Neil, interesting point you make about higher populations among adults generally being beneficial to a particular species. However, during the earlier stages like the larval phase, things may be different. There may come a point in the population density (per unit area) where it is disadvantageous t...

I take back what I said about colder winters having possibly a more detrimental effect on third-brood larvae although of course it may still be true! You have convinced me, Neil :D In Hertfordshire, and other inland sites, in the south, the decline started in the early 1990s. After the fine summer o...

Why do so many people mistake Small Tortoiseshells for Red Admirals? :? Education, education, education! Or not :) I read the current issue of the BBC Wildlife magazine last night and was particularly interested what Chris Packham wrote. He commented that he visited a university with one of the bes...

I was wondering how you might have got on with the BH egg-hunt. Sorry to hear that the search was unsuccessful - similar happened on the egg-hunts in the last two winters at Norton Green near Stevenage.

Better luck next year, hopefully with a photo.

Peter

Not a happy start to Christmas week when I read the following item:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... roads.html

Peter

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone.

May 2015 be more rewarding than this year.

Peter

My resolutions for 2015: 1) Get close-up shots of White-letter and Brown Hairstreaks; 2) Find male Purple Emperor assembly area at Watery Grove near Stevenage; 3) Chequered Skipper, Pearl-bordered Fritillary and possibly Large Heath in Scotland Not impossible but if I achieve all three I'll be more ...

With relatively warm weather persisting this year until the end of November in Southern England, including Sussex, is it possible that the offspring of third brood adults (of which I saw several myself at High & Over and at Cuckmere on 21st September) might actually get quite a way into their d...

Bob, I have re-read your previous post :) Bertie, a very different take on the subject suggesting the progeny of the second brood could be a factor of the suicidal third brood - I like it :) Distribution maps on Richard Fox's article show the decline more prominent in the warmer inland areas of the ...

Very good argument you put across there Neil. Good to hear that populations are increasing in Sussex even if 2011 and 2012 had relatively poor summers and consequently butterflies generally suffered big declines. It would be interesting to know how much of the annual increase for the Wall in the las...

A fascinating discussion and for once a species' decline doesn't seem to be linked to loss of habitat. Unlike Duke of Burgundy, Peal Bordered Fritillary, etc, where habitat management seems to be key to the success, the Wall is providing a real-time experiment in the unexpected effects of climate c...

bugboy wrote:Well mine will be to continue with my mission!

Heath Fritillaries

Dingy & Grizzled Skippers

Meet some fellow UKButterflyers.

At least you won't have to travel too far to find the Heath Fritillary (Hockley Woods, e.g.) and the skippers. Good luck

Peter

Very interesting arguments put forward here. My take on it is that since coastal areas have generally milder winters than inland sites I suspect the impact on the Wall is minimized for third-brood caterpillars which are more likely to survive until the following spring and therefore coastal populati...

Chris, The book will particularly suit you because much content focuses on a farm or meadow the author owns in central France.

Roger, I have the kindle edition so I don't know about illustrations in hardback or paperback. A good read though and I learnt a lot from it.

Peter

I have just read Dave Goulson's excellent book 'A Buzz in the Meadow' which features a chapter on Meadow Browns which the author studied for his PhD some thirty years ago. Does anyone here have a view on the significance of the black spots on the hindwing undersides? It is possible that more males h...

Very interesting nevertheless as it would appear that the site of your sighting, Waltham Forest, is beyond the butterfly's range in the UK.

Good luck with the egg-hunt.

Peter

Welcome to the forum bugboy.

The Herts & Middx branch Brown Hairstreak coordinator would be interested to hear of your sighting in NE London so if you want to get in touch with him let me know. Also you might get some help with egg-hunting

Peter

Trevor,

It is often luck when you see Purple Hairstreaks low down but I might have already mentioned elsewhere on this forum that after some days of rain when honeydew may be washed off on the oak leaves that the PH may look elsewhere, possibly on lower vegetation.

Peter

John W, I take your point - it's not just the equipment but also the skill and experience of the photographer. I have some way to go to reach Neil's level and I only started taking butterfly photography seriously this year. Neil, I had also wondered if you had used a close up lens as well because yo...

Some fantastic photos there Neil. Taken with your Lumix camera?

Peter