WOODCHIPS
  • Home
  • About Us
  • The area we cover
  • Featured creatures
  • Our Butterflies
    • Butterfly Blog
  • Bird Count
  • Toolkit
  • Photo Calendar
  • Countryside Videos
  • CONTACT/MORE INFO
  • Grassland Survey
  • SAFE WORKING

Butterfly Blog

Lower count on a brighter day

27/8/2020

0 Comments

 
The strong wind and rain of the early part of the week had eased down and conditions for Wednesday afternoon's transect were warm and bright. Perhaps our butterflies were still recovering from the bad weather or maybe they'd even succumbed to the wind and wetting, but this week's count of 97 was a low one. Conditions do vary from year to year: for previous Week 22 Transects the totals were: 165 (2016), 139 (2017), 60 (2018) and 247 (2019).
 
On Wednesday, Meadow Browns were still predominant but are slowly declining, while other species, i.e. Small Coppers, Small Heaths, Common Blues, Speckled Woods, Brown Argus, are into their second brood and could, if conditions are right, be seen in higher numbers in the next few weeks.
Here's the detail of our count:
69 
Meadow Brown
  8 Small Heath
  7 Chalkhill Blue
  3 Brown Argus
  3 Common Blue
  2 Red Admiral
  2 
Small White
  1 Brimstone
  1 Small Copper
  1 Speckled Wood
(10 species in all)
Click on butterfly names for more info.
Picture
This week's transectuals in Fames Rough. Click to enlarge.
Survey by Graham H and Brian Gardner ​submitted to Butterfly Conservation (UKBMS). 
​Report by Brian G. 
0 Comments

Slow start for the slow down

21/8/2020

0 Comments

 
The forecast fine warm day got off to rather a slow start and we headed out for today's proceedings into a stiff breeze with some threatening-looking clouds but, as we progressed, conditions improved steadily so that we completed today's walk-around in warm sunshine.
 
The seasonal decline in butterfly numbers seems to be under way and whereas we counted 317 butterflies last week, today's total was a mere 135, 101 of which were Meadow Browns. The previously moderate numbers of Common and Chalkhill Blues, Small Heaths and Gatekeepers were also much lower. We were, however, surprised to find a Marbled White in Section 12 – it's been 4 weeks since we counted our last pair. 
Here's what we saw: 
101 
Meadow Brown
  10 Small Heath
    9 Chalkhill Blue
    9 Common Blue
    1 Brimstone
    1 Brown Argus
    1 Gatekeeper
    1 Marbled White
    1 Small Copper
    1 Small White
 Click on butterfly names for more info.
Total: 135 across 10 species.
Picture
In season: Devil's-bit Scabious, Coneyboro Hill
Survey by Graham H and Brian Gardner ​submitted to Butterfly Conservation (UKBMS). 
​Report and pics by Brian G. 
​Click on pics to enlarge.
Picture
Female Common Blue
Picture
Small White on Ragwort
0 Comments

Scorchio again

12/8/2020

0 Comments

 
Wednesday's transect was yet another sweltering trek around our well-worn route, but for an added thrill we walked it in reverse (i.e. starting at section 12 and proceeding down the numbers). Seeing the high number of Chalkhill Blues flying as we walked the lower path of Stagbury Field was a pleasing sight. We counted 39, our second highest ever Chalkhill Blue count (our highest was 55 recorded Week 18, 2018). Apart from the Chalkhills, the Small Heaths and Meadow Browns were also out in good numbers, (oh, and there was also a lost-looking Dingy Skipper) but butterflies from all of the other species we saw today numbered fewer than last week's count.
167 Meadow Brown
  67 Common Blue
  39 Chalkhill Blue
  23 Small Heath
  13 Gatekeeper
    3 Speckled Wood
     2 Small White
     1 Large White
     1 Small Copper
     1 Dingy Skipper
Click on butterfly names for more info.

