Katrina

[Katrina]

Hi Pauline, the WLH photos were ok but not great. I will need to check the photos more closely re damage. I know it had two chunks out of one wing even last night. It was certainly an adventurous butterfly crossing some of the busiest roads in Brighton. I hope it won't find the gardens too busy with tourists/ people for its liking at the weekend - fingers crossed it stays a little longer.

[Goldie M]

At least you got a Monarch Butterfly Katrina, I wouldn't care if some one had let them off in the park It 's still a Monarch Butterfly and very rare and exciting, also, at least you saw the White Letter Hairstreaks ,I've yet to see them, so put them in your posts
Goldie

[Katrina]

Hi Goldie I really enjoyed seeing the Monarch (or Monarchs as it turned out). I don't know enough about these things to know with what certainty it can be known if they were released or natural arrivals but either way it was great to see it close up and then swooping around.
I wonder if they will migrate up to Scotland where they could be Monarchs of the Glen, or perhaps Nofolk and be Monarchs of the Fen.
I have posted soe WLHs for you. Not sure what the brown thing under the central thistle head is.

[bugboy]

Lovely WLH katrina, seems to be lots around being nice and posing for people at the moment, including me

That little brown thing is a Froghopper, the nymphs of which make cuckoo spit in the spring

[Katrina]

Thank you for solving the mystery Bugboy. I didn't notice it until I was cropping the photos.

[Butterflysaurus rex]

Great to see you caught up with some White-letter Hairstreaks Katrina, and a lovely female in very nice condition too. The one we both saw in Brighton was way past his best.

All the Best

James

[Willrow]

Those W-l H are being so kind for you Katrina, unlike the little b*gg**s that gave me a torrid time at Fermyn Woods on Friday...I'm still suffering from 'acute frustration syndrome'

Lovely pics

BW's

Bill

"When in doubt - venture out"

[Katrina]

Thank you , it didnt feel like the WLHs were behaving I kept just getting them lined up for the photo and then they would move round!

[Katrina]

I had seen reports on the Sussex Butterfly Website of large number of DGFs at Chantry Hill. Last time I went they were flying so fast I just got a few orange blurs. I went again today in the grey and intermittent rain to try and get a photo. There were a lot of Meadow Browns, after a while I found some Marbled Whites, I then found just the one DGF - hooray! (I was quite pleased considering the weather although I was hopeful as so many had been seen earlier in the week)I also saw Skippers and a few Ringlets and Small Heaths. I think the streaks in one of my skipper shots may be raindrops. I am not very skilled at counting but I think there may have been 100 Marbled Whites and many more Meadow Browns. I also found a caterpillar I was hoping someone could identify for me.

[Pauline]

Loving the raindrops on the DGF and Skipper Katrina - worth getting out there in the rain to get something a bit different. I THINK (tho' I'm nervous about ID's now ) that your cat is a fairly well developed Peacock - but I await to be corrected on that

[Katrina]

Thank you for the ID Pauline, definitely worth getting out and nice and many more butterflies seen than anticipated.

[bugboy]

Good ID pauline, that is indeed a Peacock cat you have there Katrina

[Goldie M]

caught up with your posts once again Katrina, thanks for the WLH shots , they've just made me more determined to find them
Hope I mange a Dark Green Frit this week areI'll give up to the season Goldie

[William]

Lovely Dark Green Fritillary, Katrina - I sympathise about the speed with which they move, I've never managed a decent photo!

BWs,

William

[Wurzel]

Cracking shots of the DGF and I really like the rain drops in the Skipper shot

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Willrow]

Have to agree, that Dark Green Fritillary is a lovely specimen, well captured Katrina.

BW's

Bill

"When in doubt - venture out"

[Katrina]

This morning I took off early again to see if I could get any more photos of DGFs. It was somewhat sunnier. I saw Marbled Whites, Meadow Browns , Skippers and Gatekeepers. I saw one white butterfly - Small (I think) . I concentrated on the area I saw the DGF last week then went for a wander and found a Chalkhill Blue (I think - still finding it hard identifying some butterflies with wings closed) When I came back I found quite a few DGFs where I had originally been looking. They looked as though they were just warming up -still with wings open but everytime I got anywhere near one it flew a metre along the bank so I ended up feeling a little shunned by them. It may have been because the sun was directly behing me so it was quite hard to approach without casting a shadow.I think there were about 23 spread out on the same bank but they did look a little worse for wear.

[Wurzel]

Lovely female Chalkhill Katrina, but teh Hedge Brown is what's making me

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Katrina]

Thank you Wurzel!

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Katrina, some lovely photos in your diary recently I am especially jealous of the WLH as, like others, I rarely see them low down.

Cheers,

Neil.