, south of Whitchurch Shrops Sunday 29 July c.3.30 - 5.30pm sun came out Excellent large site managed by Butterfly Conservation
Silver-studded Blue around 20 with males cruising for females around clumps of wild mint and fighting vigorously. This is their only stronghold outside the South except for N Wales sites at South Stack and the Orme. Small Copper 4 Small Heath 6 Green-veined White 1 Meadow Brown 100s Gatekeeper 50+ Small Tortoiseshell 1
Tim Wilcox said
Sat Jul 28 12:17 PM, 2012
Yesterday at Arnside Knott 10.30-4.00
Scotch Argus 10+ - freshly hatched males cruising for females through the grass near the trig point and photographed mating by some other butterfly watchers I bumped into High Brown Fritillary 10 or so seen attempting to mate too Dark Green Fritillary 50+ mostly looking a bit ragged now Painted Lady 1 Large White 1 Small White 1 many other whites not ID'd Small Skipper 10 Small Heath 1 Common Blue just 1 seen by me Speckled Wood 2 Grayling 30+ Small Tortoiseshell just 1 Meadow Brown 100s Gatekeeper 6
Witherslack Hall 4.50-6.10
Ringlet 2 Large Skipper 2 Dark Green Fritillary 1 No Silver-washed Fritillary unfortunately
16 species for the day
-- Edited by Tim Wilcox on Saturday 28th of July 2012 12:20:32 PM
John Rayner said
Fri Jul 27 6:18 AM, 2012
Post transferred to this more appropriate thread.
Fermyn Wood, Northants, 23rd July 2012 (09.30 - 14.00)
The incessant rain has caused a rather late emergence of Purple Emperors this year. Today at Fermyn and Souther Woods there was a minimum of 26 with many on the ground (max 4 males together), perching on hats and boots, drinking from sweaty palms and generally putting on quite a show before many thousands of pounds-worth of camera equipment (There must have been over 30 cars parked).
A total of 13 butterfly species were seen with White-letter Hairstreak, Purple Hairstreak, White Admiral, Silver-washed Fritillary the best of the rest.
Cheers, John
Henry Cook said
Fri Jul 27 1:52 AM, 2012
26/07/2012 - Fermyn, Lady and Souther Woods, Northamptonshire:
Thanks to some useful info from John Rayner I headed down to these ancient woods with Mike Duckham. Butterflies were the main draw, including the stunning and sizeable Purple Emperor:
3 Purple Emperors - numbers lower now but some colourful males still coming down to the tracks in Souther Wood 12 White Admirals - good numbers in Fermyn Wood 1 Silver-washed Fritillary - a fly-by only 1 White-letter Hairstreak - great views on an elm 2 Purple Hairstreaks - brief views around canopy of an oak 2 Commas 5 Large Skippers 2 Small Skippers 3 Speckled Woods 2 Red Admirals 10+ Large Whites 1 Green-veined White 3 Gatekeepers 20+ Meadow Browns 30+ Ringlets
Some good flowers and plants present including:
Hawkweed Ox-tongue, Greater Burnet-saxifrage, Upright Hedge-parsley, Smooth Tare, Yellow Rattle, Fairy Flax, Agrimony, Marsh Hawk's-beard, Water Figwort, Field Bindweed, Black Bryony, Musk Mallow, Common Centaury, Angelica, Hoary Ragwort, Scarlet Pimpernel, Common Marsh-bedstraw, Hemlock, Blue Fleabane, Wild Mignonette, Aspen, White Poplar and Crab Apple.
Other stuff:
Hornet, Southern Hawker Dragonfly, Common Darter Dragonfly, Brown Hawker Dragonfly and Azure Damselfly.
Hi Tim,
I've never been to Arnside before but reading that report has tempted me into a visit. Is there anywhere specific to go on the Knott to look for the butterflies or are they all over? I'm on the train so would be getting off in Arnside and walking, would I just walk along the front and up onto the knott? High Brown would be a new one for me, but they'd all be new in front of the lens for me so that list has made me very envious!
Many thanks,
Joe
Excellent large site managed by Butterfly Conservation
Silver-studded Blue around 20 with males cruising for females around clumps of wild mint and fighting vigorously. This is their only stronghold outside the South except for N Wales sites at South Stack and the Orme.
Small Copper 4
Small Heath 6
Green-veined White 1
Meadow Brown 100s
Gatekeeper 50+
Small Tortoiseshell 1
Scotch Argus 10+ - freshly hatched males cruising for females through the grass near the trig point and photographed mating by some other butterfly watchers I bumped into
High Brown Fritillary 10 or so seen attempting to mate too
Dark Green Fritillary 50+ mostly looking a bit ragged now
Painted Lady 1
Large White 1
Small White 1
many other whites not ID'd
Small Skipper 10
Small Heath 1
Common Blue just 1 seen by me
Speckled Wood 2
Grayling 30+
Small Tortoiseshell just 1
Meadow Brown 100s
Gatekeeper 6
Witherslack Hall 4.50-6.10
Ringlet 2
Large Skipper 2
Dark Green Fritillary 1
No Silver-washed Fritillary unfortunately
16 species for the day
-- Edited by Tim Wilcox on Saturday 28th of July 2012 12:20:32 PM
Fermyn Wood, Northants, 23rd July 2012 (09.30 - 14.00)
The incessant rain has caused a rather late emergence of Purple Emperors this year. Today at Fermyn and Souther Woods there was a minimum of 26 with many on the ground (max 4 males together), perching on hats and boots, drinking from sweaty palms and generally putting on quite a show before many thousands of pounds-worth of camera equipment (There must have been over 30 cars parked).
A total of 13 butterfly species were seen with White-letter Hairstreak, Purple Hairstreak, White Admiral, Silver-washed Fritillary the best of the rest.
Cheers, John
Thanks to some useful info from John Rayner I headed down to these ancient woods with Mike Duckham. Butterflies were the main draw, including the stunning and sizeable Purple Emperor:
3 Purple Emperors - numbers lower now but some colourful males still coming down to the tracks in Souther Wood
12 White Admirals - good numbers in Fermyn Wood
1 Silver-washed Fritillary - a fly-by only
1 White-letter Hairstreak - great views on an elm
2 Purple Hairstreaks - brief views around canopy of an oak
2 Commas
5 Large Skippers
2 Small Skippers
3 Speckled Woods
2 Red Admirals
10+ Large Whites
1 Green-veined White
3 Gatekeepers
20+ Meadow Browns
30+ Ringlets
Some good flowers and plants present including:
Hawkweed Ox-tongue, Greater Burnet-saxifrage, Upright Hedge-parsley, Smooth Tare, Yellow Rattle, Fairy Flax, Agrimony, Marsh Hawk's-beard, Water Figwort, Field Bindweed, Black Bryony, Musk Mallow, Common Centaury, Angelica, Hoary Ragwort, Scarlet Pimpernel, Common Marsh-bedstraw, Hemlock, Blue Fleabane, Wild Mignonette, Aspen, White Poplar and Crab Apple.
Other stuff:
Hornet, Southern Hawker Dragonfly, Common Darter Dragonfly, Brown Hawker Dragonfly and Azure Damselfly.