Fresh emerged female marbled white at Chalton down yesterday morning. Morning started off at 5c. Very exceptional start to August!!

2 weeks ago the only marbled whites were all way past their best and they are now no more so I fear this one will have a lonely life

Bramshott common just south if the Hindhead tunnel is my favourite spot. Plenty of butterflies in a small area. There gave been plenty this year.

Can send some more details later if you are interested.

I took the liberty of applying a bit of sharpening to William's image and fiddled the colours fractionally while I had it open. To be fair once the image is sharpened up (I think just omitted in error after reducing the size) the butterflies are pretty much all in sharp focus as I'm sure was evident...

Gruditch wrote:If its a secret Ian, its a secret that your privy to, as you have done it in your competition entry

Regards Gruditch

Good point!

The only real secret is to find the butterflies that are settled with a decent bit of separation between them and the background - early morning roosting is the easiest and has best light generally - evening is OK too but your timeframe is much shorter. Head out on the downs for example and you'll f...

Aberrant Brown Argus from the back of Butser Hill (Rake Bottom aka Grandfathers Bottom!) yesterday morning. IMG_4707_3.jpg Return visit with much less wind. Loads of Dingy Skippers. Found 5 all roosted on one tiny bramble stem, all pretty much pristine. A couple below: IMG_4819.jpg IMG_4811.jpg Once...

I took the liberty to enhance the image in photoshop. Could be a large/scarce tortoiseshell too I suppose. Not sure if there is enough of it left for an ID?

Looks like a well past its best Peacock that is still clinging on from last year. Saw a couple about still last weekend myself.

I think small blues with few or no spots are quite common? I see several most years and assumed this to be just normal variation rather than an aberration? If not then they must be the butterfly with the highest proportion if aberrants ever or I am just very lucky with them! Might have to dig out a ...

Nice lime hawk moth! Never seen one myself.

Nice small blue too. Only managed to find two this morning and both a bit worn... Hope there's more to come as there were dozens at their peak last year.

Queen of Spain are also common in luberon. Seen maybe one brimstone but plenty of Cleopatra! Holly blue are also pretty thin on the ground. I have seen maybe one or two in my times there. Don't recall seeing any holly. I have seen hummingbird hawk moths flying together with both types of bee hawkmot...

When I have been to southern France (Luberon area) Nettles are non-existent. I did find a small patch ones, and amongst it was a nest of ST caterpillars, but don't recall seeing the butterfly. Also never seen a Peacock either, but a few Red Admirals. On the drive up to Mount Ventoux there are a few ...

Hi Pete, I've only had time to fly through these rapidly, but the following updates should bring a number of sites into much better shape. TQ: Abbots Wood - remove SPBF and Wall Alexander Park should read Alexandra Park Arundel Park - remove Chalk Hill Blue Beckley Wood - remove PBF Cissbury Ring -...

Charles Nicol wrote:here is another cryptic one:

whatisits7.JPG

Olive Skipper?

Came across these. The common names are interesting: http://butterfliesofamerica.com/astraptes_galesus_cassius_live1.htm Anyone care to use it as an avatar? Maybe this one is more charismatic. http://butterfliesofamerica.com/imagehtmls/Eudaminae/Narcosius_parisi_helen_M_MEXICO_CHIAPAS_Rio_Lacantun_...

Wow! I'm surprised to be at the top of that lot. When I saw what others were uploading I thought I'd be somewhere in the midfield so I am ecstatic to have been voted on top! Something to brighten the spirits during the cold grey months! :) The competition gets better and better every year with every...

Also solved itself has a colony of monarchs too if you didn't know already.

The place is alive with them. Probably the most common butterfly when I was there a few years ago end of march to early April. Will send some details when home Wednesday.

Here's mine from Old Winchester Hill. Tried something a bit different one evening

Neil, thanks for reaction, but I still do see a lots of noise, especially in right bottom corner unlikely to be caused with web compression (although I'm not any kind of graphic or compression expert). If you look hard yes you can see noise throughout, and it could be taken out I guess, though real...