turkish van
Number 1 celebrity badger
Speechless. Your jaw must've just been hanging open for the last 5 days...!?
-
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On the Eastern Front, 2010 (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Jos Stratford
- Start date
Jos Stratford
Beast from the East
Indeed, and one picture from these days that probably appeals to you more...
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StuartReeves
Local rarity
Meanwhile, back in England, it's been a late and quiet butterfly season so far!
Jos Stratford
Beast from the East
With the exception of only one or two species, everything is about two weeks or more early this season and numbers of many species higher than in preceding years.
turkish van
Number 1 celebrity badger
Innit cute! I've never seen one alive. Very odd creatures in a very endearing way.
StuartReeves
Local rarity
Interesting. The local butterfly recorder reckons things are running up to three weeks late here and I have yet to see any species in any real numbers.
halftwo
Wird Batcher
Same up here - never known such a poor butterfly year.
Meadow browns are just about out in small numbers - very little else on the wing.
Glad to know the continent is doing so well.
Jos Stratford
Beast from the East
Still doing well, the last days...
10 July
Middle Lithuania, territories I rarely venture. A blazing sun and stonking 32 C, just the biz for exploring new lands, my route plan taking me into the range of several localised butterflies that rarely occur further to the east. Starting in the valley of the Dubysa River, slowly I wandered south, stopping wherever meadow appealed. Large Coppers appeared in good numbers, always nice. Amanda’s Blues, especially abundant this year, still dominated that part of the spectrum, but I had eyes out for other members of the tribe. One of the early stops was nearing its end, a fairly run of the mill mix had already notched up a few Painted Ladies, two White Admirals, both Small and Essex Skippers, plus assorted coppers, browns and whites. Then, however, another blue scurried by, barely touching down - a Scarce Large Blue almost certainly it was, a localised species that had evaded all my earlier attempts to photograph. So too did this one, alighting on flower tops for barely a second, before rising to spin off into never never land.
Some way on, I strayed off the road to explore a small sidetrack. Then I stopped, on the roadside wires, a Bee-eater! Not a million miles away, a small colony of Bee-eaters had been found the previous year, the first ever breeding record for Lithuania, but this was far from that colony, so no chance of a straggler from there. Hawking, taking food and vanishing, ten minutes later the reason was apparent - a breeding pair of Bee-eaters in a sand quarry, pretty neat, an unexpected bonus!
Continued onward, stopping at random damp meadows, concentrating on flower-rich sites in river valleys where I found them - dozens of Amanda’s Blues, a few Short-tailed Blues, two Holly Blues, no more of the desired one. The sun was beating down, humidity was high, my dog was moaning at the exertion. I paid no heed, continuing to check good looking spots …and then I hit jackpot, a whole colony of Large Scarce Blues. Perhaps as many as 40 individuals, with females laying eggs and males chasing each other around, finally I would get my photographs. The high temperatures were not helping, the butterflies mostly staying on the wing and absolutely never opening their wings once landed, but concentrating on the egg-laying females, soon my quest was accomplished, photographs of another of Lithuania’s butterflies.
A good day all in all, only 28 species of butterfly, but what with the Scarce Large Blues, plus the Bee-eaters and a rufous-phase Cuckoo, I was to head home quite content, albeit half doolaaly from the sun!
11 July
The season reaching its climax, the height of butterflies, both in terms of numbers and variety. With temperatures sitting at a cool 32 C, and threatening to rise several degrees higher in coming days, all was set for a classic day on the local patch. And indeed it was a classic, kicking off with a wonderful Camberwell Beauty patrolling a forest glade, only my second of the year. With Silver-washed Fritillaries, Large Coppers, Silver-studded Blues and Map Butterflies in particularly high numbers, and Dark Green Fritillary and Sooty Copper on the wing for the first time this season, a big species count was on the cards.
