Butterfly Islands

Thursday 11 July 2013

The Elegant White Admiral

The elegant White Admiral is now on the wing in our woodlands.At Walters Copse,Newtown,today as the summer sun shone through the trees and along the rides this lovely butterfly could be seen gliding in and out of shade.Accompanying the White Admiral now is the Silver-washed Fritillary,another woodland butterfly.

Sunday 7 July 2013

The Dark Green Fritillary on West High Down

On West High Down today in glorious summer weather and a first sighting of the Dark Green Fritillary This butterfly is a powerful flier and I had numerous glimpses of it as it flew over the Down.Luckily for me,if not this particular individual, I found a Dark Green on the ground unable to fly due to deformity.A favourite flower of this fritillary is thistle and it can be found in abundance all over the Down.

Saturday 6 July 2013

Newtown Meadows

Thanks to a good friend I was directed to Newtown Meadows,a collection of fields owned by the National Trust.These are full of wild flowers and a magnet for butterflies.It was not long before I came upon several Marbled Whites,my first of the season feeding on thistles and bramble flowers.They were also accompanied by Meadow Browns now out in ever increasing numbers.

Also on the giant thistle was a Painted Lady regularly taking time to find new growing thistle plants to lay her eggs on.

Also first Ringlet sighting of the year.

Wednesday 3 July 2013

Butterflies on West High Down.

It will not be long now before the Chalk-hill Blues appear en masse on West High Down together with the Dark Green Fritillary.The second week in July is normally the time to see the first emergent however this may be affected by the lateness of the season this year.

Approaching the Down today via the usual bridleway and the first butterfly seen was a Painted Lady busily feeding on dandelions and if I am not mistaken egglaying on giant thistles.It was not long before sightings of Speckled Wood, a Small Tortoiseshell,a Red Admiral,and several Dingy and Grizzled Skippers followed.

Once in the open space of the Down a good number of fresh looking Meadow Browns were evident along with both Skippers mentioned earlier,Large Skippers,Small Heath,Common Blue, and a rather worn Green Hairstreak.

Tuesday 25 June 2013

Still Glanvilles at Wheelers Bay

A sunny morning was followed by a build up of cloud at midday but the afternoon sun shone through and at Wheelers Bay the butterflies responded.There are still a number of Common Blues and Brown Argus and they were joined today by a fresh looking Painted Lady.

A couple of days ago a Clouded Yellow was reported from here but I was unable to locate any today.However the Glanville Fritillaries are still out in force,some looking rather old but others fairly pristine.A sign of the lateness of the season this year.In addition I counted four Small Tortoiseshell and a couple of faded Dingy Skippers.

With the prevailing winds now coming from the south-west there will be,I hope.some not so common butterflies flying in.

Adonis Blue now on Bonchurch down.

Friday 21 June 2013

The Lady Returns

It has been over five months since I last saw a Painted Lady when on a spring like day at Wheelers Bay I saw three of them were feeding on Winter Heliotrope.That was just before the winter started here and now there are reports of this butterfly coming to our shores again.

Butterflies have been scarce this spring so it was good to see this one feeding in a sunny spot.In addtion,along the field edge on National Trust land at Newtown I came across Large Skipper,Meadow Brown, and a Small Tortoiseshell.

Tuesday 11 June 2013

Glanvilles and more at Wheelers Bay.

With a coldest spring for fifty years it was not surprising that the appearance of the Glanvilles at Wheelers Bay,Bonchurch was much later than usual.It was not until the 25th May that the first sighting was made and happily numbers have increased steadily since.

Yesterday on a very sunny afternoon I wandered along the Bay and marvelled at the fantastic display of colourful flowers that covered the ground on and at the base of the cliffs.In addition to the Glanvilles there were good numbers of Common Blues together with Dingy Skippers,Brown Argus,and various White butterflies.

Friday 7 June 2013

Butterflies On Bonchurch Down

Bonchurch Down owned by the National Trust rises steeply over the village of Bonchurch and gives spectacular southward views out into the English Channel.At this time of year several species of downland butterfly appear on this Down.Most notably is the Adonis Blue not, it must be said common in the UK.

Today on its third outing of the year the Isle of Wight Group of the Hants&IOW Branch of Butterfly Conservation enjoyed a walk over the Down to see its many springtime species.We soon came upon numerous male Adonis,more easily noticed than the females due to the males bright blue colour.Despite a stiff breeze they were out in good numbers and we all took advantage of many photo opportunities.Mating pairs and emerging butterflies were seen.

Other species to be savoured were Brown Argus,Common Blue,Small Heath,Small Copper,Wall Brown,and a couple of Large Skippers,as well Dingy Skippers.All in all a very successful trip on a sunny afternoon.

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.