Buchan Boy

bugboy · Post by **bugboy** » Tue Jul 28, 2015 8:19 pm

Great Shots, your Orange-tip is making me long for spring time already and I've still not finished chasing this years quarries

!

Wurzel · Post by **Wurzel** » Tue Jul 28, 2015 9:28 pm

More cracking images Buchan Boy, but that's to be expected from such a great county

I agree with Bugboy that's a beautiful OT shot

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Buchan Boy · Post by **Buchan Boy** » Wed Jul 29, 2015 7:44 pm

Cheers chaps,spring goes by and summer kicks in,allbeit in a rather restrained way this year.

Every weekend seemed to be in that cycle of cloud and rain and worse,wind.Not many opportunities to get out this season,too much family stuff going on...

na its alright really.

Saturday 27th June 2015

Sharpenhoe Clappers,Bedfordshire

If ever a place could conjure up various thoughts,band name?,beer name?...Sharpenhoe Clappers has to be it.A lovely national trust reserve on the Chilterns.

Visiting a friend in Flitwick for the weekend with some vague idea of finding Black Hairstreaks at Finemere.........that idea lasted about as long as that sentence.

Anyways,a bit of rain but a gorgeous Saturday morning,and some reports of Dark Green Fritillaries popping up on the Chilterns,couple of miles drive at sun up,Sharpenhoe Clappers.(Its got to be said out loud.)

Leaving the car park you are immediately drawn to the lush herb and orchid rich meadow that is there.

: Sharpenhoe car park meadow.

Of course,its Marbled White emergence time as well,even in England sometimes its best to get to these sites early for summer butterflies.
The Marbled Whites were stretching out all over the place.

: Sharpenhoe Marbled White

I quickly wanted a look at the Beech Trees at the Northern bit of the site,so wandered round the ridge path to the hillfort with the trees on it.
Big bank of nettles....

: Sharpenhoe Small Tortoiseshell

Then onto the Western facing slope,good lump of Knapweed,and with the sun still relatively low,good chance to get those underside shots without exposure problems.

: Sharpenhoe Marbled White 2

Had a good look around the Beech's for any Birds Nest Orchids,but none.I'd already noted the probable Dark Green area,so back round the ridge to the meadow.

: Sharpenhoe facing back towards the car park and lower meadows.

All was getting ready to go...

: Sharpenhoe Large Skipper

Hang on I'm not at my best yet!

: Sharpenhoe Marbled White 3

A rather graceful older girl,I thought

: Sharpenhoe Female Common Blue

The Dark Greens arrived,once again as big orange blobs against the green warming up,all males.Only had about half hour before mayhem kicked in and flight was the norm.
The breeze over this side,an easterly,was sheltered by the bigger hill with the Beech Trees,normal prevailance would be a Westerly,which I imagine would give this side a windy outlook,luck and all that.

: Sharpenhoe Dark Green Fritillary

: Sharpenhoe Dark Green Fritillary 2

: Sharpenhoe Dark Green Fritillary 3

Another posing Large Skipper

: Sharpenhoe Large Skipper 2

Good orchid spikes,Spotted,Fragrant and Pyramidials, a Small Blue colony worth noting,although they were all getting on.

: Sharpenhoe Orchids

The Dark Greens all hang around the bowl with the road at the bottom,but on sunny days that "hanging around" is rather....flighty!

The Chilterns.

: Sharpenhoe Eastern meadow

The Dark Green Fritillary.

: Sharpenhoe Dark Green Fritillary 4

Cool.

Buchan Boy · Post by **Buchan Boy** » Thu Jul 30, 2015 6:01 pm

Blimey,my PD is in the same month as I write it!....just

A quick entry

Saturday 11th July 2015

Mount Caburn,Lewes

A howling gale,but sunny,butterfly wise it was pretty impossible,but a good showing of Dark Green Fritillaries and Marbled Whites.

However,my main purpose was to find some adult Wart-biters and having located the colony,via nymphs,a few months ago,it was now time to hunt down some adults.

This proved mightily difficult,for such large insects they are incredibly tough to locate,and with a blasting wind the odds were stacked.But much walking up and down staring at grass proved finally to be successful.

Two adult males,in pristine condition found and photographed,back down here some more when the wind abates.

: Mount Caburn male Wart-Biter

Such a fab insect.
Dave

David M · Post by **David M** » Thu Jul 30, 2015 8:50 pm

Never even heard of a Wart-Biter so thanks for posting. Lovely insect.

Wurzel · Post by **Wurzel** » Thu Jul 30, 2015 9:27 pm

Beautiful images Buchan Boy, the brightness and light is stunning they seem to glow

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Buchan Boy · Post by **Buchan Boy** » Mon Aug 17, 2015 7:51 pm

19th-24th July 2015

Arnside Knott,Lancs

Grabbed a few days in North West England hoping to see some Scotch Argus but unfortunately missed them.

