More New Spring Sightings

The month of  April was very dry with cold winds from the north and east and temperatures well below average for the time of year. However things are due to change as May begins with  rain and wind in the forecast  after the weekend. Hopefully warmer weather will soon be on the way. Today continued the April theme and when the sun shone it was very pleasant as I returned to the landslip. Descending the steps onto the landslip I at once saw a male Wall Brown on the cliff slope and that was quickly followed by two more. Unfortunately the sun then disappeared behind shower clouds and the only other species seen were a Dingy Skipper, Small Copper, and a Peacock.

Returning to the foot of Afton Down, it was pleasing to record the first Small Blue of the year with four individuals. Green Hairstreak were again present along with a very pristine male Common Blue.

 

Another Spring Species.

Now that we are enjoying a period of settled sunny weather following the cold of early April, spring is now catching up with the new emerging butterfly species. Green Hairstreak numbers have today increased to three at the site I have visited during  the last few days and now at least two Grizzled Skippers are present.

  

A First Sight of the Spring Emergents.

The warm weather of early April gave way to a very cold north to north-east wind  resulting in low temperatures for the last week  or so and consequently hardly any butterfly activity. However with  some sunshine and lighter winds today I was pleased to see two spring emergent species in the West Wight. A first Green Hairstreak of the season and likewise a Small Copper. Both enjoying the warm sunshine in the sheltered spot they had chosen.

Bonchurch Down Delivers a Bevy of Butterflies.

The south facing slopes of Bonchurch Down look out over the English Channel.The Down is well known for the Adonis Blue Butterfly as well as a selection of other butterfly species.The Adonis is not yet on the wing but a walk along the slopes this morning produced a bevy of butterflies.

It was the first sighting this year of Common Blue,Brown Argus,Dingy Skipper,and a Clouded Yellow.The latter is known to breed just a short distance away around Wheelers Bay where adults are observed regularly in April.More than likely the individual seen today was a migrant as we have been  enjoying a very warm southerly wind recently.

Busy Orange Tips.

The first Orange Tip,a male, flew around my garden today.Most years I do not see this species in my garden until May, so much earlier than expected.Activity of this species has been evident since the first week in April when at Ventnor I came across a female taking great interest in the Honesty plants.She was soon joined by a male who fluttered feverishly around her.Her response,in this instance,was a rejection of his advances in typical Orange Tip fashion.Females who have already mated and want to shoo away a male will  flatten their wings and raise their abdomen.This is followed by an opening of the genital valve to release anti-aphrodisiac hormones to discourage the male.

Warm Temperatures Bring On the Butterflies.

We enjoyed above average temperatures yesterday on the Island and it was most likely the warmest day of the year so far.Therefore,I was not surprised to see my first butterfly of 2017 sunning itself on the ground in my garden.No doubt this Peacock had just come out of hibernation and was after some nutrition.It soon flew onto a daffodil where it began to nectar.
After lunch I made a short car ride along the coast and visited one of the numerous Chines that are found here to see the state of Glanville Fritillary caterpillar webs that dot the sides of the coastal cliffs.With the sunshine warming up these grassy knolls caterpillars were evident although at this time they are small,only 6mm or so in length.By late April they will have grown considerably and will begin to disperse from their communal webs to find place to pupate.

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Defyng the Inclement Weather.

The caterpillars of our own Isle of Wight Glanville Fritillary have a lot to put up with.Their habitat is our coastal cliffs which bare the brunt of winter and spring storms that batter the south west shore of the Island.Still this butterfly is use to all that the weather can throw at it and continues to survive in its unique habitat.

Not surprisingly then, that this morning I came across several glanville webs in which the caterpillars remain until April when they disperse to find a suitable place to pupate.The weather today was particularly cold and wet so they congregate in the web for protection from the elements.On sunny days at this time of year they will become active around the web and feed on their food plant,Ribwort Plantain.

Further information on this special butterfly can be found  here.

Glanville caterpillars huddle up against the wet and cold weather.

Something New,Something Blue.

With a report of a probable second brood of  Small Blue at a nearby established colony a few days ago,I was at last able to take a look for our smallest butterfly.The weather has been very changeable over recent days but thankfully today the strong wind had abated and we enjoyed some warm sunny periods.It was not long before I came across two mating pairs and although Small Blue colonies tend to be fairly small ,such as this particular one,hopefully a few more butterflies will emerge.

The flight period is from May to late June with an occasional second brood in late July and August.At this location however it is normal for this species to appear in April. 

More Very Special Little Gems.

On the Isle of Wight we can look forward to our own very special butterfly again this season when the Glanville Fritillary emerges at the end of April or early May.

The female butterfly will lay up to 200 eggs on the host food plant,Ribwort Plantain.Following the fourth moult or instar the larvae build a web in order to hibernate over the winter.After the sixth and final moult the caterpillars will disperse from their protective web and pupate

When disturbed or in inclement weather the larvae will retreat back into the undergrowth  behind their web and form into a protective ball.

