Browndown (North) Gosport. With the temperature around 16 degrees and some long periods of sunshine I went around the northern sector of Browndown (1115-1300) finding just three species. The day belonged to Speckled Wood and Red Admiral yet a solitary almost skeletal Holly Blue put in a cameo performance! It's been a while since I saw one and an unusual addition to my October sightings for sure. The other interest was watching a formation pair of Spitfires fly overhead and their return to Daedalus. Wonderful. Total: Speckled Wood (M)(16)(F)(4); Holly Blue (1); Red Admiral (7). [Posted by Francis Plowman]
 |  |  |
| Holly Blue (just about!) Photo © Francis Plowman | Red Admiral (male) Photo © Francis Plowman | Speckled Wood (female) Photo © Francis Plowman |
Seafield Park and Monks Hill Promenade Field - Hill Head. Between 1305-1410 the sunshine (16C) beckoned me to one final wander through the field beside the prom at Monks Hill and then one circulation of Seafield Park. No sign of Clouded Yellow although both areas still have sufficient flora to attract insect life. Just one male Common Blue and the female Red Admiral was recorded in the promenade field today with the remaining numbers found across the lane into the park where the Brimstone was seen on the wing. Total: Red Admiral (3)(incl. 1 female); Common Blue (M)(2); Speckled Wood (M)(2); Brimstone (M)(1). [Posted by Francis Plowman]
 |  |  |
| Female Red Admiral Photo © Francis Plowman | Common Blue male with some damage Photo © Francis Plowman | Distant and damaged Speckled Wood male Photo © Francis Plowman |
New Forest BTG 2024 season headlines. A frustrating season mainly down to the weather, especially the cool and wet spell just as the summer butterflies were emerging. The total number of butterflies recorded across 54 transects was 44262 at a density (butterflies per kilometer walked) of 13.10. This was our second lowest density, only 12.08 in 2016 was worse. Five transects improved on 2023, although one was due to limited access in 2023, with three under 50% of their 2023 total. Overall the transects recorded 78% of their average. Of the recorded species only Purple Hairstreak, Green Hairstreak, Orange-tip and Brimstone improved on 2023 and Holly Blue, Small Tortoiseshell, Pearl-bordered Fritillary, White Admiral and Red Admiral all declined by over 70%. No Grizzled Skipper, Purple Emperor or Clouded Yellow were recorded but a single White-letter Hairstreak and a (first) Marsh Fritillary meant that total species was 33, down by one of 2023. [Posted by Bob Taylor]
Monks Walk, Frater Fields & Woods, Gosport. From 1245-1430 the boggy morass of Monks Walk yielded four species, surprisingly given the amount of rain lately. With a few sunny interludes the temperature hovered around 17.5 deg C under mostly cloudy skies. The large field adjacent to DM Gosport has been cut-back completely so no surprise that nothing seen there. Speckled Wood have obviously found sufficient protection to survive the rain and strong winds and fifteen were recorded including just one female. A Buzzard and Kestrel overhead, a family of six swans on the foreshore and two Crested Grebe noted diving in the briny on a very high tide. (No pictures - getting to grips with a new camera!). Total: Red Admiral (4); Speckled Wood (M)(14)(F)(1); Small White (2); Large White (2). [Posted by Francis Plowman]
Late developers at Great Fontley. Some long-overdue sunshine this morning encouraged the emergence from pupation of two Commas, while Large White final instar larvae basked on Honesty leaves. Later, a Brimstone was seen in the elm plantation and a Speckled Wood in the garden. [Posted by Andrew Brookes]
 |
| Comma drying wings Photo © Andrew Brookes |
The season that never was.... I've deliberately kept this photo in reserve as a little light relief at the end of what has certainly proved to be one of the most frustrating and disappointing butterfly seasons I've known for many years. As ever, one of my regular haunts in search of the Purple Emperor (even more elusive this summer than in most!) was the Straits Inclosure, one of the famed and apocryphal haunts of this species within the Alice Holt Forest. As always, it was a pleasure to meet up with old friends, even when (as was most frequently the case!) the butterflies failed to put in an appearance, and here are Dan, Mark T, and Flossie, the "Emperor Dog" on one such occasion back in late July, when we saw precisely nothing. Still, it's always better to travel than to arrive, or so they say, and this image really does sum up the great summer of 2024 and the butterfly season that never was. Where did that one go...this way or that? Thanks for your good company and friendship guys, and see you next year! [Posted by Michael Jameson]
 |
| Where did that one go? Photo © Michael Jameson |
Portsdown Hill, Paulsgrove. After a week of dismal days I took advantage in a slight lull in the weather and walked most of Portsdown Hill (east-west and return) from 1100-1250. At the start the temperature stood at 19 deg C but felt much cooler under mostly grey skies and increasing severity of breeze off The Solent. Nevertheless, having not recorded Meadow Brown this month I was satisfied to see at least nine, all females and all down in the grasses. Total: Meadow Brown (9); Speckled Wood (1); Red Admiral (2); Large White (1). [Posted by Francis Plowman]
 |  |
| Female Meadow Brown Photo © Francis Plowman | Red Admiral on ivy floret Photo © Francis Plowman |
Magdalen Hill Down. A good turnout of volunteers at the first Magdalen Hill Down reserve work party of the season spent a useful few hours raking up the debris from the previous week's cutting in preparation for more cattle coming on to the reserve. A few Red Admiral and Comma were still on the wing and amongst the wildlife disturbed from their repose were a rather disgruntled Common Toad and a Black Rustic moth.
