dilettante

[David M]

Great images, Dilettante, and it's nice to see that Emperor's occasionally do come to ground later in the flight season!

[dilettante]

Saturday 25th July 2015
A walk in Hatfield Forest, an ancient hunting forest with open grassy areas and ancient oak woods, right next to Stansted Airport. It was quite cool, grey and windy when we arrived, and I wasn't expecting much butterfly activity. But it warmed up, the sun made an appearance and there were good numbers of the usual browns (Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Ringlet), skippers Small and Large, and whites Small, Large, and Green-veined, plus several Commas.


Small White (I think)

Although there are some tall oaks, many of them are low like this:


Hatfield Forest oak

and it was as we passed under this tree that I spotted a Purple Hairstreak just above head height. It soon became clear there was a colony on this tree as we saw several flitting about. I've never managed a PH photograph before, in UK at least, and these were still mostly tantalisingly just out of reach, and being blown about in the strong breezes. With a bit of help from my glamorous assistants (wife and daughter) holding branches down, I managed a couple of shots. While far from perfect, I was happy to get anything of this elusive species.


Purple Hairstreak (female)


Purple Hairstreak (female)

[Wurzel]

I love the final shot Dilettante, the electric blue just peaking out cracking stuff

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Is it me is do females pose wings open far more often than males?

Either way, any Purple Hairstreak close up of the upperwings is a job satisfyingly well done.

[dilettante]

Sunday 2nd August 2015

I wasn't planning on a butterfly day today (and didn't have my favourite lens for butterfly photos) but it turned out to be a good one. We went to Royston Heath, Herts to visit a kite festival. There were Chalkhill Blues flying around, so I went looking for more afterwards with a walk around the heath.They were there in the thousands I would estimate, spread throughout the grassy heath. In places there were almost clouds of them, particularly where there were multiple males buzzing round a female. This couple was constantly being pestered by other males



On the way up the heath I'd seen a Dark Green Fritillary, clearly worn and hence pale, but it didn't settle. More of a surprise was a Silver-Washed on the edge of the wood - I haven't seen them here before.


Silver-Washed Fritillary

Also nice to see a fresh Peacock - hopefully their numbers will be building in the next few days.


Peacock

In all, we came up with 15 species:
- Chalkhill Blue
- Holly Blue
- Brown Argus
- Silver-Washed Fritillary
- Dark Green Fritillary
- Comma
- Peacock
- Small Tortoiseshell
- Small White
- Large White
- Brimstone
- Gatekeeper
- Meadow Brown
- Ringlet
- Small Skipper

There were probably Green-veined Whites too. Not a bad haul for an impromptu walk.

[dilettante]

29th August 2015

It feels like the end of the season, but there were still a few butterflies around at Royston Heath, Herts this afternoon in fairly warm weather.

I saw one or two Chalk-hill Blues, including this rather sorry-looking female:

Chalk-hill Blue female

Several whites including this Large White:

Large White

This female Common Blue looked in pretty good shape:

Common Blue female

And this was one of just two Meadow Browns seen. It was pretty restless, but seemed in good nick:

Meadow Brown

[Wurzel]

I know what you mean about it feeling like the end of the season Great shots though can cheer you through

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[dilettante]

19th September 2015

While out blackberry picking with my daughter (the crumble's in the oven as I write!), she spotted this Speckled Wood looking in rude health:



and nearby this Comma enjoying the autum fruit:




20th September 2015

This Red Admiral was enjoying the sun and the ivy flowers in my garden this morning. Here she's warming herself up on my apple tree:



Later we went to RSPB headquarters at Sandy where I saw a few more Commas:



and amazingly my first Small Copper of the year!



Also this rather impressive Wasp Spider, with attendant paparazzi.

[dilettante]

It was a long time coming but my first butterfly of the year was a Brimstone on 25th March, then not much again until this weekend, with several Brimstones in the garden, and a Comma and Peacock seen round the village on Saturday. Also a possible Speckled Wood which I disturbed while out running, but didn't get a positive ID.

Sunday 3rd April 2016

We took a trip to Fen Drayton RSPB reserve. Although it was a bit less sunny than yesterday, I saw a couple of Peacocks and Small Tortoiseshells, and a single Comma. And managed to get my first butterfly photos of the year:


Peacock


Small Tortoiseshell

[Wurzel]

Lovely shots of Dilettante - that Peacock is a peach

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[dilettante]

Monday 2nd May 2016

A warmer but windy morning here in South Cambs. On a walk with my son, and no camera, I managed six species today:

- Brimstone
- Unidentifed white, probably Small
- Comma
- Small Tortoiseshell
- Speckled Wood (first of the year)
- Holly Blue (f.o.y.)