Scarce Coppers and Heath Fritillaries appeared a little lower in numbers, but with plenty of High Brown Fritillaries and Ringlets, plus Pallas’s Fritillary, Commas galore and lingering Purple-shot Coppers, the tally continued to climb. At my favoured little patch, the numbers and variety truly impressed - oodles of browns and heaths, Green-veined Whites by the truckload, all three o the common skipper species. Amongst the masses, a Purple Emperor on the track, a couple of White Admirals, one Reverdin's Blue, several Red Admirals. A slight distraction as two cars came trundling along and promptly crashed into each other, but otherwise it was all eyes for the butterflies. Dozens of Silver-studded Blues, single Holly Blue, plus a couple of Short-tailed Blues.
By midday I'd reached the 32 species mark, all was still going well. Next, under a sun now blazing down, I hit the open meadows - glorious, a feast for the eyes and an additional four species, all fritillaries - a couple of Queen of Spain Fritillaries, my first Weaver's Fritillary of the year, along with both Small Pearl-bordered and Lesser Marbled Fritillaries. So, it was now 36 species and still I had a major card to play - a visit to forest heath ecotype. Not rich in butterfly variety or numbers per se, but home to a few notable specialities, my totals went soaring - Spotted, Niobe and Glanville Fritillaries, Grayling, Rock Grayling and Dusky Meadow Brown, that little bunch took me to the grand total of 42, a stop on the way home added Turquoise Blue to reach a grand 43. Not quite matching than my previous best (47 in 2009), but I had called it quits early afternoon, the potential to achieve 50 in a day is on the cards.
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Jos Stratford
Beast from the East
Was quite an impressive achievement to crash here - don't usually any cars here, so to get two and then have them crash was a turn-up indeed...
In Lithuania alone, now seen 71 species this season, thus already breaking my previous best - 70 last year.
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Jos Stratford
Beast from the East
The Big 50... (not age!!!)
17 July 2009, 46 species of butterflies. 11 July 2010, 43 species.
So dawned 17 July 2010, the weather forecast promising another stonking hot 33 C. The challenge was on, to hit the Big 50. Woke early and decided this was the day, the final chance of the year - many of the early species now dwindling, but the variety boosted by the late July butterflies just emerging, i.e. the season was just about at its climax.
07.45. Meadows west of my house.
With meetings at my house scheduled for 10 a.m., these early hours had two basic targets - Turquoise Blue and Little Blue, both localised species hard to find on my usual butterfly patch. What a cracking start it was, Peacocks out in abundance (none flying a week earlier), close of 20 Large Whites (also not flying a week before), plus Map Butterflies by the bucket load, all three of the common skippers and, right at the end of their season, late tatty Mazarine and Amanda’s Blues, a few Scarce Coppers and, quite a turn-up, one Northern Chequered Skippers, a species not common in the middle of July. An hour ticks by, Short-tailed Blues now under the belt, then the first of my targets, a Turquoise Blue fluttering by. Flushed a Corncrake, the first bird distraction of the day, then a bonus, my first Pale Clouded Yellows of the year, two active over thistle fields.
T’was now 9.45 a.m., the species total sat at 25, quite a good start. Wasted a while talking to contractors at my house, then off again.
11.00.Ropejos Forest.
Prime butterfly territory, prime butterfly time of day. However, things were not looking so rosy - hundreds of Peacocks, dozens of Red Admirals, no shortages of Ringlets and Meadow Browns, but overall there was a distinct lack of activity on many fronts - numbers for many species had crashed from the week before. No Heath Fritillaries, no Amanda’s Blues here, absolute minimums for many other species. I had to work for my butterflies, scrapping together butterflies that had previously been common - three Purple-shot Coppers, a lone Large Copper, a few Silver-studded Blues. Got to my favourite spot, very much the make or break of my record attempt. Hmm, not amazing - no White Admiral, no Purple Emperor, still no Heath Fritillary. Amazingly, no Small Tortoiseshells, there had been hundreds just a week before!
