Baltic Butterfly Challenge 2017 (1 Viewer)

What's happening there now Jos?

Awful here, (well North of Jos but still in the Baltic region) still not a single Blue of any species and Black-veined Whites are absent, a full three weeks later than last year. Perhaps it was last years extremely wet summer that's the problem, if breeding was affected I guess we'd see the results of that this year?


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Around here in Portugal we're having extremely hot and dry weather right now. Spent last week in the field, in northern Portugal, bringing my annual total to 89 species. In a single day, at a single locality (about 3 km of riverine forest) I managed to record 43 species, while 10 more were available 5 km to the north. Diversity has reached (nearly) its annual peak around here.

RafaelMatias said:

Around here in Portugal we're having extremely hot and dry weather right now. Spent last week in the field, in northern Portugal, bringing my annual total to 89 species. In a single day, at a single locality (about 3 km of riverine forest) I managed to record 43 species, while 10 more were available 5 km to the north. Diversity has reached (nearly) its annual peak around here.

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My species total stands at about 10!

Not hijacking your thread here, just curious what's happening there as you haven't posted for a while? Amazing what a difference of 5-600km makes to diversity and the weather.


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andyadcock said:

Not hijacking your thread here, just curious what's happening there as you haven't posted for a while?

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Been in South Africa for three weeks

Below in my last day before I departed, update from last couple of days to follow.


4-8 June. Flight of the Fritillaries.

Early June, season cranking up, many excellent butterflies now on the wing, including many of the rarer localised species, not least several fritillaries.

With a departure from Lithuania for three weeks imminent, I hoped for good weather in these last few days in the country and, fortunately, was duly rewarded – sandwiching days of rain, skies were blue and temperatures good on the 4th, 6th and 8th. Time to make hay ... travelling quite extensively, I visited some of my favourite sites in central and eastern areas, good butterflies at all.


4 June.

Started out not too far from Ukmerge, Clouded Apollos still flying, plus a range of others including Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary and Little Blue, but the highlight of the day was surely checking out one site where I had seen a tatty Glanville Fritillary moderately late in the season in 2016. A dry sunny slope rich on flowers, it was simply a delight on this day – no tatty Glanville Fritillaries to report, but instead a splendid emergence of at least 16 most pristine individuals. A highly localised species in Lithuania, rare it is that I see more than than a few Glanville Fritillaries in any given season, so this was a treat indeed.

Failed to find Large Heath at one nearby location, but did add my first Black-veined White on the year.


6 June.

Only a few hours to spare, squashed in between work commitments, but with a hot sun shining down, I could not resist popping out to one site not too far from the capital. And good that I did – on marsh and nearby meadow, 17 species noted in a fairly short period. More than that however, a few real classics amongst them – alongside some stunning Marsh Fritillaries, I finally found the main butterfly I was seeking. The species in question was another listed in the Lithuanian Red Data Book, the rather diminutive Scarce Heath. A fairly dark butterfly, the underwings are decorated with a series of small orangy pearls, most exquisite. Found a total of five, all in very fresh condition.

Second attempt in a row, I did however fail to find Large Heath, a species that should occur alongside. Nearby meadows added my first Large Skipper of the season.


8 June.

Less than 24 hours later, I would be on a plane heading out of the country. With a three-week absence, I feared I would miss key flight periods for a number of localised species, one of which being Alcon Blue, another Bog Fritillary. With sun on this day, I hoped for an early Alcon Blue and sincerely hoped for a Bog Fritillary, a species that should already be on the wing.

Tried a couple of localities in the morning, including areas that I saw the range-restricted Alcon Blue the previous year, but no joy. Couldn't complain too much however, as one meadow in particular proved most excellent – amongst more commonplace Heath Fritillaries, at least two False Heath Fritillaries and, more impressive, no less than five Knapweed Fritillaries. This last species is always a challenge to find in Lithuania, many a year goes by without me seeing one. This particular site though seems reliable – I saw one at the same locality a week earlier and three on the same slopes in 2016. Also here, several Mazarine Blues, one Little Blue, loads of Common Blues, four Large Skippers, one Wall Brown and my first Small Tortoiseshell for a month, clearly generation two about to appear.

