Pauline

[Maximus]

I find myself having to catch up on your diary Pauline you've posted very prolifically recently, picturing both your reared butterflies and those in the wild. Lovely photos of the DG Fritillary emergence and the recent DOB cat shots from Noar Hill are brilliant great shots all the way through.

[Pauline]

Thank you Martin for the ID's and the tips. Always useful to know stuff like this tho' hope it doesn't happen again and I don't have to put it to good use.

Apologies Mike but I'm sure it won't be long before I tire myself out Thank you for the compliments - I am trying hard to reach your standard

A brief lunchtime visit saw loads of fresh female SSB at Bramshott - 6 seen egg-laying, on a variety of plants. 3 laid on Birds Foot Trefoil, I on Gorse, I on a dying Bramble plant in the middle of a well-used track and 1 on a plant that I can't identify. A lot of the shots are pretty rubbish but I was there primarily to observe and learn and the photos were just on the side.

She laid 3 eggs on this plant. A couple of egg-laying shots

The unidentified plant.

So, I saw 6 different females ovi-posting on 4 different plants, but always close to the ground, which made me wonder, does a particular female favour a particular type of plant or will that female lay on any suitable species of plant. I hadn't realised they used Bramble.

I also saw a couple of pairs of mating Meadow Browns, the surprise being that I only saw 2 pairs given the number present:

[Willrow]

Well captured images Pauline, I'm impressed by your keen observation, your Personal Diary is full of such fascinating life cycle and behavior captures...such inspiring stuff

Regards,

Bill

"When in doubt - venture out"

[Paul Harfield]

Hi Pauline

Bramshott must be a site to behold now, a week on from my visit

I may be wrong but I think when this species lays its eggs it is not always specific about laying on foodplant, just in the general vicinity (somebody please correct me if I am wrong )
Your unknown plant looks to me like it could be a very young Birch sapling.

[Pauline]

I am trying Bill (cue for one of your witty remarks ) so I'm glad you're enjoying it. Thank you for your kind comment.

Cheers Paul for that info and the id, and yes, Bramshott is looking grand right now and is alive with butterflies

On 16 June last year I saw my first WLH but, as I recall, I didn't manage a photo until 18th. For about the last week I have been intending to make a return visit to that site which is about 25 mins drive away but other stuff has been keeping me close to home. Today was going to be the day, so I rushed through the chores and just as I was preparing to leave a neighbour appeared in the garden with a box. I always dread the appearance of 'the small box' , never knowing what it will contain, but knowing that I will be expected to deal with it, whatever it is . This time it was a Long-tailed Tit nest, complete with 8 tiny chicks, which had been found in the middle of the road at the bottom of the lane .

An absolutely beautiful construction - a work of art. I didn't just refuse. I stopped to consider. But those chicks were tiny, they have a very specialised diet, and they didn't look entirely healthy although they were still warm. My neighbour was not prepared to take them to a wildlife rescue 30 mins away so I directed her to a wildlife friendly vet 5 mins away and continued on my way to Cosham. Sadly, I think their chances are slim but on this occasion I didn't think I was best placed to give them the best chance.

When I arrived at the site there were about 10 males flying, fighting and lying in the sun - all incredibly high up. Everything has grown so much in the last year it is difficult to get into the sort of advantageous position that site used to allow, at the top of that little bank. It was nice to see them in action though and I concluded that they must have been out a few days because of the numbers and because some had signs of wear. I could see that they were taking in honeydew from the leaves in the canopy and had no reason to come down to nectar on the privet (although one did just that for all of 5 seconds). All my shots were taken at full zoom and hand held but I shall include a few anyway:

... and then there was this one

A couple of times I caught sight of a small brown butterfly low down but it was always the same Speckled Wood. Every year there is a Speckled Wood in just that place, just the one, and it always manages to fool me a couple of times

Whilst there I was able to get my first shots this season of a Small Skipper, and very lively he was too:

I think a second visit is on the cards before too long to catch up with the females

[bugboy]

So many wonderful pictures recently Pauline, impossible to comment on them all, I'll just say I'm very jealous of your White-letters and your DGF pictures put mine to shame! Beautiful shot of a Small Skipper to finish your most recent post

[Wurzel]

Great to see you get some Whitters Pauline Just as I catch up the next wave seems to emerge and still working for a living is seriously getting in the way of my butterflying

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

More splendid photos, Pauline! I am very envious of the WLH especially - I rarely get to see them, let alone get a photo! Just waiting to see when your White Admiral emerges... If it's anything like the DGF, it'll be amazing.

