Weekend photos courtesy Alan Dawson.
Alan also found a rather tatty White-letter Hairstreak in Cholsey churchyard today.
Brown Argus
Common Blue
Brown Hawker
Red Admiral
Gatekeeper
Showing posts with label White-letter Hairstreak. Show all posts
Showing posts with label White-letter Hairstreak. Show all posts
Sunday, 1 August 2021
Monday, 19 July 2021
Sunshiny Day
A sunshiny day, 30°, light NW.
A surprise day on Lollingdon hill today, initially a male Common Redstart had turned up but keeping to the top hedge and only seen briefly a few times.
Next, a butterfly landed on some bramble just in front of me and stayed long enough to ID it as a White-letter Hairstreak. What it was doing there? I don’t know but an unusual record for this species with only 3 records in the last 20 years. It flew up into the tree canopy and I did not see it again.
While searching for the WLH, I came across a Silver-washed Fritillary, another scarce butterfly for the area. This one very active and soon disappeared and sadly no photos of either.
A Little Owl and a Sparrowhawk also seen and 18 Red Kite seen thermalling out at Lollingdon. Also a few Swift, Swallow and House Martin feeding overhead.
A surprise day on Lollingdon hill today, initially a male Common Redstart had turned up but keeping to the top hedge and only seen briefly a few times.
Next, a butterfly landed on some bramble just in front of me and stayed long enough to ID it as a White-letter Hairstreak. What it was doing there? I don’t know but an unusual record for this species with only 3 records in the last 20 years. It flew up into the tree canopy and I did not see it again.
While searching for the WLH, I came across a Silver-washed Fritillary, another scarce butterfly for the area. This one very active and soon disappeared and sadly no photos of either.
A Little Owl and a Sparrowhawk also seen and 18 Red Kite seen thermalling out at Lollingdon. Also a few Swift, Swallow and House Martin feeding overhead.
River birds: Both Reed & Sedge Warbler plus the usual suspects.
*Seen along the river, per Alan.
Dragonflies: Beautiful Demoiselle, *Banded Demoiselle, *White-legged Damselfly, *Blue-tailed Damselfly, Southern Hawker, Brown Hawker, *Emperor, *Black-tailed Skimmer & Common Darter.
And a good mix of butterflies seen by us both.
Butterflies: Large Skipper, Small Skipper, Essex Skipper, Brimstone, Large White, Small White, White-letter Hairstreak, Common Blue, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Comma, Silver-washed Fritillary, Speckled Wood, Marbled White, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Ringlet & Small Heath.
*Seen along the river, per Alan.
Dragonflies: Beautiful Demoiselle, *Banded Demoiselle, *White-legged Damselfly, *Blue-tailed Damselfly, Southern Hawker, Brown Hawker, *Emperor, *Black-tailed Skimmer & Common Darter.
And a good mix of butterflies seen by us both.
Butterflies: Large Skipper, Small Skipper, Essex Skipper, Brimstone, Large White, Small White, White-letter Hairstreak, Common Blue, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Comma, Silver-washed Fritillary, Speckled Wood, Marbled White, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Ringlet & Small Heath.
Beautiful Demoiselle
Grey Heron courtesy Alan
Painted Lady courtesy Alan (one antennae missing)
Monday, 20 July 2020
WLH & WW
Sunshine and cloud, 20°, light N.
A good butterfly find by Alan today of a White-letter Hairstreak at the west end of the village. The only other records in Cholsey have been in Tony Rayner’s east end garden to date, so an interesting find.
Another fairly quiet day out at Lollingdon. The 2 Common Redstart still present on the hill and a 3rd individual found by one of the horse paddocks, though quite elusive.
A good butterfly find by Alan today of a White-letter Hairstreak at the west end of the village. The only other records in Cholsey have been in Tony Rayner’s east end garden to date, so an interesting find.
Another fairly quiet day out at Lollingdon. The 2 Common Redstart still present on the hill and a 3rd individual found by one of the horse paddocks, though quite elusive.
A Green Woodpecker also present on the hill and 1-2 Bullfinch on the wooded side.
