A Repeat Performance.

While in my local copse today I encountered this Meadow Brown aberration.Funnily enough it was in the exact same location as another similar aberration of the same species from last year.An offspring perhaps.

The 2015 aberration can be viewed here.

New Summer Sightings.

Three first of the year sightings were made yesterday.On West High Down the Dark Green Fritillaries are on the wing and flying at great speed,not taking time it seems to stop and settle.Two other  sightings were that of a male Small Skipper on the Down and  a fresh Gatekeeper in Walters Copse.Other butterflies now becoming numerous are Marbled White and Meadow Brown.

More First Sightings.

The weather continues to remain unsettled and today on the Isle of Wight it was generally cloudy with brief sunny spells and a brisk wind. So perhaps the best place to minimise the effects of that wind was to visit my local forest at Bouldnor.When the sun did appear one or two butterflies took to the wing and I was happy to see my first Silver-washed Fritillary of the season.He was feeding on the ample bramble flowers that are in the forest now, but unfortunately for me he decided to disappear over the hedge and was not to be seen again.However another first of the year was not too far away, for close by a male Ringlet fluttered around hoping to find a good basking place.Along the forest tracks were good numbers of Meadow Brown nectaring on the bramble flowers.

Under The Olive Trees.

Find an olive grove carpeted in wildflowers on any Greek Island  and it is certain that a good selection of butterflies will be encountered.The mix of butterflies may depend on the altitude, and the particular spot I came across on Lefkada recently was at sea level.The dominant species were Common Blue along with  a favourite of mine, the Clouded Yellow.Other butterflies included Small Copper,Meadow Brown,Brown Argus,Painted Lady,and various Whites.The dark Small Copper below is apparently a form commonly seen in Greece.

That Looks Unusual....

It is always worth taking a closer look at even the common butterflies when out and about.There is a chance that you may be fortunate enough to come across an unusual individual or more correctly an aberration.Most species it seems are prone to aberration and some forms of aberration  are classified, but then again many are listed as unclassified.

For a comprehensive list and extensive information on recognized aberrations I would recommend a visit  to the excellent website  British  Butterfly Aberrations.

Red Admiral ab.bialbata. White spot on red band.

A Glanville Fritillary with more black than normal on upper hind wings

A Meadow Brown displaying loss of colour over much of its hind wing

A Dark Green Fritillary with extensive black on its upper wings.

Not Just Another Brown.

Butterfly sightings were somewhat disappointing today along my local forest rides.Plenty of Meadow Browns and Speckled Woods but none of the larger woodland butterflies to see.However the Ringlet is now fluttering about and when in the company of the Meadow Browns it can be tricky to separate the two. In flight the upperside of the Ringlet is a tasty chocolate brown whereas the Meadow Brown is a lighter brown.The Ringlet has no orange on the underside unlike the Brown,just a collection of attractive tri-coloured rings.

  

Silver-washed Now Back in Our Woodland.

Walking around my local copse this morning on a very sunny and warm start to the day when I saw a solitary male Silver-washed Fritillary on the lookout for the new bramble flowers.Despite several attempts to land it was constantly shooed away by the Meadow Browns.Eventually he managed to evade their attentions and briefly feed from the flowers.

First of the Real Summer Butterflies.

  Now that summer is almost upon us the first of the 'summer' butterflies are appearing.That means the Meadow Brown is now on the wing and becoming  a common sight in our meadows,woods,and on the downs.In fact why this species is so numerous is because of the diverse habitats this butterfly occupies.Perhaps it is often ignored or taken for granted due to its rather dull colouring and high populations in the countryside.However it is a welcome sign of summertime.                                                          

A Quiet Day.

It has really been a pleasure to wander around Walters Copse this week.The excitement of discovering a second generation of White Admirals this year and the activity in the copse this week with the warm and sunny weather has been a joy.

Today in contrast was disappointing as the clouds returned and we had only the occasional sunny interval.

The butterflies did not seem to get going and sightings were low.When the sun did appear just the odd Red Admiral,Comma,and Meadow Brown showed.However the Wall Browns are still in the copse and along the main path two males vied with each other for any sunny spot.

Back on Bonchurch Down.

With the dry and very warm weather continuing a second generation of Adonis Blue is now on Bonchurch Down at Ventnor.Yesterdays sightings on the Down included Chalk-hill Blue,Common Blue, and Brown Argus,along with one or two Marbled White, good numbers of Meadow Brown,Gatekeeper,and the odd Red Admiral.

Summertime.

A very warm and sunny morning at Walters Copse today and it was not long before I came across a pristine Painted Lady butterfly.Not too far down the path and a Dark Green Fritillary was also feeding on the giant thistles.This fritillary can be found in our woodland as well as on our chalk downland.

Now good to see reasonable numbers of Marbled White,Meadow Brown,and Ringlet in the copse.Not many Silver-washed Fritillaries though and no sign of any Valezina as yet.The normal  females however are in evidence seeking out egg laying sites at the base of oak trees.

A Walk in Walters.

This National Trust copse  at Newtown village boasts a good selection of  flora and fauna and I took an extended wander through it today.

White Admiral numbers continue to grow with the Silver-washed Fritillary numbering just three at the moment with two males and a female.Ringlets are very numerous,as are Meadow Browns but Marbled Whites are scarce at present.A few more Small Skippers are out now together with a couple of Commas.With the weather continuing settled,in the main,butterfly numbers and species are set to increase.

Summer Hots Up.

We are enjoying a settled period of hot, early summer weather and butterflies are certainly responding to the conditions by emerging a little head of time than one would expect.In Walters Copse today I saw my first Small Skipper of the year and the first Marbled Whites are now flying with the ever increasing numbers of Meadow Browns and Ringlets.With the White Admirals now in the copse they have been joined by Silver-washed Fritillaries and with their strong flight they seem to rush from one nectar source to the other.
Of the several types of orchid now to be seen in our woods and copse is the beautiful Bee Orchid as discovered today in Walters Copse.

Wight Elegance.

A quick visit to Walters Copse today in the hope of seeing some new species for this year.It was a very sunny late morning with a light breeze.I soon came upon numerous Meadow Brown butterflies together with some Speckled Wood.However a butterfly flitting around the tree tops at about thirty feet up took my eye and it was my first White Admiral of the season.Eventually with that very elegant flight,it made its way down  to feed on the ample crop of bramble flowers that are dotted along the ride edges.This individual was quickly joined by another and despite a few encounters with the resident Speckled Woods they remained on the bramble for a time.

A little later I had two further White Admiral sightings in the copse plus a well traveled Painted Lady.

First Ringlet.

Hearing that a Silver-washed Fritillary had been spotted  in Bouldnor Forest,Yarmouth yesterday  I was hopeful for  a sight of one when I arrived at the forest this afternoon.It may well have been the hottest day of the year so far and it was not long before I counted several Meadow Browns busily nectaring on the ample crop of bramble flowers.Despite sometime spent searching I did not manage to find a Silver-washed.However I was lucky enough to see one Ringlet,the first of season.

Fewer Late Summer Butterflies

Despite the continued sunny weather the feel of autumn is now about and the count of butterflies has fallen.A walk along the hedgerows at Newtown today and a visit to the adjacent Walters Copse was rather disappointing with just Meadow Brown and Speckled Wood in enough numbers to count along with eight Commas on a large expanse of bramble bush feeding on blackberries.However I did see two Small Copper,one of which was the form caeruleopunctata.Quite a common form but nevertheless attractive to see with its silvery-blue spots.

In the Copse just two Comma,a Common Blue,and a Red Admiral, all on fleabane.