During my recent Wildwings birding tour I naturally enough took some time out for butterflies when the opportunity arose. The highlight came while we were exploring the Emli Valley in Aladaglar National Park, when I came across clusters of mud puddling blue butterflies that contained a number of new (for me) regional species. I had witnessed this phenomenon before in les Cévennes, France but not In Greece last July where ground conditions were wetter than usual and so catered for butterflies more widely.

Anatolian Black-eyed (centre ) and a medley of mud puddling Blues

Encountering “mud puddling” is a very good way of observing then separating a mix of Blues. In dry country these butterflies will all congregate around wet patches caused by small scale flooding, natural springs or leaking livestock feeding troughs. The one that most stood out here was Anatolian Black-eyed Blue (pictured below) due to the very prominent row of black dots on the underside fore-wing.

Anatolian Black-eyed Blue

Anatolian Black-eyed (left) and Osiris Blues

Another medley containing (clockwise) Anatolian Black-eyed Blue, unknown item, Anatolian Green-underside Blue, Osiris Blue (x2) and Mazarine Blue

Anatolian Green-underside Blue is rather similar and I believe the partially hidden butterfly at the top right of the above group is one. Other regional species that I have managed to identify were Anatolian Zephyr Blue (below, top row) and Small Anatolian Blue (bottom row). The name Anatolia as a region refers to the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also known as Asia Minor that makes up the majority of modern-day Turkey. It’s endemic butterflies lie outside the range covered by the Collins European field guide.

Anatolian Zephr Blue (male)

Anatolian Zephr Blue (female)

Small Anatolian Blue (male)

Small Anatolian Blue (male)

Fortunately the pension where we stayed had a copy of the only print field guide to Turkish butterflies, by Ahmet Baytas (see here). This presents one or two pictures of varying quality for each species. Published in 2007, it is now out of print and available used copies on Amazon go for around £50, so no thanks. But I was able to pick out likely looking IDs, of which the above were confirmed by the Bing galleries that are produced by Google web searches.

My first reaction on perusing this guide was of wanting to re-visit Turkey just to cover some of the many extra species listed. Then the slippery slope that starting to butterfly outside Collins’ range must represent hit home, because there were so many of them for which reliable and affordable field guides may not be available. I suspect I have one foot upon that path already.

Mazarine Blue (male)

Mazarine Blues

Two more Blues that were present in the Emli Valley I identified as Mazarine Blue and  Reverdin’s Blue, both of which (if correct) are welcome lifers. The first-named (pictured above) occurs very widely across much of continental Europe and into Anatolia and the Middle East. The second (below. top row) has a more restricted range from France through eastern and south-eastern Europe and into Turkey. Both are butterflies of grassy places in high summer.

Reverdin’s Blue (all pictures)

Osiris Blue (male)

Osiris Blue (female)

The diminutive Osiris Blue was quite plentiful at this site. This was my second ever experience of a species that I recorded initially in les Cévennes in May 2016. Now I was able to obtain better pictures (above, lower sequence) including brown-toned female Osiris for the first time. Another second timer, elsewhere in this national park was Ripart’s Anomalous Blue (below) that I first experienced in Greece last July and self-found this week. Now I gained top side studies for the first time. Yes the anomaly is that these Blues are actually pale brown.

Ripart’s Anomalous Blue (all pictures)

The following records have yet to be identified. I am open to advice from more experienced observers in the region as to these and also concerning any of the above featured blue butterflies if I have not identified them correctly

• –  Click on any image to enlarge  –

Further along the Emli Valley I wandered away from the muddy track and into a bushy area to see what might be found there. Now I enjoyed only a second ever encounter with Blue-spot Hairstreak (pictured below), the first having been at Tavira, southern Portugal in May 2014. With this discovery I began to ponder returning to this region of Turkey and staying at the pension for a few days just to butterfly the valley properly. But cloud was beginning to build and so the butterflies disappeared and I thought it best to catch up with my birding group and find out what I had missed.

