I too have a Lumix FZ38, but a lot of my shots with the close up lens seem slightly out of focus. Remember that the depth of field is very small when taking high magnification close-ups! You need to make sure that the camera doesn't move in the short interval between setting the focus and firing th...

Susie wrote:Your turn to add a photo now, Mike.

since you insist!
Mike

Went to Durlston yesterday (Monday 4th). Depite very hot sunny weather, butterflies were fewer than I had hoped and very active,making photography difficult. Lots of Meadow Browns and several Marbled Whites (though thinly spread). I chased several Skippers, which were proving very hard to follow, an...

Philzoid wrote:Made my trip out as planned

Sorry to hear about the ticks - I trust your daughter was unscathed and further trips will be permitted!!!
Mike

Mmmm - tricky. The pointed wings look Essex but the antennae do look 'wrong'. Anyone know if hybrids exist?
Mike

Thank you - you are very considerate!
Mike

Many thanks, dilettante,
Last year, I found WLH at the spot you marked (including a very white aberrant) and also PE along the same bridleway. I never went further towards Lady Wood but it seems that is well worth doing!
Mike

Hi Mark, Posting a photo is a two-step process. First select 'upload attachment' fromthe tabs below the 'Subject' box, then use the 'browse' button to find the file on your computer and also add a caption in the 'File Comment' box. The second step is to select where in your post you want it to appea...

From your other posts, Susie, it seems that you had a good day and you have remained ethically pure!!!
Mike

On previous visits, I've parked at the entrance to the bridleway, opposite the gliding club, around SP964859. It's a fair distance from the Country Park centre, where there is a cafe. I have seen plenty of PE along the bridleway (well covered in dog-poo) but I'd be interested to know more about Lady...

Definitiely not a snout. I'd agree that Chrysoteuchia culmella (Garden Grass-veneer) is a good possibility. There are very few books that cover the micros and even fewer that show them other than as pinned specimens. The one that does is "British Moths and Butterflies" by Chris Manley. The...

Congratulations! Classic Essex shots - very nice.

Mike

A further thought, David. You might be suffering from the quirky macro mode on some Lumix cameras. (I have a TZ5 and believe that the FZ7 has a similar system) Macro ONLY works at the two extremes of the zoom range and, at any other setting of the zoom, the minimum focus distance is much greater. At...

I have four different ident books but still not 100% sure. The trouble with ident books is that it's easy to be overwhelmed by too much information. In a year or two, when you've seen lots of 'em, you'll wonder how you could have been confused. It's what birders call the sense of 'jizz'. in a nutsh...

I'm impressed by your prompt response, Pete. I didnt mean to keep you indoors over a hot computer in good butterflying weather!!! I think your pages are the best butterfly guide there is.

mike

I have a 'peanuts' coffee mug that says "I think I'm allergic to Morning"

Super pics.

Mike

"Humankind cannot bear very much reality." [Eliot]

I miss the glamorous blonde Susie - it gave an extra frisson to reading her posts.

Mike

padfield wrote: Leaving a food bait is better (though unnecessary) because the resultant behaviour is at least productive

Perhaps soaking a paper lure in sugar solution could address this concern?
Mike

I know the problem of wayward AF on compacts only too well! A DSLR is a good solution to this although, if you want something smaller and lghter, the new compact interchangable lens cameras (eg Lumix DMC-G range) might be worth a look - they do seem a bit over-priced at present though. With a DSLR, ...

Have a look at he thread "ID help please, Essex or Small?" under "Identification" - lots of good info! With my new-found knowledge from there, I'd say definitely Small - mainly fron the shape of the antennae. Looking closely at your pics, there is a chisel end to the antennae and...