Andrew Lipczyński

Interestingly Sandwich Tern, Thalasseus sandvicensis, refers to Sandwich, Kent, the type locality while the Nēnē (Hawaiian Goose), Branta sandvicensis, refers to Sandwich Islands, now Hawaiian Islands. Savannah Sparrow, Passerculus sandwichensis, to Sandwich Sound now Prince William Sound, Alaska.🥪

Worth Marshes: masses/swarms of Peacock butterfly larvae on the nettles at Roaring Gutter - both early and late instars. A young Cuckoo close nearby but didn't actually see it feeding. #KentNature #KentBirding

What a summer this is turning out to be! After recent record garden day counts of Green-veined Whites, Common Blues & Brown Argus, on today's 15 min #BigButterflyCount I total 45 (Forty-five!) Gatekeepers nectaring madly on the Marjoram. I look up & there are 8 Migrant Hawkers overhead😮 #KentNature

...always helps looking in the right place !

👍

Chalk Carpet, Scotopteryx bipunctaria, from The White Cliffs, Dover

Lace Border, Scopula ornata, from The White Cliffs, Dover

Chalk Carpet, Scotopteryx bipunctaria, Montagne de Bergier, Provence, France, 18/7/14

Middle Lace Border, Scopula decorata, St-Etienne-les-Orgues, Provence, France. 20/7/14

SBBO moth night & always great to hear the kid's ohs, ahs & wows as potted hawk-moths are passed around & released. My highlights; Lace Border, S. ornata & Chalk Carpet, S. bipunctaria, both of which I've failed to find during the day in Kent having found the latter & decorata in Provence. #teammoth

Phylogeography and diversification of the Pieris napi species group in the Western Palaearctic The butterflies of the Pieris napi complex, encompassing diverse taxa across Europe, Asia and North Africa, represent an emergent model system for studying climatic adaptation. In this study, we use g...

All should become clearer following this recent paper by Vila and Carnicer et al. doi.org/10.1101/2025... @europebutterfly.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

Green-veined White, Pieris napi adalwinda, Målselva, river, near Moen, Troms go Finnmark, Norway 24/05/25

Green-veined White, Pieris napi adalwinda, Kafjord, near Alta, Troms and Finnmark, Norway 29/05/25

Green-veined White, Pieris napi adalwinda, Kafjord, near Alta, Troms and Finnmark, Norway 29/05/25

Mountain Green-veined White, Pieris bryoniae, mating pair, below Refuge Agnel, PNR du Queyras, France 12/07/17

On the @mariposanature.bsky.social Arctic tour the season was 2-3 weeks late & we struggled to find some target Boloria. However Green-veined Whites, Pieris napi adalwinda, were plentiful. Some authors considered it a ssp of Mountain Green-veined White, Pieris bryoniae, or even a separate species!

Next an individual (male?) that had greatly reduced brown lunules on the uppersides of both fore- and hind-wings I think this aberration is termed unicolor (sic).

Anyway, enough of the reminiscing already. As Willie Nelson wrote ' Gee, ain't it funny how time slips away?".

#KentNature

Yesterday's aberrant Green-veined White brought to mind several Brown Arguses (Argi?), Aricia agestis, seen in the home garden over many years. First three with white markings around the central discoidal spot on the fore-wing upperside (ab snelleni?) resembling Northern Brown Argus A. artaxerxes.

I'm virtually guaranteed to find something interesting in the garden when/if I venture out without a 'proper' camera. This time a summer brood Green-veined White, Pieris napi, ab. continua (I think), taken with my steam-powered iPhone 7. #KentNature @savebutterflies.bsky.social

PS So intent was I on searching for the Scarce Blue-tails - I missed the first party of 17 Crossbills that flew overhead and the camera settings were all wrong (snafu!) when the next 20 went by as we walked back to the Field Centre - capturing only 17 as blurred images. #KentBirding

Next, 4 of the males. Much less conspicuous, difficult to detect drifting away on the slightest breeze, usually just as you put your eye to the camera 😬. If you're going to look, please keep to the 'paths' to avoid trampling on those hidden in vegetation. #KentNature @britishdragonflies.bsky.social

First the females including, for comparison, the individual found on Tuesday's and subject of my previous post.

