Portsdown Hill surprise. Silver-studded Blue reported on the hill by Countryside Officer Richard Jones. Given that the butterfly rarely flies further than 20 metres from its point of emergence, it is difficult to imagine how a specimen could fly 10km from its nearest known habitat at Browndown, Gosport.
NB Portsdown once hosted the now-extinct ssp. cretaceus...
Also noted on the hill were Brown Hairstreak and White-letter Hairstreak. [Posted by Andrew Brookes]
more from Rownhams. 2 Commas seen on buddleia and 7 Meadow Browns, three Speckled Woods, Green-veined White, Small White, Brimstone and two Commas seen on a walk round Cromarty Road area [Posted by Sue Lambert]
Butterflies in Rownhams. Lots of species on the buddlia near my house in Rownhams, sorry no photos as the camera is broken. Species seen Brimstone, Small White, Green-veined White,, Red Admiral, Peacock and Painted Lady - the first this year. [Posted by Siue Lambert]
Test Valley, Longstock. Red Admirals aplenty along the Test Valley Way below The Bunny, enjoying what's left of the bramble blossom, along with numerous whites, mostly Green-veined Whites. Moving on to one of the beats, Red Admirals again, with several Peacocks, and a Comma ovipositing on the regenerating nettles; still plentiful whites, two Brimstones, and a few Meadow Browns, but the highlight had to be the otter swimming downstream. [Posted by Andrew Brookes]
Chalton Down, Old Idsworth. On 4th July following the first reported sightings of the Chalk Hill Blue in Hampshire the previous day, my father and I visited Chalton Down. Arriving in the late afternoon around 15.45 the temperature was 23 degrees. Many butterflies were seen feeding including a Dark Green Fritillary, while several fresh Common Blues were recorded. Shortly after walking among grasses a male Chalk Hill Blue was seen followed shortly after by another which chased a Small White. Personally this had been my earliest recorded sighting of this species since my records from 2006.
Totals: Large White 7, Small White 13, Chalk Hill Blue 2M, Common Blue 8M 3F, Gatekeeper 12, Marbled White 18, Meadow Brown 29, Ringlet 6, Comma 3, Dark Green Fritillary 3 and Small Skipper 11. [Posted by Richard Symonds]
How Lakes, King's Somborne. White-letter Hairstreak (2) seen on LUTECE elm, but the most striking feature was the number of Peacocks and whites, mostly Green-veined Whites, along the margins of the lakes where bounded by banks of Hemp Agrimony and Garlic Mustard. With the grasslands mown frequently to appease the trout anglers, there were very few browns abroad.
Back at the (Great Fontley) ranch, the resident vanessids were joined by two Painted Lady feasting alongside many Large White, Small White and Green-veined White on the front garden Buddleja, Verbena bonariensis and Bowles' Mauve wallflower. [Posted by Andrew Brookes]
Purple Emperor. I was lucky enough to see a Purple Emperor cruising regally over my back garden at 8.25 pm this evening, the first for a few years.Thought it was a bat at first until the penny dropped! [Posted by Andy Bolton]
Chalkhill Blues out on West High Down.. Aside the track leading to West High Down at Totland today were several Chalkhill Blues. [Posted by Peter Hunt]
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| Photo © Peter Hunt | Photo © Peter Hunt | Photo © Peter Hunt |
Moth Trap in my garden at Leigh Park. On the 1st July I sent you some moth records I caught in my garden. Could you please add another species I caught that day to the list it was a Plumed Fan-foot. Thank you [Posted by Barry Collins]
Alice Holt Emperors. Over the past week I have made several visits to Alice Holt forest to observe Purple Emperors. It seems they are having a very good season with numerous encounters and nice low down views of males taking ‘salts’ and more dubious substances! One count of twenty three males and a single female in Straits Inclosure is my best count for over ten years, and Ashley and I watched almost continuous activity at Abbots Wood for a period of thirty minutes, including four in a vista and a ‘follow me’ chase of a female leading a male off to make more Emperors. Sadly I lost ‘Flossie the Emperor dog’ back in March but have acquired a new pup ‘Beau’ who is in training and he encountered a nice male on his very first excursion into the woods. I have also noted two Valezina Silver-washed Fritillarys which have proved difficult to photograph, but I did manage a snap of one low down in vegetation before she disappeared back into the shadows. It would seem the ‘butterfly emergency’ does not apply to all species? [Posted by Mark Tutton]