Dave

[Pauline]

That's a lovely thing to say Buggy - thank you. I know Wurzel will be admiring your 'stained glass' DGF, as am I, but I enjoy your diary just because it is so informative, diverse and interesting.

There's plenty at the usual spot Wurzel - and don't forget, you got the mating pair last year

Thank you Dave - there is news to come soon re WA.

Too much is happening too quick on the butterfly front and stuff is getting out of order, so just a brief report on an enjoyable return visit to Bramshot today in good company. The SSB are still looking superb with many fresh females still around. They have now spread themselves over a much larger area and it is a pleasure to see so many:

There were many Meadow Browns flying but one stood out as being very pale in appearance when in action. Once settled I managed to get a few shots:

Whilst looking at a fresh female SSB that had quite a lot of blue sprinkled over her we came across some cats which I believe are Emperor moth cats.

Whilst I was watching them, one of them began to shed his skin which was fascinating to see. A few shots from the many I took:

[Pauline]

No need to explain where I was Saturday night - just to mention I found what I was looking for, and it was a whopper . Just need to compare the size of it to the feeding damage relative to earlier shots to see the size difference. It was on the same plant where I saw the two tiny Larvae last week. No sign at all of any little ones this week which I thought was very strange. It was a little later than usual so perhaps they go to bed early

[Pauline]

Who would have thought it, eh?? Me, with a moth trap! Well, I didn't see that one coming It's only on loan so I'll either become completely hooked or the novelty will wear off - time will tell!

I didn't know what to expect so early the next morning I was out there, bare feet and dressing gown, to see what it had to offer. I was surprised at the number of micro moths (which were still quite lively) including this one which landed on my specs - whilst I was still wearing them:

But, the micro moths are not really where my interest lies - yet!! . I was delighted to see several Buff-tip moths. I have wanted to see one for a while having seen the cats and some great photos of them.

The next one that I recognised was a Heart and Dart - well, at least that's what I thought it was:

There were quite a few of these, but with slightly different backgrounds and slightly different shapes on them. I thought they were all variations on a theme but having looked at a book I was recently given I am now not so sure. The biggest moth looked a bit like a Heart and Dart but slightly thinner and much bigger. Unfortunately, before I could get a shot for ID he flew off showing a large expanse of orange on his underwings.

There were a couple of these moths (Great Oak Beauty, I think) but again, they might have been slightly different. I must pay more attention:

A lovely Green Silver Lines stood out from the rest. Perhaps it was the light, or perhaps I was still half asleep but I should have been able to do better than this:

I have no idea what the others were but a few below, just because it was the very first time I ran a moth trap:

Marbled Brown?? I liked this one

and this one from earlier in the week at a local site - a Common Swift:

News of the WA next, now that I have recovered from the trauma - almost!

[andy brown]

Hi Pauline,

1 Is Clouded Border
8 Heart and Club
9 Double Square Spot
10 is Gold Swift (Male)

Others look correct

Andy

[bugboy]

My word, those SSB have some seriously impressive studs! Great pictures as always and hope you have fun with your moths

[Pauline]

Thanks A.

Cheers Buggy - I really don't know where this is going to lead me .... but we'll see

It's now time for the tale of the White Admiral. It will be split into 3 parts which I shall complete as quickly as possible. That way, if I lose it, I won't have quite so much to re-do, and it gives me the opportunity to get a top up of my Pimms .

Background

I'd like to start with a resume, a bit of background, and go back to almost a year ago when I was lucky enough to see both of my WA eggs hatch on 17 July 2014:

Having eaten their egg shell they wondered off, the very beginning of a brand new butterfly. I learned a lot from watching them - how they make a little platform to rest on to isolate themselves from potential predators, and how they cover themselves in frass to assist with camouflage:

As the Autumn approached the cats started to build their hibernicums - their little shelters where they over-winter:

They were very well camouflaged both inside and outside of this structure, made by folding a honeysuckle leaf round. It is hard to see him in the first shot but he is there. However, following severe storms and torrential and prolonged rain, it appeared that their hibernicums had been destroyed and their was no sign of 'my' little cats. Having had them for almost 5 months I was very disappointed, upset and feeling guilty - after all, I had failed to protect them and look after them properly and deprived them of the opportunity to complete their life cycle. I discarded the pot containing the wild honeysuckle and tried to forget about it, but in late May of this year, Guy posted that in his part of the world WA's were emerging from their hibernicums. I thought that perhaps I should check that pot of honeysuckle, more as a precaution than anything else and to satisfy myself that they hadn't survived. I believe it was April 1st when I got round to doing it - and there was one of the cats!!!!! I was delighted and in a state of unbelief. Happily, the other one emerged (from somewhere) shortly afterwards so the journey continued:

Both cats continued to grow but one didn't seem to be thriving for some reason and the size difference between the two became quite marked. One morning I went to check them and the little one was nowhere to be found. I searched and searched to no avail. I am fairly confident there were no predators in the protective cage so I can only assume that during the winter period, when I effectively discarded him in the belief that he had perished, something untoward had happened to him, given that they were both treated exactly the same.

