Neil Freeman

[Neil Freeman]

May 4th - Spring is sprung at last

Today it finally felt like spring was here...or at least it looked like it was from what I could see out of the window at work. Driving home at 4.00pm there was not a cloud in the sky and the temperature on the car display was reading 18 degrees and so on arriving home I dived straight out into the garden with a mug of coffee and my camera to hand, just in case.

I didn't have to wait long for a Green-veined White to show up...

Green-veined White - Coverdale 04.05.2016

Closely followed by not just one but two male Speckled Woods that were squabbling and spiraling around one of the usual corners. I could have laid money on that being the corner that I would eventually see my first Specklie in the garden this year and sure enough it was, 26 days later than last year, 23 days later than 2014, but actually 3 days earlier than 2013, all seen in the same corner.

Speckled Wood - Coverdale 04.05.2016

Speckled Wood - Coverdale 04.05.2016

During the next hour or so I also had my first Holly Blue that passed through without stopping, as did a Comma, plus a Peacock that settled for a while to soak up the sun before continuing on its way.

Peacock - Coverdale 04.05.2016

That brings my tally so far this year up to 8 species, all of which I have seen examples of in the garden. Still no Orange-tip but with the weather over the next few days it won't be long now and as far as I am concerned, with the Specklies back in the garden, all is now right with the world

Bye for now,

Neil

[bugboy]

At last, I've been wondering where your Specklies are. I think I've only just got into double figures on all my travels, a very poor start to the year for them. Hoping things pick up now the weathers nice

[millerd]

Good to see your Specklies are back, Neil. I was getting a bit worried.

Dave

[David M]

Thank God for that, Neil.

Specklies in your garden are the very definition of spring!

[Neil Freeman]

Thanks for your comments guys I wasn't worried yet about the Specklies but if they had not turned up by this weekend then I would have been.

Friday 6th May - That's more like it!

My Orange-tip drought ended yesterday with a couple of males in the garden when I got in from work , at least 2 in view at the same time although they were actively patrolling and didn't stick around.

Leaving work today at lunchtime I saw another male OT as I was driving home.

After picking up Jane from home we went round to see my mom and as I often do I went for a quick look around the park by her house as they sat chatting. During a quick half hour here I saw a couple of unidentified whites flying past and at least two Speckled Woods. There was also a nice display of Bluebells along a short path through a small wooded part.

Bluebells - Langley Hall Park 06.05.2016

Speckled Wood - Langley Hall Park 06.05.2016

Back home later in the afternoon there was some high level thin cloud which made it feel very warm as I pottered about in the garden. In truth this pottering about also consisted of long periods of just sitting there listening to the birds sing and watching whatever came along.
Among these 'whatevers' was a female Brimstone that fluttered about around my alder buckthorns and stopping occasionally to lay eggs

Female Brimstone - Coverdale 06.05.2016

A couple of Green-veined whites passed through along with a Large White that paused briefly on my Lilac which is just coming into flower,

Large White - Coverdale 06.05.2016

A couple of male Speckled Woods were attempting to chase off anything which came close to their patches, One of which was already looking like he had lost a couple of scraps,

Speckled Wood - Coverdale 06.05.2016

Speckled Wood - Coverdale 06.05.2016

Having tried unsuccessfully due to our heavy clay soil to grow Erysimum 'Bowles Mauve' in my garden a couple of years ago, I thought that I would give it a go in a container this year. This currently small plant proved its worth today by tempting both a male and a female Orange-tip to pause in their travels, albeit briefly.

Orange-tip - Coverdale 06.05.2016

Orange-tip female- Coverdale 06.05.2016

Later in the afternoon I was watching a male Orange-tip chase a female up the garden when they both sort of crash landed on a shrub in the side border. At first I was expecting to see the typical rejection pose from the female but it soon became apparent that she was more receptive and after a bit of 'jostling' from the male they mated.

Orange-tip pair - Coverdale 06.05.2016

Orange-tip pair - Coverdale 06.05.2016

Orange-tip pair - Coverdale 06.05.2016

I kept my eye on them for a while hoping to see where they went when they separated but sods law being what it is, I nipped in for a moment and when I came back out they had gone.

That brings me up to 10 species, all of which I have seen examples of in my garden and in fact that is what I would normally expect to see around my immediate patch at this time of year.

Bye for now,

Neil.

[bugboy]

I've never seen a mating pair of OT, quite near the top of my wishlist so for you to be getting them in your garden....well

[David M]

Great images of the mating Orange Tips, Neil. I spent time tracking a female earlier this week but she rebuffed all approaches by males so clearly she had already coupled.

[Goldie M]

Fantastic shots Neil, you must have a fantastic garden to attract all those lovely Butterflies without the Bowles Mauve good luck with it Goldie

[Neil Freeman]

Cheers Bugboy...better not tell you that I photographed a mating pair of Orange-tips in my garden a couple of years ago as well then

Hi David, I have seen a few male OTs trying it on with females over the past couple of days and, like yours, most have resulted in the rejection pose.

Thanks Goldie, My garden was described a couple years ago as creatively untidy which I think is a fair description

Saturday 7th May

With my daughter expecting our second grandchild any day now, in fact she is now a couple of days overdue, I am under strict instructions from my wife not to venture to far form home in case I am needed for taxi duties. Nevertheless, with no sign of any impending birth today I nipped out this afternoon for an hour or so at my local spot at Bickenhill. By the time I arrived the nice sunny first half of the day had given over to a heavy overcast but it was still warm and felt quite muggy and I soon saw a number of Orange-tips patrolling the hedgerows. In fact these continued to be active in the cloudy conditions, no doubt due to the warm air temperature, which meant I only managed a few record type shots. I reckon I saw about half a dozen or so, possibly 3 or 4 each of males and females but cannot be certain due to the way they were constantly flying all around the site.