Blue-spot Hairstreak (all pictures)

A third Collins range lifer for this trip, a day earlier on the other side of the Aladaglar Mountains, was Eastern Rock Grayling (pictured below). This south-east European butterfly extends into Anatolia and eastward as far as Iran, flying from early May to mid September. It inhabits dry, bushy places mostly in woodland and especially Pine forests.

Eastern Rock Grayling

Great Banded Grayling was one of a number of larger species that were encountered in flowery places throughout this tour’s five days. Though there are a number of Marbled White species in the Turkish field guide I took those here to be Balkan Marbled White, as in Greece last July which members of this genus my pictures most closely matched.

Great Banded Grayling

Balkan Marbled White

Cardinal is a majestic butterfly that I have so far found difficult to capture well pictorially. It’s more cryptic rust brown and green under-wing patterning than Silver-washed Fritillary serves to produce rather fuzzy images. To make things worse this individual (below) just would not come out from a shady, back-lit position so to make them more attractive my pictures have been edited for maximum Chernobyl effects.

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Lastly this Knapweed Fritillary (below) produced some pleasing studies. I decided on the ID from the under-wing picture that closely matches illustrations in Collins, though there are some similar Fritillaries in the Anatolian region. There are a number of “Knapper” sub-species across it’s pan-European, north African and Middle eastern range; and these display marked variation between the different countries in which I have recorded them.

Knapweed Fritillary

Knapweed Fritillary

Turkey was a fascinating country to visit both for birds and butterflies, and one that has whetted my appetite to extend the range over which I might observe more of the latter. The Bulgarian wildlife tour operator Wild Echo runs a two-week programme (see here) in eastern Turkey offering the potential for many new species, and I am also attracted by the Caucasus and north-west Africa. So who knows, I may be coming out of retirement to earn the money for all this soon.

My first ever visit to this country produced 21 bird lifers: Brown Fish Owl, Graceful Prinia, Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler, Krüper’s Nuthatch, Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Bimaculated Lark, Upcher’s Warbler, White-throated Robin, Asian Crimson-winged Finch, Pale Rock Sparrow, White-winged Snow Finch, Moustached Warbler, White-headed Duck, Caspian Snowcock, Red-fronted Serin, Radde’s Accentor, Finsch’s Wheatear, Syrian Woodpecker, White-throated Kingfisher and White-spectacled Bulbul.

The full write-up is on this journal’s Trip Reports tab. To view it click on the image (below)

Other notable birds observed through the five days included:

• Isabelline and Black-eared Wheatears, Black-headed and Ortolan Buntings
• Olive Tree, Rüppell’s, Barred, Great Reed, Eastern Orphean, Eastern Bonelli’s and Eastern Olivaceous Warblers
• Greater Short-toed, Calandra and Horned Larks
• Woodchat, Masked and Red-backed Shrikes, Chukar Partridge
• Western Rock Nuthatch, Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Red-billed and Alpine Chough
• Purple, Squacco and Black-crowned Night Herons, Pied Kingfisher, Spur-winged Plover
• Lesser Spotted and Booted Eagles, Long-legged Buzzard and Egyptian Vulture

So the story goes, this is a tale that must be told … and all that. Enjoy (click here) …

With this addition my British bird list now stands just one short of the 350 mark. A Squacco Heron had been recorded on and off since 24th May in the Meon Valley between the village of Titchfield and the national nature reserve to the south (SU539047 – see here). Though it is a long-legged water bird I have seen often enough abroad, the opportunity to observe a first national one so close to home is one I would have been disappointed to miss.

The lower right pale smudge in the centre of this picture is the Titchfield Squacco Heron

The circumstances were the reverse of when I first set out to see this Squacco three days after it first appeared at the site. Then I had travelled part of the way to find only negatives on RBA, and so went butterflying instead. Today I was trying for a special insect in the New Forest, the teneral female aurantiaca form of Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly that is much prized by odo hunters. The drive down was mostly in sunny conditions, but upon my arrival grey cloud in variously ominous shades had stacked up ahead of me.

