I think I have to find a copy of this for my collection ! It's beautifully written and really lovely. It's interesting that almost all the butterflies (the exceptions being the undersides) are painted from collections, in the pinned position, as if that were what butterflies look like in nature ! T...

at the local car boot sale this morning i was delighted to find a copy of "Peter's Butterfly Friends" for 50p. this charming little book dates from 1947 and has many delightful illustrations. rather like the ladybird "what to look for" pictures. you can see from this advert on eb...

a fabulous read Roger. the Poplar Admiral was amazing ! please do not stop

Charles

Padfield wrote: ↑Fri Jul 26, 2024 1:57 pm I'd say the butterflies are a wall and two common blues (the blues have the cell spot). The damselfly is harder - perhaps a female of a Coenagrion species.

'To my dearest mother, a token of (my) love'.

Guy

thanks for your assistance Guy

these are a bit harder i think:
the central one is some kind of fritillary methinks....

zigzag_wanderer wrote: ↑Fri Jul 26, 2024 8:34 am ...and a marmalade hoverfly ?

it looks good, if rather larger than life size ...

Padfield wrote: ↑Fri Jul 26, 2024 7:17 am And Charles will know, but for anyone else, the words say:

O God, who know us to be set in the midst of such dangers that by the fragility of our human nature we cannot survive, grant us safety.

Guy

hehehe amen to that Guy

Pete Eeles wrote: ↑Thu Jul 25, 2024 10:33 pm Spurge Hawk-moth and Marbled White, I do believe!

Cheers,

- Pete

thanks so much Pete. The pictures are very accurate.

these are quite old.... 1590s perhaps ?
Charles

essexbuzzard wrote: ↑Wed Jul 24, 2024 10:48 pm Hi Charles, could be a white version of the clustered bellflower, Campanula glomerata.

Lovely images of Scotch Argus, Berti. Don’t see many of those on the forums...

thanks for your helpful suggestion essexbuzzard ! there were purpley ones nearby.

Charles

i spent a few hours at Barton le Clay near the spring today. there were plenty of Chalk Hill Blues enjoying the fine weather. i was very pleased with this extra fluffy individual: 53878912331_54d586fee3_c.jpg i saw this pretty white plant; it is only 8cm tall 53879250239_72486b9994_c.jpg do you know...

I went to Sundon SSSI yesterday. i had a look to see if there were any Purple Emperors where i saw them in 2022. no activity detected :shock: i glimpsed one Dark Green Fritillary, but otherwise it was wall to wall Marbled Whites & Ringlets with a few Large/Small/Eseex/Lulworth type skippers. the...

I went back to the Chilterns today. I spent 3 hours around Sharpenhoe then moved on to Sundon. No sign of any Fritillaries. I bumped into another enthusiast who had not seen any this year. the highlight of the walk was finding ripe wild cherries... a perfect Midsummer Snack 8) 53806575101_5a5d4510d7...

I wonder if your plant might be Red Bartsia? I've never seen one this colour but the general form looks right. Managed my first Ringlet yesterday morning while on a flora survey in Richmond Park. Otherwise small numbers of Meadow Browns & Small Heaths plus a female Brimstone in the car park as ...

at Sundon this afternoon. No more fritillaries sighted despite plenty of sunshine.

I found this faded DIngy Skipper enjoying a discarded piece of cardboard
i was wondering what this chalk loving plant might be ?
Charles

thanks for these two quite different expedition accounts Pete.

your German Skipper was ganz gemütlich

i made the most of some sunshine & went down to Sundon. this time my Fritillary Quest was not in vain. I saw a handsome male Dark Green Fritillary. he was very energetic & i only managed to get a record shot 53797916655_c6bd787507_c.jpg the Small Blues are still plentiful. i am very pleased ...

A great read Stevie ! i especially liked the Turtle Dove pic

Charles

I did a PhotoShop fiddle with the image to make the butterfly a little darker. That confirmed Common Blue, but certainly is a pale specimen. But of course a pale subject like that butterfly against a much darker background plays hell with auto exposure. Jack thanks for your explorations Jack ! the ...

bugboy wrote: ↑Thu Jun 13, 2024 7:44 am I agree with Dave, there's nothing else it can be

thanks bugboy !