Onward to the next target of the day – specialist of raised bogs, wellington boots are the order of the day, all of its favoured localities require quite some squelching about! I have previously seen this species only in Cepkaliai Bog, but certainly did not have time to travel to that locality this day, so tried instead bogs in the heart of forestland not too far south of Vilnius. Had already tried this locality a couple of times in the preceding week, but was still hoping for luck. Walking out into the bog, soon encountered the tail-end of the Baltic Grayling season, still one or two flitting from pine to pine, while few Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries also zipped about, so too the last of the spring emergence of Green Hairstreaks. Had to pause a while while a cloud shut out the sun for a while, but resuming, I then found the first of the target species, white-centred spots lining the rear underwing, a Bog Fritillary. Found three in all, success!

Rounded off with a wander in nearby meadows, added my ninth fritillary species of the week – four Queen of Spain Fritillaries. Indeed, flight of the fritillaries.



BALTIC YEAR LIST

47. Bog Fritillary
48. False Heath Fritillary
49. Black-veined White
50. Scarce Heath
51. Large Skipper


And with that, as I departed Lithuania for three weeks, I'd recorded 51 species in Lithuania so far in 2017, a total that compares favourably to the 47 at the same time in 2016.

Stars of those couple of days...

29 June. All change in Lithuania.

After three weeks away, I had hoped for a full day in the field on my return ...heavy rain all morning dashed that, but fortunately sun broke through in mid-afternoon allowing a few hours out and about.

Predictably, massive change on the butterfly front, large numbers of Chestnut Heaths, Pearly Heaths and Amanda's Blues immediately apparent, along with Dark Green Fritillaries drifting across the flower meadows, a few Lesser Marbled Fritillaries and my first Ringlet and Meadow Browns of the season. Soon added several Purple-shot Coppers, a male Scarce Copper, a couple of Mazarine Blues and a single Little Blue. A good mix of species indeed.

I again however was looking for Alcon Blue - a species restricted to just a couple of sites in the country, I had found a couple at this site the previous year, but now wondered if I had missed the main flight period while travelling. Focussing on a warm sunny slope with scant vegetation, first butterfly was a Common Blue, the next Amanda's Blue, but the next species was exactly what I was hoping for – not just one, but several Alcon Blues, females actively egg-laying. At least 12 present in all, scattered across both this slope and adjacent areas, a very healthy number I think.

Oodles of Heath Fritillaries present and, not an easy species, at least one Nickerl's Fritillary too. Several rather battered Knapweed Fritillaries also present. With the addition of Small Skipper, I had now found twelve new species for the year, very pleasing. It was not quite over though, shifting locality by a couple of kilometres, I added three more - a very nice White Admiral along woodland edge, about ten Large Chequered Skippers in damp vegetation aside a stream and three stunning Large Coppers in meadows.

All in all, 25 species in total, 15 new for the year ... very good for a few hours in the late afternoon.


BALTIC YEAR LIST

52. Large Copper
53. Scarce Copper
54. Purple-shot Copper
55. Amanda Blue
56. Alcon Blue
57. Dark Green Fritillary
58. Lesser Marbled Fritillary
59. Nickerl's Fritillary
60. White Admiral
61. Chestnut Heath
62. Pearly Heath
63. Ringlet
64. Meadow Brown
65. Large Chequered Skipper
66. Small Skipper


And, despite poor weather, July has started even better ...

Main star on my first day back in Lithuania ...

1 July. Highlights of southern Lithuania.

Weather across Lithuania was looking decidedly poor – cloud and rain forecast for a couple of days at least. With several target species in various quarters of the country, this was not good news, especially given that many of the butterflies I was seeking would be nearing the end of their season!

A slight chink to the otherwise gloomy weather, the far south-east of Lithuania did look set for at least a few hours of sun on the 1st, so not withstanding that most of my main targets were actually in central Lithuania, off I went, arriving in the Marcinkonys area early morning to blue skies and a warm sun already burning down.

And a fantastic day it turned out, not only 42 species noted, including several rather localised butterflies, but also a species I hoped to find, one that was new for me! At locality one, lots of butterflies were already flying when I arrived, Pearly Heaths and Chestnut Heaths, a Red Admiral, a few Dark Green Fritillaries, a scatter of Amanda's Blues and Mazarine Blues. Strolling meadows bordering mature pine, I soon found a Green-underwing Blue, a species I had been looking for at this locality a few weeks earlier in the season, then another and another – a total of twelve over the next kilometre or so. Quite windy it was, but it didn't seem to be keeping the butterflies down, I added a few faded Brown Argus, a couple of dozen Purple-shot Coppers, one Queen of Spain Fritillary and my first High Brown Fritillaries of the year, along with Heath, Small Pearl-bordered and Lesser Marbled Fritillaries and a good range of other common species.

