Pauline

[bugboy]

Looks like you had a similar WLH experience as I had recently, great pics. Never seen them before then in my first ever sighting probably over 20 all over bramble blossom. None came down to ground level though so no idea what that male was up to, maybe he was having an identity crisis and though he was a Green!?!

[Katrina]

Nice WLHs! I agree must have been two Monarchs.

[Pauline]

Thank you David, Buggy, Katrina. The WLH were lovely but to be honest I'm still excited at having seen those Monarchs . Wonder if there's any connection with the 2 Monarchs that were recently seen in the Portsmouth area?

I'm pleased that the Monarchs required me to postpone my planned visit to see the Grayling because when I eventually arrived at the site yesterday there was a notice on the gate stating that due to military activity it had been closed to the public for most of the week! I have a colony of Graylings very close to me but I had chosen this alternative site due to its proximity to the sea and lovely scenery (and no ticks or biting insects ). I just love Browndown (even if it hasn't got Monarchs - yet ) and one of the bonuses is being able to get really close to Purple Hairstreaks. I had seen them here in previous years on the stunted Oaks but never in the numbers that were around yesterday. I easily saw in excess of a dozen without even trying, all of them lower than eye level and at one point I had 4 in view at one time on adjacent branches. They ranged from very fresh to a bit worn and provided both closed, open and partially open views. The biggest problem was the wind which was so strong that I almost gave up trying to get any shots, most of which were blurred . A few which came out OK:

Hairstreaks are clearly having a good year but it was the Graylings that I had come to see and it was lovely to see them, both male and female, flitting about in sheltered areas, nectaring on the heather or doing what they do best, being camouflaged against the shingle. I've taken all those shots in the past so I was content mainly just to watch them having succeeded in the challenge to actually find them once they had landed!

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Pauline,

Love the Monarch photos, I saw a few tweets when it(they) first showed up last week. I am sure if I hadn't been working and lived a bit closer I would not have been able to resist the temptation either, irrespective of whether they were releases or not.

However, I must say that I like your hairstreak photos better, both purple and WLH. The latter species especially is one that I rarely see low down.

All the best,

Neil.

[Willrow]

Great day with the Monarch's Pauline, and very well observed in noticing the markings and consequently two different insects...a real detective you are

BW's

Bill

"When in doubt - venture out"

[Wurzel]

Cracking Monarch shots Pauline But I'm more envious of the Purps to be honest Where a outs is Browndown.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Katrina]

I am loving your Purple Hairstreak and Grayling photos. I don't think I have any photos of PHs and the Grayling on heather photos are really pretty.

[Paul Harfield]

Hi Pauline

Your diary seems to be overflowing with interesting stuff at the moment. Great images of all your recent early stages adventures
Well done with the Monarch/Milkweed, there seem to have been quite a few reported recently down our way. Not sure if they are all natural arrivals though.
I must make the time to visit Browndown, it is not far for me and looks like a great site. I drive past regularly but never seem to have the time to pop in. I used to collect empty bullet cases on the firing firing range there when I was a youngster. We used to take them down the local scrap merchants in carrier bags to get a bit of pocket money I would imagine that if an 11yr old turned up with bags of empty bullet cases today the police would probably be involved Back then it was just harmless fun

[Pauline]

Thank you Neil. I doubt whether I'll ever see another Monarch (released or not) so it was very exciting and memorable for me

If I was a real detective Bill I would have realised that I was looking at 2 different butterflies whilst I was still there, rather than when I was looking at my shots back at home! However, I only had 2 hours with them (due to a 5 hour round trip thanks to using a 'park and ride' scheme!!) and divided my time between watching them glide so gracefully around the gardens and getting a few shots.

Thank you Wurzel. Browndown is between Gosport and Lee-on-Solent just off East Marine Parade - worth a trip providing you check the site is open to the public.

I appreciate that Katrina, thank you. The wind was so strong it was causing the small oaks to sway and it was difficult just to keep the subject in the frame .

I'm glad you think so - thanks for that Paul. It's worth a visit right now but do check that it's open first. I smiled at your tale - when I was 11 yrs old we used to walk along the beach at South Shields of an evening and collect up all the glass bottles that had been washed up or left by holiday-makers. At that time the off-licences gave money back for the return of any glass bottles, the amount depending on the colour of the glass, between 1d and 3d. It meant we could catch the bus home instead of walking the 5 miles! There was also a rag and bone man would come round weekly via a horse and cart - any old rags would be exchanged for a balloon or even a goldfish and we would follow the horse to collect the droppings in a bucket to put on the leeks and other vegetables Early forms of recycling eh??!!