However, not all was lost, Silver-washed Fritillaries remained abundant and Pallas’s Fritillary numbers had risen, at least eight floating about flowers in bloom. For the others, I needed to search - eventually the tally including several High Brown Fritillaries, one Dark Green Fritillary (these right at the beginning of their flight season) and three Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries. Close to 12.30, I tallied up - 33 species, a long way from the target!
With the temperature way up above 30 C and humidity high, I did consider giving up, but decided that might be premature - superb meadows still lay ahead, maybe they would turn things around.
12.30. Meadows.
Bonus, bonus. Superb butterflies greeted my arrival! First, a species I last saw in 2007, one Large Tortoiseshell fluttering along a forest track as I approached the meadows, then, a right stunner, my second Camberwell Beauty of the year, a pristine individual. And the meadows certainly did their stuff - sweltering under the sun, Queen of Spain Fritillaries were next, then Weaver’s Fritillary, followed by one Common Blue, a Small Heath and a very ragged Painted Lady. Short-tailed Blues and two more Pale Clouded Yellows were also seen. An hour later, departing to find a shop to quench my thirst, the tally stood at 40 species, the door to the Big 50 again open …albeit needing a certain degree of luck.
14.45. Heathland.
A week earlier, this change in habitat had produced an additional six species. Today it had to do more than that! A slight detour prior to arrival reduced the deficit by two - an expected Lesser Marbled Fritillary in a favoured area and, a little less expected, my first Large Wall Brown for two weeks. Up onto the heath, quickly notched up three more guaranteed species - Grayling, Rock Grayling and Spotted Fritillary - and then set out to find two more that were on the target list, both of which are uncommon and past their peak. At exactly the same spot as where seen a week earlier, I finally found the first, a slightly jaded Granville Fritillary, I then bumped into another bonus, a Small Copper (only my second of the year, but this species which should emerge in numbers in coming days). Another bit of searching and my final target fell, fluttering down and landing on my car to take salts, a Niobe Fritillary - almost certainly the same individual that I’d found a week earlier. Silver-studded Blues and yet another Pale Clouded Yellow also seen.
So the heathland had really exceeded expectations, my goal was now temptingly close …and then with a major stroke of luck, it took a giant step closer - my first of the year, a Swallowtail sailed past, pure grace. Swallowtail is a species I usually see in June, but 2010 seems a poor year for this species, so I considered myself truly fortunate.
17.30. Return to Ropejos.
Total sat at 49 species, still no Heath Fritillary, no Small Tortoiseshell, no White Admiral, no Purple Emperor. All had been seen in the week previous, surely I could find at least one, or perhaps a rarer skipper or maybe Poplar Admiral.
Some kilometres on, nothing new. The evening was drawing in, still hot and sunny, but never so productive for butterflies. My last ditch attempt would be the banks of pools at Baltoji Voke, then a return to Ropejos. Sought out patches of Hemp Agrimony, my last chance of the Heath Fritillary or Small Tortoiseshells - scores and scores of Peacocks, Red Admirals by the dozen, Silver-washed Fritillaries common enough. And then, 18.15, finally I struck lucky …surrounded by Peacocks, one smart Small Tortoiseshell!!! Yo, species number 50, the long hot day was over, I had achieved my Big 50, excellent.
Continued to trawl the byways and tracks through Ropejos Forest - no more additional species, but did see another Small Tortoiseshell! It was now 19.00, I called it a day.
Footnote.
Three additional species seen next day - in a brief visit to rich oak forest, a Camberwell Beauty hawked a glade. Though I had been one of my ’Big 50’ butterflies, such a dramatic butterfly deserves an attempt to get a few photographs. Immediately however, a greater prize appeared - my third of the year, a stunning Lesser Purple Emperor dropped down to take salts. Photogenic to the point of obscene, this cracker of a butterfly landed on my camera, on my hand, even on my head! Very nice indeed. Just to complete the family album, and also not seen the day before, a Purple Emperor also drifted past. In nearby meadows, equally elusive the day before, three Little Blues appeared.