In due course, the remaining cat started to pupate and turned into a very fluorescent pupa:

[Pauline]

Pupation

It was a long wait, and for a long time there was little or no change. The days passed - 22 to be precise - and I was beginning to think by now that this butterfly should be emerging. I had looked at this website which gave an estimate of 3 weeks for the pupation period so I was keeping a close eye on it. I knew it was still alive as it occasionally moved, but then, later that day, the colour started to change and darken.

The speed with which this happened was incredible - much faster than any of the other species I have monitored. I became convinced it was going to emerge that day so my vigil began. I would be embarrassed to admit just how many hours I spent gazing at that pupa (tho' I know some will understand!) but as the evening approached many questions came to mind. Do they emerge over night? I had Brown Hairstreaks which emerged overnight sure, but they were indoors where it was warmer, an artificial environment. BUT, if it did emerge overnight, and the speed at which it had changed colour indicated to me that it might, I did not want to miss it. For me, part of the pleasure and education of rearing these butterflies is to see the transformations, whether it is shedding skins, pupating, and what has to be the the most spectacular, the emergence of the butterfly. I therefore decided to take the pupa indoors and during the evening experimented with the flash on my camera which wasn't entirely satisfactory.

Come the morning, the pupa was still in it's darkened form, and once out in natural light again I found it surprising how the colours of the pupa changed, depending on the light and the background.

By 5.15pm I decided I would have to get something to eat. I had been indoors about 10 mins when I received a phone call from a friend who asked about the pupa. I went out to check .........

[Pauline]

Well, after all those hours watching and waiting, missing only those 10 mins, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when faced with the brand new butterfly all completely 'inflated' . This is the sight that greeted me:

I had really, REALLY, wanted to see this transformation but at least the butterfly was complete and healthy. I was only left with being able to watch the wings dry. After Martin's useful comment about the proboscis I paid particular attention to this and could see that it had fused successfully. The remaining shots:

It was getting a bit late in the day for release so early the following morning (was it really just a couple of days ago ???!!!) I took him back to the Straits, hoping to get a few shots in a natural setting before he took off to make his own way in the world. I set up the camera and carefully placed him on a thistle. He didn't like that and after a few circuits of weak flight he came to rest on the path. I risked the ticks and went deeper into the vegetation to place him on a bramble flower but just as i reached for the camera he took off again, this time flying strongly and quite high, settling in a tall tree well out of reach. I resigned myself to the fact that I was fated not to get any decent shots of this butterfly and decided to check out the track for PE's whilst I was there. Nothing doing! On my way back, just as I approached my release point, a WA landed ever so briefly at my feet, and then took off again into the skies. I would like to think, believe, it was him, because all he has left me with are the smashing memories and this:

[Goldie M]

Hi! Pauline, I've not been too lucky lately with the Butterflies, they've been scarcer a round here than ever they were before.
I love your WH he looks so regal, I wondered if the PE were out yet they usually fly at the same time has the Admirals I think, I'm going to head to Fermym Woods has soon as they appear, my luck so far with the Fritillaries is nil, so I hope it picks up and I can see them also the WA like yours. Goldie

[Maximus]

Nice stuff Pauline, well reared and lovely shots I'd like to think that we saw your White Admiral at the straits today. Didn't get a photo though, maybe we weren't meant to

[Vince Massimo]

Great observations and reporting Pauline .

The photos of the final stages of the pupal development are magical (and are always my favourite part when I am observing and recording a project). I also know what's it like to miss an critical event by just a few minutes, especially after investing so much time in a project, so I share your mixed feelings, but a great result nonetheless.

Vince

[MrSp0ck]

Well, after all those hours watching and waiting, missing only those 10 mins, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when faced with the brand new butterfly all completely 'inflated' .

You can tell in your photos of the pupa that it was very close to hatching as the pupa went transparent, this is normally about 15 minutes before hatching, and sometimes you notice that the abdomen inside the pupa has started to slide down inside as the butterfly is pushing its way out.