Holly blues have been almost ever present in my garden during Spring/Summer, but I thought they might have 'finished' due to poor recent weather. However, after a six day gap, one appeared during a brief sunny slot this morning and my hope that they would make it into September was back on. It proved to be a short hope unfortunately as a chiffchaff, which had been inspecting the food I'd put out, homed in from low in an apple tree and plucked it out of the air before it could hide in the runner beans!!! Sometimes it's hard to like insects and birds.

Also in the garden, 9 alder leaf beetles were in view at once low down on alder regrowth. A massive increase after only seeing the first ever last Spring.

For those who are interested in these sorts of things (and why wouldn't you be?), an alder sawfly was present in my garden yesterday. Apparently this had to be a female as they reproduce through parthenogenisis. This is why insects are so fascinating.

14 species of butterfly around the golf course area which inevitably included a first site record of purple hairstreak (see previous post) with no less than 7 seen , 1 in one tree and the others in another about 100 meters away. As the species tally did not include small tortoiseshell or red admiral (both 'missing'), it was very respectable. Amongst others seen: 2 small copper, 3 holly blue, 6 peacock, 4 comma, 28 gatekeepers & 1 large skipper hangs on. Also recorded 1 antler moth and 10 silver 'Y'. 1 brown hawker.

Unbelievable record of a female purple hairstreak in neighbour's sycamore this evening! It was right over the garden border and gave good views through binoculars (even opened wings flat showing little purple, hence the female analysis). Just so I could count it properly, it left after a battle with a holly blue and flew over 'my' airspace. As good as any wildlife experience ever encountered from my garden. 

An afternoon vigil at Quarry Rd. railway bridge (Romiley) at last brought the sight of a purple hairstreak after about 10 years of looking! Better still, it settled over the road about 12 feet up in an oak and I was able to get a pretty good shot considering the breeze and distance (near maximum magnification used). Another individual was also seen in the oaks. A stroll afterwards to Romiley Common (about half a mile away) gave more distant but clear views of another one. If you haven't seen a purple hairstreak in the county, this is the year to.

After 31 years, still getting new species of moth for the garden. Last night it was slender brindle, which is rated as having only local distribution, so not bad. Glad it managed to avoid the pipistrelle type bat which was cruising the garden at dusk.

Incredible (and scary) that on a day like today I saw more moths than butterflies during a couple of hours round the golf course area. Half a dozen silver 'Y', 5 silver-ground garpet, 1 clouded silver and the first cinnabar of the year. Only butterflies were a small scattering of whites (inc orange tip). Was perked up a bit by the sight of three different broad-bodied chasers (adult fem, sub-adult male, and immature of unknown sex), and a few damsels of three species. Best was a fast-escaping large blue/green hawker, which can only have been a very early Southern, that fled over the trees.

In last 30 mins, lily beetle and pipistrelle type bat in/over garden.

First pipistrelle type bat of the year flying round the garden in the last hour - good news.

Seeing as we don't all get to hear a first cuckoo as a sign of Spring any more, the first butterfly has to be the substitute. 2 peacocks at Romiley golf course this afternoon, plus a small number of bees, probably of the andrena species. Will be checking photos.

David Walsh wrote:

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Andy Bissitt wrote:

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The rather out-of-season sighting of at least 10 honey bees feeding on a flowering mahonia just near my front door at 11.30 a.m. Also a bluebottle. Soon be Spring (but not this week!)

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Honeybees forage whenever the temperature rises above six or seven degrees, Andy. Mine have been collecting pollen from cobnut and hamamelis in the garden for the past three weeks. Sometimes sunshine can lure them out in freezing conditions, when telltale smudges of yellow faeces in the snow give them away (or on neighbours' cars).

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 David,

I guess as you call them 'mine', you own a hive or hives? If not, you obviously have a better eye for them than I do. My best and most recent guide book on insects states that March is the time you might start to see them, but I know quite a few insects buck the trend in mild conditions. I hope to see more very soon. I cannot get by on birds alone any more; there aren't enough around these days.

Andy

The rather out-of-season sighting of at least 10 honey bees feeding on a flowering mahonia just near my front door at 11.30 a.m. Also a bluebottle. Soon be Spring (but not this week!)

2 or 3 pipistrelle type bats along Healdwood Rd after sunset this evening taking advantage of the weather window.

13 red admirals were nectaring on a fairly small patch of ivy at Hyde Bank this p.m., plus a single speckled wood.

A butterfly bonanza by recent standards. Romiley golf course - p.m.

8 red admiral

5 comma

2 peacock

1 small tortoiseshell.

probable speckled wood too, but let's not be greedy.

In a very routine moth year, a new one for the garden is a red-letter day (well, night), even the strangely named Old Lady. Only one previous encounter with this species, about ten years ago, in a pub in Marple (the barstaff thought I'd gone mad when I asked for a glass to rescue a moth). Always gives you hope that there is something new out there to catch. 

Romiley Golf Course this p.m.

46 gatekeeper, 53 small skipper, c75 meadow brown, c40 ringlet, 8 (min) green-veined white, 3 red admiral, 1 comma , and, the losers this year so far, 1 small copper and 1 small tortoiseshell. 

2 brown hawker on grassland, and 1 ovipositing in pond, 1 emperor, and first common darter of the year. Pond also had blue-tailed and azure damsel. Pond poor this year due to clearance of water weed and other aquatic stuff during winter meaning less places for larva to hide from fish.

A small skipper was trapped in our greenhouse this afternoon, captured and released. Almost certainly a first for garden. Actually had 4 species today including very infrequent visitor meadow brown. Things hotting up!

Two glorious days for insect hunting, apart from the pollen count.

17th Romiley Golf course area: 26 meadow brown, 10 large skipper, 1 small copper (RIP), 2 ringlet, 3 speckled wood, 1 red admiral, 1 green-veined white: moths - 2 green carpet (including a fresh green one), 4 blood-vein, 1 clouded border, other carpets in small numbers, i cinnabar. 

2 agapanthia long-horned beetles, 3 swollen-thighed beetles. Seemed a little quiet for the conditions.

18th just off Sunfield estate. 9 large skippers, 3 red admirals (flt-throughs), 2 speckled woods.

First female orange tip (with two males), two holly blues and a speckled wood all on Romiley Common in the brief sunny slot this morning.

First holly blue of the year on the 'common', also female grey-haired mining bee which I don't think I've seen before.

A quick butterfly hunt prior to lunch found 1 brimstone at Romiley common, and 1 small tortoiseshell just off Sunfield estate.

A remarkable sighting of a pipistrelle type bat over my garden at 3.35 p.m. yesterday. Flew in a direct line from the distance over the house, so wasn't hunting as such. Didn't really have that many sightings during their 'proper' season this year.

A record busting 27 ringlets at the golf course site this afternoon (in not too favourable conditions). 15+ were in flight, and in sight, at once and I almost felt like I was seeing something often described from a bygone era. Only three other species though, but meadow bown and large skippers in goodish numbers compared with the same date last year. Also seen - 2 blood-vein moths.