17 July 2009, 46 species of butterflies. 11 July 2010, 43 species.
So dawned 17 July 2010, the weather forecast promising another stonking hot 33 C. The challenge was on, to hit the Big 50. Woke early and decided this was the day, the final chance of the year - many of the early species now dwindling, but the variety boosted by the late July butterflies just emerging, i.e. the season was just about at its climax.
07.45. Meadows west of my house.
With meetings at my house scheduled for 10 a.m., these early hours had two basic targets - Turquoise Blue and Little Blue, both localised species hard to find on my usual butterfly patch. What a cracking start it was, Peacocks out in abundance (none flying a week earlier), close of 20 Large Whites (also not flying a week before), plus Map Butterflies by the bucket load, all three of the common skippers and, right at the end of their season, late tatty Mazarine and Amanda’s Blues, a few Scarce Coppers and, quite a turn-up, one Northern Chequered Skippers, a species not common in the middle of July. An hour ticks by, Short-tailed Blues now under the belt, then the first of my targets, a Turquoise Blue fluttering by. Flushed a Corncrake, the first bird distraction of the day, then a bonus, my first Pale Clouded Yellows of the year, two active over thistle fields.
T’was now 9.45 a.m., the species total sat at 25, quite a good start. Wasted a while talking to contractors at my house, then off again.
11.00.Ropejos Forest.
Prime butterfly territory, prime butterfly time of day. However, things were not looking so rosy - hundreds of Peacocks, dozens of Red Admirals, no shortages of Ringlets and Meadow Browns, but overall there was a distinct lack of activity on many fronts - numbers for many species had crashed from the week before. No Heath Fritillaries, no Amanda’s Blues here, absolute minimums for many other species. I had to work for my butterflies, scrapping together butterflies that had previously been common - three Purple-shot Coppers, a lone Large Copper, a few Silver-studded Blues. Got to my favourite spot, very much the make or break of my record attempt. Hmm, not amazing - no White Admiral, no Purple Emperor, still no Heath Fritillary. Amazingly, no Small Tortoiseshells, there had been hundreds just a week before!
However, not all was lost, Silver-washed Fritillaries remained abundant and Pallas’s Fritillary numbers had risen, at least eight floating about flowers in bloom. For the others, I needed to search - eventually the tally including several High Brown Fritillaries, one Dark Green Fritillary (these right at the beginning of their flight season) and three Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries. Close to 12.30, I tallied up - 33 species, a long way from the target!
With the temperature way up above 30 C and humidity high, I did consider giving up, but decided that might be premature - superb meadows still lay ahead, maybe they would turn things around.
12.30. Meadows.
Bonus, bonus. Superb butterflies greeted my arrival! First, a species I last saw in 2007, one Large Tortoiseshell fluttering along a forest track as I approached the meadows, then, a right stunner, my second Camberwell Beauty of the year, a pristine individual. And the meadows certainly did their stuff - sweltering under the sun, Queen of Spain Fritillaries were next, then Weaver’s Fritillary, followed by one Common Blue, a Small Heath and a very ragged Painted Lady. Short-tailed Blues and two more Pale Clouded Yellows were also seen. An hour later, departing to find a shop to quench my thirst, the tally stood at 40 species, the door to the Big 50 again open …albeit needing a certain degree of luck.
