One way or another, that was a bit of a ha(i)ry outing, Wurzel! I'm glad you sorted the camera problem quickly, though... I like the GVW shots - a very photogenic butterfly.

Cheers,

Dave

Cheers, Paul and Wurzel - I'm going to keep trying till I finally get one in focus! :) Sunday 19th May started with low cloud, but I had faith in the forecast that it would quickly burn off - in fact, in the half an hour or so between leaving home and arriving down at Denbies that's precisely what h...

Sounds like an exceptional day, Katrina - I especially like your first Glanville shot, plus that Peacock comfortably sat at the end.

Cheers,

Dave

My second bite at the Cotley Hill cherry today resulted in a varied selection of Marsh Fritillaries (and an array of other species too). MF3 250524.JPG MF4 250524.JPG MF1 250524.JPG Though no two ever seem to look the same, this one stood out as being a bit different. MF6 250524.JPG A full report co...

Good to hear those positive vibes about Sidbury, Wurzel - there maybe opportunities next week should the sun cooperate... :) I'm with you on the Small Blues - a fresh male can be midnight blue with a sprinkling of tiny silvery stars: sublime. :) I suspect there won't be many more Peacocks as good as...

Thank you, Katrina. :) I do try to include a few context/habitat shots so I can remember more precisely where particular butterflies were found, as well as somehow making them less anonymous. Sometimes a general cluttered green background isn't too helpful, and the shots with completely blank backgr...

Good to see they're out now, Trevor - lovely and fresh too. Now all we need is some more sunshine!

Cheers,

Dave

In this topsy-turvy week, Thursday 16th May was once again nearly sunless, and cooler than Wednesday. The cloud must have been a bit thinner, though,as a handful of butterflies were to be found on my local patch (including the Brown Argus missing from Wednesday's impressive roster! :) ). This butter...

Considering it was the only butterfly I saw, Wurzel, that Small Copper made the walk very worthwhile. It certainly was a cracker. :) In contrast, Wednesday 15th May was a perfect spring day - highs of 21 degrees and 10 hours of sunshine. I stayed local and ended up with a total of over a hundred but...

Good to see how things are faring at Bishops Hill, Neil, now that I no longer regularly pass the site. The Small Blues are a particular draw, but I always remember how good the Common Blues were there as well - as you have demonstrated!

Cheers,

Dave

Small Blues appear to be doing really well this year at Pitstone Local Wildlife Site (aka the old chalk quarry).More to follow from this morning's visit in my PD in a little while.

Dave

Adonis Blues were easy to see on Denbies Hillside this morning. AB2 190524.JPG AB8 190524.JPG AB11 190524.JPG AB12 190524.JPG AB pair1 190524.JPG Though the males do vary a bit in shade and marginal markings, this one had the most pronounced series of marginal black dots I have ever seen. ABab1 1905...

Tuesday 14th May was even cooler than Monday, and damp and cloudy too. However, a marginally bright interval coincided with me walking close to a known Small Copper territory - and there he was.No other butterflies appeared at all.

Dave

Cheers, Trevor - I'm waiting on bulletins from our Salisbury correspondent and remain poised to return west for the Marshies... :) Monday 13th May was quite a bit cooler, and far less sunny, but still proved to be a productive sort of day on my local patch. Though cloudy, much of the cloud was quite...

What a terrific butterfly, Mike. It looks absolutely fresh, too (just trying to reassure myself it wasn't around when Wurzel and I visited Cotley Hill three days earlier! :) ). Great shots as well and perfect weather to keep it behaving - sometimes everything just comes together. Worth a :mrgreen: I...

Looking forward to hearing news about the Marshies, Wurzel - if the timing works out, I might try and combine a trip to see the Lulworths with a stop or two en route... :) Back to the local patch on Sunday 12th May - which turned out to be the hottest day of the year so far, reaching 27 degrees here...

A handful of highlights from a trip to the Downs south of Croydon today. CB1 170524.JPG DB1 170524.JPG DS1 170524.JPG GF1 170524.JPG SB2 170524.JPG Also seen were Brimstone, Peacock, Small Heath, Small Copper, Speckled Wood, Orange Tip and Green Hairstreak. A longer dissertation will follow in my PD...

I'm a regular visitor to Denbies Hillside, and I have to say that I've only encountered the Pink Hairstreaks on the one occasion. Greens are far more common. However, the area of habitat was exactly as described, though I imagine the species is just passing through on migration...

Dave

Cheers, Wurzel. It was good to see both Pearls and Wood Whites on the same day - there are lots of similarities in their habitats, so you almost expect them both to pop up in both locations... :) Thank you, David - they can be pretty good in July/August as well as an alternative, and some years the ...

What an amazing butterfly.

Cheers,

Dave