Great stuff Bugboy, very jealous! The orchid is one of the Fragrants, my gut is saying Heath, but I don't have any books on me at the moment.

Cheers,

Will

I've noticed this too from time to time, especially last year in the garden, an area of Cow Parsley that caught the evening sun was particularly favoured by male Orange Tips (shown in the photos below, there was another just out of shot alongside the 6 circled) with at least 3 each night for a week ...

That web will be a picture when the larvae emerge, if they do the same day, I dont know if any of our web producing butterfly species co-habit in the same web. If a red admiral or comma lay on the same leaf, it will be very interesting. I don't know if Small Torts and Peacocks do it, but I've heard...

That web will be a picture when the larvae emerge, if they do the same day, I dont know if any of our web producing butterfly species co-habit in the same web. If a red admiral or comma lay on the same leaf, it will be very interesting. I don't know if Small Torts and Peacocks do it, but I've heard...

Great stuff Chris - really enjoying your finds, particularly the eggs and larvae!

BWs,

William

Superb pictures of the hibernators, Gary - very jealous of the Pearl larva!

BWs,

William

Thanks Bugboy - hope springs eternal! Wurzel - interesting question, I'm not entirely sure of the answer. Clatworthy has one of the strongest populations in Somerset, but given that it's relatively high up on Exmoor (on the famously misty Brendons), I'm not sure that they'd produce a second brood (t...

Larval Doings Inspired by the exploits of Pete et al., and living close to a couple of good Fritillary colonies, I thought it was high time I got out and about this spring and looked for some larvae rather than just staring at photos of them. So it was that Tuesday morning found me at Haddon Hill a...

Hi Christian, I visited Holkham a couple of years ago - a great spot. If you park on Lady Anne's Drive and walk up to the sign board at the end (under the Holm Oaks), and then turn left, this path from here to the house is the best area for butterflies. The first half is good for White Admirals (fee...

Thanks Paul - much appreciated! Catching Up Since spring has finally sprung in Somerset, I've managed to photograph a few butterflies recently - first though, a White-Letter Hairstreak egg from this winter, in a park in the middle of Taunton - a spot where I first found them while idly looking up in...

Thanks Guys - I find it's hard to take a photo I don't like of Apollos, they are such impressive butterflies from every angle!

David - I've got some vague plans to head to Eastern Europe in the hope of some Lycaenids - watch this space

BWs,

William

Thanks Chaps! Guy - I was fairly hesitant with the upperside, he's an underside of the same butterfly - what do you think? Shepherd's Fritillary - Day 11 - Nr Weistannen 3.JPG 'Whites' Since spring is getting going now in Somerset, it's time to roll out the last of the Swiss pics - some 'whites' or ...

Alpine Amble - Fritillaries I’ve been meaning to post some more photos from Switzerland for a while, but one thing and another has worked to stop me getting round to it. Unlike the lycaenids, the fritillaries didn’t yield any new species for me, but it was nice to re-acquaint myself with old friend...

Extraordinary stuff Neil, look forward to seeing how it all unfolds!

BWs,

William

Thanks Jamie - I have been too, I've been searching some more atypical Blackthorn (more out of desperation than anything), and was quite surprised by what I found! That's a possibility I've considered Buggy, but I've seen a couple of egg-laying females seeking out these redder plants (rather than th...

Thanks chaps, a really great part of the world (more photos to come) - David, I'd love to, but I've already got some stuff in the pipeline for 2017! Relatively Recent Doings The season ended well for me, with the local Small Coppers seemingly bouncing back a bit, with plenty of eggs laid in the gard...

Marsh Fritillaries are certainly one of my favourite british Butterflies, and after the thriving (admittedly illegally released) population close to me was wiped out by the council mowers, I made the trip to Cotley Hill to get my fix this year. I was extremely glad I did, a stunning, completely empt...

Congrats Neil - a mammoth work, look forward to seeing it! Hope you enjoy a good break over the winter.

BWs,

William

Welcome, JD! Nice to hear from a fellow Somerset member, you did well to find the Brown Hairstreaks at Thurlbear, not always an easy butterfly - let me know if you need any information about butterflying in the county.

BWs,

William

Thanks Dave - it ain't half bad down here! Switzerland - Lycaenids In July this year, I went to Switzerland for three weeks hiking across the Alps with a friend. Carrying all our own equipment, tents, stoves etc, up and over the mountain passes (1000m ascents every day) was hard work in the heat, bu...