14.45. Heathland.
A week earlier, this change in habitat had produced an additional six species. Today it had to do more than that! A slight detour prior to arrival reduced the deficit by two - an expected Lesser Marbled Fritillary in a favoured area and, a little less expected, my first Large Wall Brown for two weeks. Up onto the heath, quickly notched up three more guaranteed species - Grayling, Rock Grayling and Spotted Fritillary - and then set out to find two more that were on the target list, both of which are uncommon and past their peak. At exactly the same spot as where seen a week earlier, I finally found the first, a slightly jaded Granville Fritillary, I then bumped into another bonus, a Small Copper (only my second of the year, but this species which should emerge in numbers in coming days). Another bit of searching and my final target fell, fluttering down and landing on my car to take salts, a Niobe Fritillary - almost certainly the same individual that I’d found a week earlier. Silver-studded Blues and yet another Pale Clouded Yellow also seen.
So the heathland had really exceeded expectations, my goal was now temptingly close …and then with a major stroke of luck, it took a giant step closer - my first of the year, a Swallowtail sailed past, pure grace. Swallowtail is a species I usually see in June, but 2010 seems a poor year for this species, so I considered myself truly fortunate.
17.30. Return to Ropejos.
Total sat at 49 species, still no Heath Fritillary, no Small Tortoiseshell, no White Admiral, no Purple Emperor. All had been seen in the week previous, surely I could find at least one, or perhaps a rarer skipper or maybe Poplar Admiral.
Some kilometres on, nothing new. The evening was drawing in, still hot and sunny, but never so productive for butterflies. My last ditch attempt would be the banks of pools at Baltoji Voke, then a return to Ropejos. Sought out patches of Hemp Agrimony, my last chance of the Heath Fritillary or Small Tortoiseshells - scores and scores of Peacocks, Red Admirals by the dozen, Silver-washed Fritillaries common enough. And then, 18.15, finally I struck lucky …surrounded by Peacocks, one smart Small Tortoiseshell!!! Yo, species number 50, the long hot day was over, I had achieved my Big 50, excellent.
Continued to trawl the byways and tracks through Ropejos Forest - no more additional species, but did see another Small Tortoiseshell! It was now 19.00, I called it a day.
Footnote.
Three additional species seen next day - in a brief visit to rich oak forest, a Camberwell Beauty hawked a glade. Though I had been one of my ’Big 50’ butterflies, such a dramatic butterfly deserves an attempt to get a few photographs. Immediately however, a greater prize appeared - my third of the year, a stunning Lesser Purple Emperor dropped down to take salts. Photogenic to the point of obscene, this cracker of a butterfly landed on my camera, on my hand, even on my head! Very nice indeed. Just to complete the family album, and also not seen the day before, a Purple Emperor also drifted past. In nearby meadows, equally elusive the day before, three Little Blues appeared.
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Jos Stratford
Beast from the East
One for starters, the day after...
Attachments
Jos Stratford
Beast from the East
Royal Flush, Woodpeckers.
By November, as tradition goes, I hope to have a reasonable selection of woodpeckers on my feeders in Labanoras, usually Grey-headed Woodpecker returning in that month, so too a White-backed Woodpecker if I am lucky (though the latter is often a treat reserved for the coldest days of winter, somewhere in the depths of January or February).
This year however, all the goodies were early in - even in early September, a female White-backed Woodpecker had been nosing around the feeders and, as from last week of September, Black Woodpeckers had returned to the flood forest and a young male White-backed Woodpecker had begun to grace the feeders. So, here I was, sat in my cabin on a sunny morning barely a few days into October, what would land before me? Joining the resident Marsh Tits, two Willow Tits, usually none too common, were already feeding, a Long-tailed Tit also making a brief appearance. As for the woodpeckers, I did not have long to wait, the first Great Spotted Woodpecker dropping down onto the peanuts about ten minutes after my arrival, a second moments after. Next came a female Middle Spotted Woodpecker, an individual that has been visiting for some weeks now. Pleasant enough, the standard fare of my feeders. An hour passed, in and out the two species came, feeding, occasionally harrying each other. A Black Woodpecker flopped past, 'Good', thought I, 'my regular wintering bird is back'.
