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Butterfly Blog

More species this week

30/7/2019

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Following last week's record heat and the subsequent downpours, we counted fewer numbers overall but we recorded 18 species, one more than the season's previous best of a fortnight ago. We saw more Common Blues than last week, the Chalkhill Blues were out in good numbers and we saw our first Brown Arguses. In addition, we had higher than usual counts of Brimstone, Silver-washed Fritillary and Peacock.
 
Although we didn't see any cattle in Section 1 of the transect it looked as though they had singled out our Kidney Vetch patch as the best spot in Hither Field to have a roll. There were cowpats around to indicate they were the culprit(s).



Survey on 30-7-19 by Brian G and Graham H.
​submitted to Butterfly Conservation (UKBMS). 
Info by Brian G.
Here are this week's details:
124  Meadow Brown
115 Gatekeeper
  27 Chalkhill Blue
  23 Marbled White
  19 Brimstone
  14 Common Blue
  12 Brown Argus
  10 
Peacock
    7 Silver-washed Fritillary
    5 Ringlet
    4 Dark Green Fritillary
    3 Small/Essex Skipper
    3 
Large White
    3 Small White
    3 
Small Copper
    2 Small Heath
    2 Red Admiral
    2 Speckled Wood

Total: 376 butterflies across 18 species.
Click on butterfly names for more info.
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Scorchio!

26/7/2019

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It was a very hot walk around that yielded a drop-off in numbers of Meadow Browns, Marbled Whites, Small/Essex Skippers, Small Heaths and Ringlets than we've recorded over recent weeks, but a rise in sightings of Chalkhill Blues, Gatekeepers, Brimstones and Peacocks. Still very few Common Blues, when in previous seasons we've seen large numbers of them.
Here's the detail of what we recorded:
 
144
Gatekeeper
131 Meadow Brown
  76 Marbled White
  18 Small/Essex Skipper
  20
Chalkhill Blue
  14 Ringlet
  11 Brimstone
    8 Dark Green Fritillary
    7 Peacock
    6 Small Heath
    3 Common Blue
    3
Large White
    2 Silver-washed Fritillary
    1 Large Skipper
 
Total: 444 butterflies across 14 species.

Click on butterfly names for more info.

Survey on 24-7-19 by Brian G, Graham H and Graham K.
​submitted to Butterfly Conservation (UKBMS). 
Info by Brian G.
Peacock Butterfly
Peacock, Coneyboro HIll

​Click on pics to enlarge. 
Pics © Graham Kenward 2019.
Ringlet Butterfly
Ringlet, Coneyboro Hill
Common Blue Butterfly
Common Blue, Fames Rough
Southern Hawker dragonfly
Southern Hawker, Coneyboro Hill
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Highest number of species

18/7/2019

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Although the weather was borderline hot and calm, we didn't get the high butterfly numbers that might have been expected, however we recorded the highest number of species this year: 561 butterflies across 17 species. Although less numerous than recent weeks, the Meadow Browns and Marbled Whites still provided our highest counts with the newly emerged Gatekeepers as the third highest count. We also saw the first of this season's Chalkhill Blues close to our nurtured Horseshoe Vetch area in Stagbury Field and Purple Hairstreaks along the line of oaks in Hill Wood Field. The complete absence of Common Blues was worrying as in previous years they have been seen in high numbers at this point in the season. Our count figures have been entered on the BCT website.
Count details:
196
Marbled White
190 Meadow Brown
  56 Gatekeeper
  34 Small/Essex Skipper
  34 Ringlet
  13
Small Heath
    8 Dark Green Fritillary
    8  Small White
    5  Large White
    4  Brimstone
   4  Chalkhill Blue
   2  Purple Hairstreak
   2  
Silver-washed Fritillary
   2  Comma
   1  
Large Skipper
   1  Peacock
   1  
Speckled Wood


Overall total: 561 butterflies across 17 species.
Click on butterfly names for more info.
Picture
Marbled White on Scabious, Stagbury

Survey by Brian G, Graham H and Graham K.

​submitted to Butterfly Conservation (UKBMS). 
Info by Brian G.
Hover over pics for captions. Click on pics to enlarge. All pics © Graham Kenward 2019.
Chalkhill Blue
Mating Gatekeeper butterflies
Crab Spider on Marjoram
Dark Green Fritillary
Gatekeeper butterfly
Musk Mallow
Small/Essex Skipper
Teazel
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Wednesday's butterflies

11/7/2019

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We had warm but overcast weather, and the day’s count was lower than last week's record, although still substantial. The Marbled Whites put the greatest risk of RSI on the clicker, but Meadow Browns were the only species that appeared in all 12 sections of the transect. No Small or any other Blues this time, but it's encouraging that the Kidney Vetch flowering in Hither Field has spread further than last year. And a lack of Speckled Woods in their usual haunts, despite their imminent main flight season.
​

The details are:
391 Marbled White
241 Meadow Brown
  42 Small/Essex Skipper
  24 Small Heath
  16 
Ringlet
    6 Silver-washed Fritillary
    5 
Small White
    4 Large Skipper
    2 Red Admiral
    2 
Dark Green Fritillary

Overall total: 733 butterflies across 10 species.
Click on butterfly names for more info.
Picture
Worn Red Admiral on Bramble, Harholt Plantation


​Survey by Graham H and Graham K.

​submitted to Butterfly Conservation (UKBMS). 
Info and pics by Graham K.
Hover over pics for captions. Click on pics to enlarge.
Cinnabar Moth caterpillars on Ragwort
Silver-washed Fritillary
Dark Green Fritillary
Gatekeeper butterfly
Pyramidal Orchids
Male Meadow Brown
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Over 1,200 butterflies

4/7/2019

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Perfect butterfly spotting weather conditions gave us a super abundance of 720 Marbled Whites, with Sections 1, 3 and 4 each having a count of over 150. Meadow Browns, too, gave a high count of 270. We saw one single Small Blue on the Hither Field Kidney Vetch patch. Dark Green Fritillaries were very active in the the first four sections, making quick visits and then disappearing.
 
This week's grand total of 1,207 butterflies (across 12 species) really is quite grand as it exceeds our previous transect total of 1,066 from last year's week 13. Thankfully, Graham H and I had Geoff and Roger along to help with the spotting and counting.


737 Marbled White
270 Meadow Brown
  60 Ringlet
  55 Small Heath
  41 Small/Essex Skipper
  25
Large Skipper
    8 Dark Green Fritillary
    4 Common Blue
    3 Large White
    2 Small White
    1 Speckled Wood
    1 Small Blue 

Overall total: 1,207 across 12 species.

Click on butterfly names for more info.

Survey by Brian G, Graham H, Geof H and Roger V.
​submitted to Butterfly Conservation (UKBMS). 
Info and pics by Brian G.
Click on pics to enlarge.
Picture
Marbled White on Field Scabious
Picture
Marbled White on Marjoram
Picture
Red Admiral
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  • Home
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