Kithurst Hill, 19 July 2011 I was in a ‘blue mood’ today and felt the need to brighten up my personal diary. Kithurst Hill and its fabulous flower meadow was once again the venue. The sun was out and the air was hot and scented with the sweet aroma of wild thyme and marjoram. Butterflies were every...

Dave McCormick wrote:With the two spots, that one that is only half a butterfly looks like a female to me

Hi Dave,

That's an underside shot. Don't forget the male (and female for that matter) has a twin-spotted underside to the forewing.

Kind regards. Mark

Dawney’s Hill, 18 July 2011 Further to Lee Hurrell’s recent posting about Dawney’s Hill (Pirbright Common) I popped over for an hour or so this afternoon. The Grayling was my target as it is a butterfly I have not had much contact with. It is a strong and rapid flyer and when it decides to stop it ...

EricY wrote:Marbled white (?female) Barnack

Yes.

The yellow tinge to the leading edge of the forewing along with the abdominal shape being the determining factors.

Kind regards. Mark

Kithurst Hill, 17 July 2011 A day spent undertaking administration and typing reports yesterday (not that the weather was suitable for much else) and visiting relatives today left me in desperate need of fresh air by late afternoon! It was 5.45pm when I arrived home and by 6.15pm I was on Kithurst ...

dilettante wrote:I think the middle one is a male (from abdomen shape and there is a faint sex brand)

Looking at the photo again I think you're correct.

Well spotted.

Kind regards. Mark

Agreed.

Male Large
Female Small
Female Small
Female Small
Male Large

Regards. Mark

Bad Taste! The heat and dehydration got the better of me this afternoon particularly as I had left my water in the car and the paracetamol at home! That said I still managed an hour’s walk into Botany Bay (again) and despite a throbbing headache managed to see reasonable numbers of Wood White inclu...

Hi Vince. I'm glad you like the Wood White image (they seem to be my 'thing' at the moment). I got bitten alive getting that one! I was certainly at Wrecclesham on Thursday, 19 May after seeing the message that had been posted about the Glanville Fritillaries. Your quite correct in that I was also o...

Withdrawal symptoms … Working all day yesterday and sitting in front of a computer doing the same today I was almost (I did say 'almost') wishing for rain in the hope that it would have made my decision to work or play much easier. It got to 6pm and I just had to get out! The conditions weren’t gre...

Hi Lee,

Great report and I particularly like your Brown Argus pictures especially the 'Padfield' shot.

Keep up the good work and give me a shout if your down my way.

Kind regards. Mark

Thanks Susie.

I appreciate your comments.

Now for an egg-laying female or mating pair!

Kind regards. Mark

Botany Bay, 11 July 2011 A quick hour’s walk into Botany Bay in search of Wood White late this afternoon produced around fifteen individuals including a single egg-laying female (who sadly, with her mind on more pressing matters, would not sit for a photograph in the afternoon heat). Of particular ...

Chiddingfold Forest, 10 July 2011 Following my earlier post, today was spent wandering the tracks of the Chiddingfold Forest complex in anticipation of a female Wood White and more hopefully a pair joined in a moment of passion. Parking at Burntwood and walking down the track into Oaken Wood the re...

Hi Neil, I tend to keep my camera with the Zoom Lever set towards Wide (W). I then move in on my target and only then, if necessary, zoom in by moving the Zoom Lever towards Tele (T). You will find you can't be more than about 0.5m away from your target so a Ninja like approach is generally required...

Hi Dave,

Its a moth known as the Chimney Sweeper (Odezia atrata).

Kind regards. Mark

Competition! Earlier today I took my 13 year old son out for a day of butterfly photography ... I couldn't help feeling at first that he would sooner have stayed in bed or been at home playing on his Xbox 360! However, armed with my old 6 Megapixel, Canon Digital Ixus 65 he has given me something t...

Hi Neil,

Thanks for your comments and good luck with the new lens. It will certainly make a difference to the way you shoot your pictures but the effort will be well rewarded.

Kind regards. Mark

Oaken Wood, 9 July 2011 A walk around Oaken Wood this afternoon in search of 2nd generation Wood White produced just a few males. Despite the butterfly being on the wing for several weeks numbers to date seem poor with no females being seen as of yet. P1000765.JPG The Marbled White on the other han...

Hi Neil, All photos in the following posts will have been taken with a second Hand Panasonic Lumix FZ38 You're producing some really nice shots. I'm using a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ45 and really like the camera. I'm interested to know if you are using your FZ38 with a close up lens and adaptor or whet...