Wight Downland Blues.

Three of our four Isle of Wight downland blues were on show today.On West  High Down reasonable numbers of Chalkhill Blue roamed over the chalk hills together with some Common Blues that kept to the more sheltered spots.Nearby at  Brook Down this year's second generation of Adonis Blue are now on the wing.

A Busy Blue.

August is the month for a holiday to the Greek Islands and it was back to the Aegean Island of Thassos.Near to the resort of Scala Panagia there are many tracks that lead towards the mountains and along them plenty of chances to come across butterflies. One of the smallest but no less beautiful is the busy and sometimes elusive Lang's Short-tailed Blue.An African species and now resident in some parts of Greece.

An Unexpected Treat.

After several visits to the Greek Islands and encountering the butterflies that are in the vicinity of our holiday homes,I have learnt to be aware that a 'blue' may not be just another Common Blue or a 'skipper'.just another Large or Small Skipper. This proved so following a trip to Lefkada at the end of May this year.In  a nearby olive grove dispersed with wild flowers and long scrubby grasses there were many skippers busily buzzing about.If the opportunity presents itself, it is a good idea to take some photos just in case I have stumbled upon something more interesting than 'just another skipper'.

That is where I left it until thankfully a fellow butterfly enthusiast advised me that my skippers were Thymelicus acteon or the Lulworth Skipper as it is commonly called in the UK.This species is not widespread in Britain,in fact it only occurs along the south facing grassy cliffs of Dorset.In continental Euorpe however it is found  throughout and tends to be more common in the south including the Balkans.

Small Blue Join the Summer Blues.

With very recent reports of a second generation  of Small Blues on the mainland,I was very pleased to see several  at Whiteways Quarry today. They  were in the company of increasing numbers of Chalk-hill Blues,Common Blues,and Brown Argus.All were very active in the warm sunshine.

Back In Town.

The White-letter Hairstreak colony discovered last year on a disease resistant elm in Newport is still going strong. The first individual was spotted about two weeks ago and today several females were seen on the lower branches.This particular elm was planted around the time of the millennium and last season was the first time that any hairstreaks were recorded on the tree.

Summertime Blues.

This typical British 'on-off' summer  is perhaps on again, with my first sighting of a Chalk-hill Blue on West High Down today.In fact three males were spotted,two beside the track leading up to the Down and one actually on it.Of course this species can be very numerous here and I am sure that over the next few weeks hundreds,if not thousands,of this striking butterfly will be flying on our downland.

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.

Sunshine At Last.

Two target species today were the White Admiral and the Marbled White.The former had already been seen in Bouldnor Forest a few days ago although I was yet to find my first Marbled White of the year.At last the sun was out today following a period of wet and windy weather.However, the wind has not abated and perhaps it had an effect on the butterflies as both species were flighty.Despite seeing several White Admirals none took the opportunity to feed on the abundant bamble flowers in the forest.The two Marbled Whites I encountered were just as jittery and I was lucky to catch any at rest.

Happily the Silver-washed Fritillaries were more accommodating and I managed to get good views of these handsome woodland butterflies.This included my first female of this summer seen basking in a sunny glade

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Back to Bouldnor.

Following the brief sighting of a Silver-washed Fritillary at Bouldnor Forest yesterday, I decided to have another attempt to get a better look at this butterfly today.Things did not look good as shortly after I arrived it started to rain.This has been the way of the weather recently with  regular thunderstorms.Eventually the rain stopped and blue sky appeared.It was not to last long, but just long enough for the sun to shine and tempt out some butterflies.Several Silver-washed Fritillaries made for the bamble flowers as did a White Admiral which is a first sighting of the year.

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.

Up To West High Down.

At this time in the season a walk up to West High Down via a bridleway can be a chance to see the first Dark Green Fritillaries of the year.There was a report of two Dark Greens on nearby Brook Down a few days ago.However despite my best efforts none was in evidence today.

The bridleway that leads to the Down is sided by brambles and bushes to the north and more open ground to the south which perhaps are old quarry workings.Here, plenty of chalk downland plants grow and bloom which attracts a variety of butterflies due too to its sheltered aspect.The most common species today were Common Blue and Brown Argus although I was surprised to see a pristine Glanville Fritillary.It is somewhat out of its usual area which is a short way down the coast but they do get around and can turn up quite a way inland.As on the Down, there were good numbers of Large Skippers and I also came across a Small Tortoiseshell uploading salts from the track.