In the sunshine today I counted 6 Red Admirals attracted to the Michaelmas Daisies, that's the most that I have seen at one time. This one took some time out to sunbathe.

There seem to be some cheap digital or USB microscopes on the market. Strikes me as a way of cutting the camera out of the equation; I have no idea if they are any good.

I shall express his gratitude since he is now exploring a flower bed that I won't touch until the Spring.

This fellow was wandering across my patio, he is presently on my desk; where would he prefer to be and who is he?

The only caterpillar-specific book I'm aware of is "caterpillars of the British Isles" by Jim Porter. As for exciting moth books, that really depends on your definition of exciting! Do you mean more illustrations/photos, more informative? Cheers, - Pete I'd settle for a Thomas & Lewin...

Pete Eeles wrote:Hi John,

Looks like Buff-tip moth to me.

Cheers,

- Pete

Thanks; can you suggest a good caterpillar book for the ignorant and for that matter a slightly more exciting moth book than the Townsend and Waring's Concise Guide that I already have?

Anyone know who this vandal is? There were 18 on my best oak sapling, they had stripped about half of the leaves. I hope it's not the oak processionary moth.
John

Am I missing something or am I just blind because I can't seem to find a link to navigate from index.php to http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/index.php ? Clicking board index just refreshes the page that I am on.

Buddleia are fairly indestructible. Now is the time to take cuttings if you want to (just Google "Buddleia Cuttings"). Otherwise I would cut it back now to a couple of shoots above the thick hardwood, probably about 4ft high, this will give you a smaller plant to move in November. The edge...

I have got 5 kilos of wild flower seed to sow in the next couple of weeks. Let's hope that they grow otherwise I will be really depressed next summer!

Michaeljf wrote: I still have problem identifying females..

I find it much easier these days, it was only a problem in the 1960's

Has anyone any practical experience of sowing wild-flower seed into established grassland? I am about to prepare half an acre of some fairly short sward and following the instructions from the seed house I need 50-70% bare ground prepared by harrowing. Now I have a light chain harrow but I also have...

In this part of Surrey almost everything has disappeared. Has anyone noticed a reduction in Whites this year? My cabbages are still intact

I caught this Comma having a taste of a rotten plum.

Are yes, but are the Crocodiles Republican or Loyalist? Jack Speaking as one who was there when the troubles started, I have to say that I never found a way of telling the difference, to me a crocodile is a crocodile. It's like Small Skippers and Essex Skippers, only an expert can say (or another S...

Both the ECMFW forecast chart http://www.ecmwf.int/products/forecasts ... 0082612!!/ and the Met Office seem to agree with Saturday being the best day and things breaking down by mid-day Sunday.

Speckled Woods. From one position at the end of my garden I saw about 12 Speckled Woods in flight, three pairs were dancing in small circles and I saw two of these pairs settle to mate. It was in a brief period of sunshine after a night of heavy rain, I wonder if they thought it was the end of the w...

I see that I photographed one feeding, on 8th August.

I'll just admit defeat and go quietly, and pay more attention to a butterflies socks in future. Note to self: surely their socks deteriorate as quickly as their wings? This is called 'clutching at straws' :wink: Michael It would be really handy if someone listed butterflies by their sock colours. T...

This is him again from a slightly different angle
I am just off to see if I can find any of his doddery old relatives.

And I just spent the afternoon looking for a non-existent elm in the wood. Oaks a plenty but no elms!

Can we have a vote on this specimen?

John