The weather was pretty awful with rain,a perpetual gusty wind and rather cool conditions never getting above about 15 degrees but nonetheless it was worthwhile.

A few painted ladys hill-topping at the er top,in various states of batteredness.

: Arnside Knott Painted Lady

: Arnside Knott Painted Lady 2

Actually this one wasn't too bad

: Arnside Knott Painted Lady 3

The Northern Brown Argus's were just a bit over but good to get some in my library.

: Arnside Knott Northern Brown Argus

: Arnside Knott Northern Brown Argus 2

: Arnside Knott Northern Brown Argus 3

: Arnside Knott Northern Brown Argus 4

Its lovely when the sun does come out

: Arnside knott Southern Middle bit

The Dark Greens and High Brown Fritillaries were still on the wing in good numbers.

: Arnside Knott Dark Green Fritillary

: Arnside Knott Dark Green Fritillary 2

And I managed a fairly good looking High Brown,this was the freshest I came across.Luckily it took a breather in front of me,phew.

: Arnside Knott High Brown Fritillary 2

: Arnside Knott High Brown Fritillary

Good numbers of commoner species,Meadow Browns,Gatekeepers(which were having a relly good showing),Large Skippers,Ringlets some Small Tortoiseshells and Common Blues

: Arnside Knott typical habitat

: Arnside Knott Meadow Brown

: Arnside Knott Gatekeeper

: Arnside Knott Gatekeeper 2

: Arnside Knott Ringlet

: Arnside Knott Small Tortoiseshell

A few Graylings around on the open limestone scree patches

: Arnside Knott Grayling

I knew I was on the cusp of the Scotch Argus emergence but missed it,I did manage to locate one individual just out of pupation although the wings didn't seem to be forming properly.
I kept going back but I fear this one never flew.

: Arnside Knott Scotch Argus

On my last morning I saw one flying on one of the lower slopes but was unable to locate it again,the weather took a decidely nasty turn for the next week after I left,so I wonder how the season went here,bit late I bet.
In all,lovely to be there.

: Kent Estuary from Arnside

And the Morecambe bay sunsets were a joy to behold,just remember to put your big coat on,after all it is/was July

: Morecambe Bay

Apologies for the snappy narration!
Forgot the young Black darter.

: Arnside Knott Black Darter

Thanks

Wurzel · Post by **Wurzel** » Mon Aug 17, 2015 9:22 pm

A great report Buchan and some fantastic shots of the NBAs, glad you got a Scotch Argus even if it was only the one

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Goldie M · Post by **Goldie M** » Wed Aug 19, 2015 2:44 pm

Great shot of the Sunset and the High Brown's Buchan, Goldie

Maximus · Post by **Maximus** » Wed Aug 19, 2015 8:48 pm

Lovely photos Buchan, both butterflies and landscapes

Buchan Boy · Post by **Buchan Boy** » Mon Aug 24, 2015 6:22 pm

1st August 2015

Bewbush,Crawley

Whilst enjoying a cuppa in my back garden a Holly Blue came fluttering around my bank of ivy,I think it laid eggs on the neighbours side,before taking a breather on the Climatis.

Camera was at hand.

: Bewbush,Crawley Holly Blue

Nice

Buchan Boy · Post by **Buchan Boy** » Mon Aug 24, 2015 7:18 pm

2nd August 2015

Mount Caburn nr Lewes

Decided to spend a few weekends, weather permitting, studying the Orthoptera of Mount Caburn and its environs. The site is quite exposed to Westerly's so calm conditions are relatively rare.

In between Grasshoppers and Crickets I took opportunities to chase the local Lepidopteran population around.

Swathes of Chalkhill blues

: Mount Caburn Chalkhill Blue

Plenty of Common Blues around to continue the blue theme.

: Mount Caburn Female Common Blue

The occasional blast of yellow.3 in all.

: Mount Caburn Clouded Yellow

Quite a bit of big orange around.A dozen or so on the lower slopes by the tree line.

: Mount Caburn Dark Green Fritillary

A nice place to be in August,and I can catch the train......bonus

: Mount Caburns Southern slope.

Thanks

Wurzel · Post by **Wurzel** » Mon Aug 24, 2015 8:41 pm

Cracking Cloudy Buchan Boy

and to see three of them

Haven't seen one his year...yet

Have a goodun

Wurzel

David M · Post by **David M** » Mon Aug 24, 2015 8:45 pm

Beautiful image of the Cloudy, BB.

I still hold out hope that I might see one in the UK before the season is over.