After a couple of hours here, with it rather questionable how long the sun would last, I decided to retrace my steps to the car. Three good butterflies on route - one male Large Copper, one Idas Blue and, perhaps best of the lot, a very nice Large Blue, always a good species to see.

A few clouds were now scuttling along, time to move onto my next destination, just a few kilometres to the south – here I hoped to find, or moreover to identify, Assmann's Fritillary. Highly localised in Lithuania, and none too easy to distinguish from the Heath Fritillary complex, I was somewhat in doubt whether I would be able to conclusively identify one. As it was, in continuing sunshine, I stumbled across an absolutely superb forest ride, a broad open bank of flowers aside a track through mature pines, pleasantly stuffed full of butterflies. Plenty of Black-veined Whites, one falling victim to a crab spider, several Moorland Clouded Yellows, two White Admirals, one exquisite Cranberry Blue that seemed to take a fancy to me, alighting to take salts from my hand on numerous occasions, plus quite a few more species. Best of all though, no shortage of small fritillaries, a good bulk of which seemed to be spot on for Assmann's Fritillary! Was a while before I convinced myself I was really looking at the real thing, but with an orange/brownish infill to the marginal lines, full orange lunules and fairly dark uppers, I think there were at least 20 Assmann's Fritillaries at this single locality, quite possibly considerably more! A similar area a few hundred metres further added a few more, plus a couple of Small Coppers and my first Grayling of the year.

Spent a good two hours and more, glancing up every now and then at the growing number of clouds that were edging in, then set off to seek out a few more species in the forests near Cepkaliai Bog. A quick stop in some meadows added a dozen Geranium Argus, then a wander in open cut forest resulted in several more Cranberry Blues, a couple of Silver-washed Fritillaries and, a species I do not see very frequently, two Cranberry Fritillaries. Now however cloud was really beginning to take over. In less than ideal conditions, I did a walk into wet bogland in the hope of Frigga's Fritillary (the only locality it occurs in Lithuania), but no sign – quite an arduous hike, I saw just three butterflies for my effort ...one Cranberry Blue and two Moorland Clouded Yellows!

It was now late afternoon, the sun had lasted out most of the day and I was certainly more than content, I headed back to Vilnius, it had been a far better day than I had expected!


BALTIC YEAR LIST

67. Moorland Clouded Yellow
68. Large Blue
69. Silver-studded Blue
70. Idas Blue
71. Cranberry Blue
72. Geranium Argus
73. Silver-washed Fritillary
74. High Brown Fritillary
75. Cranberry Fritillary
76. Assmann's Fritillary
77. Spotted Fritillary
78. Grayling

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3 July. Ten-minute Wonder.

Overcast virtually all day, to the skies I kept glancing for signs of blue. Mid-afternoon, fortunately just when I had a gap in my schedule, a hint of brightness offered hope. Taking advantage and hoping for some late Woodland Browns, off I scooted to a locality on the edge of the city where this species frequently resides. Arrived just as a moderate-sized patch of blue maneuvered to cast valuable rays of sun across the grassy bank ...immediate results, a White Admiral emerging from adjacent pines to land on the track, a couple of Ringlets settling in the grass. In reality, Woodland Browns were probably a couple of weeks past their peak, so I was not too sure of the likelihood of success in this brief window of sun, but species number three was precisely what I wanted, a Woodland Brown! Slightly faded and a bit ragged around the wings, it was nonetheless most welcome.

My first White-letter Hairstreak of the year also active, plus a few Pearly Heaths and both Large Skipper and Small Skipper, but all of ten minutes later, the sun again fell behind cloud and the show was over, butterflies vanishing.

BALTIC YEAR LIST

79. White-letter Hairstreak
80. Woodland Brown



4 July. Chasing the Sun.

With cloud and rain persisting, the forecasts suggested central and western parts of Lithuania stood the best chances of some sun this day, even then probably only in the afternoon ...not really conducive with catching up with the last of the outstanding June butterflies! Decided upon the forests of the Kaunas area, hoping for some luck with either Scarce Fritillary or Tufted Marbled Skipper, two of the last species that occur in Lithuania that I have yet to see.

