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...

Wurzel - re the SWFs, they seemed to me to start late this year but they are in full swing now. Dave - I checked out your reference to see your unbelievable pics of Grayling. Two males mating with the same female at the same time?!? Stunning encounter. Plus all those crisp upper wing images, not to ...

Alice Holt: The Straits Enclosure - 11th July 2018 I had not intended to revisit here this year – my usual purpling expeditions I thought were finished but I was in the area anyway so I stopped by. I am glad I did. The place was throbbing with butterflies – hundreds of them. Not only that – 2 more P...

I agree, Wurzel - this long period of sun and heat is certainly having an effect on them.

Liked you Large Heath encounter, Callum - but I am a bird nut too and I particularly like your shot of the pair of Razorbills. The Puffin goes without saying.

Cheers,

Just been going through your recent reports, Bugboy. The pic of the backlit Grayling does it for me. Its hard enough to get a shot with its fore-wings up but to get the light behind it too... Wow!

Oh yes, and those cheeky Raven.

Dave - you've had a fine time recently haven't you? Great encounters with WL and P Hairstreaks and NB Argus, etc but for my money the Grayling on the knee shots are the most memorable.

Andrew - It would be difficult to get a closer shot than that you took of the PE without using an Electron Microscope!
Wonderfully crisp too.

Trevor - I just assumed the dark mark on the Gatekeeper wing was a shadow cast by the sun but you were there and know it was not. How odd that its only on one wing and not the other. Does that rule out aberration? Perhaps others with more knowledge than me would know. It could be a scorch mark but i...

Great images of Adonis Blues, Wurzel - and that new species you uncovered - the Three-winged Blue!

Janet - Your Maps and Scare Coppers are fantastic. I have never seen these butterflies and would like to of course. The Map is obviously a stunning butterfly so why am I more drawn to the Scarce Copper?

I love the way you interleave your butterfly pics with bird pics, Phil. The shot of the owl peering at you peering at it, is great.

Neil - great series of moth pics. The Purple Hawk moth is a stunner and the Buff Arches looks like someone has highlighted it with gold paint. Fantastic.

Katrina - Your lovely fresh, shiny Chalkhills almost seem to glow with an inner light. Also was your Copper walking down the grass stem?

Bugboy - I know what you mean re moths and wing-rolls. I had the thought because I have seen Silver-studded Blues wing roll with their wings fully open. Also - re the Peacock and its warning sound. The book I read did not say how exactly how the Peacock rubbed its wings together to make that sound. ...

Folly Hill - 10th July 2018 The Ridge (3).JPG I saw my first summer brood Small Copper today. I was getting a bit worried for them because the parching heat was drying out the sorrel and the bell heather was going-over quickly for I guess the same reason, but there was one spot here at Folly Hill th...

Thanks Callum - that was interesting. I know the tails on some butterflies act as a visual daytime predator deception but now we also find the same adaptation in moths works the same magic using aural night-time predator deception. Stunning findings. It got me asking - do any moths wing-roll too? I ...

Andrew - that is a beautiful Painted Lady shot - the colour combination between the butterfly and the plant is excellent.

Hoggars - amazing stuff. Especially... 1. The pair mating on your hand 2: The one that looks like it has spectacles on its wings 3: The pic you took of one from the front showing all four wings underneath. I can't understand why I've seen no summer brood coppers around here yet. They had at least be...

Noar Hill - 9th July 2018 PICT8740.JPG Butterflies plentiful here today. All the usual characters: Teeming S&L&GV&M White, S&E&L Skips, MB&R&G&SW, plus 3 Brimstone, 4 Red Ads, 2 Comma, 1 Purplestreak, 2 SW Frits doing their courtship flight, and 2 DG Frits in separate...