Butterfly Islands

Saturday, 27 October 2012

Red Admiral,the common autumn butterfly

For the last two weeks the sun has not shined for any prolonged time until today.Along with the sunshine came a cold wind and temperatures have fallen.Despite that, in my garden the Red Admirals are still fluttering around in search of a warm sunny spot.This Red Admiral spent some time contesting the sunniest spot in the garden with a rival.

Saturday, 13 October 2012

More Autumn Butterflies

With a bumper harvest of blackberries this year the autumn butterflies are making the most of it.Today at Clamerkin NT eight Commas still tucking in to the fruit.Along with these, a Red Admiral and a Speckled Wood joined in.A short distance away the welcome sight of two Small Copper butterflies too.

Wednesday, 19 September 2012

Butterflies at Horseshoe Bay

Today was another sunny late summer day and a walk along the coastal path at Horseshoe Bay,Bonchurch.With the flowering valerian and buddleia still in full bloom it is a magnet for all kinds of butterfly.

Particularly in evidence are Red Admirals,as well as many Large Whites and Small Tortoiseshells.If you are very lucky,a Monarch butterfly has been seen recently plus several Painted Ladies.The exotic Hummingbird Hawkmoth is also a regular at the Bay too.

Monday, 17 September 2012

Clouded Yellow,always a welcome visitor

On the way to my local pond today across several fields at Clamerkin NT,a welcome sight was a Clouded Yellow butterfly.Seen on the Isle of Wight at various times this butterfly is not normally a common sight.It is a powerful flier and I find does not usually wait around to be viewed,so I was pleased to get a quick snap while it fed on the fleabane.

Tuesday, 11 September 2012

Adonis Blue on Bonchurch Down

The second emergence of Adonis Blue butterflies has been out on Bonchurch Down, at Ventnor for a while now.Numbers are very encouraging and I saw dozens during a short walk over a section of the Down.The period of this latest brood normally spans mid-August to the end of September.

Friday, 31 August 2012

Not So Scarce Swallowtail

Despite its rather alarming title I must say that on every visit to Greece over the last few years I have always seen the Scarce Swallowtail in good numbers.In early summer or in August this impressive butterfly is a lovely sight as it visits thistles or garden plants.The only other species that have come close to matching it in quantity are the Painted Lady, and in May/June,the Clouded Yellow

These photos of the Scarce Swallowtail were taken on the Island of Thassos in the North Aegean where it seemed a lack of butterflies this time was more than offset by the range of dragonflies.A selection of the odonata I saw here can be seen on my dragonfly website.

Saturday, 28 July 2012

Many More Chalk-hill Blues

Another walk over West High Down yesterday in the continuing summery weather and many more Chalk-hill Blues to see.The females are now out and as with many 'blue' butterfly species it is brown and inconspicuous.

Tuesday, 24 July 2012

A Skipper

A trip today to a West Wight stream flowing through farmland and plenty of dragonflies to see.Close by I found this small skipper which I am confident is an Essex Skipper.

Sunday, 22 July 2012

The Down in Summer

With the summer at last putting in an appearance the Downs of the Island were today a sight to behold.The blue sky,the bright blue sea , and a slight sea breeze made a wander over West High Down a pleasure.The butterflies too enjoyed the sunshine and plenty were to be seen.Small Heath,Marbled White and Meadow Brown are abundant Small Copper together with Common Blue are to be found in the more sheltered, grassy, parts on the Down.

As mentioned in my previous entry,Dark Green Fritillaries are whizzing low over the gorse and bramble in search of mainly purple coloured flowers and now the Chalk-hill Blues have emerged. I saw only eight males today but soon the Down will be a mass of these silvery-blue butterflies.It will not be long before the brown females will join them.

Sunday, 8 July 2012

Woodland Butterflies

The weather this week has continued to be wet.Woodland butterflies will no doubt suffer from this dismal time and species such as the White Admiral and Silver-washed Fritillary will have a disappointing season.

A visit today to Walters Copse at Newtown was a mixed one of sunshine and showers.Meadow Browns were numerous as this butterfly is a common sight.Just a single Marbled White was to be seen together with a Red Admiral.The White Admiral and Silver-washed Fritillary were also flying.

Wednesday, 4 July 2012

Isle of Wight Heathland

Ningwood Common is protected heathland just west of the village of Shalfleet.It is a breeding site for the Nightjar and until last year an area where the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary butterfly was found.Unfortunately this season no sightings of this butterfly have been reported and along with the Pearl-bordered Fritillary I regret to say that both species are no longer likely to be seen on the Island.
The weather has been very wet of late but a few rays of sunshine did appear this afternnon when I was on the Common.It is edged by woodland and now Marbled Whites,Ringlets and Small Skippers can be seen flitting along the woodland edges.Out too is the summer brood of the Comma,seen above in the 'hutchinsoni' form.

Wednesday, 20 June 2012

Small Tortoiseshell,my first one of the year.

No doubt seen by many people this year already,this Small Tortoiseshell was my first sight of one in 2012.Now hopefully making a comeback after a steep decline over the last few years,it must be one of our most 'smartest' looking butterflies.The photograph was taken in a National Trust owned meadow where the field is now a sea of grasses and wild flowers.

Sunday, 17 June 2012

More First Sightings of 2012

Recent visits to Ningwood Common in search of the Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary have led me to two first sightings of this season.This protected heathland is the only known site for the Small Pearl Bordered butterfly on the Isle of Wight,and as with many species this year they are late to emerge.

The Meadow Brown and the Large Skipper are two that can now be seen on the heath.As is normal the males are seen before the females.

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.