Will They Be Back in 2015?

The recent history of the Large Tortoiseshell on the Isle of Wight is one of several sightings of individuals scattered around the Island mainly during the summer months.This has been interpreted as migrants from the continent and that is probably a correct assumption.However in 2009 at Woodhouse Copse no less than five were reported on the 19th March.All it seems were along a single woodland ride in what was then a well managed copse.Where did all these originate from?who can tell, although the time of year would indicate they had just emerged from hibernation.

The following year it seemed that this would be 'a one off' for the copse as none were seen there and sightings in general were again restricted to the odd one or two about the Island.But in 2011 the Large Tortoiseshell was back at Woodhouse with three seen on the 7th March,another two on the 22nd March,and seven more sightings of 'ones' until the 8th April.

When it seemed that the copse could be the next 'stronghold' of this iconic species,2012 proved to be a disappointment as Woodhouse Copse was sold,woodland management was abandoned, and human disturbance put an end to the chance of further sightings.As far as I am aware no sightings of the butterfly have been made there since.

Still,there are other woodlands,and at Newtown the National Trust maintain several copse,one of which is Walters Copse.This is very well managed and without a doubt my favourite haunt for all sorts of wildlife.

So it was here on 27th March 2012 that a Large Tortoiseshell was spotted taking moisture from a damp area of ground in a clearing.It was a female in excellent condition and recently out of hibernation after maybe spending the winter in or around the copse.Over the next few days many butterfly watchers visited the copse and two further sightings were made of different individuals.

Hopes were now high for a repeat performance at Walters Copse in 2013 but due to the very cold weather that lasted  into March the spring was put on hold for a while.Finally, in April it warmed up and on the 19th a rather tatty male was seen in Walters.This male proved to be very accommodating and stayed on its territory for several days allowing all to get a good view.In fact it was not the only Large Tortoiseshell in the immediate area as others were also recorded in.the copse and in the surrounding meadows.

In contrast to the previous two years,the spring of 2014 did not produce any probable sightings at Walters Copse,so we can only hope that this year the Large Tortoiseshell will return to grace our Island woodlands.

Best Bits of 2014.

Unlike 2012 and 2013 which were highlighted by sightings of the Large Tortoiseshell at Walters Copse,Newtown, this year the butterfly was not to be seen despite a good search in the spring.We can just hope that next season it will excite us with it's presence.

At the end of May I took a trip to Hod Hill in Dorset to get my first look at the Marsh Fritillary. This lovely butterfly is no longer resident on the Isle of Wight and I was not disappointed when at last I came across several individuals sheltering away in a grassy old hill fort moat from the inclement weather that day.

Another excellent highlight was a second brood of White Admirals in Walters Copse in September.This species had done well here in the summer but to see three pristine White Admirals  so late in the season was a treat.

Perhaps the highlight of 2014 though,had to be recording the first Glanville Fritillaries on the wing in the UK.As usual they appeared at Wheelers Bay,Bonchurch in April.This site is always the first site to produce this unique butterfly and is followed throughout May by other Island colonies on our south west coastal cliffs.

The Glanville pictured below is from Wheelers Bay,photographed on the 30th April and it can be classed as a variant partly due to it's rather dark hind wing colouring.

Hummers.

The Hummingbird Hawkmoth is a summer visitor to the Isle of Wight.Most sightings are made during August and September although it is possible to see this spectacular moth from as early as April to the end of the year.Yesterday at Wheelers Bay,Bonchurch,I had the treat of seeing at least four individuals nectaring on the ample drifts of Red Valerian along the revetment.

Still Around.

A surprise sighting yesterday at Shepherds Chine on the Islands' south west coast was a late Glanville Fritillary. The first sighting was back on 29th April and normally one would not expect to see it in July.

Back to Wheelers.

I do not think that I have wandered along the revetment at Wheelers Bay since first seeing the Glanvilles at the end of April.So on a hot,sunny morning I made a point of visiting to see what butterflies were to be seen.As the Glanvilles have been on the wing here for over six weeks I was not surprised to come across several well worn butterflies,although one or two were in excellent condition.Apart from the numerous Common Blues,I also saw Small Blue,Painted Lady,and Marbled White.Still very much worth a trip as one can never tell what other continental species will arrive.

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Some First Time Sightings of the Year

The end of April has finished with some perfect spring weather.This week has continued sunny and mild and as a result new butterfly sightings are on the up.A visit to Walters Copse at Newtown started with no sightings until the afternoon when a male Orange Tip appeared, busily flitting around for flowering plants.Any flowers were then contested with a Green-veined White.

A wander around the copse also found a couple of Peacocks as well as my first sight of two Speckled Wood which were sparring for a sunny woodland spot.All the while the occassional male Brimstone would pass by hoping to come across the much paler looking female.