Before I posted the above, I made an assumption in the field it was cacaliae , but on later study I felt alveus more fitting... so that's the conclusion I had very uncertainly come to!! - Hence my query, and thank you both for your thoughts. Lots of what I am seeing here is very worn, not much fresh...

Please may I canvas opinion on the following single skipper, cacaliae or alveus, I think I know which I prefer, but would be very grateful for confirmation... 9426.jpg IMG_9419.jpg sorry about the really poor underside, it's all I got :roll: will write up my Italian Alpine trip in due course, not co...

thank you.... but I do have to be careful with my camera angles :wink: I would hazard a guess our fields are not generally dissimilar, but I have reached the stage I can bank on masses of great seed to propagate, and I can thoroughly recommend Yellow Rattle for "enabling" a patch of thick ...

A whole year on! The patch is beginning to take on it's own ownership, and is starting to spread across the paddock, with a little bit of help here and there :wink: The parts with weed-proof membrane underneath are definitely better for the low growing stuff, but colonies of wild stuff are starting ...

Close to home today, rather odd weather but sufficient to get to see salmacis locally......
and here's a context shot...

sigh.... happy days

Hi,
I would opt for ...

1) - jurtina - tho somewhat telmessia like if it flies there
2) = jurtina
3) - pumilio
4) - pumilio
5) - orientalis
6) - orientalis
7) - alcea

but see what the pro's think

I was interested to read Pauline's blog, and to find a bug I had just seen myself but had no idea about... so here it is... the Golden Bloomed Grey Longhorn Beetle...
I think it's awesome!!!

Ah.. so that's Hoary Plantain, don't get that up my neck of the woods. It was rather pretty. Thanks for your help BB
Saw my first butterfly since I returned home last Monday... an unidentified White making it's way across the garden... all of you down south are very fortunate..

thank you Pieter for that further input... I guess as mine are all Alpine, I maybe ought to label them ssp gaciegenita, but seems it would be a good PhD project for someone!!

Thank you David, yes, she was a bit special... sadly I never quite seem to get the autofocus to work on Dukes... they are both irritatingly slightly fuzzy :( Just need to go back to bellargus for a mo.... this is my latest developed pic... 150524 P. bellargus .jpg :D Incidentally, any ID for the pla...

Thank you all for your endorsements, glad you enjoyed the pics

A bit out of order here, but just before the South Downs, I visited the North York Moors, for these....
Male
Female

I am just back home from a week on the South Downs, and although the weather was mixed, visits to Fontmell, Compton and Martin Downs, along with Durlston Country Park, provided me some memorable moments, such as the following..... 150521 P. bellargus 8367.jpg 150521 P. bellargus 8306.jpg 150524 P. b...

Thank you all, very very much, most interesting, and I will search out the Beetles recorders for the YNU

Saw this today and am not familiar with it.... any advice as to species... High up Gunnerside Gill in Swaledale....

Thanks, it got there all on it's own, but I was trying to encourage some sort of photogenic background... anyway, it did the job spontaneously!! Female Orange Tip, laid up today on Garlic Mustard in the garden.... IMG_7884_edited-1.jpg PS... just graduated to I-phone and downloaded Lepidapp - looks ...

A couple more local Green Hairstreaks this morning...

Orange Tip today..

Always good looking Goldie :D Today bought my warmest day so far, and my first Orange Tips.. 150417 A. cardamines 7428_edited-1.jpg Decided to see if the Green Hairstreaks are about, found only one, but at least didn't come up empty handed. 150417 C. rubi 7451_edited-1.jpg IMG_7439.jpg The moorland ...

Christened 2015 with this one from my garden last week. A late start, but a surprize Green=veined White to kick off, with Peacock, Comma and Small Tortoiseshell all on the same, Easter day. Went looking later for Green hairstreaks locally, but I reckon they are 2 weeks away yet up here. 150410 NZ202...