Another look around the SBBOT Dragonfly Pools this morning now the wind had died down ably assisted by Steffan the warden. At least nine Scarce Blue-tailed Damselflies I. pumilio were found inc. three females (a teneral & 2 immature aurantiaca) plus 6 males at various stages of maturity.

...and so much more evocative than (4S,4aS,8aR)-4,8a-Dimethyloctahydronaphthalen-4a(2H)-ol.

Very fortunate to find the teneral/immature Scarce Blue-tail resting deep in pool-side vegetation and in the cool and very breezy conditions ahead of the (much needed) rain

Immature ♀️Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly, I. pumilio, Dragonfly Pond Fields, Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory Trust. 15th July 2025

Immature ♀️Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly, I. pumilio, Dragonfly Pond Fields, Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory Trust. 15th July 2025

Immature ♀️Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly, I. pumilio, Dragonfly Pond Fields, Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory Trust. 15th July 2025

Immature Blue-tailed Damselfly, I. elegans, Dragonfly Pond Fields, Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory Trust. 15th July 2025

After individuals recorded on 16th & 23rd May, a complete blank until today, a 3rd immature ♀️Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly, I. pumilio at Sandwich Bay - late first or early second generation? Be aware of the immature yellow form of Blue-tailed Damselfly I. elegans in same area. #KentNature #Odonata

Cyn's Frit! Now that's what you call sexual dimorphism!

🙄

More in desperate hope than expectation a few of us walked further up to the high plateau at 1100m but unfortunately, as expected, no Dusky-winged Fritillaries, Boloria improba. A major blow to say the least but as they (should) say, when life gives you lemons - go Birding!

Pale Arctic Clouded Yellow, Colias tyche, bothering the local form of Green-veined White, Pieris napi.

Dewy Ringlet, Erebia pandrose.

Day 3. In a gin clear blue sky we took the chairlift at Abisko up Mt Nuolja to the Aurora Sky Station. Several Pale Arctic Clouded Yellows, Colias tyche, & a single Dewy Ringlet, Erebia pandrose, were found however the amount of snow remaining & few flowers signalled a late season.

Ruby Whiteface (Northern White-faced Darter), Leucorrhinia rubicunda.

Ruby Whiteface (Northern White-faced Darter), Leucorrhinia rubicunda.

Last but certainly not least for those of you with an interest in odonata, a freshly emerged female Ruby Whiteface (Northern White-faced Darter), Leucorrhinia rubicunda, found resting nearby.

Arctic Ringlet, Erebia disa

Arctic Ringlet, Erebia disa

Perhaps star of the show (a visiting local naturalist we bumped into saying it was one of the rarer butterflies in Sweden) was a fresh Arctic Ringlet, Erebia disa, very dark / almost black in flight but well marked on the underside with multiple (3 of 4 shown) ocelli on the underside forewing only.

Cranberry Fritillary, Boloria aquilonaris

Frigga's Fritillary, Bolaria frigga.

Frigga's Fritillary, Bolaria frigga.

At the edge of the bog, Cranberry Fritillaries, Boloria aquilonaris, were very active & restless, while a second, darker Fritillary gave us the run-around until we could see its splendid undersides & confirm its identity as Frigga's, Bolaria frigga, another very special butterfly of the far north. 😂

Northern Grizzled Skipper, Pyrgus centaureae.

Northern Grizzled Skipper, Pyrgus centaureae.

Day 2 in the Arctic & as weather improved we ventured deeper into Swedish Lapland to a blanket bog north of Kiruna. Our principal quarry Lapland Fritillary, E. iduna, was only glimpsed but compensation came in multiple instalments. First up were several Northern Grizzled Skippers, Pyrgus centaureae.

Thank you Kirsty

🤣

All to a soundtrack of singing Willow Warblers, Brambling, Redwing, Mealy Redpoll & Bluethroat plus Wood Sandpipers overhead and a Willow Ptarmigan.