Butterfly Islands: Bluebells

Showing posts with label Bluebells. Show all posts

Sunday 14 April 2024

A First Green Hairstreak of the Year.

Several visits have been made to the National Trust Car Park at the foot of Afton Down over the last few days. Today around noon the first Green Hairstreak was observed flying energetically over a large spread of Bluebells and briefly landing on the flowers.It then flew off and could not be located again. However I am sure that it will soon be joined by other individuals.

Stock Photograph

Thursday 3 May 2018

Blue On Blue.

A walk in the countryside today saw an array of spring butterflies.The only first of the year new species was a Large White seen feeding on a bountiful crop of dandelions.However the highlight was a Holly Blue investigating a drift of bluebells.

Sunday 16 April 2017

Cooler Temperatures Slow Down the Spring Butterflies.

Although the weather has been dry and mainly sunny since the unseasonably warm temperatures of last weekend,a nagging cold wind has seemed to postpone the emergence of new spring butterflies here along the coast.This is so at Whiteways Quarry where no new species have been seen on the wing.However today the two Green Hairstreaks at the site were enjoying the Bluebells and the elusive Grizzled Skipper still puts in an occasional appearance.

Saturday 9 May 2015

Busy in my Local Copse.

A good selection of butterflies today at my local copse,all enjoying the spring flowers.Very belatedly I have seen an Orange Tip for the first time this year.In fact they were out in good numbers although the males were always in a hurry and never seemed to settle close by.However the females had egg laying on their minds and I observed them fluttering from plant to plant getting on with the business.

Thursday 10 April 2014

A First Orange Tip.

In the last several days Holly Blue,Speckled Wood ,and the Small White have visited my garden.However a sure sign of spring happened today when a first Orange Tip appeared.A male busily flew around the garden looking for something it may fancy but apart from the bluebells there did not seem to be any flowers that took its interest.Definitely something for me to take note of for next year.

Thursday 9 May 2013

A Walk in Walters Copse.

The summer like weather of a few days ago has gone and today it was much cooler with a strong wind.Still the sun was shining,and with the bluebells and the early purple orchids now on show in Walters Copse it made a pleasant walk

It wasn't long before I came upon several white butterflies,two Large White nectaring on the bluebells and three Green-veined White.Two male Orange Tip busily flew up and down the rides and in the more sun dappled areas I counted at least six Speckled Wood.

Apart from witnessing a pair of mating Green-veined White the highlight was following a female Orange Tip as she fluttered along landing at regular intervals either to catch the sun or investigate potential egg-laying spots.

The Adonis Blue

The Large Tortoiseshell

It seems the general view on the status of the Large Tortoiseshell in Britain is that it is now extinct as a breeding butterfly.
It is a butterfly of woodland edges and hedgerows that abound in willows,elms,and poplars.These trees are used by the adult to lay its eggs and this single brood appears in July and August.The emerging butterfly then hibernates over the winter in log piles and hollow trees until the next spring.
On the Isle of Wight sightings are more often than not made from early March to April.Have these butterflies overwintered on the Island or have they come from the continent where it is common?
Any sightings made in July/August pose the same question.Another explanation could be that captive-bred releases are responsible.Only the discovery of eggs and caterpillars will probably answer these questions.

I can now report that evidence has been found of breeding just along the coast at Portland in Dorset (June 2020) and again at the same location in the summer of 2021.

The Glanville Fritillary

This elegant butterfly is mainly confined to the crumbling undercliffs and chalk downs of the Isle of Wight.It is also found on the Channel Islands and at one or two isolated colonies on the British mainland.In Britain the Glanville Fritillary is at the extreme north-western edge of its range.On the continent it is readily found in flowery habitats.
Around the southern shores of the Isle of Wight the cliffs constantly erode causing them to slip away and provide perfect conditions for new growths of the butterflies laval host plant,Ribwort Plantain.
The eggs are laid to the underside of the leaves of this plant and normally hatch after about three weeks.The resulting caterpillars live together in communal webs spun over the plantain.In the autumn they hibernate and recommence feeding in the spring,eventually dispersing to prepare for pupation.
The adult butterfly is on the wing from May to the end of June with the female being larger than the male.They will feed on,amongst other things, Birds-foot Trefoil and Thrift.

The Wall Brown

On the Isle of Wight in particular,the Wall Brown is a butterfly of field edges,coastal cliffs and dunes,and rabbit-grazed downland.
The male is territorial and spends much of the time patrolling and basking on the ground.
The female,which lacks the males conspicuous dark sex brand across the forewings,is larger.The undersides of both sexes are beautifully cryptic when at rest.
The Wall Brown generally produces two broods a year,the first from late April until late June and the second from mid-July to mid-September.