A quick look through De Dagvlinders van Nederland reveals that the Netherlands have lost 28 species, rather more than we have so far.

M.

This item from Natura Mediterraneo forums may be of interest. It appears to document a behaviour that I have never seen mentioned before. No doubt it usually takes place well out of the reach of human prying eyes.
See: http://www.naturamediterraneo.com/forum ... _ID=238400

M.

Looks like Lucerne Medicago sativa.

M>

Sorry to be a wet blanket, but heather ( Calluna ) is a well known food plant of the Holly Blue. All my continental books on butterflies list it as a host plant, and I have myself often seen the second brood females laying on it, and have bred them through without problems. The purple marked larvae ...

As I live in an area where heathland is common, I have often observed Holly Blues ovipositing on heather, always Ling ( Calluna ) and never the other heathers. I have always thought that this was because they choose to lay among unopened flower buds and the Erica species, which flower earlier, are u...

Wood Tiger Parasemia plantaginis seems to it the bill.

M.

alcyone is now known as hermione!

M.

A super selection, but I think your upperside Tesselated Skipper is actually another Yellow-banded Skipper. The spotting is quite different in Tesselated.

m.

The shape of the right-hand antennal tip, clearly visible join your photo, looks more like ornata (= telona). In phoebe it is more gradually thickened.


M.

No, I haven't tried birds in flight. I always used to manually focus in close-up photography, but now at nearly 79 and with early stage cataracts, I find it preferable to auto focus. I find the contrast detect auto focus in these cameras to be very fast and unfailingly accurate, and with the help of...

Delighted to see that you have joined the mirrorless brigade. These little Olympus cameras are real gems. I look forward to seeing more of your results. I cannot recommend too highly the Olympus 60mm Macro (35mm equivalent 120 mm). I would have preferred a slightly longer focal length, but I have ha...

I don't like to second guess the identification of this butterfly as a High Brown Fritillary, but can the Niobe Fritillary be definitely ruled out? Although the HBF is extinct in the Netherlands, the Niobe is still present on the coastal dunes. Just a thought.

M.

3 Small Coppers on the Bournemouth east cliff this afternoon. It is usual for them to emerge in March here, but I had not expected an early emergence this year.

M.

Black-eyed Blue is spot on. Keep your eyes peeled for Spanish Festoons: they have been seen from 28 Feb.onwards.

M.

I'm sure you're right, Guy. My book calls it Iris lutescens and only shows the yellow form.
Russ, Iris albicans, although usually white, can be blue also.

M.

For your interest the grasshopper appears to be the Migratory Locust Locusta migratoria. I've looked in the Wildflowers of the Mediterranean for your iris . The nearest I can find is Iris albicans, an introduction from Arabia. the only snag is that the book says it flowers in May and June.

M.

Chris

Bear in mind that Red Admirals also feed on Parietaria species (Pellitory). It's in the nettle family, and at least one species is sure to be present in your area. I often find the cats on Pellitory-of- the-Wall in the Bournemouth area.

M.

As a non-birder I ask: can Thekla Lark be ruled out?

M.

I visited the Cabo de Gata/Nijar area in October 1987. There were Common Tiger Blues, Desert Orange Tips, Swallowtails, Lang's Short-tailed Blues, African Grass Blues in irrigated areas, masses of Sage Skippers, and after the first autumn rain several Cardinals. A late Striped Grayling in the nearby...

Cleopatra.