Nick rather cheekily said: ....surely that is the photographer, not the camera, Jack?:wink: True. So many people think that getting a new better camera solves all their problems. But you do need an adequate piece of kit. Even Neil couldn't get good results with a pinhole camera. Or could you Neil? ...

Interesting page re: Euphydryas aurinia debilis vs E. glaciegenita http://www.lepiforum.de/cgi-bin/lepiwiki.pl?Euphydryas_aurinia The picture they say is glaciegenita does look quite different to debilis - but then one photo of a single individual does not seem enough to say it is a different sub sp...

....surely that is the photographer, not the camera, Jack?

Now this is a true parrot story (anecdote for Guy perhaps?) During WW2 as radar was being developed, a device was invented called: “Identification Friend or Foe” as an aid to those watching the radar screens. As is typical of the military, it was given a code word, in this case “Parrot” . There was...

Nice shots, Pete, and lucky you! We've had cold weather - lots of sun but a NE breeze has kept everything down. Was at a bio-blitz today where the last-night's moth trapping produced nil points , due to a frost last night! Visited a Grizzlie site this afternoon (where they have been seen already) bu...

Glad you have some things to keep you occupied during this cold and wet spell we both seem to be having.
Nice to see Aurelian; his DNA must have been telling him "Not just yet...." as we experienced that warm spell.
Fingers crossed....
N

Late as usual to the debate...
In March, with the high temperatures and lack of other nectar sources around, I found that examining each bush in flower did reap dividends, in that there always seemed to be a Peacock or Comma hanging around..... N

Thanks guys for the ID -I'm no moff expert....
Also saw a couple of OTs and 3 Small White this afternoon...
N

Speaking of GH, I saw 2 or 3 today, before it clouded over this morning..... EDIT:
Only other thing I saw though, was NOT a Lattice Heath Moth....but a Common Heath...see below...

Toured local sites on my bike; just 3 Small White, a Comma and an OT. Still waiting for Holly Blue locally; I have generally seen one in the Cemetery by now. But with the drought, even the ivy is showing signs of dessication and I am wondering if that has happened to a lot of butterfly pupae too.......

I've been in England for a week now, returning to Switzerland tomorrow, and have seen exactly three butterflies - Nice to be back in Suffolk - but what a different environment! Guy Yes indeed; in the East it has been a slow start, with an early burst of activity of all the usual suspects, but very ...

A 4 day weekend. Not a sniff of a butterfly. At all. Enough cold and drizzle to ruin the whole weekend. Not enough rain here in East Anglia to do any good. :( You've got to be joking? There's been enough rain in S. Wales today to replenish every reservoir in the bloody south east!! The local golf c...

Wet and windy here like most of the country today. No butterflying but good for plant life. Now up to 9 butterfly types seen after seeing my first GVW of the year last week. Finally got pictures of a male orange tip. I got my camera in May last year and so missed out on Male orange tip pics. This y...

Although the sun was out this morning, overnight temperatures close to freezing and a chill northerly wind kept butterflies in short supply, By lunchtime, things had warmed-up and I did see a Small Tortoiseshell, but the cloud came-in and the sun went. Shaking the bushes in a couple of hot-spots rev...

Got us bang to rights; I couldn't remember the parrots - but I can't remember a lot these days.
At least it was because I hadn't forgotten them!
Nice one, Jack - and welcome back!
N

Welcome light rain here, especially after the recent high temperatures. In the last 12 months to 31st March, we have only had 62% of our long-term mean rainfall in Cambridge, with very dry winters and early springs for the third time in a row.. Last April we had only 1.7mm of rain; today we've alrea...

Loved those shots, Guy. The Nettle-tree butterfly is a strange creature indeed. When we saw them in Provence in April, they were always on a Nettle Tree, and too far up to get decent shots. Nettle-tree_1_low_24th_April_2011_200mm.jpg They must have just emerged from hibernation and few were in top c...

Well, despite the sun, a cool breeze kept temperatures down over here. On my morning walk and bike ride this afternoon outside Cambridge, I scored nil butterflies :( Some compensation though, from watching the Marsh Harriers that have returned - at least six. Especially as they are displaying; pairs...

Vince Massimo wrote: I have seen dozens of Brimstones to date, but still not a single female.
Vince

...saw my one, and only one, female earlier this week....
N

Nothing like CY to report from here; always interesting to hear of events that confound widely-held beliefs... Here, unrelenting sunshine has given way to cloud now. Out & about in the last few days have seen my first GVW and OT of the season as well as the usual Brimstone, Peacock, ST and Comma...