Blog Archives

Saturday count

27/6/2021

As two key members of our transect team will be elsewhere for most of this transect week (13/26) and Saturday's weather forecast was showing it to be the best of the remaining days of week 13, Graham H and Brian made the unprecedented decision to do the butterfly count on a Saturday.

It was only three days since our week 12 transect, so for a change we did the walk in reverse sequence, starting out in bright warm sunshine which became rather more patchy as we proceeded.

Meadow Browns and Small Heaths had the highest count (both with similar numbers to last week's figures) followed by a rapid advance in the number of Marbled Whites. We saw our first Small Skipper (just the one) and our second highest count of the spectacular Dark Green Fritillaries (five were in Fames Rough and seven in Stagbury Field). With only three Common Blues sighted, we can only conclude that the CBs early summer brood has peaked: their second brood should emerge in about a month's time.

The butterfly numbers recorded for this season remain comparatively low but Saturday's count offers hope that we'll be seeing more over the next few weeks.

Count details:
57 Meadow Brown
28 Small Heath
26 Marbled White
12 Dark Green Fritillary
5 Large Skipper
3 Common Blue
3 Small Tortoiseshell
2 Red Admiral
1 Small Skipper
1 Brimstone
1 Green Hairstreak
Click on butterfly names for more info.
Total: 139 butterflies from 11 species.

Survey by Brian Gardner and Graham H submitted to Butterfly Conservation (UKBMS).
Report and pics by Brian Gardner.

Click on pics to enlarge.

Large Skipper

Dark Green Fritillary

Small Skipper

UPDATE: last Wednesday's transect (23/6/2021)

This transect was walked by Graham H and Brian in fine and warm weather but, as in recent weeks, the overall numbers recorded were low when compared to the same weeks of previous years since we started recording back in 2016.

The most numerous butterflies seen were the Meadow Browns (with 55 counted) followed by 23 Small Heaths, and we also saw our first Dark Green Fritillaries and Marbled Whites of this season.

Hither Field's Kidney Vetch patch is still in full flower but no Small Blues were seen.

Count details:
55 Meadow Brown
23 Small Heath
8 Common Blue
5 Marbled White
5 Small Tortoiseshell
4 Large Skipper
4 Dark Green Fritillary
2 Small White
1 Green Hairstreak
1 Speckled Wood
Click on butterfly names for more info.

Total: 108 across 10 species.

Survey by Brian Gardner and Graham H submitted to Butterfly Conservation (UKBMS).
Report by Brian Gardner.

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Heat up, numbers still down

16/6/2021

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Despite the very high temperatures encountered on today's transect, the overall butterfly count was quite similar to last week's, so it seems that we're still in the June lull (as reported last week). However, we did see our first Meadow Browns and a Dark Green Fritillary and we were very pleased to find our first Small Blue on the prolifically flowering Kidney Vetch on Hither Field.

Count details:
19 Small Heath
18 Meadow Brown
15 Common Blue
9 Dingy Skipper
6 Large Skipper
5 Brimstone
3 Green Hairstreak
2 Grizzled Skipper
1 Dark Green Fritillary
1 Painted Lady
1 Peacock
1 Small Blue
1 Speckled Wood

Meadow Brown, Coneyboro Hill

Small Blue, Hither Field

Total: 82 butterflies across 13 species.

Survey by Brian Gardner, Graham H, Graham K, Duncan Jennings and Roger Vye submitted to Butterfly Conservation (UKBMS).
Report by Brian Gardner. Pics by Graham Kenward. Click on pics to enlarge.

Peacock, Coneyboro Hill

Small Heath, Banstead Wood

Our transectuals outline the increased area of Kidney Vetch (food plant of the Small Blue) flowering in Hither Field.

Blooming this week: Yellow-wort (Blackstonia perfoliata), Coneyboro Hill

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The June lull

9/6/2021

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The weather on Tuesday was just right for spotting butterflies but despite this we were disappointed with the lack of butterflies we actually saw. Following the sighting of several Small Blues on the Kidney Vetch at the Stagbury Lagoon we hoped to see SBs on the now spreading Vetch on Hither Field but none were found.

Our total count of 81 was 14 down on last week's tally. This may be due to the regular 'June lull' where butterfly numbers dip before the onset of the mass emergences in the 'high season' of July.

On a positive note we saw one more species than we saw last week and interestingly we recorded a couple of Grizzled Skippers on Section 1 (Hither Field), which Graham H says is the first occurrence that he knows of. Plus, we also spotted our first Large Skipper of the season.

Here are the details:
37 Common Blue
18 Dingy Skipper
11 Small Heath
4 Brimstone
4 Grizzled Skipper
2 Green Hairstreak
1 Large Skipper
1 Orange Tip
1 Peacock
1 Small Copper
1 Small White
Click on butterfly names for more info.
Total: 81 butterflies from 11 species.

Survey by Brian Gardner, Graham H and Roger Vye submitted to Butterfly Conservation (UKBMS).
Report Brian Gardner.
Pics by Graham Kenward (taken at the Lagoon on the same day).
Click on pics to enlarge.

Small Blue

Common Blue

Small Copper, upperside

Small Copper, underside

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Best weather so far

2/6/2021

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Tuesday's transect was walked in the best weather we've had this season, and the butterflies were present across all of the sections, rather than concentrated in Coneyboro and Fames Rough, as for previous weeks.
In addition to the species we'd expect to see we also recorded our first Small Heaths, a Painted Lady, a Brown Argus and a Small Copper.

Count details:
27 Dingy Skipper
23 Common Blue
20 Brimstone
9 Green Hairstreak
8 Small Heath
4 Grizzled Skipper
1 Brown Argus
1 Painted Lady
1 Peacock
1 Small Copper

Total: 95 Butterflies across 10 species.
Click on butterfly names for more info.