Hi Russ. I'm sure Bugboy won't mind me saying, although not a British bird per say, they do occasionally turn up as very rare vagrants. There were 46 records in Britain up until the end of 2011, of which nine have occurred this century. I was fortunate to see one, at very close quarters, on a golf c...

A male from 25th July 2016.

One of several found during my hunt for the Lulworth Skipper.

Hi Dragnil. This looks like a male Scarlet Swallowtail (Papilio rumanzovia) - I think I can see a small patch of red below the right hindwing eyespot. It's a fairly common butterfly house species. The following may help: http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=5432&p=55840&...

One of my favourite summer species.

The following female from Chidingfold Forest in late June 2016.
http://markcolvin.blogspot.co.uk/2016/0 ... brown.html

A late summer trip to the Bavarian Alps produced good numbers of aethiops . A selection below during a very warm period ... Erebia aethiops (female), Krün, Germany (19 August 2016)P1310713.jpg Erebia aethiops (male), Krün, Germany (19 August 2016)P1310689.jpg Erebia aethiops (female), Krün, Germany ...

The following male from Chiddingfold forest. Not a particularly great year from a numbers perspective but certainly my most successful from a photographic viewpoint. Purple Emperor (male), Chiddingfold Forest (4 July 2016)P1300286.jpg More at: http://markcolvin.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/purple-fever.ht...

Bindon Hill, Dorset.

One of my targets and favourites from 2016.
More at:

http://markcolvin.blogspot.co.uk/2016/0 ... -1832.html

I'll second that. Thanks, Neil.

Along with the millions and millions of midges ... !!!

Hi Paul. One last thing, if any birders are able to ID this flock of Geese that flew over I'd be very grateful, I'm not to good on my geese and I don't know if there's enough detail in my picture? The geese are difficult but judging by the time of year I'd go for Greylags. I agree with Richard. I th...

Hi Chris.

This appears to be the Knot Grass Acronicta rumicis.

Good hunting.

Kind regards. Mark

Good morning, Trevor. I'd suggest your Small Heath with the reduced eyespots on the underside of the forewings is referable to ab. antiparvipuncta (Leeds, 1950). This is probably also a female as there is a tendency for reduced spotting in this sex. Keep up the good work. LTB next !!! Kind regards. ...

Hi Nigel.

Welcome to the UKB forum.

This looks like Morpho peleides, the Common Blue Morpho. If seen in the wild, this will be an escape from a butterfly house, maybe Blenheim Palace?

Kind regards. Mark

It seems to me that the Peacock enters hibernation earlier than the other Vanessids, i.e., sometime in early August. What is the experience of members? If you agree, why do you think this is so? I personally experienced some fifteen individuals of A. urticae overwintering in an old converted tracto...

Good morning, Philip.

In my opinion the image you have posted is of a 'normal' female paphia not the valesina form. The valesina form of the female is a deep olive-green instead of the usual orange-brown.

Good hunting.

Kind regards. Mark

Hi Stuart. It is late (hence its condition) but not too late; mid June to late July being the best time to see the adult. I spent three days in the Heddon Valley from 23rd to 25th June this year and saw plenty on the wing including, as one would expect, many specimens in pristine condition. More at:...

Hi Stuart.

Despite its condition this is a male High Brown Fritillary (Argynnis adippe).

A nice find ...

Kind regards. Mark

Hi Simon.

Welcome to UKB.

It's never easy when they are past their best but this looks like a female Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris) to me. Its definitely not Lulworth.

More at: http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species. ... sylvestris

Kind regards. Mark

Hi David, I'd say this was referable to ab. albidus (Cockerell, 1889). = albida Castle-Russell.Entom.1904.37.p.127. = virginalis Oberthür.Lep.Comp. = alba Leeds.Proc.S.Lond.Ent.&.Nat.Hist.Soc.(1948-49)1950.p.89. http://data.nhm.ac.uk/dataset/collection-specimens/resource/05ff2255-c38a-40c9-b657-...

Hi Tom. My money is on a female High Brown Fritillary. My reasoning, the 3rd dot from the apex of the forewing appears indented toward the body; it is in line with the other dots in the Dark Green Fritillary. Secondly, the row of ocelli just inside the outer margin which are lacking in the Dark Gree...

Hi Chris.

Definitely not Large Skipper. Looks pretty good for a female Small Skipper to me.

Good hunting.

Kind regards. Mark