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Post by aeshna5 on Aug 9, 2015 16:18:29 GMT
Funny in London Holly Blues are having a really good season + see several daily at the moment.
For me Clouded Yellows seem like buses at the moment. Really excited to get my first of the year yesterday in the north Downs + today on my patch I was looking at a colony of Common Blues when behind there was a Clouded Yellow. Along the same strip of weedy area I found 2 fresh Painted Ladies on young Buddleyas. After meeting my partner we walked back down the lane +there were at least 3 Clouded Yellows. This general area seems quite good at attracting them as it's the third year I've found them on this site.
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Post by lizb on Aug 9, 2015 18:43:20 GMT
I got my first picture and ID of a Holly Blue today. There were quite a few on north downs near where I live. Also a few Common Blue.
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Post by htcdude on Aug 10, 2015 10:52:10 GMT
Yesterday in the warmth several Gatekeeper showing nicely.
Nige
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Post by htcdude on Aug 11, 2015 14:22:24 GMT
Not much around this lunchtime with only 2 Gatekeeper and 3 Meadow Brown Nige
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Post by shirl100 on Aug 11, 2015 17:05:43 GMT
It's been a slightly better day but not lots of them out, I did manage 3 Small Copper(one caeruleopunctata aberration - my botd) , a Large Skipper and a few Meadow Browns and Gatekeepers in our field plus a lovely Brimstone in a local pub garden this afternoon.
Shirl
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Post by aeshna5 on Aug 15, 2015 17:58:50 GMT
Pleasant day at Rainham with quite a few butterflies- lots of Small whites + at least a few Green-veined amongst them, but only 1 Large White there (3 in my garden when I got home), 5 Speckled Wood, 4 Meadow Brown, 12 Gatekeeper, 4 Common + 14 Holly Blues (one of my highest ever counts for this species),Essex Skipper, 2 Red Admiral, Comma, 2 Peacock + my BOTD- 4 fresh Small Tortoiseshells-my first for a few weeks.
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Post by htcdude on Aug 17, 2015 12:49:32 GMT
Loads of Large White larvae at a friend's house over the weekend. Was fun watching them all clamber up the window as we were painting Nige
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Post by aeshna5 on Aug 19, 2015 19:56:25 GMT
Been pretty overcast down here since the weekend so a single Red Admiral cheered me up today.
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Post by shirl100 on Aug 22, 2015 14:23:42 GMT
Saw my first Painted Ladys in Derbyshire this afternoon, one pristine condition. Just been for a wander in our field and saw 7 Small Coppers. 3 with the blue spot aberration - not a bad day at all. Shirl Here is another one of the blue spot aberration Small Coppers from today ( at the National Stone Centre Wirksworth) SmallCopper_ab_NSC by Shirley Freeman, on Flickr
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Post by aeshna5 on Aug 22, 2015 17:18:05 GMT
We had a good day at Denbies today (also WABI's Pete Collins was around for some of the walk + good to see him)+ we had:
Holly Blue 1 Common Blue 2 Chalkhill Blue c100 Adonis Blue 12+ Brown Argus 4 Marbled White 2 Small Heath 6 Gatekeeper 5 Speckled Wood 4 Meadow Brown 15+ Small White c6 Large White 4 Brimstone 3 Red Admiral 2 Peacock 2 Painted Lady 1 Comma 2 Silver-washed Fritillary 2 Silver-spotted Skipper c10
My BOTD was my first Adonis Blues of the year- the males such a deep, clear blue.
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Post by petecollins on Aug 22, 2015 17:19:17 GMT
Today I went to Denbies Hillside, near Dorking in Surrey, for the first time. I'd been planning to go all week, then on Friday evening I realised (from a post here on WABI) that aeshna5 was going to be there, leading a group round the site. They kindly let me join them, so I got to see (and learn) far more than if I'd been on my own. Amongst the other interesting wildlife we saw were two butterflies I'd never seen before (the reason I wanted to visit the site), Adonis Blue and Silver-spotted Skipper. Adonis Blue Silver-spotted Skipper There were lots of Chalkhill Blues, and other butterflies I saw included Common Blue, Small Heath, Meadow Brown and Comma.
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Post by petecollins on Aug 22, 2015 20:27:57 GMT
We had a good day at Denbies today (also WABI's Pete Collins was around for some of the walk + good to see him)+ we had: Holly Blue 1 Common Blue 2 Chalkhill Blue c100 Adonis Blue 12+ Brown Argus 4 Marbled White 2 Small Heath 6 Gatekeeper 5 Speckled Wood 4 Meadow Brown 15+ Small White c6 Large White 4 Brimstone 3 Red Admiral 2 Peacock 2 Painted Lady 1 Comma 2 Silver-washed Fritillary 2 Silver-spotted Skipper c10 My BOTD was my first Adonis Blues of the year- the males such a deep, clear blue. It was good to see you too - I look forward to meeting up with you again for more butterfly/wildlife trips next year!
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Post by petecollins on Aug 22, 2015 20:32:18 GMT
Saw my first Painted Ladys in Derbyshire this afternoon, one pristine condition. Just been for a wander in our field and saw 7 Small Coppers. 3 with the blue spot aberration - not a bad day at all. Shirl Here is another one of the blue spot aberration Small Coppers from today ( at the National Stone Centre Wirksworth) SmallCopper_ab_NSC by Shirley Freeman, on Flickr I'm going to look at Small Coppers much more closely from now on, Shirl - I didn't know about the aberrations, but have just found this: www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/aberrations.php?species=phlaeas
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Post by shirl100 on Aug 23, 2015 14:38:54 GMT
Pete - we do seem to get a good proportion of the blue spot aberrations in the Derbyshire Dales, not sure why though. Some are easy to see with the naked eye others need a photo really. Great fun looking though.
My BOTD was a Wall, first one this year for me so another good morning walk with the dog
Shirl
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Post by aeshna5 on Aug 27, 2015 17:56:35 GMT
It's been a miserable wet few days around London (wouldn't surprise me if it's been the wettest week this year) so few butterflies seen since the weekend, but this afternoon it brightened up with some pleasant sunny spells. Noticed a Small + Large White on the Buddleia "Lochinch", followed by 3 Large Whites dancing in the air together.
BOTD though was the Painted Lady on the Verbena bonariensis.
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