19th August - TLC Field and Old Winchester Hill, Hampshire

A combination of the weather and some jobs around the house delayed me getting out today.  The strato cumulus clouds that have been around for the last few days have lingered, keeping the sunshine away.  I was keen to get the last Hampshire resident butterfly of the year, the Silver Spotted Skipper, but this insect like warm sunny conditions, so I waited to see if the sun would break through.  It did, but then I saw a report of Osprey at Fishlake, I was debating with myself whether to go for the Osprey when another report came in, Wryneck at the Donkey paddock at the TLC field.  It was a no brainer, I was off for the Wryneck and was prepared to negotiate the seventeen speed bumps.

As I arrived there were Swallows on all the overhead wires, juveniles and adults chattering away, just like I was back in Somerset.

My relationship with Wryneck is not good.  As I walked up I was told it hadn't been seen for 45 minutes and no more was sure if it was still in the long grass or had flown away to the bushes.  I waited, we all talked, we searched the bramble bushes, but to no result.  In the end we all agreed it wasn't worth waiting and we all drifted away, Wryneck can go missing for hours, I know, so I wouldn't be surprised if it turns up tomorrow

Walking back to the car the Swallows were still on the wires.  This juvenile present.

An Adult Swallow in the dead tree.

And a juvenile House Martin amongst them.

An adult, note the streamers you see in the spring are now gone, the feathers broken through the trials of breeding.

Fortunately Old Winchester Hill was on my way home, so I was able to revert to my original plan and to go and look for the skippers.

I decided to not do my usual loop, but to head down the slope from the car park.  There had been reports from here, so I was hopeful.  I really didn't want to slog all the way to the south slope of the hill fort.

Walking down hill there were plenty of Meadow Browns and several Small heath buzzing around.

Chalkhill Blues were still around with several female looking to lay eggs.  This female though was nectaring.

A large Hornet was hunting around the old seed pods of the gorse bushes.

I reached the bottom of the slope with no sign of the skippers.  A small consolation was the Adonis Blue, with many electric blue males flying around and settling when the sun went behind the clouds.  The blue is stunning.

There were also a few Brown Argus, but they were a little faded.

I walked along the bottom path, searching the shorter grass areas, as I did I debated walking to the south slope, but I really didn't want to.  However I turned back to give the area at the bottom of the slope one more go and as I walked back there was a small insect pinging about, finally it settled.

At last a Silver Spotted Skipper.  It sat on the dead grass, showing off the distinctive markings, but frustratingly I couldn't see the silver spots that give it the name.

The problem with these skippers is that when you look through a camera view finder, you can;t see where they go when they decide to "ping" off the flower, you lose sight of them and I did of this one.

I continued searching and came across a settled Chalkhill Blue.

Then I found another Silver Spotted Skipper, but again it sat on the grass with wings open looking to get as much radiation as the sun was behind the clouds

Once again it pinged away and out of sight.

Most of the Chalkhill Blues were faded and damaged, but this one looked  as if it had just emerged.

I started to climb the hill on my way back to the car happy that I had seen the skipper, but a little frustrated that I hadn't got the shots I wanted.  I came across a small area of field scabious and sitting on one was another Silver Spotted Skipper and it was in a perfect position.

At last a view of the silver spots.

Walking back up the slope two Clouded Yellows were duelling as they tumbled down the slope, it certainly has been a good year for this species in Hampshire and the south.  My total for the year in the county is 44 and for the UK, 46. Maybe I have to think about some of the species I can't see in Hampshire next year

So my initial objective of finding the Silver Spotted Skipper was successful, but once again Wryneck had eluded me.  Will this be the year I finally managed to get some good views?  I won't be holding my breath.