Birdwatcher’s Diary No.309

Published on: 2 Aug, 2024
Updated on: 2 Aug, 2024

By Malcolm Fincham

Although being mostly interested in birdlife, I was becoming increasingly concerned i about the lack of butterflies in the latter weeks of July.

This, despite a more settled spell of weather for the most part, with temperatures remaining in the low to mid-twenties and even bringing a few sunny spells at times.

On July 18 temperatures even briefly hovered around 30c before returning to the monthly norm.

A few butterfly photo opportunities continued to be achieved, however, despite fewer sightings of many of the species usually commonly seen about the gardens and countryside.

Silver-studded blue, female, now looking rather tatty.

On the heathlands silver-studded blue butterflies seemed to have fared reasonably well this year, although now coming to the end of their reign and seeing mostly females and some now starting to look rather tatty in appearance.

Grayling butterfly, Thursley Common.

On Thursley Common, where the heather was now coming into bloom, I was able to capture my first photos of the year of newly emerging grayling butterflies.

Small skipper butterfly.

Also adding several photos of what has been a reasonable number of small skippers.

Essex skipper.

And some reasonably good contenders for Essex skippers due to their jet black antennal tips?

Funnel-web spider, Thursley Common.

Also adding to my day’s sightings a few funnel-web spiders, these fortunately not of the poisonous kind found in the Australian outback.

Dark-green frtillary, Sheepleas.

A visit to Sheepleas at East Horsley continued my previous sightings of dark-green fritillaries, although not in the kind of numbers I recall seeing there in previous years.

Marbled white butterfly, Sheepleas.

While marbled white butterflies continued to show a presence there and finding one with several red mites attached to its body.

These are not an uncommon sight and seem to vary in their rates of infestation from year to year. Their larvae affect several UK species with no apparent detriment to the butterflies.

And I was interested to read that these mites do not affect the flight or life span of the host butterflies. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/229963413_Parasitism_by_the_mite_Trombidium_breei_on_four_UK_butterfly_species

Roe deer running through the flower-meadow at Sheepleas.

Probably my most rewarding sighting, as well as photograph, during my time there while sitting on a bench and mindfully taking in the surrounding beauty. It was to find a roe deer gracefully running by across the flower meadows before my eyes and totally unaware of my presence.

Red kite, Sheepleas.

And shortly after a red kite passed through.

Gatekeeper butterfly, Riverside Nature Reserve.

At the Riverside Nature Reserve near Burpham the theme of my reports continued to focus on butterflies, seeing both small skippers and gatekeepers in reasonable numbers.

Green-veined white butterfly, Riverside Nature Reserve.

A few green-veined whites also added to my day list.

Speckled wood butterfly, Riverside Nature Reserve.

And a few speckled wood butterflies could also be found.

Red admiral butterfly, Riverside Nature Reserve.

Also adding several red admirals to my sightings.

At Stoke Lake I sat a while at the picnic benches looking out across the water in amusement at the two rapidly growing juvenile great crested grebes.

Great crested grebes, adult with young.

They were now attempting to grow in their independence as they bravely drifted together although some distance from the guidance of their parents.

Juvenile great crested grebes., on Stoke Lake.

Suddenly, as if in panic, they would realise they were out of their comfort zone and would fly low across the water back to the safety of their parents.

Egyptian geese with Canada geese, by Stoke Lake.

Beside the lake a handful of Egyptian geese fed on the short grass with several Canada geese.

Chiffchaff.

As later also seen on Whitmoor Common, Pewley Down, and at Britten’s Pond, families of chiffchaffs in good numbers.

Common whitethroat, Riverside Nature Reserve.

And a few families of common whitethroats could also be viewed.

Grey wagtail, Britten’s Pond.

At Britten’s Pond, the adult grey wagtails could be seen flitting back and forth by the edge of the pond.

Grey wagtail, juvenile, Britten’s Pond.

Now with at least two reasonably sized juveniles close by.

Juvenile great spotted woodpecker, Britten’s Pond.

A juvenile great spotted woodpecker perched up a while in one of the surrounding oak trees that bordered the pond, lightly pecking some of the loose bark.

Red admiral, Britten’s Pond.

A red admiral butterfly could be viewed feeding on the nutrients of a sap-run from one of the bows of the tree.

Purple hairstreak, Britten’s Pond.

While a few purple hairstreaks could still be viewed dancing around the outer canopies, occasionally settling on an oak leaf and allowing me a photo.

Dunnock, Britten’s Pond.

Several dunnocks posed nicely in the brambles by the car park.

Common tern, Britten’s Pond.

And a common tern continued to make its infrequent visits there.

Linnets, Whitmoor Common.

On Whitmoor Common, a small group of chattering linnets could be viewed, perched up on the utility wires that traverse the heath.

Stonechat, Whitmoor Common.

And several families of stonechats could be heard making their contact calls, throwing their sound for some distance across the common.

