23rd May 2019, 9.45-11.45 am, St Catherine's Hill, Full Sun, 20 degrees 21 Brown Argus, 22 Common Blue, 3 Brim, 3 Sm Heath, 2 OTip, 1 Griz Skp, 1 GV White, 1 Spec Wd, 1 Peacock, 4 Dingy Skip, 1 Sm Blue, 1 Red Ad, 2 Adonis Blue, 1 Marsh Frit Cuckoo Heard Pics now Brown Argus - the one on the right wa...

22nd May 2019, 10.45-11.45 am, Magdalen Hill, Mostly sunny, 17 degrees A short trip here today, only to the scrape and back. 2 Small Copper, 4 Brim, 12 C Blue (1 ab), 1 Sm White, 1 Br Argus, 6 Sm Blue My first Small Blues of the year. Tried to get a mug shot. a.JPG b.JPG The "mug" shot, af...

19th May 2019, 2-3 pm, Manor Farm, Hazy sun, 18 degrees I don't visit this location often because quite frankly it hasn't been very good in the past. It is a working dairy farm but its fields are open to the public. However it is now organic and the field boundaries are left to grow wild. They are e...

16h May 2019, 9.45-11.45PM, Oaken Wood, Mostly Sunny, sporadic breeze, 17 degrees I don't visit this reserve every year because its a devil of a job to get to from where I live. Narrow roads most of the way and I have to fight to get through Godalming (or is it God-awful-ming?). Nevertheless, its th...

David, Wurzel - Yes, I was very pleased with the Brown Argus pair. My first in-cop as I said. Also, they were in a part of the reserve that used to be fenced off but the fences have now all been removed so I was doubly lucky.

15th May 2019, 10 am - 12 noon, St Catherine's Hill (Valley), Full Sun, 13-18 degrees 1 OTip, 2 H Blue, 2 Peacock, 1 Sp Wood, 3 Grizzlies, 5 Brim, 20 C Blue, 6 Sm Heath, 5 Dingies, 1 Sm Copper, 13 Brown Argus Plus remember recently I posted I had seen my second ever Green Carpet Moth? Well today I s...

Wurzel, David, Andrew - Thanks guys. Things are starting to "take-off" around here now. I was surprised I hadn't seen a Common Blue yet but it seems they were just biding their time.

13th May 2019, 10.45 - 12.15, Full Sun, 13-16 degrees I saw my first Common Blue of the year today. Hooray! Then a moment later, another one. Then another, and another, and another.... Until there were 17 in all. They were a bit too skittish in the warm sun for an ultra-close mug shot though. P10602...

Oh, Goldie - I hope you find a Dingy soon. They are all over the place down here. I'm not boasting. Honest!
David - I agree. I was pleasantly surprised by this ones veining too.

12th May 2019, 11-12 noon, Noar Hill, mostly sunny, 14-16 degrees In the bottom pit alone there was Peacock, Sp Wood, H Blue, GV White, Brim, OTip, Duke and 4 Greenstreaks - I think all male as they were in two sparring pairs. P1060210.JPG P1060213.JPG Nearby there was Dingy Skip and S Heath. Plus m...

Wurzel - That Small Heath is a bit like me - a slightly grumpy codger - but without the beard!

David - That was only my second ever Green Carpet Moth, so they can't be too common round here either.

11th May, 12 noon - 1 pm, Noar Hill, cloud variable, 15 degrees, light breeze 3 H Blue (2m, 1f), Brim (3m, 2f), >10 Dukes, 5 Dingies, 1 Red Ad, 2 Small White (m), 3 OTip (2m, 1f) 1 Green carpet moth. P1060203.JPG P1060180.JPG Green Carpet Moth - 10 (1).JPG A female OTip on an Early Purple Orchid. A ...

David - I am beginning to take none of our butterflies for granted. Even some of the others that have been common in the past may take a hit at any time what with climate change and all.

Neil - There are thousands of Cowslips at Magdalen. Here is a pic from a previous year of the bottom of the hill on the other side. Cowslips in late April (4).JPG They were not quite as dense there this year but the field above it was! Also the central part of the reserve had a whole bundle of them ...

10th May 2019, 11-12 noon, Noar Hill, 60% cloud, 13 degrees, light breeze. After days of drab, cold, rainy weather - a break opened up!!! So I went to Noar Hill for an hour. I only visited three pits and a small part of the bridleway but in that time plenty of Dukes and Dingies. In one pit three Duk...

Hoggers - Of course we don't get nearly as many Small Coppers where I live but even here there is a noticeable improvement in first brood numbers over recent years.

David - Yet another person getting Walls. I am very envious 'cos I have never seen one round my way.

Andrew - It must be great to live close to a location where you can just stick your finger out and a Wall climbs on.
I particularly like the shot of the Wall on the edge of the seat with the uncluttered background.

Wurzel - It was my lucky day. I was pleased just to be able to get the standard single under-wing shot but could not believe it when the double underwing shot presented itself. Andrew - Thanks. Its not often you get a butterfly land on you but when you do it makes you feel great. The last time this ...

Callum You appear to have had a great time. I did almost the same trip as you a few years ago and saw many of the same things. We went looking for Bottle Nosed Dolphin but were unlucky. Did get Minke Whale though so I wasn't complaining. Loch Ruthven is wonderful - not just for those grebes, but the...