The first Willow Warbler of the autumn in the same area as the 3rd Redstart.
3 quite vocal Kestrel between Little Lollingdon and the hill, 1 adult and 2 youngsters.
Mammals: Brown Hare.
Dragonflies: a single Brown Hawker.
Butterflies: Small Skipper, Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Holly Blue, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Comma, Speckled Wood, Marbled White, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown and Ringlet.
3 quite vocal Kestrel between Little Lollingdon and the hill, 1 adult and 2 youngsters.
Mammals: Brown Hare.
Dragonflies: a single Brown Hawker.
Butterflies: Small Skipper, Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Holly Blue, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Comma, Speckled Wood, Marbled White, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown and Ringlet.
Kestrel
White-letter Hairstreak (courtesy Alan)
Saturday, 11 July 2020
A Bee, Beetle & Butterfly
Mainly sunny, 19°, light NNE.
A good day for butterflies with Tony Rayner counting 19 species in his garden today including White-letter Hairstreak.
And Tony Williams has found a bee species that he was not familiar with and neither are we.
Alan has identified it as a Scabious Mining Bee and am inclined to agree. BUT we may be proved wrong?
A Lesser Stag Beetle photographed by Edward Dawson aged 7. A budding wildlife photographer.
Thanks to Tony W for the bee info and Tony R & Alan for the photos and of course Edward.
A good day for butterflies with Tony Rayner counting 19 species in his garden today including White-letter Hairstreak.
And Tony Williams has found a bee species that he was not familiar with and neither are we.
Alan has identified it as a Scabious Mining Bee and am inclined to agree. BUT we may be proved wrong?
A Lesser Stag Beetle photographed by Edward Dawson aged 7. A budding wildlife photographer.
Thanks to Tony W for the bee info and Tony R & Alan for the photos and of course Edward.
Scabious Mining Bee
White-letter Hairstreak
Lesser Stag Beetle
Sunday, 5 July 2020
White-letter Hairstreak
Sunny spells, 19°, breezy WSW.
After a phone call from Tony Rayner this afternoon I was invited to see a White-letter Hairstreak. Actually at least 2 of them are present in his garden.
Spent a couple of hours there but unfortunately not to be seen.
This is the first confirmed record for this species since 1999, so a 21 year wait.
The garden was full of butterflies and a pleasure to see:
A couple of bird species of note were: Bullfinch and Kestrel.
Dragonflies: Azure Damselfly & Brown Hawker. Alan: Beautiful Demoiselle, Southern Hawker and Brown Hawker.
Butterflies: Small Skipper, Essex Skipper, Brimstone, Large White, Small White, White-letter Hairstreak, Brown Argus, Holly Blue, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Comma, Marbled White, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown and Ringlet. (All in Tony’s garden).
Plants: Bee Orchid and Pyramid Orchid. Lots of Marjoram in the garden that is attracting a large number of insects and all made its way there naturally.
After a phone call from Tony Rayner this afternoon I was invited to see a White-letter Hairstreak. Actually at least 2 of them are present in his garden.
Spent a couple of hours there but unfortunately not to be seen.
This is the first confirmed record for this species since 1999, so a 21 year wait.
The garden was full of butterflies and a pleasure to see:
A couple of bird species of note were: Bullfinch and Kestrel.
Dragonflies: Azure Damselfly & Brown Hawker. Alan: Beautiful Demoiselle, Southern Hawker and Brown Hawker.
Butterflies: Small Skipper, Essex Skipper, Brimstone, Large White, Small White, White-letter Hairstreak, Brown Argus, Holly Blue, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Comma, Marbled White, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown and Ringlet. (All in Tony’s garden).
Plants: Bee Orchid and Pyramid Orchid. Lots of Marjoram in the garden that is attracting a large number of insects and all made its way there naturally.
White-letter Hairstreak (courtesy Tony Rayner) ↕
Brimstone
Brown Argus
Meadow Brown
Marbled White
Common Blue
Ringlet ↕
Marjoram
Pyramid Orchid
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