Bugboys mission

[Butterflysaurus rex]

Despite unfortunately not connecting with an LTB it looks like you've had a really great year Paul. I enjoyed meeting you and having a good chat about our year. I'm certain we'll meet again one day, particularly if you visit Sussex now and again. I think you finding that Clouded Yellow ab made the trip to Tidemills worthwhile.

All the best

James

[bugboy]

It seems like an eternity since I've posted anything on here so here's a quickie with some tropical butterflies from today at London Zoo's 'Butterfly Paradise'.

That Caligo is a particularly impressive species!

[David M]

You already suffering withdrawal symptoms, Bugboy?

[bugboy]

You already suffering withdrawal symptoms, Bugboy?

no comment.......

[Wurzel]

Nice sequence of shots Bugboy Cheer up - soon be spring

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[bugboy]

A few more tropicals to brighten up a december day (even though it's been unseasonably warm today).

This was freshly emerged and clinging to the glass inside the puparium

Glad these guys have emerged again

[David M]

That comet moth looks amazing. It must appear huge when in flight?

[Wurzel]

A stunning looking Moth Bugboy Very considerate of them to hang around next to the identification sign too, not all denizens of butterfly houses are that 'user friendly'

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[bugboy]

That comet moth looks amazing. It must appear huge when in flight?

I bet they look amazing in flight David, but I've never seen one move. Like most of these large Silkmoths they aren't that active during the day, I guess having no mouthparts it pays to conserve your energy for the essentials of female hunting at night!

A stunning looking Moth Bugboy Very considerate of them to hang around next to the identification sign too, not all denizens of butterfly houses are that 'user friendly'

yes it is rather handy isn't it Wurzel I suspect it didn't happen by chance

[Goldie M]

Fascinating Bugboy, I've never seen that Moth before in any BF houses around here, it's brightened up another cold and wet dayGoldie

[bugboy]

9th December

Wednesday was the first day for quite some time when decent weather coincided with a day off where I wasn't otherwise occupied so I spent a few hours out on my local patch. No sign of any butterfly life but 47 bird species wasn't too bad for a casual wander. Best spot of the day was a female Goosander trying to blend in with some snoozing Tufted Duck, they only turn up once in a blue moon. By the time I got my camera out though, she was in the process of making a discreet getaway having realised she'd been rumbled.

The only other bird to get close enough for pictures were some Long-tailed Tits. they are extremely cute, like a cotton bud on a stick!

Its nice to have a few hours peice and quite this time of year

[bugboy]

23rd December, Bookham Commons

A nice sunny day meant I was able to pop down to Bookham for a few hours yesterday to see how things were developing with a few early stages. The single Purple hairstreak egg, as I suspected would happen, has vanished, probably eaten by a hungry tit.

1st November

Gone, never really stood a chance once the leaves had fallen.

Very close by I did find another one that has somehow managed to escape detection so far, not sure how though!

Unlikely to last much longer!

My two Brown Hairstreak eggs are still where they are supposed to be and my other two Purple Hairstreak eggs are still relatively safely wedged into the Oak buds.

Eagerly Looking for eggs were loads of Tits of various species and I finally managed to get a close enough look to properly Identify some Marsh Tits, well I’m pretty convinced they are anyway.

Next stop was to check on the White Admiral cats, hopefully the unseasonably warm weather hadn’t woken them up. Brian II was still snoozing although his hibernaculum seems to have swivelled round making him much harder to see. He’s also taken in a lodger, a small spider.

The warm weather may not have woken up the cats but that can't be said about the Honeysuckle he's in, Could easily be fooled into thinking it's April from this picture!

Over at Stan’s pad I couldn’t see him but it looks like he’s tucked away out of sight, hopefully he is anyway, the hibernaculum seems undamaged at any rate.

So from Me, Brian, Stan and my eggs I wish you all a very merry Christmas

[trevor]

Well found, Buggy. You must have superb eyesight !
I'd like to be there when that White Admiral emerges,also my own personal Purple Hairstreak
wouldn't go amiss !.
Good to meet you a few weeks back.

Good luck in 2016,
Trevor.