I nonetheless spent around three hours searching the valley mire site between Latchmore Brook and Hampton Ridge where I have observed adults of the species three times previously. But not one striking orange damsel, for such they are (see here) was to be found before dark rain cloud began to build up and I left around 2pm. That could have been a tad demoralising but on checking RBA the Squacco Heron had been watched all day so far. The heavens had now opened so I opted to head around the M27 and see if conditions improved.

A little local history concerning the site visited today

Indeed they did and when I pulled into a parking area by a bridge over the Titchfield Canal (SU 54145 05473) about 45 minutes later, a departing birder said my quest was showing well from the tow path less than 800 metres south. As I approached the spot cited on RBA as Posbrook flood, a pool at the northern end of Titchfield Haven NNR, three observers signalled the bird was still on view. And there was my first British Squacco Heron standing and preening at the reed margin on the far side. Things were as simple as that.

This completed the set for me of once infrequent European Herons in the British Isles, with Little, Great White and Cattle Egrets all having become regular; and scarcer Little Bittern, Purple and Black-crowned Night Herons also represented on my British bird list. Today’s Squacco was too distant to obtain pictures of, as throughout its stay here judging by the absence of images published online. So here are some of my past pictures from abroad. Even at today’s viewing distance they really are cracking looking little Herons.

Squacco Heron in Cyprus (2012) above, and northern Greece (2017) below

After a while the other birders all moved on and then I noticed the Squacco take flight on being harassed by a Crow, to settle out of view in reeds a little to the south. But no matter, I had ticked this bird for Blighty and my day had not been wasted after all. On departing for home things were pleasantly sunny again. I caught up with the grey then the wet stuff on the road back to Oxford, but the warm glow of a successful twitch was with me the whole way.

The aurantiacae damselflies will have to wait until next year. The area of Hampshire that features again in this post has incidentally produced no less than 10 British bird list additions for me in the past decade. The other firsts were Velvet Scoter, Firecrest, Yellow-legged Gull, Mediterranean Gull (all Mar 2010), Red-breasted Goose (Jan 2011), Brown Shrike (Oct 2013), Siberian Stonechat (Oct 2014), Greater Yellowlegs (Apr 2015) and Roseate Tern (July 2018).

The first months of each new odonata season afford the opportunity to study and record different damselfly colour forms as newly hatched specimens begin to mature. That is now something of a motivation since I have observed every regularly occurring English insect of this group in the past. This year through May and into June I have spent time at two local sites in Oxfordshire, where some of the more frequent blue species and their various, often attractive forms did not disappoint.

My earliest visits to Orchard Lake, Radley (SU 519970) realised the first such reward, as large numbers of paler-toned male Common Blue Damselfly (below, centre top) were flying there. A month later it was noticeable how the still emerging males were of a drabber brown tone (centre bottom), though I expect this is a more immature form still. The latter appear quite ghostly and weak flying when disturbed. The right hand sub-adult male appears to be between the two in colouration and hence maturity.

Common Blue Damselfly (mature male)

Common Blue Damselfly (imm male)

Common Blue Damselfly (imm male)

Common Blue Damselfly (sub-adult male)

The  sequences here illustrate how interest can be found in picking out all these forms of frequently seen damselflies and attempting to gain pictorial records of those I might not have captured before. There are both blue and drab forms of female Common Blue to complete the range of varieties to be identified and these go through stages of colouration as well. To complicate things further some individuals exhibit mixed colouring of both forms so maybe hybridisation occurs. This is all fascinating stuff, at least to an odo enthusiast and I hope I have got everything right.

Common Blue Damselfly (sub-adult female)

Common Blue Damselfly (imm female)

Common Blue Damselfly (drab female)

Common Blue Damselfly (adult female)

Amongst the trillions of blue damselflies to be experienced at this time of year the other most frequent species is Azure Damselfly (pictured below). This is more straightforward to identify as it has far fewer colour forms than the as numerous Common Blue. The most obvious difference lies in the arrow shaped brown abdominal markings on Common by comparison with the slimmer, cleaner looking Azure.