And then a 20 minute session of woodpecker madness! A Black Woodpecker flew in to feed on a rotten stump some way across the swamp - I presumed it would be the male of the previous week, but nope, it was a female, thus a second bird! And no sooner had I discovered that and in flew the male, landing on the same tree and then engaging in display, the two birds peeping around the trunk at each other. Meanwhile, metres in front, both Great and Middle Spotted Woodpeckers arrived on the feeders together. Wishing to get a photograph of the Black Woodpeckers, I sneaked out onto my veranda. Click, click of my camera, then swoosh of wings, I glanced up and ...the male White-backed Woodpecker had just landed above the feeders a few metres distant. I swivelled to photograph this mighty bird, fearing it would quickly depart when it saw me, only to have it fly straight to the closest feeder, a mere two metres from my nose and too close for my lens to focus! Up to a branch he then shuffled, shoving off a Middle Spotted Woodpecker in the process, click click click, a few quick photographs, then back to the Black Woodpeckers still playing malarkey on the trunk over the water. 'Oo er, what's making that noise?', a whimpering call coming from behind my cabin, I poked my head around - one female Grey-headed Woodpecker, her first visit to the feeding station this autumn!
I needed a little sit down, it is for moments like this that I bought and maintain my land, always a real pleasure. Only Lesser Spotted Woodpecker awaited, my full winter complement then in place!
By November, as tradition goes, I hope to have a reasonable selection of woodpeckers on my feeders in Labanoras, usually Grey-headed Woodpecker returning in that month, so too a White-backed Woodpecker if I am lucky (though the latter is often a treat reserved for the coldest days of winter, somewhere in the depths of January or February).
This year however, all the goodies were early in - even in early September, a female White-backed Woodpecker had been nosing around the feeders and, as from last week of September, Black Woodpeckers had returned to the flood forest and a young male White-backed Woodpecker had begun to grace the feeders. So, here I was, sat in my cabin on a sunny morning barely a few days into October, what would land before me? Joining the resident Marsh Tits, two Willow Tits, usually none too common, were already feeding, a Long-tailed Tit also making a brief appearance. As for the woodpeckers, I did not have long to wait, the first Great Spotted Woodpecker dropping down onto the peanuts about ten minutes after my arrival, a second moments after. Next came a female Middle Spotted Woodpecker, an individual that has been visiting for some weeks now. Pleasant enough, the standard fare of my feeders. An hour passed, in and out the two species came, feeding, occasionally harrying each other. A Black Woodpecker flopped past, 'Good', thought I, 'my regular wintering bird is back'.
And then a 20 minute session of woodpecker madness! A Black Woodpecker flew in to feed on a rotten stump some way across the swamp - I presumed it would be the male of the previous week, but nope, it was a female, thus a second bird! And no sooner had I discovered that and in flew the male, landing on the same tree and then engaging in display, the two birds peeping around the trunk at each other. Meanwhile, metres in front, both Great and Middle Spotted Woodpeckers arrived on the feeders together. Wishing to get a photograph of the Black Woodpeckers, I sneaked out onto my veranda. Click, click of my camera, then swoosh of wings, I glanced up and ...the male White-backed Woodpecker had just landed above the feeders a few metres distant. I swivelled to photograph this mighty bird, fearing it would quickly depart when it saw me, only to have it fly straight to the closest feeder, a mere two metres from my nose and too close for my lens to focus! Up to a branch he then shuffled, shoving off a Middle Spotted Woodpecker in the process, click click click, a few quick photographs, then back to the Black Woodpeckers still playing malarkey on the trunk over the water. 'Oo er, what's making that noise?', a whimpering call coming from behind my cabin, I poked my head around - one female Grey-headed Woodpecker, her first visit to the feeding station this autumn!
I needed a little sit down, it is for moments like this that I bought and maintain my land, always a real pleasure. Only Lesser Spotted Woodpecker awaited, my full winter complement then in place!
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alan_rymer
Well-known member
Ditto!
Jos Stratford
Beast from the East
Thanks all 