[David M]

Nice, cathartic visit there, Bugboy. Shame about the PH egg but I'm sure many will ultimately survive.

[bugboy]

I'm sure we'll meet again Trever, especially if there's another LTB invasion!

It was David, and here's another one

3rd February, Bookham Commons

I’ve been out and about a few times since my last post but I’ve been in between lenses and the weather has been mostly grey anyway. Last year I got myself a new (second hand) lense, a sigma 105mm which was the only lense I used all year. This year I decided to get a brand new one, partly prompted by chatting with B’rex whilst looking for LTB’s last year. So yesterday my new Sigma 105mm lense, the f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro Lens arrived. A quieter lense with all the moving parts being internal, no external zooming in and out, it will hopefully be less scary to the butterflies. As luck would have it, it arrived the day before my day off which also seemed to be less rainy or windy than the rest of the week so I thought I should take it out for a test drive.

I wanted to check on the various eggs and cats at Bookham so off I went mid morning and arrived a little after noon under a grey and dreary looking sky,

I didn’t hold out much hope for catching an early hibernator on the wing but I waded over to see if the Hairstreak eggs were still around, stopping to watch a couple of Redpoll feeding. Waded because it was mostly ankle deep mud! I found a third Purple Hairstreak egg

but the new one from my last visit had gone, unsurprisingly. Wandering over to check on the Brown Hairstreak eggs they seem to have gone the same way, no sign of them either . I do find it very odd how they’ve not evolved a dark coloured egg!

My other two PH eggs were still nestled safely in the oak buds though so it’s not all doom and gloom!

Strolling through the woods over to White Admiral towers the sun did attempt to come out occasionally, giving the illusion if warmer times to come when it caught some early flowering Cherry.

Brian, I’m pleased to say is still snoozing quietly, a few rear end spikes just about visible.

Just to give an idea of how well concealed in plain sight he is here’s a more distant shot. The hibernaculum is about 1cm long.

Had to use a narrow depth of field due to the light levels so he's much less obvious in real life in amongst all the swigs and stems.
The honeysuckle itself is still in full leaf like my last visit

Over at Stan’s place, his hibernaculum is still intact so I can only assume he’s still tucked up in there somewhere.

Nearby I found a resting Bronze Shieldbug Troilus luridus

That was it for the afternoon, although the sun was starting to come out more I decided to leave early and miss the London rush hour. Only a few more weeks to get through and we'll start seeing a bit of life again on the butterfly front

[Goldie M]

Hi! Bugboy, even seeing some eggs is great, it's getting lighter at night too, won't belong now Goldie

[Pauline]

I'm still trying to catch up Buggy Some very relevant and current posts thru the Winter. That Comet moth looks particularly impressive and interesting updates from Bookham. I must try to visit there this season inspired by your postings.

[Wurzel]

I'd go for Marsh Tits Buggy - Willow Tits have become very scarce in recent years and that doesn't look 'bullish' enough Some great pupal and egg shots

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[bugboy]

Thanks for the comments guys

I've not been out much recently and I'm still waiting to see an adult this year. The last butterfly I saw was back in October!

The weather's only played ball a couple of times on my days off so I've not even been able to do much birding either but here's a few pictures from the past weeks, if only to keep my PD active and so you all know I am still alive!

11th February, Epping Forest
a very pleasant stroll on a warm(ish) sunny day and I was quite surprised to find a small flock of Goosander on the lake. The mallard looked rather disgusted at me when I didn't offer it any bread

24th February, Walthamstow Marshes
Last week I managed to add to my avian twitching list with a new lifer I've been after for several winters. Every year large flocks of Chaffinch congregate on a local riding schools horse paddock but despite much searching I've never been able to locate any Brambling infiltrating the flock, that was until last Wednesday

If wasn't for some dog walkers and a couple of particulary lively dogs I'd have got much closer

The local winter population of Shelduck seems to grow every year, 15-20 of them lurking on the resevoirs this winter

[Wurzel]

Soon be butterflies Bugboy, we're into March now so hopefully things will start happening... Nice to see some Brambling it's been a couple of years since my last sighting of that species.

Have a goodun

Wurzel