The Holly Blue posed obligingly for me to get my phone camera to within a few centimetres to get this shot - not bad for a phone shot!


Holly Blue female

No Orange Tips today, although a saw a couple in Cambridge yesterday.

[Wurzel]

That's a mighty fine image whatever it was taken with Dilettante

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Beautiful Holly Blue female, Dilettante. Irrespective of the apparatus one uses to photograph them, they're all divine. I just wish one would pose like that for ME in spring.

[dilettante]

Out for a bike ride with my son, we were passing Over Cutting (Cambs) so I stopped to look for grizzlies. There was a gentleman there who said he'd been looking for an hour and not seen any, but almost as soon as he walked off, I spotted one basking. It allowed me to get close enough with my phone camera, and I got a better shot than I've managed previously with my 'proper' gear.


Grizzled Skipper



Grizzled Skipper

[Trev Sawyer]

Let's hope she lays lots of eggs Paddy...
The site looked good this year after the undergrowth had been cut back - last year it was left and I feared for Little Grizz's future there (again!).

Trev

[Wurzel]

Those are cracking images again Dilettante - do you mind me asking which phone you use?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[dilettante]

Thanks Wurzel. It's a Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge.

[dilettante]

Sunday 6th June 2016

Sunshine at last, after a miseraly cold, wet and windy week and an abandoned camping trip. After a cycle ride with my family in the morning, during which I saw 8 or more Painted Ladies, I went out on my own in the afternoon to a footpath between my village and one of its neighbouring villages. For some reason I've only taken this path one or two times in the nearly 20 years I've lived here - because it's not part of a circular walk, I guess - but today it was a delight. It passes through some arable fields but also a patch of managed young woodland with wide grassy meadow / rides.



Not only did I see 11 or 12 species - nothing particularly unusual but a good count after the poor weather recently - but there were good numbers of many of them. I don't recall ever seeing so many Holly Blues in one place (despite there being no holly or ivy apparent), Brimstones were everywhere, and Speckled Woods, which have been scarce so far this year, were plentiful too.

Species seen:
- Peacock (old and tatty)
- Small Tort (likewise)
- Painted Lady
- Red Admiral
- Green-veined White
- Brimstone
- Orange Tip
- Large White
- Holly Blue
- Common Blue
- Speckled Wood


Painted Lady enjoying the hawksbit (?)


Common Blue


Speckled Wood, one of many seen


Small Tortoiseshell a little past its prime


Ghost Moth


This Orange Tip settled for about a microsecond!


Red Admiral, which was basking close to a Speckled Wood with whom it kept duelling


Orange Tip female, a bit more cooperative than her male counterpart

[dilettante]

Saturday 11th June 2016

Therfield Heath, Herts in overcast but warm conditions. Initially no butterflies to be seen at all - a sign of being in that quiet period between the Spring butterflies and the later Summer emergers. We soon found a few Small Heaths and a colony of Brown Argus, all rather busy and hard to photograph. Then my first Large Skipper of the year. Nice to see the familiar orange blur:


Large Skipper male

Later on the hillside we found the cluster of Bee Orchids I'd seen here for the first time last year:


Bee Orchid

and nearby a female Brown Argus


Brown Argus female

Towards the bottom of the hill I saw my first Meadow Brown of the year, but only managed a dull record shot. Nearby in a small hollow, this Common Blue was posing nicely, occasionally duelling with a nearby Brown Argus male who also put on a nice display:


Common Blue male



Brown Argus male

So generally pretty quiet - add a single Green-veined White and a Speckled Wood to the above - but some definite highlights.

[dilettante]

Saturday 2nd July 2016

Another trip to Royston Heath, Herts, more for a picnic and a walk than to look for butterflies. Despite a stiff breeze, there were a fair few Marbled Whites around, and Meadow Browns. No sign of Chalk-hill Blues yet though. This was the highlight, a single Dark Green Fritillary that stayed still long enough for a phone grab shot before bwling off down the wind.



Another nice sight was a 'cloud' of 5 Small Heaths all circling together - I normally think of them as pretty solitary.