Oxenhope Butterflies and Bombus Bees 29-05-2009

This is a preliminary report.... full report will follow later on see:

http://vismig.blogspot.com/

but a TERRIFIC amount of insect activity in the skys this morning over the moors, with the vast majority going due WEST with a very small percentage WNW and NW. The same direction as noted by Jason yesterday.

Howard and myself (on site from 0730hr to 1400hr) were astounded!.... very exciting stuff!!

bombus bees c2000+ > W absolutely phenonenal! They were going in swarms from c1000hr right through until after 1400hr. It made our big bee migration day last autumn seem like nothing!!!

Painted Lady total 181 > racing W

1014 (first one) - 1100 = 22
1100 - 1200 = 42
1200 - 1300 = 49
1300 - 1400 = 68

Timed counts with us both using binoculars over visible range. Whilst this again seems like a lot of butterflies the movement was quite thin on the ground with the binocular observations saving the day. The maximum seen together at any one time.... racing fast west across the water were 6 at 1249hr. Whilst more than half were powering W close to the ground, many today were quite well up in the sky in contrast to BH Monday when they seemed to be hugging the ground much more closely and generally today the migration seemed much wilder and more urgent with the leading line of the embankment being totally abandoned by the westward powering Ladies. If you havent got any yet Mavis, Bryan and Jean.... these are coming your way!!

Other butterflies noted in the migration were:

Green veined White first one 0832hr.... 23 > W and NW

Large White first one 0857hr..... 22 > W and NW

Small White 1 > W

Dingy Skipper 1005hr and 1135hr (both settling or amost so for a moment or so as they came past... site tick!!) 2 > NW

Grizzled Skipper 1140hr (good views going NW through binoculars.... site tick!!) 1 > NW...

Could get as addicted to insect vis... even more so than we are to the avian vis!!


Howard and Dave