Azure Damselfly (adult male)

Azure Damselfly (adult female)

Mixed in with both these will usually be the possibly more striking Blue-tailed Damselfly. Females of this species exhibit markedly different pink, purple or green colouration to the thorax; while in males that might be either green in sub-adults or blue in adults. So there is quite a colour spectrum involved in seeking out the various forms. These (below, both rows) are the ones I have recorded in this review period.

Female Blue-tailed Damselfly f violacea

Female Blue-tailed Damselfly f rufuscens

Blue-tailed Damselfly (immature male)

Blue-tailed Damselfly (teneral)

Red-eyed Damselfly (below) also exhibits quite striking forms and can also be colourful at its immature stage. So I look upon the two species described immediately above as the stand-outs when scanning any area of vegetation that might be teeming with all these insects.

Immature Red-eyed Damselfly (above) and adult forms (below)

Red-eyed Damselfy (adult male)

Red-eyed Damselfy (adult male)

Red-eyed Damselfy (adult female)

Red-eyed Damselfy (adult male)

The second local site by the River Thames in Abingdon is Barton Fields (SU511971) that in recent years has become a stronghold for the rather more scarce Variable Damselfly. This blue species is most easily identified by the “exclamation mark” stripes on the thorax and a “wine glass” pattern on abdominal segment two. I observed the insect here and secured pictures (below) twice during May 2019. Hairy Hawker and Downy Emerald dragonflies are also now regular at the location and Common Clubtail have been recorded very occasionally.

Variable Damselfly (male)

Variable Damselfly (male)

Teneral (newly hatched) damselflies are a further minefield to be negotiated, mostly appearing bland and ghostly upon emergence. But I am glad to have gained a better understanding of so many immature and sub-adult colour forms through the exercise presented in this post. It is also pleasing to have recorded most of these by returning over and again to the same areas of just two sites. All this is out there in the countryside awaiting those who go to look, and I hope this guide may be of use to less experienced observers who might care to do so.

I visit the small BBOWT reserve of Decoy Heath in most years and have been there many times in the past decade. This is a hidden gem of a place for dragonflies and damselflies at which 23 breeding species have been recorded historically. So with my evolved and hence motivational butterflying being on pause for a short while after the weekend, I opted to make my first visit of 2019 on the fair weather Monday of 3rd June.

There are three good sized ponds here, between which lies an area of regenerated scrubby heath on what was formerly a landfill site. I made my way first to the closest pond to the parking area (SU 61396 63487) on the road between Silchester and Padworth Commons. This “shady pond” (pictured below) in a wooded area is perhaps the most reliable for Downy Emerald, my day’s prime target. I have only ever gained three acceptable pictures of that species and each new season set out to try for some more.

Decoy Heath location one: the “shady pond”

The task is seldom easy since “Downies” patrol the same circuit over and over again and only usually settle away from the water. And though one or two were visible out above the surface as I approached things at once became more difficult still as Four-spotted Chaser were also present. I was pleased to capture an individual (below, left) in teneral colouring, but immature or not it was no less aggressive than all of it’s kind. But the real boss here was the right hand FSC, and needless to say any Downy that came near was at once chased off.

Four-spotted Chaser (imm male)

Four-spotted Chaser (male)

I therefore decided to re-acquaint myself with the rest of the reserve then come back with my chair to stake things out and seek my chance. The route taken passed another wet spot that I will call the “seasonal scrape” (below left). This is an area of shallow surface water which dries out in high summer but can be rewarding for odonata at this earlier time of year. Not much was flying there now with Four-spotted Chaser again the main interest.

Decoy Heath location two: the “seasonal scrape””

Decoy Heath location three: the “second pond”

As I moved onward some larger dragonflies escaped my approach. These I took to be Hairy Hawker and a probable Common Goldenring, both of which I have encountered at Decoy Heath in past years. A little further on was the “second pond” (above right), by the reserves’s north-eastern boundary and a road just beyond. And now it hit home that all was not quite as I remembered things at this favourite site, due to the extent of habitat management work carried out since my previous visit around 12 months ago.

