MikeOxon

[MikeOxon]

Thank you Goldie - the forecast for tomorrow says 'sun', so I live in hope

[Pauline]

I, too, am looking forward to you trying out that technique on butterflies - well, looking forward to seeing the results that is, given that I always have so much trouble trying to get 2 butterflies in focus (tho' I haven't yet put into practice the advice you gave me about that ).

[MikeOxon]

Thank you, Pauline. There are always dangers, when combining different photos into a single image. Yesterday (17th March), I went to the Alpine Garden Society's garden at Pershore, in the hope that some butterflies might visit the Spring flowers. No luck there, but I did take some more flower photos.

I show an example below, where the wind may have moved the foreground petals slightly between shots. This has resulted in a double image. The danger is that, if these were spots on a butterfly, the result could look like an aberration!

Example of a stacking error

So, this technique needs the subject(s) to be absolutely still and, even then, it is important to examine the results carefully, in case any artefacts have 'crept in'. The Olympus saves the indiividual images that make up the stack, so it is easy to check if anything odd has happened and, in this case, I could select an appropriate image from the stack, to 'repair' the foreground flower.

Mike

[MikeOxon]

At last, I have broken my 'duck' this year. With warm sunshine this morning (25th March), a Brimstone flitted through my garden! After lunch, I visited my favourite local early butterfly spot - Dry Sandford Pit in the village of Cothill. There's a bank of primroses just inside the entrance and when I arrived, there were two Brimstones nectaring there.

Dry Sandford Pit, Oxon - 25th March 2016
Olympus E-M1 with 40-150mm lens - 1/1250s@f/11 ISO400

I moved on to the sandstone quarry face, which is a sun-trap for basking butterflies. One of the smallest Commas that I've ever seen (it looked like a Skipper at first) was in the usual spot, taking off to investigate every passing insect - one of which turned out to be a rather small Peacock, which did not hang around for a photo.

Dry Sandford Pit, Oxon - 25th March 2016
Olympus E-M1 with 60mm macro lens - 1/400s@f/11 ISO400

So, it's a start but, unfortunately, the forecast is for rain again, tomorrow, and through the Easter weekend.

Mike

[Paul Harfield]

Hi Mike
Glad you are off the mark Lovely Brimstone.

[MikeOxon]

Thank you Jack - no chance of any more today under all this rain!

We think of Brimtones as quite big butterflies (in British terms) and yet it's quite small against the Primrose flower.

Mike

[Goldie M]

Glad you've got your first Butterflies Mike, love the Brimstone, I went to HLB yesterday but saw nothing inspite of the warm weather, so i'm still stuck with just the two species and the weather for Easter looks grim like you say. Goldie.

[MikeOxon]

Perhaps yours migrated south, Goldie I was very pleased to see them and hope for more favourable weather conditions soon.

Mike

[Pauline]

Brimstones and Primroses both remind me of Spring Mike, tho' I have never managed to get a shot of them both together . Tonight it is raining quite heavily here again - Spring has been very much on and off so far in this area

[MikeOxon]

A return visit to Dry Sandford Pit this afternoon (2nd April) yielded five butterfly species. Perhaps, Spring is here at last!

Just after entering the reserve, I saw a small white butterfly with dark-looking wingtips. A closer view revealed my first male Orange Tip of the year but, unfortunately, he did not hang around for photos, nor did I get a second encounter during the next couple of hours. There is an area of Primroses, a short distance into the reserve, and this was attracting several Brimstones and several 'bee flies' (Bombylius major), one of which had an exceptionally long proboscis:

Dry Sandford Pit, Oxon - 2nd April 2016
Olympus E-M1 with 40-150mm lens - 1/640s@f/8 ISO640

The quarry face was fairly quiet at first but, as the afternoon warmed up, I several Peacocks. This one that I photographed looked in good conditions but, when I examined the photos, I noticed that one antenna-tip was missing. Its absence did not seem to be inhibiting this butterfly, which sallied forth to challenge every passing insect!

