Binswood - 16th July 2018 Day three of my Purplestreak count at Binswood. I took the last of the tracks that would enable me to stand back and see oaks in sunshine. There are other tracks but those are through the depths of the woods and limit the ability to see canopy butterflies. DSCF9037.JPG This...

Wurzel - I've only really been butterflying for a few years so I don't know what the trend is. The first one I ever saw was low down. I had to have them pointed out to me in the canopy. This year though most of the ones I have seen have been part-way down the trees and very few "high silhouette...

Love those Heath Frit pics, Goldie. Especially the "two-for-one" special offer and the one in flight.

Hi, Esther. Let me add my welcome too.
You've made a great start with that nice angle on the Comma.

I'm with the others on your pic of Burnets on the Vipers Bugloss, Wurzel - fantastic. The Adonis with its wings open really wide is unusual too. But there is also that Birdsnest Orchid close-up, and the Small Copper showing off the yellow patches on its forewings, and the Marshies...

Cheers,

Well done on your Essex Skipper, Callum.
Or should I say "Yorkshire" Skipper?

Binswood - 15th July 2018 DSCF8985.JPG Two days ago I came here and found 41 Purplestreaks. Today I took a different path through the woods and glades and counted 52 more. So thats a total of 93 so far for this site. Not only is this a record location count for me, but 52 is also a daily record and ...

Thanks, David. Having them so close to where I live made it possible. I almost feel privileged to have them as my "Neighbours".

Hoggers - That silvery copper is an interesting form. I like your pic of the copper backlit and seen directly from the front. Also, I have seen only one or two 2nd brood coppers so far this year inland. I too put this down to the drought (and I think we can call it that now). Do you think "Copp...

Broxhead – Silver Studded Blue – End of 2018 season survey results The Silver-studded Blue season is pretty much at an end now so I have completed my survey of them this year. This is the first time I have done a complete season count of this species here. It is coincidental that the year I chose to...

Wurzel - Thanks. "Dreamy" as a substitute for "Out of Focus". I must remember that in future. :lol: Also, yes Greenstreak is on my list of wing-rollers but I have not got a pic of it. However Mike produced a great two-image composite gif a little while ago which does the Greenstr...

Trevor - Going back to the odd mark on your Gatekeeper from a few days ago. I met a guy butterflying in Alice Holt and he mentioned that he had taken a picture of a Gatekeeper with one forewing marked in a strange way. I have never met you in person so thought it might be you talking about your pict...

Pauline The Mullein was taken within the last three years, I don't remember if it was last year or the year before. Also you have been misinformed about the track to the Sand Martin colony. I visited this year and it was most certainly open to the public when I went. In fact the first time I went wa...

Today at Binswood I saw a tiny second brood Common Blue and what appeared to me to be a smaller than usual Purple Hairstreak too.

Hi, Pauline - Although both Mullein species are blooming at present this is a picture from a previous year. However there is no reason why they should not be there in the same mass now as they were then (they can be found in smaller numbers at many places across the reserve). This particular batch w...

Binswood - 13th July 2018 Today started dull, then we had some sun and then it threatened a thunderstorm, so all in all a bit iffy for butterflying but I got out for around an hour at noon. I decided to visit Binswood. I had not been here for a few years because in the interim I had discovered Alice...

Thanks for your comments guys. Phil - A friendly Dr Who "monster" though don't you think? :D I don't think I have ever seen one actually sitting on the ground like that before now. David - You're right. I have seen four DGFs here in the last few days and all had some evidence of wear and t...

Noar Hill - 12th July 2018 More fun with Dark Green Fritillaries today. I went back to see if I could get some backlit underwing pictures. I went early for two reasons, first the sun would be lower, and second I hoped being (slightly) cooler would make them more likely to stop. I was right on both c...

So many species are looking a bit tattered. My back garden is a yellow carpet of hay where the grass once was. We haven't had rain here for ages (maybe a month or more).

Foreign Hairstreak info from Matsukaze in his post on Wed Jul 11, 2018 7:33 pm ernie f wrote: Hi, Matzukaze - love those pics of the Blue Spot Hairstreak. Incidentally - did you notice if they did a wing-roll? As you are probably aware - my current obsession. :lol: Matzukaze replied: Yes they did, a...