First 3 Silver-washed Fritillaries for the season seen at High Elms LNR nr. Bromley last Saturday by fellow enthusiast Keith .
I too had 3 specimens just after lunch today . One pictured nectaring on Wild Privet flower .

Padfield wrote:Those are orchid pollinia. They attach to the proboscis and stand erect at first, preventing self-pollinisation of the flower. Then they lie flat as they dry out, allowing the proboscis to enter a different orchid flower and pollinate that.

Guy

Guy ,

Thanks very much for your reply . Greenie

A couple of shots taken at High Elms LNR this morning of a male Large Skipper , with something
stuck to or jammed on it's proboscis .
The first shot shows the butterfly trying to remove it with it's front legs .
Any ideas ?

Did my transect at High Elms LNR near Bromley today . Apart from Meadow Brown and Ringlet , numbers still low . Half way through , I was about to exit the 5 bar gate out of Burnt Gorse , when , 2 metres in front of me , on the top bar of the gate , was a Large Tortoiseshell , settled with wings open...

At Lullingstone Country Park in Kent today , recorded species included 2 Sm. Skipper , 3 Marbled White , 6 Dark Green Fritillary and 2 Painted Lady ,
one of which was ovipositing on Greater Knapweed .

At Sevenoaks Reserve ( Kent Wildlife Trust ) this morning , 2 probably 3 Painted Lady . All in good condition but light in colour .
On River Eden near Chiddingstone this afternoon , 2 Red Admiral , first for a while .

A very poor return on today's transect at High Elms LNR near Bromley , was brightened by my first Large Skipper of the year . This afternoon at Hutchinsons Bank near Croydon , 7/8 Glanville Fritillary and a Painted Lady . The other day at High Elms , I found this caterpillar , in it's tent , whilst ...

A couple of hours wandering around Hutchinson's Bank near Croydon , produced 16 species . Although it must be said , a singleton was all that was recorded from 9 of them . Brimstone (21) still the most numerous , Dingy Skipper (7) , Small Heath (6) , Com. Blue (5) , Lg.White (4) , Orange Tip (3) and...

A stroll around Hutchinsons Bank near Croydon this afternoon produced a Green Hairstreak that just allowed a single shot before disappearing , a male Holly Blue that didn't stop and several pairs of Brimstone , acting out their aerial ballet .

An afternoon visit to Hayes Common in unexpectedly good conditions , produced the following : 8 (min) Brimstone , including my first female , pursued by 2 males , 10 (min) Peacock , several in aerial battles with others and with Commas , 5 Comma , including courting pair , and 2 Small Tortoiseshell ...

Completed the full set of over-wintering species this morning on Hayes Common with Comma and Peacock .

After a Red Admiral in January and a Small Tortoiseshell in February , today whilst working up on Hayes Common , a male Brimstone .

Paul ,
Well done with the Peacock and Speckled Wood sightings ,
and with the Red Admiral ab. bialbata ( white spots in the red bands )
Greenie

Neil ,
Thanks very much for the ID . That's a first for me .

Whilst doing the transect at High Elms LNR near Bromley this morning , the second butterfly recorded was what looked at a distance like a damaged White , but on getting closer it became obvious that it was a Clouded Yellow . Obviously a female , but which one ? I haven't come across such a specimen ...

Visited Steyning Rifle Range in Sussex with fellow member MrSpOck yesterday , hoping to see Brown Hairstreak . Although conditions were good , nothing was seen in the fenced off Bullace area for the first hour and a half , apart from a couple of male Vapourer Moths to get the heart racing . We decid...

If you look on 'July sightings' where I posted the original entry , there is a second close up shot of the head and abdomen , showing the line down the centre of the abdomen where he meets she . The eyes , antennae and tufts between are all different from one side to the other . On the colour , yes ...

IMG_0377.JPG IMG_0375 - Copy.JPG Whilst doing my transect yesterday at High Elms LNR near Bromley , I spotted what I thought to be a female SWF fluttering amongst the ground vegetation . Eventually it stopped to nectar , and with binoculars got sight of it's left topwing , which showed the four dar...