Hi Dave, I've messaged you a reply already - but thanks again for the info. Fingers crossed the dragonflies/damsel will now be achievable!!! And good news about the roadside Mountain Ringlets at Ben Lawers, not for me - but Sami wouldn't be overly thrilled at the uphill struggle otherwise needed to ...

Hi all, I'm heading up to Scotland with my girlfriend next week (12th - 17th July) via Lancs/Cumbria in search of various species and their forms. "Operation ButterflyBlitz - Scotland Part 2" (catchy huh :lol: ) hopes to see all of the following: Northern Brown Argus artaxerxes and salmaci...

Just back from 2 hours scanning an elm/wych elm copse near Epsom. There are hairstreaks up there alright...but they are all Purples !!! Come off of nearby oaks, I guess. Dogfighting, feeding and sunning all seen but definitely no sniff of any White-lettered. :( Also noted two Large Skippers in the e...

Hi Trev, superb photo of the greenbottle. Shame about the distracting background clutter

Hi Felix, sorry for the delay...I'm having serious issues with the laptop's connectivity at the mo! Many thanks for your well put (and lengthy!) response. I'd heartily disagree with just one point though. As a very keen birder I've spent many long hours within Portland's dog crap-infested disused qu...

Contrary to popular belief, masseyi became extinct in the 1940's from it's last Westmorland habitat. J. Thomas at last concurs (page 118,119). When you see a drawer of 'true' masseyi in a museum collection the differences between masseyi and the existing argus populations really does become obvious...

Just back from a couple of days having masses of fun in the west country...Large Blues in Somerset and High Brown Fritillary in Devon being the highlights. Tried a pint of Beast, at 6.66% it really is very very smooth. Sami was pretty much wasted after just one pint. Seeing as I was doing the drivin...

Well I was trying to be subtle....

Perseus wrote:Two each of Large Tortoiseshell Butterflies and Large Skippers were seen in
the path to the meadows by the Cemetery on the southern part of the Nature
Reserve.

Hi Perseus,

Are your tortoiseshells definitely of the Large persuasion, and any pics???

Cheers

Gibster.

Hi all
I bumped into Adrian Riley last Monday (21st June) at Strumpshaw Fen. Whilst chatting he mentioned that he'd been amazed to see a Large Heath some 2 weeks ago! Unfortunately I can't remember which site, but it was in the UK.

Nice one Gibster! Good luck in the hunt - glad you managed BH in Brampton.... Hi Nick, it was thanks to your directions that we even found the correct blackthorn thicket in the first place! The well-worn path to the first clearing produced just 2 Black Hairstreaks, including the absolutely pristine...

Just back from 2 days in Norfolk...Sunday was pretty miserable and grey with a penetrating northerly breeze, hence just two brief sightings of Swallowtail at Hickling Broad - and no pics to speak of. We wild-camped in Wayland Wood that night then a visit to Strumpshaw Fen on Monday where the undoubt...

We only got as far as the lower slopes of Hambledon Hill...and felt like throwing the towel in, lol!!!
Brilliant area though, Golden -ringed Dragonfly and Banded Demoiselle were somewhat unexpected though... to see Marsh Fritillaries flying alongside Adonis Blues is an experience not to be forgotten.

You have to hand it to the Romans, they showed amazing foresight re butterfly habo creation!!! I think the fort pre-dates the Romans even though they might subsequently have made use of it. You are quite right, Jack. Turns out the hill was fortified by the Celtic Durotriges in around 500BC, the Rom...

Thankfully no such problems with the weather in Dorset today. Visited Hod Hill (except we clambered up Hambledon Hill first before realising our mistake, lol!) where the ramparts provided us with at least 7 Marsh Fritillaries(plus three dead ones in spider webs), 30+ Adonis Blues, 10+ Meadow Browns,...

Had about a dozen Heath Fritillaries in Blean Wood yesterday, a brand new species for us!!! Our first, a female on hogweed and bramble flowers, was at the edge of the Hicks Forstal Road car park and took...ooooh...twenty seconds to locate after we left the car. What an obliging lifer! Through the wo...

Three Silver-studded Blues seen today, brightened up an otherwise rather dull Fairmile Heath near Cobham in Surrey. Thanks to recent clearance work there are several patches of White Bryony on the earthen bund alongside the access road. A quick search revealed a number of adult Bryony Ladybirds. We'...

Wow! Just back from a fantastic day in Hampshire...started at Hurst Spit and managed at least 7 Cream-spot Tigers including 2 ovipositing females. Keyhaven Marshes added a Painted Lady, Small Tort, Common Blues, Smalll Heaths, Green-veined Whites, a Green Hairstreak, Speckled Woods plus various Odon...

Orange Tips have completely vanished down here. I guess the Scottish climate holds them back for a while up there? Are Chequered Skippers always so numerous on that site? PS: Any chance of a link to your website? Hi David In response...I've never seen Chequered Skippers before, but by all accounts ...

Just back from a superb coupla days in the Spean Bridge area of Scotland. :) On the afternoon of 2nd (in dull, breezy conditions) we managed a grand total of ONE Chequered Skipper and ONE forlorn looking Green Hairstreak at the Allt Mhuic Reserve, both hiding in grasses. However, an immature Golden ...