I am finding it hard to keep up with the moults of my Emperor moth cats. This surely must be their 4th or 5th and probably final instar, but as before they are stunning and appear to be 2 different varieties:

[Maximus]

Hi pauline, lovely shots of the Monarchs and also great photos of WL Hairstreaks, Purple Hairstreaks and Grayling you've been very busy! The Emperor moth cats are beautiful

Mike

[Goldie M]

I'm with you on the Monarch Butterfly Pauline, it's still a Monarch no matter what it's origins
Fantastic shots of the Hair Streaks Pauline I wish I was there day if ever I saw one for me Goldie

[MikeOxon]

I doubt whether I'll ever see another Monarch (released or not) so it was very exciting and memorable for me

It's easy enough, if you are prepared to cross the Atlantic The last one I saw was weaving its way amongst the traffic, as it crossed Michigan Avenue in Chicago, towards the lake shore! I would love to see one here in UK, though, so congratulations!

they are stunning and appear to be 2 different varieties

I'm not sure if you are referring to the coloured spots. I have photos of some (taken in the Lake District) with yellow spots and some with purple. I couldn't find much about this in my books, until I turned to my good old 'Observer's Book of Caterpillars', by David Carter, which illustrates both forms and states 'each body segment bears a number of wart-like structures which are usually yellow but are sometimes pink or purple.'

Mike

[MrSp0ck]

I am finding it hard to keep up with the moults of my Emperor moth cats. This surely must be their 4th or 5th and probably final instar, but as before they are stunning and appear to be 2 different varieties:

You will notice that the emperor caterpillars have pink or yellow spots, we have wondered if the girls are pink but havnt seperated the caterpilllars to check that out when they hatch.

[Wurzel]

Cheers for the info Pauline It's a bit far for me at the mo, especially as I've used most of my Brownie points for 2015 already

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Pauline]

Thank you Mike. I am taking great care of these cats (as I always do) hoping to be able to see the final stage. I am surprised at how much heather just 2 cats are eating, stripping stalks in no time at all! It is a reminder to myself never to underestimate the amount of food plant that will be needed.

Thank you for your comment Goldie and your kind words. I was sorry to hear you have to postpone your trip to Fermyn.

If only it were that easy Mike - I can't even get as far as Norfolk (even Brighton was a challenge ) What interests me (as you might imagine) about these cats is that the one with pink spots rests by the pink heather buds and flowers whereas the one with yellow spots tends to hang out in heather which has yellow tips

I understand there is also a rare black colour form of this cat Martin. Wonder what gender that would turn out to be

I'm sorry to hear that Wurzel - you are just going to have to get cracking on another wall or ceiling and restock the brownie bank again

Yesterday I thought I would take advantage of the rotten weather and check a local site where Small Skippers hang out. I haven't seen any egg-laying this year but I have done in previous years and it always seems to be on the same clumps of grass. I wasn't surprised at this as I have noted over the last few years that White Admiral seem to lay on the same honeysuckle plants, presumably because they are in an optimum position. I checked the places where they usually lay and sure enough there were loads of eggs. I then checked a few places where I have never found eggs and yet again, no eggs in those areas.

I have marked these stems and hope to be able to monitor them through the winter. One had already been blown over and lay flat against the ground. I am not sure if this makes it more likely to be predated by the many slugs and snails present. In amongst the stems containing the Small Skipper eggs I found some eggs which do not look quite like Small Skipper eggs. I am not sure if they are a different species or just at a different stage of development. Any ideas?

[MrSp0ck]

What interests me (as you might imagine) about these cats is that the one with pink spots rests by the pink heather buds and flowers whereas the one with yellow spots tends to hang out in heather which has yellow tips

You still get Yellow and Pink spotted ones when they are fed on Sallow and Hawthorn, so its very interesting, somebody must sort out the two forms, and see what emerges, if they are the sexes will make it much easier than sorting the cocoons, The females are more heavy though in that stage.

The worst ive ever done sorting saturnid pupae was 8 females and 2 males, at least it wasnt the other way around. A 6 to 4 ratio is the best.

