Hi Gary, Mike, Now I understand why when setting the sharpness to a higher setting in the camera, it did not make any difference shooting with RAW, I will try this trick and shoot in JPEG. I understand however that RAW gives a higher quality image (once processed with software) than JPEG, or have I ...

Hi Gary, Mike and Dilettante, Thank you for your clarification and technical information. I am surprised Mike about the f/8 optimum sharpness but I will give it another go. I will take your word for it, you are the expert and I am the beginner. Digital seems completely different to traditional film ...

Hi Gary, Thanks a lot, yes this is straight out of the camera without any editing, I was slightly surprised. The DOF results aren't poor (there is no camera shakes) but I expected it to be better. I will do some post processing to get it right. I believe that you are using a tripod, can you let me k...

Hi Chris, I like your giant orchids, they bring good memories of my time in the Alpes Maritimes, I used to walk up to Domaine des Courmettes at this time of year and on the way, every year, the orchids were there, I also remember the Morrocan Orange Tips on mustard along the path. One advice, do nev...

Hi , I've just moved from film to digital and I have noticed that even at f/16 the depth of field on digital is not as sharp as the results I used to get on film. Even going down to f/20 , I am not convinced it gives a better DOF. In digital I use a Canon D1200 with a Sigma 150mm f/2.8 Macro lens wi...

Hi Russ, I can identify the flowers as follows: Photo 2 : Viper's Bugloss Photo 6: Snapdragon family : Toadflax and I believe this is Common toadflax (linaris vulgaris) / These flowers are said to attract the small skippers but I have personally never observed it. I have seen bumble bees on them but...

Your dragonfly is a Trithemis Annulata (Violet Dropwing), this species is spreading northwards very quickly and has been spotted in the Departement de l'Isere (Grenoble area) in France recently. I have seen pray Mantis catching grasshoppers, this is quite impressive and in 5 mins nothing is left of ...

Hi P.J. I've just picked up that thread.... I wonder what book you used for identification of your butterflies. I was in California 2 years ago and have photographed some swallowtails at Mono Lake and in the Sierra Nevada but have never been sure of what species they were. I have to say that the swa...

Great report Dave,
I particularly like your lattice brown and Melaeger's blue ! I also enjoy reading your bird reports, North West Greece is an excellent area for wildlife. Some nice species that you've found there so far.
Any dragonflies?
Sylvie

Hi Russ,

I am pretty sure it is a meadow brown (female) and not a grayling. However it could be the dusky meadow brown as it is quite speckled on the unh (see Roger's website). Difficult to tell without seeing the upperside. Better to wait for the specialists' comments.....
Sylvie

This is volucella Zonaria indeed. Bugboy is right, the species is expanding and I see it frequently in my garden (I live in West Glamorgan) on hemp agrimony. I also had Volucella Inanis in my garden this year which is a first ! There are beautiful insects and their biology is very interesting as it ...

Thanks Guy for the link and information. I saw one Oak Eggar female (on the ground also) at Whiteford Burrows on Saturday 5th September and until I read this thread, I had mistaken it with the Fox Moth... Also, I've just read that the Fox moth is around in May June whereas the Eggar Moth is out late...

Charles, Roger is right, anywhere in France, you can take the mushrooms to a chemist (pharmacien) and they will tell you if they are edible (comestible) - if this is what you want anyway. Some mushrooms are very much alike, a good example is the chanterelle (which is edible and delicious by the way)...

Hi Charles, Your red mushroom is a russula. I am not sure about the other two. In order to identify mushrooms, it is essential to check the gills and the stem and you will need of course a good book. The color of the spores is also very important in the identification process, especially when the mu...

Maybe this is a topic that has been raised before but I would like to know if anybody in this forum can tell me how reliable the integrating sensor cleaning system on newer Canon bodies is. I believe some fluorine is being used in this system, if yes am I right to thing that this system will need to...

Hi Chris,

How did you manage to take a picture of the TTP with its wings opened? Fantastic picture ! I never managed it....
Sylvie

Thank you Roger for this information. If Alcetas is expanding, then surely the name of "provencal" is not appropriate anymore. Over the years I have spent butterflying in the region, it is actually argiades (STB) that I have seen more often. Thanks again for this interesting insight. Sylvie

Hi Chris, I am not sure about picture 1 and 3 but I am pretty sure that number 2 is ProvencaL Short Tailed Blue. The abscence of orange on the underside (or very faint orange marking) is a good indication for this species. If the orange fills the space between the spot and the 'chevron', you can ass...

Nice picture ! Do you have a picture of the context also and of the butterfly in the process of laying?
Sylvie

Thank you all for your contribution and replies.
Guy, thank you for the recommended book on the biology of butterflies, I 've had a look and it looks wonderful indeed.
Sylvie