Thanks for that Guy. It means I've got an excuse to have a look for it this summer in the UK. Know any likely places around the Evesham / Oxford area? Paul.

This is my one and only in focus photo of the only Purple Emperor I've seen. Taken in 2008 in the Foret de la Double in the Dordogne. I was looking at it a bit closer and it seems to have some similarity with Lesser PE. Can anyone confirm the identity? I'm sorry there's so little to go on. There's a...

Hi Vince, thanks for the reply. I found lots of those papery cucoons as well, attached to dry phragmites stems; I didn't know what they were either! Paul.

Hi, can anyone help with this one? Thanks, Paul.

Thanks to all for the informative replies. Paul.

Nothing to report on upper wing shots.
Does anyone know anything about this study? Presumably the marking would be to identify if an individual has moved from one territory to another... Paul

Of course Guy, I hadn't thought of that!
I did get some upper wing shots, I'll check them.

Late this afternoon I was searching for Pearl Bordered Fritillaries on Warton Crag and found this one with a strange underwing pattern. Has anyone seen this before?

Hi Ian, Camera choice is always a matter of personal preference and what one person may regard as a good camera may well be seen by others as inadequate. I suppose the first point to make is that a digital compact is not the ideal tool for general nature photography; shutter lag will often cause you...

Going through some photos taken in 2008 I noticed a couple of abberant Ringlets. The second one seems to have no spots on the upper forwing; the first is obvious. This species is still quite rare in our region (Morecambe Bay) and I think I might have been the first to find this colony at a limestone...

Hi Robin, re fuzzy Sigma 150 shots. I think you should have your lens checked by Sigma or a recognised lens repairer. Sometimes a lens can focus in front or behind the focus point and needs recalibrating. With regard to the 7D I've never used one, but it may be possible to try another 150 at your lo...

Wow Guy, that's impressive knowledge! I've just done a quick web search for malvoides and found a good picture on Timothy Cowles' website 'The Butterflies of the Rhone'. My individual was fairly worn but I think you're spot on with the ID; malvoides definitely has the warm tones and less defined whi...

Many thanks guy, I've updated my website accordingly.

Cheers, Paul.

Thanks to everyone for the very kind welcome to the site. I do have lots of questions; I'm very much a beginner. My interest was spurred by the beauty of the butterflies and realizing a few years ago that I'd come to live close to such an important area for our declining Fritillaries. Since then I'v...

Hi, I've lurked around the site for a while looking at some of the great photos and decided it was time I said hello. I live just south of Lancaster and have some very good local sites which I visit as often as I can when work and family allow. :lol: I'm interested in photography and have a few of m...