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.

A First Small Copper of the Year.

Another butterfly species joined the growing number of Green Hairstreaks at Whiteways today.After a morning of torrential rain and strong winds the sun appeared just after midday and despite a stiff breeze it developed into a warm and bright afternoon.Just what this new arrival needed.

Green Hairstreaks Take The Stage.

A  favoured site for spring emergent butterflies produced its first residents this morning.Following several days of very cool and unsettled weather, today dawned bright,sunny and mild.The Whiteways Quarry site is now a National Trust car park and is situated at the base of Afton Down.It's south west aspect overlooking the sea is a good location for several spring butterfly species and soon Small Blue,Grizzled and Dingy Skipper,and Glanville Fritillary will be seen here.

First Blue of the Season

A few days of high summer weather is coming to an end and this coming week will see more normal spring temperatures.However for this morning the sun is in a blue sky and with it the first blue butterfly of the year fluttered into my garden.This Holly Blue found a warm sunny spot to pass a few minutes before it flew off.

Orange Tips Busy in my Local Woods.

It was shirt sleeve weather today with temperatures topping 23 degrees celcius.At Walters Copse the trees and saplings are bursting into green and the primroses carpet the rides.To add to the colour the first Orange Tips are on the wing.Firstly a female busily searching for places to lay her eggs and a male trying to take her interest.He was given the message that she was not available and he quickly flew off to feed on the woodland flowers.

Spring Gets Underway.

Spring it seems has finally arrived and in the garden a first of the year Small White. A visit to my local copse was rewarded with another first of the season,a Speckled Wood. As the warm and sunny weather is promised for the rest of the week it looks as though more species will be out and about.

Spring Returns for One Day Only.

With the prospect of yet more cold weather on the way this week,today was perhaps only the second springlike day of the year.This sunny and warmish morning heralded the first butterfly of the season in the garden.The ever reliable Peacock appeared in the flower border close to the rear of the house where it nectared on the perennial wallflower 'bowles mauve',a real favourite it seems for butterflies.

Later,a walk around my local copse at Newtown saw an increase in the number of butterflies compared to last week's visit.Although the species were the same,more Comma,Brimstone,and Peacock were on the wing.It seems that the weather is not yet right for new emergents .and it could be another couple of weeks before the first of them will be seen locally.

Springlike Temperatures Encourage First Butterflies of the Season.

A soggy walk through my local copse today produced my first butterflies of the season.The cold wind had abated and the sun was shining with a temperature of 13 degrees centigrade.There were at least five Comma together with two Peacock and a bright male Brimstone. 

  

Glanville Fritillary Larvae Out in the Sunshine.

Now that the days are slowly lengthening and the sun's rays becoming warmer the Glanville Fritillary larvae are starting to move in and around their communal webs.Today on the slopes of the crumbling cliffs along the Island's  south-west coast several webs showed signs of activity as the caterpillars enjoyed the sunshine, although due to the cold breeze they mostly remained huddled together.

Rain Dampens Down Activity On Broughton Down

Despite the sunshine on my journey to Broughton Down in Hampshire yesterday,the heavens opened as soon as I stepped onto this area of chalk grassland.This chalk ridge with fringing woodland is maintained by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and is one of the few places in England for the Silver-spotted Skipper.Happily the rain cleared although for the duration of my visit only the occasional sunny spell gave any chance of seeing this rare butterfly.I had to be satisfied with only three sightings,two just brief and one prolonged as a male sat in the grass hoping that the sun would stay out for a while.Sadly I was not treated to an underside view of the silver spots which gives the species its name. 

Not Many Silver-studded Blues on Show.

Yesterday on a day trip to see the special damselflies of Crockford Stream in the New Forest I walked an area of heathland which was close by.I expected to see good numbers of Silver-studded Blue here, but numbers were low and all were faded and worn.Perhaps this is a result of early emergence as has occurred with many species this year. However, I did find a Blue in very reasonable condition near to the stream.

Other butterflies on show were Gatekeepers in abundance and a few Grayling on the heath.

New Forest Heathland,habitat for Silver-studded Blue & Grayling

White-letter Hairsreaks Still Busy.

Yesterday as I observed the elm that has been home to White-letter Hairstreaks for the last three seasons I was fortunate to see a female wandering along a branch in search of  buds on which to lay her eggs.This carried on for some time as she fluttered onto other branches in pursuit of more buds.

Last of the Summer Blues Now on the Wing.

There were plenty of Chalk-hill Blues on the bridleway leading to West High Down today.Not surprisingly all are males but it will not be long before both males and females are on our chalk downland in their hundreds.Apart from the Adonis Blue perhaps, this must be one of our most colourful blues.