In recent years it had become more and more difficult, indeed scratchy to move around Decoy Heath. But now, as I had been noticing up until this point, invasive scrub has been reduced by possibly 50 per cent or more. All this has given the “second pond” a more open aspect, with the possible consequence of reducing it’s attractiveness to Downy Emerald. This was indeed one of the three locations of my past pictures (below), but today (3rd June) there were none to be seen, this being a dragonfly that in my experience prefers shadier habitat.

Downy Emerald

Downy Emerald

2015 Downy at Otmoor

So what was on the wing here? Not surprisingly Four-spotted Chaser were again the most numerous, but the biggest boss of all, Blue Emperor was also imposing its effortless and ever regal authority upon proceedings. I cannot recall ever having watched this pond without being granted such an audience with the Emperor, and these were now my first records for 2019. Teneral Black-tailed Skimmer is possibly one of my favourite dragonflies in its attractive yellow and black early colouring, and I came across them several times in more open areas of the heath, always low to the ground (below).

Teneral Black-tailed Skimmer

My immediate reaction upon taking in the extent of the restoration work was to wonder if the third pond in the north-eastern part of the reserve might now be accessible. This had been impossible to reach for a number of years and on the one past occasion when I had reached the water views over it were very restricted. But historically this is a site where the iconic Brilliant Emerald has been cited and I am acquainted with two senior Oxon birders who have observed that special dragonfly there.

First though hunger pangs intervened and I returned to my car for a lunch break. My chair wasn’t in it so I shelved the plan to stake out location one and moved on to seek out the third “hidden pond”. Indeed a fairly discernible path led through a formerly overgrown area to the water’s edge, and from there it was possible to view much of this large enclosed  pool. This has been achieved by a superb piece of site management work that serves to rejuvenate this idyllic spot and hopefully might reveal some of its hitherto secrets.

Decoy Heath location four: the “hidden pond”

Downy Emerald was indeed here, having been missing from the “second pond” earlier, as were more bullying, territorial Four-spotted Chaser. No picture opportunities were forthcoming though, not unusually so the only Downy images I have captured this season remain flight studies (below) from a site at Abingdon, Oxon. Today I remained in the atmospheric hidden location of my finding for some time enjoying the tranquillity and solitude on offer, before continuing my second circuit of Decoy Heath.

Downy Emerald at Barton Fields, Abingdon

The main interest now, other than more Black-tailed Skimmer, was one of the site specialities White-legged Damselfy. I regard this as one of the most enticing of the blue species because of the variety of subtly different colour forms it is possible to detect in the field. The individual at the top of the following sequence is the bluest-toned I have ever come across in England, and this was followed by several paler variations. A probable teneral was also present at the “hidden pond” though I am open to correction.

White-legged Damselfly (male)

White-legged Damselfly (teneral)

White-legged Damselfly (all pictures)

Lastly I made it back to the first “shady pond” where finding a passably comfortable log pile to recline on I relaxed for a while as originally planned. The surroundings here were shared with many Azure Damselfly and some Large Red Damselfly (pictured below), but the Downy Emerald now seemed to be less active and at no time co-operative as earlier. Eventually as conditions became more overcast even the four-spotted enforcers were no longer on view and so I made my way home.

Mating Azure Damselflies

Large Red Damselflies

Through May, Clubtails at Goring aside, I had concentrated my dragonflying on two sites at Abingdon in Oxfordshire. Radley Lakes is where I now go each season to try for better pictures of Hairy Hawker, but still I am never quite satisfied. Here Orchard Lake (SU 51935 97052) is a good location for capturing mating pairs pictorially, since they often do so in scrub on the pond’s northern shore. This image (below) is from 23rd May.

Mating Hairy Hawkers

The start of each new Odonata season also affords the opportunity to study and take pictures of different damselfly colour forms. Advancing my knowledge of this group while boosting my picture collection in the process was one item on my home wildlife agenda for 2019, and these new season experiences are presented in the next post herein.