Damsels in white tights!

Before I hightailed it up to Warwick last weekend, I joined a friend for a wander along the Aylesbury arm of the Grand Union canal, west of Wilstone Bridge. We were on the hunt for damsels sporting white tights, better known as White-legged Damselflies (Platycnemis pennipes)...obviously. Apart from being “uncommon”, they are also nice and easy to identify. If you find a damselfly with white legs, you’ve found, you guessed it, a White-legged Damselfly. Simples. No other UK species has white legs. If only everything in life were as straightforward!

They prefer slow-flowing streams and rivers and occasionally canals and ponds. Populations are localised, and found only in southern England and a few sites in Wales. Over a stretch of about 1km, we found at least 20 of them, along with what was likely double that number of Blue-tailed Damselflies (Ischnura elegans). I’d hoped to see maybe a handful so 20+ was fantastic.

Broadly speaking, the males are a pale blue. The females a pale creamy white when immature, becoming a pale green later. For more detailed info see here.



I watched this male fly up from his perch, snatch a fly from the air and then settle back to eat it - not something I'd ever seen a damselfly do before.



As a bonus, I found my first Dingy Footman (Eilema griseola), dressed for the part in its elegant greys and beiges.

Pied Flycatcher at Pitstone Hill

Now there’s a title to reflect a day when creative thinking is quite beyond me. So, yes, a fantastic little immature Pied Flycatcher was spotted on the hills early this morning. This species is a scarce passage migrant and I’ve only ever seen one other (up the road at Weston Turville reservoir in 2013).

I was fortunate to be able to get to Pitstone Hill by about 10:30 this morning. The bird made it easy for me and was sitting out on the limb of a small bush. However, s/he zoomed off quick-smart and it was then another 15-20 minutes before I found it again. This time, far more settled, in a raggedy looking Elder tree. After a while, it became clear the bird was essentially doing a circuit of the scrub surrounding the gully and, if I positioned myself in one spot, it would eventually just come back around again. Perfect!

Between chatting to various other Flycatcher fanciers and waiting for photo opportunities, I ended up hanging around for a couple of hours. In all that time, the bird only once caught something from the air. The rest of the time, s/he was darting to the ground to catch spiders and other ground dwelling invertebrates.

In terms of photography, I was trying to stick to digiscoping (I need the practice!). Apart from the bird’s tendency to move fairly rapidly from perch to perch, conditions were ok: very little wind, just about enough light (some sunshine would have been even better) and the distance to the bird was spot on. The next photograph was digiscoped*. The white balance is slightly off but focus and sharpness aren’t bad. The first and final photographs were taken with the long zoom lens (Panasonic m4/3 100-300mm) and although there are less pixels on the bird, the colours are more accurate.

* Digiscoping set-up: Swarovski ATS80HD scope + Swaro DCA adapter + Panasonic DMC-G3 with 20mm f1.7 lens + remote release.

Butterflies that flutter by

Bovingdon (BMT): It’s always easy, and mildly reassuring, to fall back into old routines after a good break. Having been away in Warwick for a few days, yesterday morning’s sunshine and warmth was perfect for catching up with the local wildlife. At the Brickworks, I came across 3 species of dragonfly, which is pretty good going there (female Southern Hawker, male and female Brown Hawkers and an Emperor). The second generation of Common Blue butterflies have been emerging, all looking pristine and perfect. There were a fair few mating pairs around the site too, making preparations for next season.

The best welcome home present, though, was to find a splendid male Silver-washed Fritillary. It’s only the second one I’ve found at the site (the first was last year, also a male, but he looked more dead than alive, with a greater resemblance to a waffle than a butterfly! Take a look if you don’t believe me, HERE).

There’s an underlying sense of awe whenever I see this species. It’s our largest fritillary and in spite of being Tango orange, it’s the silver streaks and shimmer on the underwing that inspired its name. Its flight appears effortless and buoyant. It looks to be floating on air and, weirdly perhaps, it makes me think of long, luscious eyelashes moving slowly and gracefully. Perhaps it’s the black markings on the upper wing or that we talk about "fluttering eyelashes"... Anyway, it’s not a species you can miss, even across shoulder-high Teasel and Thistle heads.

I had to wait quite some time for him to land within photographic range and fully open his wings. It’s only then that you get a really good look at the 4 distinctive black veins on the forewings, known as “sex brands” (now there’s a blog post title that would generate hits!). These veins contain special “androconial” scales (i.e. sexual scent scales, to those of us who don't speak butterfly) which the males use during courtship.

I’ve had very little experience of this species so I’ve never seen the sex brands and scent scales put into action! However, having read the UK Butterflies description of courtship, I hope very much that one day I will:

“The courtship flight of this butterfly is one of the most spectacular of all the British species. The female flies in a straight line while the male continuously loops under, in front and then over the top of the female. With the courtship flight over, the pair lands on a convenient platform where the male showers the female in scent scales. The male then draws the female's antennae over the sex brand and mating subsequently takes place.”

The morning didn’t end with the Fritillary. There were also a couple of Painted Ladies on site. One, with a malformed or missing right antenna, was nectaring on Thistle and dancing around a pair of mating Common Blues on the open ground; the other, which was looking a little frayed around the edges, was nectaring on Bramble in dense scrub. I think that makes a total of at least 5 possibly 6 Painted Ladies at the site this year, which definitely beats the 1 from last year.

I called in at the Brickworks this morning but no sign of the Fritillary and only one Painted Lady remained. Two Small Copper were a cheery sight even if one of them looked half eaten!



Finally, I checked on the Small Blue colony yesterday, on the A41 Bourne End/Hemel slip road. Still just 3 second generation butterflies....but fab to see!

The Blues on chalk hillsides

The forecast for last Friday morning seemed to suggest wall-to-wall sunshine. It was actually more like wall-to-wall cloud, with the occasional ray of warmth. Plus, a stiff breeze. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Anyway, the foot of Ivinghoe Beacon, on the west side, was peppered with splashes of sky blue. Delicate, tissue paper thin Harebells matched the males of the Chalkhill Blues fluttering low over the chalk grassland….the very butterflies I was hoping to see and photograph.

Almost immediately after I arrived, I spotted a mating pair. The light was flat and dull and so I decided to sit down beside them and wait for the clouds to pass. I offered them my finger, seeing if they might like to climb on. The promise of warmth was obviously appealing and they settled quickly, finding a position whereby both their bodies were in contact with my skin so as to absorb as much heat as possible. I was glad to be of service!

Nearly half an hour we waited, me and the butterflies, nestled patiently amongst the Harebells. At long last, the sun popped its head out, the temperature rose instantly, the stiff, chilling breeze dropped, and the male opened his wings in welcome. I took a few photos and then returned the pair to the ground, glad to have been an inadvertent part of their courtship.

In the afternoon, I checked out another chalk hillside, the verge of the A41 in Bourne End/Hemel Hempstead, where I’d discovered the Small Blue colony earlier this Spring. I have been visiting regularly over the last few weeks, seeing how the larvae have been developing and wanting to catch the first of the second generation adults, if there were any. I was as pleased as punch to find 3 fresh Small Blues! And, on the westbound slip-road, in one small area, I counted 32 Six-Spot Burnets, including numerous mating pairs, all on Field Scabious! I’ve never seen so many at once.

All in all, a good day with the Blues on chalk hillsides.

Hemel Hempstead Small Blues: from larva to adult