[Pauline]

Hi Martin, with only 2 cats it will be relatively easy to keep track of them and see which colour results in which gender but because there are only 2 of them it would hardly be conclusive. I am not convinced the colours are the result of a sex-linked gene as I have read that the pink form is a lot less common (although you may wish to correct me on that). It would be nice to think it was that simple tho'

Well A, you certainly know how to shut me up and keep me busy . I have run the moth trap 3 times now and I have been astonished at both the numbers and variety of moths that it has revealed. Last night there must have been between 100-200 and I only had time to photograph a very small proportion. I do not know how you guys manage on these exotic holidays with hundreds of butterflies as I am sure I just couldn't cope. Just as well I can't go on one! Anyway, I am going to try to identify some of them before posting any shots, apart from, what for me was the star of the night. It is at times like these that I wish I was a better photographer as none of these shots do it justice (and there are plenty of them )

Whilst I was taking photographs of some of the moths which I had placed on a piece of bark, I noticed a tiny little larva had shed its skin and was eating it. I assume that this is some sort of moth larva but my concern is that I don't know what it eats and this bit of bark has been moved all around the garden so the egg could have been laid in a number of positions. Any advice welcome.

[Pauline]

A couple of days ago I visited both Abbotts Wood and the Straits in search of PE. I was already aware that huge stretches of nettles had been mown down at Abbotts Wood (which is where my Comma cat would have been had I not successfully reared him). However, even having read Alan T's blog I was not prepared for what greeted me at the Straits . I was aware of the resurfacing but did not expect the verges to have been cut back so brutally:

On the walk along to the towers I am usually accompanied by all manner of insects, in particular many butterflies, with Skippers zooming about amongst the grass and wild flowers, whilst Ringlets and Meadow Brown search up and down at a more leisurely pace. No more! The tall thistles where the Silver washed pose for photos - all gone!! A lot of the bramble has been cut back too forcing the White Admiral further back into the rides for nectar. Even the birds seemed to have disappeared. I am usually accompanied by a Buzzard or even a Red Kite but today there wasn't even any birdsong. It felt ominous and depressing. I am wondering if it is a 'Health and Safety' issue as I notice there is a new notice on the gate warning about ticks and Lyme's disease. In the past I had been told by Forestry Commission staff that Lyme's disease had only got as far as the New Forest and South Downs but it seems that may now not be the case :. (or perhaps there have been complaints from dog owners that too many of them are returning home covered in ticks?)

Certainly I have had many ticks on me this year and I seem to be seeing more deer than butterflies, including a doe with 2 little'uns which I have not seen before :

(found this one on a visit earlier in the year but couldn't resist including it )

Reluctantly I walked further along to the watch tower, dreading what I might find there, but thankfully it was relatively unscathed and here at least there were some butterflies, including Large, Small and Essex Skippers:

Oh yeah, and more deer

I did see a few PE (one at Straits and 2 at Abbotts Wood) but they were either in the sky or at the very tops of the trees. It seems that I am not destined to get any 'proper' photos of these creatures grounded - at least not this season

[bugboy]

I did see a few PE (one at Straits and 2 at Abbotts Wood) but they were either in the sky or at the very tops of the trees. It seems that I am not destined to get any 'proper' photos of these creatures grounded - at least not this season

I feel your pain

[Pauline]

Thank you Buggy. My pain is even greater as I now know that 6 PE's were seen today in the Straits, one on the ground providing some great shots! Now here is a question for you - or anyone else who knows about bugs/plants/gardening. Having had that fantastic moth in the trap I thought I would check my fuscia plants just in case there were any cats. I saw what I thought was a tiny cat (but it was the wrong colour) and then I decided it looked more like a Ladybird nymph. On closer examination I changed my mind but I watched it for about 30 mins and the behaviour was very strange - it reminded me of a tiny hedgehog and it seemed to be 'anointing' itself with stuff from the plant (honeydew etc?). This in turn reminded me of the behaviour of the tiny WA cats who cover themselves in frass as a means of camouflage. So, my question is, does anyone know what it is/will turn into? Should I be protecting it or turfing it out? The way my luck is going I expect you are going to tell me it is something perfectly horrid that will decimate every plant in my garden I hope these shots are clear enough for some sort of ID - the greenfly provides a guide to size.

The unidentified little cat from the last post appears to have become the victim of slugs . I had decided to offer it a selection - nettle, sallow, honeysuckle, violets, etc but when I checked it this morning it had gone and there was evidence of slugs