Padfield
- Padfield
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Re: Padfield
Thank you for the comments. I think it makes a big difference that the sun is higher in the sky here. Today we have seen cold, snow and wind, and yet for the brief period the sun shone on my afternoon walk I saw orange tips and violet fritillaries. The radiant heat makes all the difference.
Only caterpillar photos, though.
Two of my three watched white admiral cats are now up and about. The third hasn't moved from his hibernaculum, despite the greenery all around him, and I'm not convinced he is still alive. We'll see. This one is very much alive:
In that picture he is resting up by - or partly in - his hibernaculum. He has been sneaking out to eat between resting. This is his leaf damage:
(the uppermost leaf is the one he has been eating)
Here is Gautama, my purple emperor caterpillar:
And here is a brown hairstreak egg. The leaves are not out on the sloe yet.
Less sexy, but just as wonderful in their own way, hundreds of small tortoiseshell cats were muching their way through the nettles in the meadows. They were at all different stages of development:
I'm looking forward to a good summer brood of small tortoiseshells!
Guy
Only caterpillar photos, though.
Two of my three watched white admiral cats are now up and about. The third hasn't moved from his hibernaculum, despite the greenery all around him, and I'm not convinced he is still alive. We'll see. This one is very much alive:
In that picture he is resting up by - or partly in - his hibernaculum. He has been sneaking out to eat between resting. This is his leaf damage:
(the uppermost leaf is the one he has been eating)
Here is Gautama, my purple emperor caterpillar:
And here is a brown hairstreak egg. The leaves are not out on the sloe yet.
Less sexy, but just as wonderful in their own way, hundreds of small tortoiseshell cats were muching their way through the nettles in the meadows. They were at all different stages of development:
I'm looking forward to a good summer brood of small tortoiseshells!
Guy
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- Padfield
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Re: Padfield
Eearly morning today:
No butterflies.
Guy
No butterflies.
Guy
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Re: Padfield
HI Guy,
Your little Dog seems to be thinking ' i'm sure there were Butterflies here yesterday '.
Seriously though, the sun might be quite powerful at this time of year, but it is no match for an Arctic air flow.
The recent weather has certainly put paid to any Butterfly activity around here.
Looking forward to some more of your exotics,
Trevor.
Your little Dog seems to be thinking ' i'm sure there were Butterflies here yesterday '.
Seriously though, the sun might be quite powerful at this time of year, but it is no match for an Arctic air flow.
The recent weather has certainly put paid to any Butterfly activity around here.
Looking forward to some more of your exotics,
Trevor.
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Re: Padfield
Something like that was going through her mind, Trevor!
It was a long day today, with the maths competition we host for Swiss schools in the afternoon. At lunchtime I cycled back through heavily falling snow to walk Minnie, then zoomed back into school, so by our evening walk I was pretty tired. The sun was showing through but I didn't take the camera - and soon regretted this. About half a kilometre from my house, I suddenly noticed the sound of ring ouzels all around me, and then that the tree above was full of them. It was really lovely. I ran back home, grabbed the camera, and then ran back to the ouzels. A handful were still there and I got a few shots through the branches and flowers:
These are race alpestris, with more white edging to the feathers than the British subspecies.
Guy
It was a long day today, with the maths competition we host for Swiss schools in the afternoon. At lunchtime I cycled back through heavily falling snow to walk Minnie, then zoomed back into school, so by our evening walk I was pretty tired. The sun was showing through but I didn't take the camera - and soon regretted this. About half a kilometre from my house, I suddenly noticed the sound of ring ouzels all around me, and then that the tree above was full of them. It was really lovely. I ran back home, grabbed the camera, and then ran back to the ouzels. A handful were still there and I got a few shots through the branches and flowers:
These are race alpestris, with more white edging to the feathers than the British subspecies.
Guy
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Re: Padfield
Fantastic ring ouzel so, Guy. Just shows,you should never go out without your camera! I saw ring ouzel so myself last year, first for a long time. Didn't get any pictures though,yours are great. They are super birds.