Highest likelihood of sun seemed to be from about 3 p.m., but I arrived at about 11.30 a.m. anyhow and was fortunately rewarded with a couple of hours of high cloud and sunny spells. Not too bad at all, quite a number of butterflies active, remarkably including at least 35 Woodland Browns, all rather faded. In this first hour, totalled 18 species of butterflies, Ringlets and Meadow Browns most common, but also a Large Copper, quite a number of Lesser Marbled Fritillaries and Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries, one False Heath Fritillary and, new for the year, one Purple Emperor and better still two Ilex Hairstreaks. No Scarce Fritillary or Tufted Marbled Skipper though!!

Then came down the rain, heavy downpours sending me scurrying back to the car. Cloud and rain basically lasted the rest of the day, though a brief period of brightness did get a few butterflies back onto the wings, a second Large Copper included. Butterfly of the day however was found quietly sitting upon a flower top – my first for six years, a splendid Black Hairstreak. Didn't have my camera with me, but managed a couple of record shots with my mobile phone ...top class species for me!


BALTIC YEAR LIST

81. Ilex Hairstreak
82. Black Hairstreak
83. Purple Emperor



5 July. Tufted Marbled Skipper!

Really should take my camera to work - two-hour gap and sunshine saw me nipping out to an area of meadow a little east of the capital. Had thoughts of finding perhaps a Large Heath in adjacent damp areas, but did even better - a Tufted Marbled Skipper! Had been looking for this very species in the forestlands of central Lithuania the day before, but hadn't expected to stumble across one just 20 minutes from Vilnius.

Was actually a very good two hours, a good two dozen species on the wing, White Admiral and Purple Emperor amongst them, 16 Woodland Browns too, but without doubt the star was the Tufted Marbled Skipper - feeding in flower meadow adjacent to mixed woodland, this was actually quite a bit bigger than I had expected, certainly a step up from the otherwise fairly similar Marbled Skipper (this latter species never having occurred in Lithuania).

As with the Black Hairstreak of the day before, fortunately it was sedentary enough to get reasonable photographs via the mobile phone - but sure will be going back to try to relocate for better shots!


BALTIC YEAR LIST

84. Tufted Marbled Skipper

Mobile phone shots of the two main highlights...

Fortunately subsequent days would see me getting some improvements on these shots.

I envy your variety just a few hundred KM's away, still very poor here but did get a single Poplar Admiral today.



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andyadcock said:

I envy your variety just a few hundred KM's away, still very poor here but did get a single Poplar Admiral today.

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The last few days have been even better ...just writing the texts now. Had an excellent year last year, but managing to do even better this season (even with weather very hit and miss).

6-8 July. Like London Buses!

You wait ages and ages for one, then suddenly a whole bunch of them come at once! And so it is with Black Hairstreaks and Tufted Marbled Skippers - six years without one in Lithuania for the first, never seen one in Lithuania for the second, then in the space of four days, I find no less than three Black Hairstreaks and five Tufted Marbled Skippers! Visiting sites in the Vilnius, Ukmerge and Kaunas areas, classic days they were, butterfly numbers high and species diversity very good, a total of 53 species seen. In addition to the butterflies mentioned below, I also encountered nine Large Coppers, ten Geranium Argus and first hints of second generations of several common species, Brimstones, Wood Whites and Holly Blues included.


6 July: Started off in woodlands and meadows a little to the south of Vilnius, primarily looking for Large Wall Brown, which duly obliged (two individuals). More remarkable though, my visit also resulted in my second in the run of Black Hairstreaks, a species I had never seen before at this site. Season's first Niobe Fritillary also seen, two on an area of heath. Plenty of other butterflies also flying, including three Glanville Fritillaries, my first Essex Skipper of the year and Moorland Clouded Yellow.

7 July: Amazing day, common butterflies and rare in abundance. Wandering an area of riverside meadow in the Ukmerge area, the sheer volume of butterflies was staggering, an estimated 160 Lesser Marbled Fritillaries at a single locality, another 90 in further areas, Ringlets, Meadow Browns, Pearly Heaths and Chestnut Heaths all abundant, plus three White-letter Hairstreaks and Black Hairstreak number three, a fine individual sunning alongside a glade. And 15 minutes after the hairstreaks, in the neighbouring glade, a Tufted Marbled Skipper on flower tops, a very nice individual allowing photographs. The ghosts of past days without a camera were cast aside! Three Glanville Fritillaries graced a neighbouring hillside.
A detour on route back to Vilnius added another Tufted Marbled Skipper and, nearby, a few additional species of note, most particularly four Knapweed Fritillaires, my first two two Purple-shot Coppers of the season and an unfortunate Alcon Blue that had been taken by a Crab Spider.

