David. Well you wont be green for long. You will definitely see these species soon. But for me to see the PBFs like you have done recently will require a lot of effort from me as they are some distance away.

Wurzel: You mentioned in answer to someone else's post that the PBF's are out at Stockbridge Down. Its a long hike for me to get to Bentley Wood from Alton but Stockbridge is just about do-able. Can you point me roughly to where they might be on the Down? Thanks.

Great Duke pics, Mark. Looks like they are having a bumper year.

May 15th: St Catherine’s Hill From the top of the hill there is a wonderful view across the water meadows to St Cross Priory. St Cross Abbey from the rampart.JPG Today was a beautiful hot, sunny day when I got here around noon and if you got out of the breeze it was wonderful for butterflies. I had ...

Goldie

Do you have a Duke site where you are?

David, fantastic Wood Whites. You got a great sequence of sharp pics of the courting behaviour. Mine were only video quality snapshots. But did you see the way the male extends his proboscis to touch the female? I could not believe how long it is when stretched out fully... ...or that he did this at...

Site Visit: Swelling Hill Pond – 14th May 2018 This pond area today gave me Small, Large and Green-veined White, Holly Blue and Orange Tip all in around 20 minutes of each other. I am sure I read someone on this site comment that you could never have enough pictures of Orange Tips. So here we are – ...

Tell you what Wurzel. I'll give you a few of my Dukes in exchange for a male and female Turtle Dove. How's that?

David, yes I am over the moon Duke-wise. Greatest ever count, pics of courting and mating and variation in colour range. Best Duke year for me ever.

David: The closest PBFs to me that I know about are over an hours drive away at Bentley Wood near Salisbury so I don't get to see them every year. Your batch are great. Love that underwing shot and the m+f encounter.

Love the dandelion stairway to heaven, Wurzel

Noar Hill - 13th May 2018 A cool start around 9.15am but in the sheltered areas there were Dukes right from the get-go. I completed my survey of the reserve today, going to those places I had not been before and to those that had no Dukes before. There were, for example three Dukes in “The Scrape” t...

David, I love the shot of the OT from underneath showing both wings open. You've got the underside markings and the orange of the upperside of the tips at the same time. Fantastic.

Take as many as you like as far as I am concerned, Peter. These pictures are wonderful.

Oaken Wood Once a mainstay reserve for Pearl Bordered Fritillary, Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary, Purple Emperor and Wood White Butterflies but alas, out of these, I have only seen the Wood White here. I have to admit that although I have visited this site on two occasions in recent years and seen ...

Noar Hill: 11th May 2018 This is one of the entrance paths to Noar Hill when it has not been maintained to ease access. noar hill 015 (2).jpg A quick visit today to see how the Dukes are coming along and yes, I found yet another three in a pit I had not yet visited bringing my annual record total he...

I just had to do another post today because I decided to check on the progress of the heron chicks in my local heronry. If you recall I recently posted about the heron nests in the trees beside Kings Pond in Alton opposite where I live. I showed a picture of a very tiny chick. Now look at the nest a...

Wurzel: Yes - I have never seen a bathing hornet before either. Interesting note about the Mandarin you made. I have seen them in quite a few places in the wild now, including a pond in the New Forest when I lived there many years ago.

First it was Wall Browns, then it was Pearl BFs and now its Wood Whites - and all within the space of a couple of days!

Trevor, you are the envy of us all.

Site Visit: Kingsley Common - 10th May 2018 DSCF4772-99.jpg I was here checking for Small Coppers but none were around yet. Instead I spent quite a while with a couple of Speckled Woods. One liked to perch on a patch of bramble but another came down and sat less than a foot away. This was just too m...

Goldie, David, Andrew: Thanks for your comments. I hope to keep going with my non-butterfly snapshot, but I wonder how long before I run out of opportunities?

Cheers