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- Padfield
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Re: Padfield
Thanks, Buzzard. Yes - never go out without the camera! I was torn yesterday between staying where I was and just enjoying the ouzels or going back for the camera. As I have been wanting a good photo opportunity for this bird for years I went back. They are lovely creatures (as are blackbirds, their closest relative).
Good news for Gautama! He is not the only purple emperor caterpillar in the forest. Here is Śuddhodana:
I had already scanned that tree at the weekend, but then the weather was awful and I had no chance of seeing him as he was on the far side of the leaf. Today the sun illuminated the leaves and it was easy to spot his sillhouette.
Śuddhodana was the father of Gautama Buddha. Of course, I have no idea of the sex of either of these caterpillars.
Although it was still cold, and it had snowed heavily yesterday, the first pearl-bordered fritillary of the year was on the wing in the forest today:
Other species flying were orange tip, comma and peacock.
I should be seeing an explosion of new species every time I go out at this time of year but the weather is keeping things in check.
Guy
Good news for Gautama! He is not the only purple emperor caterpillar in the forest. Here is Śuddhodana:
I had already scanned that tree at the weekend, but then the weather was awful and I had no chance of seeing him as he was on the far side of the leaf. Today the sun illuminated the leaves and it was easy to spot his sillhouette.
Śuddhodana was the father of Gautama Buddha. Of course, I have no idea of the sex of either of these caterpillars.
Although it was still cold, and it had snowed heavily yesterday, the first pearl-bordered fritillary of the year was on the wing in the forest today:
Other species flying were orange tip, comma and peacock.
I should be seeing an explosion of new species every time I go out at this time of year but the weather is keeping things in check.
Guy
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Re: Padfield
Good to see your PBF. i checked my local site for them yesterday.
No sign yet,and the Bugle is a little late, otherwise the site is in good condition.
No sign yet,and the Bugle is a little late, otherwise the site is in good condition.
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Re: Padfield
Hi Trevor. The bugle isn't out here either - which is probably why the euphrosyne I saw today was nectaring on dandelion. I only saw one, and if I had passed at a different time perhaps I would have seen none. It flew off after I had taken a handful of photos and that was that. So keep trying - and maybe go for the dandelions ...
Guy
Guy
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Re: Padfield
Wow! What a difference 24 hours makes!
Snow one day....Pearl Bordered Fritillary the next
Snow one day....Pearl Bordered Fritillary the next
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Re: Padfield
No Dandelions just masses of Bluebells and wild Strawberries.
The local Pearls sometimes nectar on Bluebells.
The good news is ,I have been down to Eastbourne for the evening
and the wind has changed to a milder direction ( yippee ! ) .
So hopefully Spring can now get back on track.
The local Pearls sometimes nectar on Bluebells.
The good news is ,I have been down to Eastbourne for the evening
and the wind has changed to a milder direction ( yippee ! ) .
So hopefully Spring can now get back on track.
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Lovely Pearl Guy - not long now hopefully until they emerge over here Great Ouzels as well - our British race is more Blackbird with a white gorget whereas the race you saw is subtley beautiful
Have a goodun
Wurzel
Have a goodun
Wurzel
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Re: Padfield
Thank you for your comments, David, Trevor and Wurzel.
After a long week of early mornings and late nights, I really wanted to sleep in today. But the weather forecast was for sun in the morning and cloud, then wintry rain, in the afternoon. So Minnie and I nipped off early to the Rhône Valley, where we found six new species for the year before the weather turned. Things were generally subdued, as the ambient temperature was low, but altogether we saw over thirty species - so spring is progressing properly despite the bizarre weather patterns.
The new species for the year were rosy grizzled skipper, which was out in very good numbers, Adonis blue, Chapman's blue, Osiris blue, green-underside blue and de Prunner's ringlet. Here are some pictures:
First, a resh rosy grizzled skipper almost living up to its name!
Here are a couple of undersides:
Southern grizzled skippers were also flying. Here is one nosing up to a green-veined white:
The only other skipper flying was dingy:
I particularly enjoyed watching a female camberwell beauty nectaring. Normally it is males I see, aggressively defending territories. It was lovely to watch her enjoying the morning sun and fattening up, even if she never came close enough - or angled well enough into the sun - for me to get good pictures.
