essex buzzard

[essexbuzzard]

Thanks everyone for your comments,I'm grateful four your feedback.

So,we come to our last day in Cornwall. We said our goodbyes and did a few bits,then had lunch (a pasty,what else!) in Morrab Gardens,Penzance. Then we headed up to Bodmin Moor,and to Minions, where we had a look round the Hurlers stone circle (actually three stone circles). Then,among Bodmin Moor ponies, belted cattle and sheep with lambs,we walked up to the rocky tors. Here,Painted Ladies and Red Admirals were battling it out,as they had been at Madron Carn. We spent the rest of the afternoon here,enjoying the marvellous views,before setting of on the long journey home.

[essexbuzzard]

Today,to get from the deluge of rain and storms in the east,we went to Daneway Banks. With the weather as it was,this was really just a chance to find the site,and have a look round for a future visit. It turned out to be my best ever encounter with the Large Blue.

On arrival at 9am,the first thing we saw was a Ringlet,my first of the year. Then we put up some Marbled Whites out of the wet grass. Then a dark blue butterfly was put up-a Large Blue. I gave chase,but it kept flying and I lost it-their dark colours make them hard to follow.

But our luck improved! The next blue was lighter-a Common Blue. It was good to compare the two. As more people arrived, more Large Blues started to show. At the upper end of the site,I had the pleasure of watching a female egg laying on wild thyme.

Although remaining overcast,it was warm and humid, and most of the blues sat with their wings open. In sunny weather, the wings stay shut once they have warmed up, and adult often disappear in afternoons. Some of the Large Blues were starting to look worn,but many were in great condition ,and they brought much pleasure to the many admirers.

The site was full of colour,especially yellow,with lots of rock rose,trefoil and kidney vetch,which meant I saw Small and Large Blues at the same time,which was nice to compare. Large and Dingy Skippers, small Heath,Speckled Wood and Meadow Brown were present. A super day.

[bugboy]

Nice shots, looks like I missed a few people today, couldn't get there until gone lunch but I've got home with a camera full of Large Blue pictures . I noticed all the Kidney Vetch myself but never saw any Small Blues though and just one or two Commons. I did hear that a survey today counted 58 Large Blues!

[Wurzel]

Great shots Essex And thanks for posting yesterday as it made the decision on where to go today that much easier - and what a great site it is

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[essexbuzzard]

Hi everyone.

Just back from the Greenwings butterfly trip to the French Alps, brilliantly led by Yiannis Christofides and UKB's very own David M. Much more to come on that,both from Dave and myself in due course. After the leaden skies of June in Britain , it was nice to wake up to blue skies and see the sun for a change!

However,before I went, I took the short trip down to Wye Downs in Kent ,where we found orchids and the Black-veined White moth.

[essexbuzzard]

TRIP TO ALPES MARITIMES 2-9 JULY


After endless cloud and rain in UK,it was something of a novelty to arrive in Nice to blue skies and warm sunshine. However cumulus clouds were forming over the Alps and,shortly after arriving at our hotel,the heavens opened. But, being so close to the Med,the weather in much more reliable here than elsewhere in the Alps and soon, the sun had returned.

A track next to the hotel produced a wealth of butterflies . Blue included Amanda's , Escher's , Large and several little Baton Blues. Heath Fritillaries were abundant here and everywhere on the holiday, perhaps second in abundance only to Marbled White. Staggering, given its status in England. Common and Bergers Clouded yellows sped past,and a Purple-shot Copper was admired by all. Marbled Skipper, Ilex hairstreak , Spotted Fritillary , Pearly Heath. In a couple of hours,we clocked up around 50 species. What a start to the week.

Having trouble sending pictures for some reason so will try text only...

[essexbuzzard]

Try again,pictures from day one.

[Padfield]

I see the Alps are in this year!

Great pictures, Buzzard - but in a reverse of what I wrote on David's page, may I point out your ilex hairstreak is a sloe hairstreak?

Guy

[essexbuzzard]

Ha! Thanks Guy,please feel free to correct my (many!) mistakes.

[essexbuzzard]

Is it a female sloe,because of a hint of blue near the tail. The ground colour seems to be lighter on the male sloe?

[essexbuzzard]

Is this Ilex? Doesn't seem to have any blue by the tail. I stand to be corrected,of course!

[Padfield]

Yes, that last one's an ilex hairstreak. I'm not sure I can instantly sex that first sloe hairstreak - most individuals have some blue there. My gut feeling is male, but I too stand to be corrected. It's too late here for me to get my books out!

Guy

[essexbuzzard]

Yes,even I'm thinking of going to bed- and you're an hour in front of us! Many thanks for being so helpful ,as always

[David M]

Great pictures, Buzzard - but in a reverse of what I wrote on David's page, may I point out your ilex hairstreak is a sloe hairstreak?

We must have our images mixed up, Mark!

Either way, I'm sure we've got both but with multi-hundreds of images to trawl through it's not easy!

[essexbuzzard]

No,it isn't . Probably even harder for you,as you have two weeks to sort out! But I'm not complaining - what a brilliant time we had over there...

[essexbuzzard]

The next day dawned with deep blue skies-something I'm not used to! David had kindly told us the day before, the area of the hill that catches the morning sun. So the early risers headed there,and were treated to Heath and Spotted Fritillary, Marbled White, Clouded and Bergers Clouded Yellow, Red-underwing Skipper, Meadow Brown and Pearly Heath, warming up in the early sun,all before breakfast!

[essexbuzzard]

Today, we headed up,past the resort of Isola 2000, and up to the Col de la Lombarde,at 2300M, and right on the border with Italy. On the way, we made several stops. At these,many butterflies included lots of Almond-eyed and the odd Piedmont Ringlet, Purple Edge and Sooty Coppers, Black-veined White, skippers incl. Tufted Marbled, Common, Large and Mazarine Blues, Northern Brown Argus, Swallowtail , Apollo and Speckled Wood. By the road verge one of my favourite European butterflies was on vipers bugloss- a Cleopatra .

[essexbuzzard]

But even that was eclipsed when we got to the top of the Col. For,hilltopping in the sheltered dips,where wild pansies grew, were good numbers of a butterfly I've wanted to see for years-the Cynthia's Fritillary! They showed well,much to our delight, including a few females, and on our first full day,this magic moment was one of the highlights of the whole trip. I make no apologies for posting several images!

On the way down,a clearing was full of wood cranesbill, which meant Geranium Were present. It was were hot by time we arrived back at the hotel, where I opted for a walk before dinner,and saw Great Banded Grayling, Bath White and Hummingbird hawk moth. A truly,truly super day!

[essexbuzzard]

Evening walk pictures,

[essexbuzzard]

Monday. Today,we were to head up the Tinee valley and up to the Col de Bonnette,at 2802M,the highest mountain road in Europe. Before that,,a sunny early walk produced Southern Comma, Blue-spot Hairstreak and Weavers/violet Fritillary , among others.
Later,we made several stops on our way up the valley. A damp patch had skippers and blues assembled,plus Mountain Green-veined White,Black-veined White, Wood White and Knapweed Fritillary . Most of the skippers were Safflower and Essex,but we found Mallow and Marbled too,and our first Eros was with the blues. The meadows here were full of colour-and full of butterflies! More blues,plus Appolos,Almomd-eye Ringlets and our first Niobe Fritillary . We had lunch here,when Large White,brimstone and orange tip were seen...