Congratulations Neil, mine has been on order since it was originally announced - I am looking forward to receiving my copy and I know I won't be disappointed
Thanks to all the team for their hard work
Kind Regards
Mark

The cooler weather seems to have held things up up bit but a lunchtime outing to Butser Hill showed that Grizzled Skipper numbers are building nicely as saw at least seventeen including this couple gorging on fox poo - the lower one has got a particularly pale ground colour and is very hairy! Nice G...

I think as the pupa was upside down which may not have helped - normally the butterfly would crawl out of the pupa and cling on to let its wings expand and dry with the help of gravity?
Kind Regards
Mark

Well Pete not only have you been busy but your contribution is fantastic and worth the significant gap in your diary. It just shows that citizen science is alive and well and with a bit (well quite a lot actually) of effort there is still a lot to be discovered by simple but detailed observation. I ...

He escaped with a suspended sentence and community service - perhaps not harsh enough but still a pretty serious sentence? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-39528286
Kind Regards
Mark

Paid a brief visit to Butser hill this afternoon and there were very few butterflies in the strong breeze - however I did see my first three Grizzled Skippers.
Kind Regards
Mark

Interesting paper in Scientic American about kalligrammatids which were similar to lacewings and looked like very early butterflies that existed before the evolution of flowers and became extinct 45 million years before butterflies began to evolve. Apparently they fed on nectar in pine cones and lai...

The story has even made the New York Times and includes Neil's picture of the culprit in action https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/17/worl ... .html?_r=0
Kind Regards
Mark

I know Cryptic Wood White is found close to Rosslare harbour so it apparently can be seen if you take the ferry from Fishguard as a foot passenger - I seem to rember Adrian Riley writing about it and vaguely remember the areas adjacent the beach being mentioned. Not exactly sure of location and have...

Spotted a red admiral in central Portsmouth with temperature about 8c it must have been woken by a period of warm sun but was fluttering around the eaves of a railway station looking for a spot to see out the rest of the winter - first of the year
Kind regards
Mark

This is just appalling- but I am not completely surprised - I think a UKB member may have witnessed this , or a similar incident at Daneway.
Kind regards
Mark

I was lucky enough to see reasonable numbers this year including two down at once at Alice Holt. As I was photographing one with its wings open the other one took off and decided that the sole of my boot had some goodies on it! After photographing the one on the ground I had to perform some contorti...

Hi Pete - what a fantastic way to start the new year. It's really great to see some of the experts talking through the intricacies of the butterfly's requirements and particularly some of the historical context. Dan asked the questions that were springing to my mind and whilst the overall outlook fo...

Congratulations Neil - really looking forward to receiving my copy which I ordered a while ago
Kind Regards
Mark

Sorry I missed you all I had to deal with a family crisis at the last mo - all resolved. It's a shame because it is always a most convivial atmosphere and nice to catch up with acquaintances without butterflies interfering!
Here is to next year
Kind Regards
Mark

I made the long trip to Scotland to see the last of the mainland species - fantastic scenery and the weather was fabulous and the butterflies also came to the ball
Kind Regards
Mark

Here is a cracker from Butser Hill in May - the Dukes had a pretty good year in Hampshire
Kind Regards
Mark

Yes, it did seem a bit meandering at times, and it seems strange to complain about a butterfly programme being too long but I think it could have been edited a bit better? In all I think it was pretty informative and I guess the academics will have got the evidence they need to prove the parasitic w...

Count me in please - always enjoyable - thanks Susie
Mark

I too have been following your efforts Paul and my vote has just been cast
Kind regards
Mark