Here's an Adonis blue:
By the time I took that photo the sun was mostly behind cloud.
Other blues:
(snatched upperside of an Osiris blue - it then went to ground with its wings closed)
(the same Osiris blue)
(green-underside)
(Chapman's blue with a rosy grizzled skipper)
I saw just one de Prunner's ringlet. It didn't hang around but I managed a distant record shot or two. This would have been the best if there hadn't been some dried grass sticking up between me and it:
(weather brewing to the east)
(weather brewing to the west)
(weather brewing overhead)
(weather brewed)
Minnie made some friends ...
... and then sought to impress them by peeing just where they couldn't reach. They looked on admiringly:
Her thing today was crickets. I saw her get one (well, I saw her crunching some large, leggy insect with gusto) and managed to restrain her in time to watch another legging it to safety. Anything she catches she eats - and obviously enjoys her al fresco meals:
The Tour de Romandie - our provincial equivalent of the Tour de France - blocked the roads up to Villars for my return, so I had to take the tram, after some delays, and ended up cycling down from Villars to Huémoz in the pouring, freezing rain. What a day of contrasts.
Guy
After a long week of early mornings and late nights, I really wanted to sleep in today. But the weather forecast was for sun in the morning and cloud, then wintry rain, in the afternoon. So Minnie and I nipped off early to the Rhône Valley, where we found six new species for the year before the weather turned. Things were generally subdued, as the ambient temperature was low, but altogether we saw over thirty species - so spring is progressing properly despite the bizarre weather patterns.
The new species for the year were rosy grizzled skipper, which was out in very good numbers, Adonis blue, Chapman's blue, Osiris blue, green-underside blue and de Prunner's ringlet. Here are some pictures:
First, a resh rosy grizzled skipper almost living up to its name!
Here are a couple of undersides:
Southern grizzled skippers were also flying. Here is one nosing up to a green-veined white:
The only other skipper flying was dingy:
I particularly enjoyed watching a female camberwell beauty nectaring. Normally it is males I see, aggressively defending territories. It was lovely to watch her enjoying the morning sun and fattening up, even if she never came close enough - or angled well enough into the sun - for me to get good pictures.
Here's an Adonis blue:
By the time I took that photo the sun was mostly behind cloud.
Other blues:
(snatched upperside of an Osiris blue - it then went to ground with its wings closed)
(the same Osiris blue)
(green-underside)
(Chapman's blue with a rosy grizzled skipper)
I saw just one de Prunner's ringlet. It didn't hang around but I managed a distant record shot or two. This would have been the best if there hadn't been some dried grass sticking up between me and it:
(weather brewing to the east)
(weather brewing to the west)
(weather brewing overhead)
(weather brewed)
Minnie made some friends ...
... and then sought to impress them by peeing just where they couldn't reach. They looked on admiringly:
Her thing today was crickets. I saw her get one (well, I saw her crunching some large, leggy insect with gusto) and managed to restrain her in time to watch another legging it to safety. Anything she catches she eats - and obviously enjoys her al fresco meals:
The Tour de Romandie - our provincial equivalent of the Tour de France - blocked the roads up to Villars for my return, so I had to take the tram, after some delays, and ended up cycling down from Villars to Huémoz in the pouring, freezing rain. What a day of contrasts.
Guy
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Re: Padfield
Camberwell Beauty thats all I have to say.... Camberwell Beauty
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Some addictions are good for the soul!
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Re: Padfield
Since Chris Froome won the stage, I'd say that was a worthwhile sacrificePadfield wrote:The Tour de Romandie - our provincial equivalent of the Tour de France - blocked the roads up to Villars for my return, so I had to take the tram, after some delays, and ended up cycling down from Villars to Huémoz in the pouring, freezing rain.
Crickets ... mmmm
Cheers,
- Pete
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Re: Padfield
Sorry Buggy! I promise you, they're just as special for me as they are for you.
Thanks for that info Pete - I hadn't looked, but you're right. They've had some rough weather for the Tour. It was seriously cold today - and was snowing again when I took Minnie out for her evening walk just now. Chris must be made of tough stuff.
