As the festive season approaches here’s an ideal small present (for yourself, family, friends) that will generate funds for the Hampshire & Isle of Wight branch of Butterfly Conservation. BC benefactor John Vetterlein has produced a Bonking Butterflies 2021 calendar (“all in the best possible ta...

The orange trailing edge on the Red Admiral is lush John Thanks Wurzel, they sure do like basking on the headstones and can usually get a good shot. congrats with the Grizzlies, I've yet to see them yet this year - which seems like an odd thing to be writing on April 1st! I know, it's very early - ...

Finally managed to get out further than just Southampton today. But before that it was the first transect of the year in Southampton Old Cemetery. In 100% sunshine it felt quite hot with the lack of wind, but not many butterflies. One Peacock (my first of the year) one Comma and two Speckled Wood. S...

MEON VALLEY, HAMPSHIRE, PRIVATE ESTATE – Part 3 JULY 2011 First visit – 03/07/2011 What a difference a few days make. Only 19 days after my last visit and an explosion of numbers. Three new species seen: Gatekeeper, Purple Hairstreak and Painted Lady. Also a first Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet, ...

MEON VALLEY, HAMPSHIRE, PRIVATE ESTATE – Part 3 JULY 2011 First visit – 03/07/2011 What a difference a few days make. Only 19 days after my last visit and an explosion of numbers. Three new species seen: Gatekeeper, Purple Hairstreak and Painted Lady. Also a first Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet, ...

Managed to get out yesterday and today to Southampton Old Cemetery for a few hours. Both were very sunny and warm afternoons. Surprisingly, no butterflies yesterday. P1080461_edited-1.jpg But in my book, spring has finally arrived as I found the first Wood Anemone in flower - a little earlier than l...

MEON VALLEY, HAMPSHIRE, PRIVATE ESTATE – Part 2 JUNE 2011 First Visit – 01/06/2011 Sunny periods and a good day for butterflies and flora. You can only hope to cover about half the interesting places on this estate in a day. I don’t charge through mind you - miss too much that way. I’d rather wait ...

Some cracking finds there John - do you fancy coming to Five Rivers in Salisbury and having a poke around to see if there's anything out of place over here? :wink: I'd settle for a few Dukes :lol: Thanks Wurzel. You mean the Avon Valley Nature Reserve? Must admit I’ve never been there. Your local? ...

David M wrote:A Marsh Fritillary and a Duke - that's quite a pair of finds!

Yep, and both totally unexpected at this location.
Unfortunately no further major surprises at this site in 2011.

Susie wrote:Thank you, John. I'm really enjoying your diary.

Thanks Susie, now I suppose I'll have to keep up the same standard for your continued enjoyment.
John

MEON VALLEY, HAMPSHIRE, PRIVATE ESTATE – Part 1 Last year I was lucky enough to have unrestricted access to the core of a large private estate in the Meon Valley. The River Meon, one of England’s finest chalk streams, rises in the South Downs and flows south to The Solent where it enters the sea at...

OK, I need to start a diary. Not sure I will be able to be as regular as others due to many other commitments but I will try to record most of my expeditions this year. Only managed to get out for my first butterfly trip this year on 1st March and then only for an hour and a half. It was at my ‘loca...

Thanks Gary. My view is that nobody is in a position to speak for the UK Butterflies membership. Not only do I agree, but I think it inadvisable to contact ILG, full stop. You all have seen what he did to Jenny's communication to him - just used it to have even more of a go. Look at the advice I wa...

I received this reply from a well-known TV nature presenter: - "Take my advice. Ignore this. I get torrents of far more offensive mail and criticism than this and all one can ever do by trying to provide a robust retort is draw more attention to it . And it's not worthy of attention because he ...

But why B.C. in particular? Maybe the reponse to the sell off of Forestry Commision land made him resign himself to write off the populace as a nation of tree huggers. But with the prospect of the Quantocks unrolling before his £££eyes I can't help the suspicion he's thinking who cares about 'unimp...

Very, very hard to choose a single favourite.
But I do like this one, which probably looks as it does due to an accident.
Hadn't noticed my hand had nudged the white balance button on to 'flash'.
Sure makes the grass an interesting background.

I see he has had another go today at BC and conservationists in general.
http://www.liddellgrainger.org.uk/ian/M ... G2012.html

Pawpawsaurus wrote:If I were on Twitter I'd certainly let Chris Packham know about it. (His website gives contact details only for his management company, so messages sent there might not reach him for a while, if at all.)

It would be a good idea if someone could contact Chris

Outrageous ignorance.
Unfortunately, it’s the kind of bigoted rhetoric his constituents lap up and why they continue to vote him back into Westminster.
All for UKB putting out the strongest of statements to denounce his factually inaccurate outburst.

A great day out at Oaken Wood, numerous Wood White along the open paths, Speckled Yellow in the more shaded edges and a Cream-spot Tiger.