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Baltic Butterfly Challenge 2017 (1 Viewer)

9 July. Return of the Marbled Whites.

Prior to 2016, the grand total of Marbled Whites recorded in Lithuania amounted to just four (three in the 1920s and one in 2001). Then something amazing happened, at three sites along the southern border I located no less than 65 individuals in the period 23-30 July, many mating and egg-laying. Also found another some 30 km north.

Had high hopes of a return performance in 2017 and revisiting the sites this day, I was not disappointed - the first locality in particular astounding me. Marbled Whites everywhere, clouds of them fluttering across the short turf of embankments and trackside. In the course of a couple of kilometres, I logged over 90 individuals, this single count being considerably more than have ever occurred in the recorded history of Lithuania! Had I walked further, the number would have been higher, the Marbled Whites were continued into the distance. Interestingly, this was the least good site in 2016, when just 16 were seen here.

Not only Marbled Whites though, also tremendous numbers of Scarce Coppers on the wing, with several hundred at this locality alone, plus too Chestnut Heaths in similar numbers and both Small and Green-veined Whites also in their hundreds. Amongst the masses, added several Dusky Meadow Browns, one Eastern Bath White, one Large Copper, one Weaver's Fritillary, a good emergence of Essex Skippers and a good assortment of other species.

At neighbouring localities, a few more Marbled Whites also present, fifteen at the first, six at the second. So, in total, over 110 Marbled Whites at this early stage of the season, all looks set for a massive year for this species!

On route back, decided to call in at the site where Assmann's Fritillaries had been the week before in the hope of better photographs ...overall butterfly numbers up, but a notable drop in the number of certain species, most particularly Black-veined White and Moorland Clouded Yellow (both absent this day) and unfortunately it would appear too Assmann's Fritillary - amongst commonplace Heath Fritillaries, I only found a single candidate for Assmann's Fritillary, again a slightly larger butterfly than its compatriots, darker above and with a orangy infill to the marginal lines on the underside. Spent quite a while checking others to no avail, though as it began to cloud over, butterflies were less active. Also here, two Large Blues and two Green-underside Blues. And then a rainstorm broke, called it a day and returned to Vilnius, 40 species noted this day.


BALTIC YEAR LIST

92. Marbled White
93. Dusky Meadow Brown

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From this day...
 

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Ehehe... my issue is mainly with the Purples ;) If you could send one (one would be good enough!) this way it would be great... it hasn't been seen here in decades, and it's either extinct or is extremely rare... whereas Lesser Purples can be locally common... ah well!!
 
I don't think that many (any) people had any idea that Lithuania was so prolific, these numbers and variety would be impressive much further South.

Oddly, L P Emperor is much commoner here than P Emperor.

No Poplar Admiral Josh or have I overlooked it?

I have the first DG Fitillary of the year here today as well


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Not a particularly easy species here, see it some years, miss it others ...but was in South Africa for the the best three weeks of their season this year, so probably won't get one now. Probably :)

Only one the wing here for the last 5 days but they have a remarkably short flight period.


A
 
10 July. Day Off.

Hot and sunny, considered nipping over to western Lithuania before late work commitments - but the thought of a three-hour journey each way for a relatively short time in the field quite rightly dissuaded me, so instead I took a short stroll across sandy heathland and adjacent meadows near the capital ...not too bad, my first Yellow-legged Tortoiseshell since the early spring, plus a small assortment of localised heathland species - two Niobe Fritillaries, two Glanville Fritillaries, about ten Spotted Fritillaries.



14-16 July. Season in Decline.

Mighty storms in preceding days, prolonged torrential rain diverting flights at the international airport, streets left under a metre of water in places, buildings flooded. Regrettably it also seemed to have knocked out quite a number of butterflies.

Probably enhanced by the prevailing cool weather and rather limited sun, there was a rather gloomy feel of an upcoming autumn hanging in the air. Undoubtedly a little premature – there will still be some excellent butterfly days ahead – but for sure, the peak of the season is over and the reduction in abundance was certainly quite noticeable these days. Along forest rides where I had found hundreds of Silver-washed Fritillaries exactly one year earlier, I saw a mere few dozen this weekend, on thistle patches where I had encountered 150 Peacocks and over a dozen White-letter Hairstreaks, I saw none of either. Pretty much the same picture with many other species.

That said, increasing numbers of several second-generation species, most notably Map Butterflies, and I still managed 39 species overall, including Blue-spot Hairstreak, Geranium Argus, Turquoise Blue, Idas Blue and Tufted Marbled Skipper (my sixth of the year) near Vilnius and, on a loop around western Lithuania, no less than 30 Marbled Fritillaries in woodland meadows. A very localised species, I found most of these at a locality I identified last year, though there were also several at a new site some kilometres away. A very good selection at this site, a couple of Pallas's Fritillaries also present, plus at least 40 Dark Green Fritillaries, 20 High Brown Fritillaries, a reasonable number of Silver-washed Fritillaries and smaller numbers of Heath Fritillaries, Lesser Marbled Fritillaries and Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries. Two Large Coppers also in the meadow, along with Scarce, Purple-shot and Purple-edged Coppers.

Searched for Scarce Large Blue at several sites, failed at all. Likewise for Northern Brown Argus. Won't see either this year now.


