I have to join in. In 1995 10 of us from Glamorgan Bird Club spent a week birding on the Shetland Isles. There is a village on the main island called Twatt and a look through the local telephone directory showed there were quite a few Twatts listed. I have a photo of the 10 of us standing by the vil...

Thanks to Bugboy for the info. I`m researching that ! And thanks to Pete Eeles for his reply. Adrian Riley posted a message to this effect a few years back and I have a copy of that. That could involve just a trip as a foot passenger on the Fishguard to Rosslare ferry, and a view of the undercliffs ...

Hi all, I am making this request to UK Butterfly members for any information/advice they may be able to give me re seeing Cryptic Wood White, Leptidea juvernica. This remains the only UK butterfly species I have yet to see. Obviously I have to go to Ireland (Northern or Republic ) to see it. Has any...

Yes, Spring is definitely approaching. The Gloster birder website had a report, and photo as proof,of a Hummingbird Hawkmoth nectaring from flowers in a Gloucester garden. That`s quite ridiculous for February. I saw my first butterflies for the year on Tuesday, 14 FEB, 2 Red Admiral on flowers in Po...

After several wet`n`windy days a dry day was forecast on Friday 4 Nov so I drove to my county of birth, Pembrokeshire, and spent the day at Stackpole, walking around the lakes. If you saw Autumnwatch last week you will have seen Iolo Williams here watching Greater Horseshoe Bats at their roost. I ho...

Re "A tough but very rewarding day providing two new British butterflies for me". Well you deserve those 2 lifers, Lawts, after that marathon trek and especially with the cost of fuel at the moment. The headache will disappear and you will be left with the photos as a permanent memory. I r...

Hi Wurzel, Loved your report and photos of the Glannies on Whitesheet Hill. I must mark that as a place to visit next year. Your comment that " Greenstreaks messed about at the top of the hedge while I was watering it" stunned me. You watered the top of the hedge ? Have you adopted the per...

2 June. I paid a visit to Aberbargoed Grasslands. This is reclaimed land from an coal mine which closed after the 1984 strike. The damper grass parts are good for Marsh Fritillary and I saw 6. This is a low number, I normally see far more than this here. But I`m confused with the seasons this year. ...

As well as being an excellent photo that must be a rare one. When did you ever see a Wall sitting on a piece of vegetation ? They`re usually sitting on... a wall (or bare ground).

Jenks.

Best wishes for a long and happy retirement. Just think, you wont have to rely on going places at the weekend and encountering the world and his dog, you can choose Monday to Friday. (I`m assuming you can anyway ).

Jenks.

Selsley and Rodborough Commons, Stroud, Sat 14 May. With an improvement in the weather I headed off to Stroud to look for Dukes. First stop Selsley and I made my way from the parking lay-byes across the common and down the steep slope the other side almost to the tree line which is the best place fo...

Presumably now qualifies for his OAP, age 66 (days if not years ).

Jenks.

Great report and photos Wurzel. I think the blue Dragonfly in your number 2 report is a Keeled Skimmer. A locally scarce dragonfly found on wet heaths and boggy areas such as Slop Bog (where I first saw one in July 2013) and Crockford stream in the New Forest. Spent 4 days in Suffolk and Norfolk las...

Hi Dave, "One thing that has intrigued me most is that most observed specimens have a noticeable habit of tilting their closed wings at an angle of 45 to almost 90 degrees to their body length whilst resting on leaves. Sometimes the closed wings are lying flat on the leaf a horizontal plane. Th...

Lovely photos Pauline. And, yes, it is a White legged Damselfly. They`re ghostly, almost as if they`ve been bleached of colour. They can be found near the River Wye at Monmouth alongside Beautiful Demoiselles and the contrast in colour is startling. Saw my first Marbled White of the year today at Ne...

Fantastic David. I recognise the rock face in that first photo, its 5 minutes from where I live ! I`ve never thought to look there for WLH but I certainly will do so now. And regards the meadow, the last time I found WLH here was 29 June 2017, the afternoon after the funeral of much missed Will Jone...

Hi David,

Thanks for clearing up whether I saw HBF or DGF. Just as well we have a HBF site in South Wales, seeing them there shouldn`t present a problem.

Jenks.

Great report and photos Ernie. Per Wild Flowers of Britain and Ireland by Marjorie Blamey, Richard and Alastair Fitter, published by Domino Guides, Bloomsbury, Houndstongue or Cynoglossum officinale, is a member of the Borage family. As are Alkanet, Comfrey and Forget me nots. Certainly a striking l...

Re David`s trip to Cumbria, by coincidence I did the same this Tuesday, returning yesterday (Thursday). I had resolved to see the remaining UK butterflies I`d still to see. These included Mountain Ringlet, Northern Brown Argus, Scotch Argus and Cryptic Wood White. I have also to see Chequered Skippe...

Good luck with your move. Being close to family in these times must surely be a good thing. And just think, next year you can go searching for Long tailed Blues ! I`ve been out birding and butterflying since travel restrictions were lifted here in Wales, but on my own, so social distancing was easy....