Dry Sandford Pit, Oxon - 2nd April 2016
Olympus E-M1 with 40-150mm lens - 1/1000s@f/9 ISO640

My next sighting was a Comma and this was also actively chasing other butterflies. After a while I realised there were several Commas present, many resting on the quarry face but leaping into action when another passed by.

Dry Sandford Pit, Oxon - 2nd April 2016
Olympus E-M1 with 40-150mm lens - 1/800s@f/9 ISO640

After walking all around the reserve, I returned to the entrance, where there was still no further sign of the Orange Tip but, just as I was about to leave, I spotted a Small Tortoiseshell - my first this year.

Dry Sandford Pit, Oxon - 2nd April 2016
Olympus E-M1 with 60mm macro lens - 1/800s@f/7.1 ISO640

Another 'harbinger of spring' was the monotonous call of the Chiffchaff and one paused low enough down for a photo:

Dry Sandford Pit, Oxon - 2nd April 2016
Olympus E-M1 with 40-150mmlens - 1/1000s@f/9 ISO640

This evening, it is raining again but the sight of an Orange Tip made me feel that warmer weather must surely be on the way

Mike

[Wurzel]

If the OTs are on the wing then things are definitely on the wax - Spring is finally here!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[MikeOxon]

Just heard the weather forecast - getting cooler Might have to wait a bit longer yet.

Mike

[David M]

...A closer view revealed my first male Orange Tip of the year...

You lucky boy! Hopefully we'll all record this divine annual milestone within the next week or two.

[MikeOxon]

Thank you, David. I was so surprised that I didn't get my camera to it. The trouble with being a photographer is that you slip into the feeling that it isn't a 'record' without a photo! It wasn't a 'first' for the BBOWT area, since one was reported from Chalfornt St Peter on 30th March.

Mike

[MikeOxon]

A return visit to Dry Sandford Pit, this afternoon (5th April) found it very quiet, in comparison with my visit last Saturday. Today, although it was warm in the sun, there were few butterflies to be seen. No Brimstones nectaring on the Primroses and no bee-flies either.

Along the warm sandstone cliff, there were a few basking Commas and Peacocks, but they were quite difficult to spot, as they rested on the face and the many horizontal ledges. The cliff face is extensively 'quarried' by rabbits, while solitary bees and wasps, including the five-banded tailed digger wasp, have burrowed into the soft sandy layers creating myriads of small holes.

Dry Sandford Pit, Cothill, Oxon - 5th April 2016

A few Brimstones patrolled along the face, prompting sallies by the Commas and Peacocks but, overall, the amount of activity was low. No sign of any Orange Tips, either.

In compensation, I attach a photo of the underside of a Peacock, which I had intended to post after last Saturday's visit, since it shows the striking patterns that are in such strong contrast to the bright colours of the upperwings.

Dry Sandford Pit, Oxon - 2nd April 2016
Olympus E-M1 with 40-150mm lens - 1/640s@f/8 ISO640 [+0.7EV compensation]

With falling temperatures forecast for later in the week, Spring still seem to be 'on hold'.

Mike

[Pauline]

Lovely underside Mike showing the subtle and intricate markings and colours. Raining here this pm so back to the cats for me!

[MikeOxon]

Glad you like my shot, Pauline. I know you have taken some very nice Peacock-underside photos yourself

I feel it needs a photo to bring out all the subtle shading - in the field, they tend simply to look black.

Mike

[Wurzel]

That is a cracking Peacock shot Mike, I especially like the way the red 'barnet' is visible

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

That is indeed a beautiful image of the Peacock, Mike, which shows better than most photos the cryptic underside markings which, in poor light, seem almost entirely black.

[MikeOxon]

Thank you for your comments, Wurzel and David;. I think that an electronic viewfinder, as in 'mirrorless' and 'bridge' cameras, makes it easier to judge exposure for subjects such as this, in comparison with an optical finder. I shot in RAW, which enabled me to keep some detail in the bright foreground, by selective control of shadows and highlights.

Mike