BALTIC YEAR LIST

94. Bluespot Hairstreak
95. Marbled Fritillary
96. Pallas's Fritillary


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It may be declining but I bet you'll manage to surprise us somehow on the next few weeks with something bombastic... There are still some gems missing, namely Brown Hairstreak... I'm going to try for that species tomorrow and up to saturday...
This might have been brought up elsewhere, but have you ever thought about doing a WP Butterfly big year?
 
It may be declining but I bet you'll manage to surprise us somehow on the next few weeks with something bombastic... There are still some gems missing, namely Brown Hairstreak... I'm going to try for that species tomorrow and up to saturday...
This might have been brought up elsewhere, but have you ever thought about doing a WP Butterfly big year?

With variations in seasons that we see now, especially further North, timing would be a huge challenge?


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It may be declining but I bet you'll manage to surprise us somehow on the next few weeks with something bombastic... There are still some gems missing, namely Brown Hairstreak...

Bombastic is the perfect word - stunning past few days, post coming up below :)

Brown Hairstreak is still some weeks away up here - not an easy species, but best chances later in August.


This might have been brought up elsewhere, but have you ever thought about doing a WP Butterfly big year?

Any suggested target total?
 
With variations in seasons that we see now, especially further North, timing would be a huge challenge?

Perhaps in the very far north, but here at least, i.e. reasonably far north, the weather isn't really screwing things up - from a weather angle, we are having the worst ever summer in Lithuania since I arrived eons ago, frequent rain and cloud, moderate temperatures ...but it is an amazing year for butterflies all the same, everything flying pretty much on schedule, numbers very high for some species. Just have to hope the sun corresponds with a day you are not working ... though I have shifting the latter around according to the weather forecast :)
 
19 July. Not the Bombastic Bit.

Was looking for Silver-spotted Skipper and Rock Grayling, both of which would be new for the year, failed in both - but did find my 97th species of the year, perhaps a few days earlier than I was expecting, one Large Grizzled Skipper. Also interesting, I also found a very faded Woodland Brown, not only late in the season, but at a locality where I have never seen the species before.


BALTIC YEAR LIST

97. Large Grizzled Skipper
 
Here's the bombastic bit, or at least bombastic for me ...


20-23 July. March of the Colonists.

Amongst my highlights back in 2016 were the findings of a couple of Meleager's Blues and a population of at least 65 Marbled Whites in Lithuania, the first species having never been recorded in the Baltic States before, while records of the latter were limited to three individuals in the 1920s and a single in 2001.

As for 2017, simply amazing! From pretty good numbers on 9 July, numbers then mushroomed! Clouds of Marbled Whites drifting across the meadows on 20 June – a staggering sight, an absolute minimum of 260 at a single locality, the flower meadows chock-a-block with the chequered wings, dozens clustering around thistle heads, dozens more floating across the sunny slopes. Adding nearby localities, the total was in excess of 325, truly impressive. In reality, the numbers could have been far higher, yet more Marbled Whites disappearing off into the distance. Numbers had dropped a little by the 23rd, the total across the sites being about 240, but still most impressive, truly a massive population expansion and clear signs of a successful colonisation of the country by this attractive species.

No less impressive Meleager's Blue – I was very happy to relocate this butterfly this year, finding first a male and female on 20 July in the same general area as the previous year, then a very welcome four males and a female on the 23rd. Not in a single cluster, but scattered across flower-rich habitat, it would appear that Meleager's Blues have indeed established themselves at this locality, the total of nine individuals (2016 and 2017) covering an area about 1.5 km across. More remarkable, I also found three males and a female on flowers at a completely new locality, meadows located over 40 kilometres north! So there we have it, the march of the colonists, both species strengthening their footholds in Lithuania, becoming part of the country's butterfly fauna.

However these days were not only about Marbled Whites and Meleager's Blues, it was truly a phenomenal little period, almost 50 species recorded and some in fabulous numbers. Following on from their good numbers in spring, the second generation of Swallowtails is doing even better, 51 individuals logged in just three days, including a very nice 24 at one site, my personal best ever single locality count in Lithuania. Many hundreds of Brimstones emerging, so too Small Whites and Green-veined Whites, Scarce Coppers and Map Butterflies still in their hundreds, Ringlets and both Chestnut and Pearly Heaths still abundant. Though numbers significantly down, still nine species of fritillary on the wing, one Queen of Spain Fritillary and Niobe Fritillary amongst them, as well as a couple of Spotted Fritillaries.

And in with this lot, plenty of top class butterflies amongst the supporting cast – 22 Blue-spot Hairstreaks logged (again including a personal best locality count – 14 at one site), eight Large Coppers, a bunch of Short-tailed Blues, two Little Blues, three Geranium Arguses, one Camberwell Beauty, a huge numbers of Dusky Meadow Browns (another personal best, 60+ at a single locality) and, particularly nice, five Silver-spotted Skippers.

And final highlight, my 100th species of the year in Lithuania, the first three Chalkhill Blues of the year. Finale to an excellent few days!


BALTIC YEAR LIST

98. Silver-spotted Skipper
99. Meleager's Blue
100. Chalkhill Blue
 
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Colonist 2

Meleager's Blues ...the two genders
 

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