Our total count was 317 butterflies from 10 species.
Survey by Graham H, Brian Gardner,  Graham K and Roger Vye ​submitted to Butterfly Conservation (UKBMS). 
​Report by Brian G. Pics by Graham K. 
​Click on pics to enlarge.
CAUTION: ADULTS ONLY
Some of these images depict activity of a sexual nature between consenting adults in public.
​If you have been affected by any of them, please don't bother to get in touch.
Male Common Blue, Fames Rough
Female Common Blue, Fames Rough
Mating Chalkhill Blues, Stagbury
Mating Meadow Browns, Harholt
Picture
Mating Common Blues (male on top), Fames Rough
0 Comments

Another hot one

8/8/2020

0 Comments

 
Transect 19 was our second hot Friday survey in succession: the temperature was a couple of degrees short of last week's high but this week it was more humid and oppressive. However, the butterflies didn't seem to mind. We spoke with an elderly gent (of about our age) in Section 1 (Hither Field) who was admiring the wild flowers and added that it was a pity there were so few butterflies around – strange, as we were standing in a swarm of Meadow Browns at that time. 
 
In fact, the Meadow Browns were out in the highest number that we've recorded so far this year, whereas the Common Blue and Gatekeeper numbers had dropped back a few points from last week's count. All of our previous sightings of Clouded Yellows have been in Fames Rough (Sections 3 and 4) until this week's transect when, just for change, we saw one in Section 11 (Stagbury Field).
  202 Meadow Brown
    89 Common Blue
    44 Gatekeeper
    15 Chalkhill Blue
      8 Small Heath
      6 Small White
      4 Brimstone
      3 Speckled Wood
      2 Small Copper
      1 Clouded Yellow
      1 Silver-washed Fritillary
 
 Click on butterfly names for more info.

Our total count was 375 butterflies (59 more than last week) from 11 species, two fewer than last week.
Survey by Graham H, Brian Gardner and Graham K ​submitted to Butterfly Conservation (UKBMS). 
​Report by Brian G. Pics by Graham K. 
​Click on pics to enlarge.
Picture
Common Blues on Marjoram, Hill Wood Field
Picture
Faded Common Blue, Fames Rough
Picture
Blurred Clouded Yellow, Stagbury

Bonus creatures

Picture
Fox at the edge of Barn Field
Picture
Burnet Moth on Scabious, Fames Rough
0 Comments

It's all about the Blues, man

1/8/2020

1 Comment

 
The weather for Friday was probably the hottest we've had for our transects: it was already 30 degrees at 10:30am when we started and 35 when we finished at 1:20pm. We were glad of the strong breeze that sprung up during the morning, so strong that it may have prevented the butterflies from flying. Apart from the Meadow Browns and Gatekeepers, the numbers seen were quite different from the previous two transects. We recorded 121 Common Blues, up from 35 last week, and Chalkhill Blues down by just 1. All other species seen last week were either very much fewer or absent.
121 Common Blue
  95 Meadow Brown
  79 Gatekeeper
    8 Chalkhill Blue
    2 Brimstone
    2 Marbled White
    2 Ringlet
    2 Speckled Wood
    1 Large White
    1 Peacock
    1 Silver-washed Fritillary
    1 Small/Essex Skipper
    1
Small Heath
 Click on butterfly names for more info.
Total count: 316 across 13 species.
 
Compared to last year
A cross-check with the details from our 24th July 2019 transect, when the temperature was 30 degrees, shows that we saw 444 butterfiles from 14 species.
Picture
Common Blue, Fames Rough
Picture
Silver-washed Fritillary, Fames Rough
Survey by Graham H, Brian Gardner, Graham K and Roger Vye ​submitted to Butterfly Conservation (UKBMS). 
​Report by Brian G. Pics by Graham K. 
​Click on pics to enlarge.

Bonus creatures

Picture
Common Darter, Lagoon
Picture
Grasshopper at the water's edge, Lagoon
1 Comment
    Picture

    The Transect Team

    Here you'll find details and pictures from the team carrying out our regular  butterfly surveys (known as transects) over 26 weeks during Spring and Summer.

    Archives

    April 2025
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Picture

​
​


Send us an email*

[email protected]m

*Supply your email address and it will be used solely to keep you informed about WoodChip activities. You may unsubscribe at any time.
​The content on this website is subject to copyright of the WoodChips and their volunteers. Please get in touch if you wish to use any of the text or other media.
  • Home
  • About Us
  • The area we cover
  • Featured creatures
  • Our Butterflies
    • Butterfly Blog
  • Bird Count
  • Toolkit
  • Photo Calendar
  • Countryside Videos
  • CONTACT/MORE INFO
  • Grassland Survey
  • SAFE WORKING