Buchan Boy · Post by **Buchan Boy** » Tue Aug 25, 2015 6:59 pm

Thanks Guys,to get the best colours out of the Cloudies on a bright day its worth stopping the exposure compensation down a 1/3 of a step or two.It brings out the pinks and darkens the yellows and greens,if using evaluative metering rather than focus spot metering that is.But,you have to find them first of course.....

Sun 9th August 2015

Mount Caburn,nr Lewes

I decided to have a quick go at getting some images of the now rather expanding Silver-spotted Skipper colony at this site.After many an abortive attempt at getting shots of them nectaring on the flower heads(wind),I finally bumped into a couple happily posing on the end of a chopped branch.

: Mount Caburn Silver-spotted Skippers

When the fun was over the female took to sunbathing whilst the male looked on,I used the wind to my advantage on these next two shots,letting it blow the wings flat against the wood,it offers a different "look" to these beauties.

: Mount Caburn Silver-spotted Skippers 2

Finally the male had had enough and just left the female to show off all her wares!

: Mount Caburn Female Silver-spotted Skipper

Sometimes wind can be good!

: Mount Caburn nr Lewes

Thanks

Buchan Boy · Post by **Buchan Boy** » Sun Aug 30, 2015 7:54 am

Sat 15th August 2015

Mount Caburn,nr Lewes

My Orthoptera study of the site was now concluding and it was time to visit some other areas,had a quick wander down the Eastern flank whilst leaving.

It was not so windy today and whilst admiring the view from the top I noted a Painted Lady having a sunbathe with what was left of the day,I disturbed her several times but she would circle round me and pretty much always end up landing at the same spot within a metre or so,this happened about half a dozen times until she got fed-up and shot off over the top of the hill.

: Mount Caburn Painted Lady

The Chalkhill Blues were also catching the last sun of the day and the males are quite easy to spot on the stems.

: Mount Caburn Chalkhill Blue

Small Tortoiseshell also still nectaring quite late into the evening.

: Monut Caburn Small Tortoiseshell

Lovely place.

Buchan Boy · Post by **Buchan Boy** » Sun Aug 30, 2015 6:59 pm

Sunday 16th August 2015

Lewes Ouse,Sussex

Just a quick note to add a couple of shots of a Bush-Cricket not yet in my PD.

A colony of these noted on the banks of the Ouse to the Southern side of Lewes.Not as common as its close relative the Long-wing Conehead,habitat requirements are a lot more"wetter".

: Short-winged Conehead Female

: Short-winged Conehead Male

Also a Comma loitering on the brambles,in dank conditions.The Blackberry harvest was/is magnificent this year.No need to take packed lunchs at this time of the year.

: Lewes Ouse Comma

Heres hoping to catch some second brood Adonis's soon,if it ever stops raining.

Thanks

Buchan Boy · Post by **Buchan Boy** » Sun Aug 30, 2015 7:40 pm

Friday 21st August 2015

Willoughby Fields,Crawley

Trying to get the sunny days to coincide with my days off has been a proper nightmare this August,hoping to get a real good study of the local Brown Hairstreak populations but failing miserably.

However all is not lost....

I bumped into this huge female Grass Snake actively hunting,and at 1.3 metres,one of the biggest native snakes I have ever seen.

: Willoughby Fields Grass Snake

: Willoughby Fields Grass Snake 2

No Hairstreaks today...actually not much around at all...

: Willoughby Fields Speckled Wood

Buchan Boy · Post by **Buchan Boy** » Mon Aug 31, 2015 8:25 am

Saturday 29th August 2015

Castle Hill NNR nr,Woodingdean.

August Bank Holiday weekend and washout went together well.Just managed to get a morning on the South Downs to see how the second brood Adonis's were doing,bit hit and miss really.The rain of recent days had knocked em about a bit.
Anyways nice shots of copulation are always welcome to gain the ID for contrasts between male and females,for me that's a good thing indeed.

: Castle Hill NNR Adonis Blue

: Castle Hill NNR Adonis Blue 2

The last Wall Brown in town.

: Castle Hill NNR Wall Brown

A few Small Heaths on the Knapweed.

: Castle Hill NNR Small Heath

But Chalkhill Blues have had a blinder

: Castle Hill NNR Chalkhill Blue

: Castle Hill NNR Chalkhill Blue 2

And the next generation is on its way..................

: Castle Hill NNR Chalkhill Blues

Off to the New Forest for a couple of weekends now and I have caught up,washed out weekends can be productive.
Dave

Goldie M · Post by **Goldie M** » Tue Sep 01, 2015 3:09 pm

Hi! Dave I love the mating pairs of blues both Adonis and CHB but you can keep the Snake

Goldie

Buchan Boy

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