8 July: Rounding off these three excellent days, I popped over to Kaunas to drop off a friend at the airport, then skipped off to woodlands a little to the north. Massive emergence of Purple Emperors and Lesser Purple Emperors, dozens of them puddling on the tracks and gliding about ...in a relatively small area, I managed to count a minimum of 47 Purple Emperors and 18 Lesser Purple Emperors, truly impressive! Also dozens of other species, including still 25 Woodland Browns, at least 15 Large Chequered Skippers and two Ilex Hairstreaks. Better still, bumped into yet another two Tufted Marbled Skippers, both feeding on flowers on roadside embankments.
Highlight of the day however was undoubtedly a certain butterfly I had been searching for over the previous weeks - highly restricted in Lithuania, I finally found a single individual in an area of wet woodland glade with regenerating shrubs ...briefly alighting on the track aside a bunch of Purple Emperors, the butterfly in question was a superb Scarce Fritillary. Regrettably no photograph, up it went and sailed off into the shrubland. Searched extensively, but no further sign. Also added my first Turquoise Blues of the season en route home, four feeding at a traditional site not too far from the capital. Always happy to see these, one of the most exquisite butterflies in Lithuania in my opinion.


BALTIC YEAR LIST

85. Purple-edged Copper
86. Turquoise Blue
87. Lesser Purple Emperor
88. Niobe Fritillary
89. Scarce Fritillary
90. Large Wall Brown
91. Essex Skipper

Highlights...

Chomping Crab Spiders ...

An amazing few days that we can only dream of here in the UK. The crab spider is Misumena vatia- female in both shots.

Jos,
I had this a couple of days ago and first impression was Cranberry Blue but on closer inspection, it has too man spots on the hindwing and I concluded that it was a weakly marked Amanda's Blue. Your Blue also has too many spots on the hindwing so I ask, is mine Cranberry?

http://www.surfbirds.com/gallery/share_photo.php?imgname=20170709114753938.jpg

Another pro Amanda's feature is the twin spots in front of the lowest orange disk, a feature yours shows as well although they are merged.

Appreciate your feedback as I'm not as experienced as you and Cranberry Blue is uncommon here.



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andyadcock said:

Jos,
I had this a couple of days ago and first impression was Cranberry Blue but on closer inspection, it has too man spots on the hindwing and I concluded that it was a weakly marked Amanda's Blue. Your Blue also has too many spots on the hindwing so I ask, is mine Cranberry?

http://www.surfbirds.com/gallery/share_photo.php?imgname=20170709114753938.jpg

Another pro Amanda's feature is the twin spots in front of the lowest orange disk, a feature yours shows as well although they are merged.

Appreciate your feedback as I'm not as experienced as you and Cranberry Blue is uncommon here.

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Yours is a Cranberry Blue too - the red spot with blue scaling is fairly distinctive (Amanda's does not have the blue scales). You probably also noticed that this was quite a small butterfly, generally Amanda's are bigger chunkier things.

I think Cranberry Blues are usually fairly uncommon - I have never seen them in any numbers, just occasional ones here and there.

Jos Stratford said:

Yours is a Cranberry Blue too - the red spot with blue scaling is fairly distinctive (Amanda's does not have the blue scales). You probably also noticed that this was quite a small butterfly, generally Amanda's are bigger chunkier things.

I think Cranberry Blues are usually fairly uncommon - I have never seen them in any numbers, just occasional ones here and there.

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Thanks,
as I said, that was my first impression but how do we account for the number of spots on the hindwing, even the twin spots I mentioned seem to mirror Amanda's? There are big differences from the illustration in Collins.

Have I got this right?

http://www.surfbirds.com/gallery/share_photo.php?imgname=20170709114532370.jpg


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andyadcock said:

... how do we account for the number of spots on the hindwing? ... There are big differences from the illustration in Collins.

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Variation? Though spots are bigger I think in females. Other fieldguides (MB and Lithuanian guide) show spots pretty much as in the photographed specimens.

andyadcock said:

Have I got this right?

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Yes, Northern/Mountain Argus