Thanks Pete - that's all nice and clear now.

Cheers

Chris

Thanks Gruditch As one of the "new guys" you mentioned :D, please could you give me or direct me to the advice on how to rate the images. Not the "mechanics" of it, but guidelines on things like: - can I rate as many images as I like? - I assume a rating of "10" is for ...

Thanks Mike I'd heard of Totternhoe and had thought about going over there, but it's just a little further than I might be able to manage at the moment. I thought I'd give Blue Lagoon a try first to see how I get on. I've had some very useful communication today from someone who does a regular trans...

Hi there Just wondered if anyone had visited the the Blue Lagoon Reserve in Milton Keynes. I'm looking for somewhere local to see Small Blue (family and work commitments curtailing opportunities to go much further afield). http://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/parks-and-open-space/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=22...

Clive wrote:Hi Chris

I used a Canon 40D & 300 F4 IS L lens, F7.1 for the first shot & F8 for the other two ... that lens has a MFD of 1.5m & I find if I ease back a little from that I get better shots ...

Clive

Thanks Clive. I'm always interested in good advice.

Cheers

Chris

Lovely photos, Clive.

May I ask what camera/lens you use? And what aperture are the majority of these taken on? (You've achieved a great depth of field).

Cheers

Chris

Visited Salcey Forest in Northamptonshire yesterday (Fri) with the hope of seeing Wood White. A 20 min walk to where I first ever saw them last year and I wasn't disappointed. I followed a likely looking small, fairly weakly (but not that weakly) fluttering beast until it settled and hey presto, the...

cjs wrote:Sorry Chris just came back on but I see you got your answer.

Yes, thanks.

cjs wrote: Happy hunting.

And the same to you!

Chris

Zonda wrote:Chris said

a mating pair of Dingy Skippers on a nearby plant!

And a stonking shot it is. Well caught.

Too kind!!

Chris

padfield wrote:Your id (i.e. brown argus) is correct, and the edited picture shows why quite perfectly. In common blue that pair of spots is more in line with the other spots in the series, rather than standing out like a colon.

The slight chequering of the fringe is another indicator.

Guy

Thank you Guy

Chris

Hi Chris, Thanks for posting the above. I was trying to discover where the exact difference in those spots on the outer wings were and it is so much easier now you have pointed out the exact place :D I was trawling around after taking photo's of one here in Shropshire on Monday. Hi Chrissy, You're ...

Hi Chris your second picture is a Brown Argus and a very nice one too. Hi cjs - lovely! Thanks for the comment and the correction to the I.D. Of course: the inevitable question - how can you tell?? Cheers Chris A little bit of research and I think I may see what you mean. Is it to do with the spots...

cjs wrote:Hi Chris your second picture is a Brown Argus and a very nice one too.

Hi cjs - lovely! Thanks for the comment and the correction to the I.D. Of course: the inevitable question - how can you tell??

Cheers

Chris

After bemoaning my poor luck at spotting butterflies because of the weather this month, it's only right that I acknowledge a much better couple of days. Nothing that special on Sunday, but 17 Orange Tips and a good number of other common species in 90 min possibly deserves a mention. Today I managed...

Yes, but we didn't have personal diaries in place then - only little-used blogs! Cheers, - Pete Good point! And I'm really enjoying reading them. My initial post wasn't meant as any kind of criticism, it was completely a vent of frustration at the rubbish weather that's been preventing more of us f...

By this time last year we were on Page 7: viewtopic.php?f=8&t=3116&start=120

Let's hope the weather in the 2nd half of the month let's us do some catching up!!

Chris

p.s. Great photos on here during the last couple of weeks - thanks all.....

Susie, I know you won't be disappointed. I got mine last week and I'm finding it to be superb. A great mix of essential factual information and thoroughly interesting anecdotes.

Awesome!

Chris

I'm in that boat so far this year :( Bill Had a bit of luck today: I was visiting my mother and went to get something from her shed and was pleased to find a lovely peacock fluttering at the window. As there was no way for the butterfly to get in/out apart from the door, it must have been hibernati...

Is there anyone else out there who, like me, is yet to see a single butterfly?! :? Last Sunday, a lovely day, was when I thought it was going to happen. However, despite visiting a couple of my local favoured sites, I drew a blank. Even more frustrating, when I got back from my run I was told by my ...

Painted Ladies featured on Friday's BBC Autumnwatch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VevPIA4WRAc

Chris