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| Valezina Photo © Mark Tutton | Salts! Photo © Mark Tutton | Beau with his first Emperorr Photo © Mark Tutton |
Martin Down NNR. Coincidental with the hottest day of the year in the south was a planned visit to Martin Down. It would later prove a demanding hike! From 1000-1220 the temperature rose from a respectable 24 deg C to an uncomfortable 30 deg C on our return to the car park from the bottom of the down. Fortunately we had plenty of ice-cold water and the distraction of a whole host of butterflies. In fact 21 species came to book my highest count of the year so far including first year sighting of Dark Green Fritillary and Chalk Hill Blue. Missing was Small Tortoiseshell and clearly too late for Small Blue and Marsh Fritillary. Listed in order of sighting: Total: Large White (24); Gatekeeper (5); Peacock (7); Small White (37); Green-veined White (4); Meadow Brown (80); Ringlet (28); Small / Essex Skipper (45); Brimstone (M)(10)(F)(2); Holly Blue (M)(1); Marbled White (88); Holly Blue (M)(1); Essex Skipper (2); Small Heath (8); Small Skipper (1); Small Copper (2); Dark Green Fritillary (48); Common Blue (M)(3); Painted Lady (2); Chalk Hill Blue (M)(22); Brown Argus (1); Comma (2); Red Admiral (1). [Posted by Francis Plowman]
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| Large White female Photo © Francis Plowman | Dark Green Fritillary Photo © Francis Plowman | Chalk Hill Blue male Photo © Francis Plowman |
West Walk, Wickham. The day started well with a White Admiral seen soon after arrival, though another didn't appear for nearly an hour; honeysuckle was in remarkably good condition; no wilting. In the few glades, Silver-washed Fritillary (4), all male, were noted, along with a few dozen Meadow Browns and Ringlets. Speckled Woods were scarce and in poor condition. Vanessids comprised Red Admiral (1), Peacock (3), Comma (4); something larger and darker was seen atop a Sweet Chestnut amid masses of flower. A few Large Whites and Small Whites completed the tally. [Posted by Andrew Brookes]
Old Winchester Hill. Today the temperature reached 28 degrees during a visit to Old Winchester Hill in company with my father Roy Symonds. Walking from 11am to 3.15pm, from along the ridge to the hill fort, circling it then walking the stepped path, then descending the slope to the woods. Here the path to the bottom of the car park slope was followed and finally its ascent.
Marbled Whites, Meadow Browns and Small Skippers appeared to be flying everywhere. Several fresh Comma, Peacocks, Red Admirals and Painted Ladys were seen on bramble bloom in the scrubby areas, while a few newly emerged Gatekeepers was also recorded. Several Brimstones added more colour, while mostly around the hill fort on the Northern side, Dark Green Fritillarys were active some only stopping very briefly to feed. On the turf between the woods and bottom of the car park slope, a single male Common Blue was recorded.
Totals: Brimstone 13M 11F, Large White 24, Green-veined White 2, Small White 66, Common Blue 1M, Small Copper 2, Gatekeeper 4, Marbled White 98, Meadow Brown 182, Ringlet 44, Small Heath 11, Comma 5, Dark Green Fritillary 22, Painted Lady 3, Peacock 8, Red Admiral 6, Small Skipper 84. [Posted by Richard Symonds]
Moth Trap in my garden at Leigh Park. Had 50 species of moth in my trap this morning. Some of the highlights included a Scarce Silver-lines. 6 Elephant Hawk-moth, 10 L-album Wainscot, Lunar-spotted Pinion, 4 Kent Black Arches, 2 male Festoon, Clancy's Rustic, 2 Black Arches, Canary-shouldered Thorn, 2 July Highflyer, and a European Corn-borer etc. [Posted by Barry Collins]