Orange-tip - Bickenhill 07.05.2016

There were also a few Peacocks and Small Tortoiseshells around, mostly looking a bit tired and worn now, and at least one Green-veined White although I am fairly certain that the other 'whites' seen were female OTs

Small Tortoiseshell - Bickenhill 07.05.2016

Peacock - Bickenhill 07.05.2016

I also spotted a Ruby Tiger Moth in a spiders web and gently touched it with a grass stem upon which it wriggled a bit and then took off, seemingly no worse for its experience. Hopefully it had not yet been bitten.

Ruby Tiger Moth in spiders web.

By about 15.30 the clouds were getting darker and with a few spots of rain in the air I started back towards the car, making it just in time before it started thundering and raining properly.

Bye for now,

Neil.

[Butterflysaurus rex]

It was the same over here today Neil, the warmth made it very difficult to get close enough to anything for a photo. What could be better though, warm weather, some butterflies and best of all you'll soon be holding your new grandchild.

All The best

James

[Maximus]

Nice photos of the mating Orange-tips, Neil, and it's always nice to get the pre-mating shots too.

[Wurzel]

Lovely shot of the OT Neil I hope everything goes well for your daughter
Have a goodun
Wurzel

[Neil Freeman]

Thanks for all the comments guys

Sunday 8th May,

Another day spent lurking around the house just in case we got a call from our daughter and with the glorious sun most of it was spent out in the garden. The Specklies were the first butterflies up and about with a couple of males soon occupying their sunny spots.

Speckled Wood - Coverdale 08.05.2016

Speckled Wood - Coverdale 08.05.2016

These were soon joined by a succession of Large, Small and Green-veined Whites, Orange-tips and Holly Blues that kept passing through, all of which were very active in the rapidly warming conditions and were not settling.

At one point in the early afternoon I spotted a raggedy looking female Brimstone fluttering around my alder buckthorn and she soon attracted the attentions of a passing male who proceeded to try it on for a few minutes,

Brimstones - Coverdale 08.05.2016

Brimstones - Coverdale 08.05.2016

Brimstones - Coverdale 08.05.2016

Brimstones - Coverdale 08.05.2016

Brimstones - Coverdale 08.05.2016

Eventually he took the hint and carried on with his wanderings leaving the female to carry on investigating the buckthorn and stopping occasionally to deposit an egg.

Female Brimstone - Coverdale 08.05.2016

That is the third Brimstone I have seen laying on the buckthorn this year but most of the eggs have been laid in positions that are hard to get to so keeping an eye on them will be difficult.

Bye for now,

Neil

[kevling]

Neil, I enjoyed the sequence of Brimstone photos. Your fast shutter speed done you proud on the first one especially. I wish Brimstones rested with their wings open like that!

Regards Kev

[David M]

Nice motion images, Neil, but what was he doing trying to court a female in THAT condition (possibly the most ragged I've ever seen of this species)? The chances of her being a virgin were lower than minuscule!

I always feel a bit sorry for male Brimstones at this time of year. They keep patrolling away with no reward at all likely. The other adult over-winterers seem to perish around this time but our lemon-coloured friends somehow eke out another few weeks of life with their only apparent purpose being to brighten our lives.

[Goldie M]

Great action photo's Neil, it's great watching the Brimstones in flight. Goldie

[Neil Freeman]

Thanks Kev, I couldn't tell you what the shutter speed was, not really being a photographer as such the only setting I fiddle with is exposure compensation and let the camera (Panasonic FZ200) do the rest .

Hi David, I suppose the fact that she was female was enough, I have known some blokes like that...better not go into any more, could get into trouble

Cheers Goldie, I love watching them dancing around each other like that

Monday 9th May/b]

Well, after a weekend of lurking around in case of a phone call from my daughter it was back to work on Monday and wouldn't you know it, she goes into labour and later that afternoon produced a bonny little girl The strange thing is that she was just over a week late and my Dad passed away exactly three years ago and May 9th would have been his 80th birthday. It was almost as if she was hanging on especially to be born on that date...spooky

With the weather at the weekend bringing the butterflies out in the garden and the nights staying relatively warm I decided to make the most of it before the weather turns again and run the moth trap each night. This produced some more new species for the garden including Angle Shades, Chocolate-tip, Waved Umber, Knot Grass, Red-green Carpet, Flame Carpet. Least Black Arches and Brimstone Moth.
I released the catch the following dusk in the front garden and it appears that I did not catch any of the previous nights moths again.

Angle Shades - Coverdale 07.05.2016

Chocolate-tip - Coverdale 08.05.2016

Waved Umber - Coverdale 09.05.2016

Least Black Arches - Coverdale 09.05.2016

Red-green Carpet - Coverdale 09.05.2016

Flame Carpet - Coverdale 09.05.2016

Knot Grass - Coverdale 09.05.2015

After the glorious sun at the weekend it has returned to typical British weather today (Tuesday), in other words it has been raining all day and is still lashing down as I write this.

Bye for now,

Neil

[millerd]

Congratulations on the arrival of your granddaughter, Neil! May's a good month - all my three boys were born in May.

Dave

[Wurzel]

Great Moffs, great OTs and congratulations on the birth of your granddaughter - any names yet? Possibly Vanessa, Camilla or Rubi

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Congratulations Neil, isn't it just great being Grand Parents when you can hand them back at the end of the day and spoil them rotten in-between
When my Grand Daughter was born I received the phone call at 9am to say my daughter was on her way to Hospital and could we go and look after my two Grand Sons, problem was I'd been at the Home where my Mother had died at 4am that morning, Boy ! we were all spooked out! That's one Birthday I won't for get in a hurry Goldie