Guy
Thanks for that info Pete - I hadn't looked, but you're right. They've had some rough weather for the Tour. It was seriously cold today - and was snowing again when I took Minnie out for her evening walk just now. Chris must be made of tough stuff.
Guy
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Re: Padfield
Guy! what fantastic photos it's the first close up shot I've seen of a Camberwell, your so lucky to live near all these great Butterflies, Minnie looks in good form, showing off to her friends Goldie
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Re: Padfield
Thanks Goldie. You might see a Camberwell beauty one day but I'll probably never see a white small pearl-bordered fritillary ...
Back to winter again today, for the umpteenth time this spring:
Spare a thought for Chris Froome and his mates. Today is the flat run from Ollon to Geneva, so probably below this snow - but the rain will be cold. This is the last of five stages of the Tour. See http://www.tourderomandie.ch/stage/.
Guy
Back to winter again today, for the umpteenth time this spring:
Spare a thought for Chris Froome and his mates. Today is the flat run from Ollon to Geneva, so probably below this snow - but the rain will be cold. This is the last of five stages of the Tour. See http://www.tourderomandie.ch/stage/.
Guy
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- Padfield
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Re: Padfield
With temperatures hovering around 0°C even towards the middle of the day, Gautama didn't look too happy today:
He is head down because the tree is laden with snow, even though his branch is mostly free, and this changes the angle of everything. As I walked through the forest my path was often blocked by branches of trees that should have been above my head.
This roe deer ran when it saw us coming. I tried to tell it that Minnie was into arthropods now, not nimble-footed cervids, but it ignored me:
I have to say, that was one of the coldest, most miserable walks I have done in a long time!
Guy
He is head down because the tree is laden with snow, even though his branch is mostly free, and this changes the angle of everything. As I walked through the forest my path was often blocked by branches of trees that should have been above my head.
This roe deer ran when it saw us coming. I tried to tell it that Minnie was into arthropods now, not nimble-footed cervids, but it ignored me:
I have to say, that was one of the coldest, most miserable walks I have done in a long time!
Guy
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Re: Padfield
I think the snow you're having today is nature's way of allowing you
recover from that Camberwell Beauty sighting the other day.
Lovely shots of it as well.
Not to rub it in, that's not my intention, but here in Sussex we are having
the best Spring day of the year so far. Lots of action too.
All the best ( and to Minnie )
Trevor.
recover from that Camberwell Beauty sighting the other day.
Lovely shots of it as well.
Not to rub it in, that's not my intention, but here in Sussex we are having
the best Spring day of the year so far. Lots of action too.
All the best ( and to Minnie )
Trevor.
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Re: Padfield
I'm glad for you, Trevor.
We've kept with the cold, though there is little snow left at my altitude. Gautama apparently hasn't moved since the big freeze but he seems alive and well. I hope he is planning to shed his skin and enter 4th instar. He hasn't begun the process yet - which involves adopting the 'prayer' position - so maybe he's just waiting out the cold:
Both those pictures were taken with flash.
Śuddhodana was not too hard to locate again today, though he has moved from where I found him last week. He is still inaccessible:
Two out of three of my watched white admiral cats are dead - still present on the twigs but immobile and unresponsive. I suspect it was the weather. The third seems to be OK. There are many more in the woods. I'll look for them more seriously when they are bigger and easier to find.
Guy
We've kept with the cold, though there is little snow left at my altitude. Gautama apparently hasn't moved since the big freeze but he seems alive and well. I hope he is planning to shed his skin and enter 4th instar. He hasn't begun the process yet - which involves adopting the 'prayer' position - so maybe he's just waiting out the cold:
Both those pictures were taken with flash.
Śuddhodana was not too hard to locate again today, though he has moved from where I found him last week. He is still inaccessible:
Two out of three of my watched white admiral cats are dead - still present on the twigs but immobile and unresponsive. I suspect it was the weather. The third seems to be OK. There are many more in the woods. I'll look for them more seriously when they are bigger and easier to find.
Guy
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The Butterflies of Villars-Gryon : https://www.guypadfield.com/villarsgryonbook.html