Must be a Hook Tip of some sort... Maybe a Beautiful Hook-tip - Laspeyria flexula? Quite a dark specimen.

Trev

Hi Pete, The Canon 7D Mk II doesn't have image stabilisation (but the newer version of the Sigma 150 lens itself does). Not sure if that's what you meant? I would concur with what has already been said by everyone on here so far and can't add much more apart from saying that carrying a load of gear ...

While we are talking Chequered Skippers, I noticed that the on-line blurb for the Creag Meagaidh Nature Reserve suggests they occur there... Does it really? That seems pretty far East compared to the normal range that ScottD posted doesn't it? http://www.wildlochaber.com/spean-bridge/wildlife/creag-...

Hi Bill, With reference to your last sentence, a quick search on-line shows that at least one UK butterfly supplier is selling HBF larvae as we speak. Not sure if they sold them last year, but an escaped adult from such a source (deliberate or otherwise) might seem the simplest explanation for this ...

Fantastic stuff Rebecca. I'm confident that many people have been hooked (or, as in my case, re-hooked) on butterflies via this site. To hear that it has encouraged some along a path to a new career which they obviously love is really exciting - Pete could have had little idea just how important the...

Nice photos Kathy...
... and if you keep your eyes peeled, you may well see one over here later in the year. Fantastic moths and so fast when they want to get from A to B.

Congratulations from me too Neil... Whatever project has snared you will benefit enormously and there couldn't be a better person to achieve whatever it is you are set to do. I can't wait to find out what it is! Your fellow UKButterfliers will be "chomping at the bit" waiting for future ne...

Jack, You little devil - you just couldn't resist the temptation could you :D :lol: The gorgeous 3D close-up view would be my reason to get these bins. PS: ... and before you say it, I know you can get twin-lens cameras Jack - you naughty boy! Hope your butterfly season is a good one mate. Trev

Hi Hugh, The 6.5's have a very slightly wider field of view ( 7.5 degrees compared to the 8.5's 6 degrees) and together with the lower magnification this should in theory be better for tracking insects which are flying about. That may be particularly useful for your dragonflies and erratically movin...

Hey Charles,
If you had guessed a name, might you have said a Winter Moth? Operophtera brumata.

Trev

Wow! that's a cracker Tony.

Possibly a Mango Hawkmoth - Amplypterus panopus?

Trev

Well said Neil - Good old Jack Hargreaves was also a hero of mine and his simple laid-back explanations of how to cast a fly or similar on "Out of Town" really did make a big impression on me a s a kid. He was also perfect for (and I think came up with the idea for) "HOW!" the pr...

News from last week...
Philae drifting down to land on the head of a Comma

Trev

Hi Rob, Don't worry - the caterpillars of this butterfly eat stinging nettles (no UK butterfly caterpillar will eat your furniture :) ) The butterflies look for somewhere to overwinter and better choices would include an old shed or within a crevice on a dead tree, but they will come into houses. Un...

I suppose the chances are that these individuals are indeed simply “late”, but as they are males (which tend to hatch early) and there seems to have been a reasonable gap between the previous butterflies disappearing and these ones hatching, could Rob’s original idea still be valid?… Here’s a theory...

Ooh! - That’s a bit of a result… :D To be up there alongside the likes of those pesky Kitely, Kipper and FishiEE triplets :mrgreen: is a real feather in the cap for me and I’m well chuffed! Well done to “Simon2” also – a great shot of the Southern Small White. For the record, my favourite shot was N...

... and it's a "welcome aboard" from me too. Glad to hear from a fellow Trevor - There aren't enough of us around at the moment

Happy butterflying,

Trev

Bonjour Charles,
Looks like a Pine-tree Lappet (Dendrolimus pini) to me.

Trev

That looks like an early instar (i.e. young) Drinker moth caterpillar- Euthrix potatoria. Once he/she has eaten a lot more grass, it will be quite different looking... and quite a bit bigger.

Trev

Gad Zooks!... I almost choked on my cornflakes. That's truly amazing.

Trev