Anyone who is able to spare some time to help out at the reserve work parties this season should contact Fiona Scully. [Posted by Rupert Broadway]
 |  |
| Common Toad at Magdalen Hill Down Photo © Rupert Broadway | Black Rustic at Magdalen Hill Down Photo © Rupert Broadway |
Browndown (South) Gosport. Finding the eastern gate open, a walk from 1240-1430 found just five species and one basking male Adder! The ESE wind was cool off The Solent but at 17 degrees Celsius and mostly with sunshine it was still a useful final 2024 wander. The heathers have long since lost their beauty but the paths and fields on the northern edge have much flower. Total: Common Blue (M)(2); Small Copper (2); Red Admiral (2); Speckled Wood (M)(4)(F)(3); Large White (M)(2). [Posted by Francis Plowman]
 |  |  |
| Faded Common Blue male Photo © Francis Plowman | Small Copper Photo © Francis Plowman | Red Admiral male Photo © Francis Plowman |
Meon Shore via Brownwich Cliffs, Chilling to Meon Shore. A long but rewarding circular outing in which a pleasing eight species were recorded and literally hundreds of butterflies seen. Autumn is proving somewhat more interesting than Spring, at least for me! I had hoped to see Clouded Yellow and Painted Lady both previously noted on this walk but today not seen. From 1115-1445 we enjoyed warm sunshine and light winds from the east which did not affect sightings (temperature 16-17 deg C). Total: Small White (132); Large White (64); Red Admiral (15); Speckled Wood (M)(33)(F)(6); Small Copper (2); Comma (2); Peacock (3); Green-veined White (M)(3). [Posted by Francis Plowman]
 |  |  |
| Green-veined White male Photo © Francis Plowman | Peacock Photo © Francis Plowman | Speckled Wood female Photo © Francis Plowman |
Monks Hill Promenade Field, Hill Head. A late and brief circulation or two of the shore adjacent scrubby field produced sightings of five species including the sought-after Clouded Yellow, at least one of which was seen. Thus from 1510 for 40 minutes (16 deg C with noticeable cool, easterly breeze) the total seen was: Large White (6); Common Blue (M)(4); Small White (5); Clouded Yellow (M)(1); Small Copper (1). [Posted by Francis Plowman]
 |  |  |
| Common Blue male Photo © Francis Plowman | Male Large White Photo © Francis Plowman | Clouded Yellow male Photo © Francis Plowman |
Chalton Down, Old Idsworth. Today I visited Chalton Down, where despite the temperature being 16 degrees, there were less butterflies than you would expect here in the Spring. Only a single male Brimstone and a Small White graced the chalk downland this morning. [Posted by Roy Symonds]
Stockbridge Down Butterflies. A morning visit to a sunny Stockbridge Down resulted in sightings of 5 species.
Meadow Brown (7), Small Copper (5), Red Admiral (5, all heading South), Speckled Wood (1) and a single Painted Lady [Posted by Kevin Haggar]
 |  |  |
| Painted Lady Photo © Kevin Haggar | Small Copper Photo © Kevin Haggar | Meadow Brown Photo © Kevin Haggar |
Monks Walk, Frater Fields & Woods, Gosport. Swift change of plans when the sunshine broke through this afternoon so from 1230-1400 I traversed Monks Walk (17deg C, with full sunshine at least for the first hour). Seven species recorded with some very fresh butterflies on the wing still. Surprising given the recent days of very heavy rain in this corner of Hampshire and the paucity of wild flowers. However, a few florets of Buddleia remain and attracted two Red Admiral although the fresh one photographed was low down on nettles. A male Brimstone was a surprise here so late in the year as he sunned himself high in a Beech tree. Total: Red Admiral (4); Large White (2); Common Blue (M)(2); Small Copper (2); Speckled Wood (F)(1)(M)(12); Brimstone (M)(1); Small White (4). [Posted by Francis Plowman]
 |  |  |
| Speckled Wood male Photo © Francis Plowman | Very fresh Red Admiral (male) Photo © Francis Plowman | Common Blue male Photo © Francis Plowman |
Clouded Yellow at Hill Head. Encouraged by the recent report of Clouded Yellow by Francis Plowman on 28 September, Linda and I had a very enjoyable coastal walk this afternoon alongside Salterns Park, Hill Head. Although it was cloudy much of the time, it was nevertheless warm, and there were a lot of whites on the wing, probably the most we've seen all year. But it was of course the Clouded Yellow that we were hoping to see, and sure enough after about half an hour, when the sun finally shone through we spotted one flying over some rough ground amongst the whites. It was our first of the season! It was busy nectaring on Creeping Thistle, and given the poor weather over recent days I'm sure it was glad of the opportunity for some sustenance. Our full butterfly list was Small White (28), Large White (24), Red Admiral (3), Common Blue (3), Clouded Yellow (1, male) and Brown Argus (1). [Posted by Andy Barker]
 |  |  |
| Clouded Yellow (male) nectaring Photo © Andy Barker | Clouded Yellow (lift-off) Photo © Andy Barker | Clouded Yellow (exit stage-right) Photo © Andy Barker |