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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jos Stratford" data-source="post: 3590064" data-attributes="member: 12449">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.</blockquote>

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