Broad-bodied chaser, Whitmoor Common.

A few dragonfly, including a few broad-bodied chasers held their ground about the ditches still holding water from the previous month’s excessive rainfall.

Silver-studded blue, Whitmoor Common.

A few silver-studded blues could still be found.

Comma butterfly, Whitmoor Common.

Also adding comma butterflies.

Silver-washed fritillary, Whitmoor Common.

And a lone silver-washed fritillary to my day’s list.

Nightjar, Whitmoor Common.

Later in the day, as the sun slipped over the horizon, a few churring calls began. That of one of several nightjars. One could viewed as it perched up in silhouette of the wires where the linnets could be seen earlier in the day.

Pewley Down.

A visit to Pewley Down on July 26, worryingly still, there were no chalkhill blue butterflies emerging. In previous years many could have been seen by now.

Brimstone butterfly, Pewley Down.

Having completed a thorough transect of the area the best I could come up with and photograph in the way of butterflies were several brimstones, which lingered long enough to nectar on the wild flowers.

Marbled white butterfly, Pewley Down.

A few marbled whites, now coming to the end of their reign, still skipped from flower to flower as they traversed the hillside.

Large white butterfly, Pewley Down.

A few large white butterflies could be viewed.

Small copper butterfly, Pewley Down.

Also adding two of what has been just a few small copper butterflies I have seen so far this year.

Brown argus butterfly, Pewley Down.

I also got my first sighting this year of a lone brown argus butterfly there.

Six-spot burnet moth.

While many daytime flying Burnet moths were also present.

Grasshopper.

Numerous grasshoppers of different kinds were comfortably hopping about my feet.

Roesel’s bush-cricket, Pewley Down.

But one type I was reasonably assured to name was that of numerous Roesel’s bush crickets.

Bloody-nosed beetle.

Also adding what I believe to be my first sighting of a bloody-nosed beetle at the site.

Kestrel, Pewley Down.

Comforting for me was to sit and watch at least three kestrels, almost certainly the most I had seen together hunting over the hillside. At least one of which was a juvenile.

Kestrel being chased by a magpie across Pewley Down.

Lurking among the bushes and hedgerows were several spies in the form of magpies. This allowed me some amusement, because as soon as the kestrel ascended from the grassland the magpies would give chase in the hope of stealing the kestrel’s quarry! And at the same time allowing me a few photos.

Denbies Hillside.

The following day, in the company of Bob and Dougal, I visited Denbies Hillside on Ranmore Common near Dorking, where, at last, I got my first sightings of chalkhill blue butterflies. Thus keeping me on track for my target of seeing at least 40 species of butterfly within Surrey for this year.

Chalkhill blue, wings open, Denbies Hillside.

Although only counting 30 or so chalkhill blues during our transect there, having seen well over a thousand there in previous years.

Chalkhill blue, butterfly (female), Denbies Hillside.

Although mostly males, a few females could also be found.

Brown argus butterfly, Denbies Hillside.

I also got a few photos of a lone brown argus, this time with wings closed, to add to the one seen with wings open on Pewley Down.

Dark-green fritillary, Denbies Hillside.

A lone dark-green fritillary could also be found and photographed while transecting the hillside.

Cinnabar moth caterpillar feeding on ragwort, Denbies Hillside.

While it had been a good year for flowering ragwort, of which more than 70 species of insects enjoy, Cinnabar moth caterpillars had begun to appear on some of the stems.

Slow worm, Denbies Hillside.

While adding a slow worm to my day list.

Yellowhammer, in flight, Denbies Hillside.

And my first Surrey sighting in recent years of a yellowhammer, a species also in decline.

Mimic hornet hoverfly.

My garden sightings included a mimic hornet hoverfly on my buddleia bush.

Great pied hoverfly.

As well as a similar sized great pied hover fly, just a few days later.

Swift.

From my garden the local swift population could be viewed occasionally gathering high overhead in a cluster of 30 or so on several evenings. However, by July 26 they were no longer seen. Gone for another year as they return to their winter homes in Africa.

Blackbird in song.

And our local blackbird had also fallen silent, probably not to be heard in song again until the new year. Summer was indeed now on the turn in their worlds.

In spite of this, our summer seemed to be far from over. And with warm plume high pressure pushing up from southern Europe, temperatures temporarily rose, once again touching around 30c about the Surrey Hills.

In a moment of insanity on July 30 I once again strode the hills of Pewley Down in the midday sun with the hope of topping up my suntan on my face and arms, and seeing at least a few chalkhill blues.

Although rather exhausted by the end, and grateful for the many benches dotted around the hillside my mission was a success on both counts.

Chalkhill blue, Pewley Down.

Although only counting a dozen or so newly emerged and very flighty individuals, rarely settling and none opening their wings when finally landing. After much frustration I eventually found one that reluctantly posed for a photo!