Goldie M

[Goldie M]

This week so far has been awful weather wise, yesterday we had gale force winds, infact it felt like winter time with the window's and doors closed, although the Sun did at times break through and it's still warm, to say i'm fed up of it would be an under statement So I was very surprised when watching my Buddilea being thrown about by the wind to see a flutter on one of the flowers. I donned my coat on grabbed the camera (for getting I'd still got my slippers on) to find a Red Admiral hanging to the underside of the flower, it was almost in possible to take a shot, so I watched it for while, whilst I watched, this Green Veined White suddenly appeared on my lavender so I looked a quick shot of that.
I turned my attention back to the Buddilea then and found the RA had flown down on to my Miniature Bud ,
so I got a quick shot before it flew off and hid from the wind
What awful weather we've had here UGH!
We've had to put our plans for coming South on hold, my Husband's not been too well and until we get to the bottom of things, he's better off at home, so may be we'll get down in August may be September now, disappointing for us both , but it's best to stay home if your not well. Goldie

[Goldie M]

How a day can change, this morning I was moaning about the weather and after lunch the Sun came out It was very intermittent with lot's of cloud and still windy but nothing like it had been, so we set off and thought we'd give Hall-Lee-Brook a go.
When we arrived the Sun just showed it's self for a few minutes it was long enough to spot a Holly Blue that landed on a rather chewed up leaf just has we went through the gate. I was thrilled, I'd been looking for one since the Spring and although seeing them my one and only shot was not good, so when this one actually opened it's wings for photos it made my day and cheered us both up no end
It landed on the ground afterwards on to the pebbles and seemed to be enjoying the dampness there, after this we saw a Comma but got no shot's of that.
I'd seen a very tiny Moth before but could get no shots because it kept vanishing beneath the leaves, today how ever they were very active on the flowers so I did manage a few, I'm not sure of it's name so may be some one knows what it is.
I also saw an excessa the Gate keeper was in the grass so as usual I got grass on my photo
Also there were quite a few GVW which I'm so pleased about not seeing many in the Spring, so all in all a very unexpected good day and to add to that my Husband got the all clear to travel Goldie

[bugboy]

Another very nice Excessa Gatekeeper I see, quite a common sight up north I found!

[Wurzel]

Great Holly Blue Goldie and that Excessa is a cracker, really nicely marked

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Yes Buggy, for some reason we seem to get loads of Gate Keeper ab's at HLB and has you've seen in Cumbria as well.
Hi! Wurzel, yes, at last I got my HB, and the Excessa was a great bonus I'll be over there again today to see what else I can find. Goldie

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Goldie,

Sorry to hear your trip down south is on hold, hope your husband gets better soon.

Congrats on your Holly blue photos, great stuff

Cheers,

Neil.

[Goldie M]

Hi! Neil, thank you for your concern, I'm so pleased to say that yesterday my Husband got the all clear to travel and he can't wait to be on the move, so we've packed our cases and we're setting off South tomorrow
We're at our Daughters so the change and rest will do him good and we'll share the drive down.

Yesterday was also a good day for Butterflies I went to Hall-Lee-Brook and saw my first Copper I couldn't believe it at first and thought it was a GK I'd been to the same spot loads of times and not a sign of one.

Funny thing I found by watching it was how it's colour seemed to change when it landed on different plant's etc, needless to say I took loads of photo's and I'm sure it's the same Butterfly because of it's blue spots which seem to be in the same place on each photo.( I'd love to go back there today but I'm a bit too busy with the packing ) at least now I can be content knowing we've still got SC's at HLB Goldie

[Hoggers]

Excellent! And a Blue Badger as well!

I hope you get many more when you visit Dungeness,

Hoggers.

[Goldie M]

Thanks Hogger's, I hope so too, wouldn't mind one of those Ab's you've shown Goldie

Didn't get out today too busy but whilst I was in the front garden I got a visit from a Painted Lady and loads of SW and LW In the back garden, it's all happening now up here and I'm off down South wouldn't just know it Goldie

[Wurzel]

There's plenty going on down here Goldie - I hope you have a great time - try for some Brostreaks

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Sorry it's taken so long to reply Wurzel but with journeying down here to Kent and out with relatives it's been busy, I wish i could say "busy butterflying" but that's not how it's been so far apart from one day, May be I'll get to see some Brostreaks yet though! Goldie

Our journey down was pretty good and we arrived at my Daughters on the Sunday , Monday the weather was lovely so we went to Temple Ewell NR, every thing seemed very over grown but I was pleased when I caught sight of my first Chalkhill Blue's of 2016

Also there were Brown Argus which were also a first for the year and I took some shots of this Blue which I thought could be Adonis but was a pretty fresh Common Blue

We decided to go to the top field where I'd seen Silver SS's before and Adonis but we'd to go through this narrow lane of tree's and that's when disaster arrived in the shape of a rather sharp tree branch that some one had chopped but was sticking out rather precariously, I saw it and ducked my Husband didn't and it caught him sharply cutting the top of his head, that was that, we'd to go back and do some accident repairs He's certainly had his share of trouble lately!!!! If any ones going to TE and up to the top field be careful of low tree branches.
After calling at Tesco's for gels etc for his head he decided he was okay so we carried on to Dover and had some lunch over looking the Docks, it's great up on the cliff's watching the ferries coming and going. That's when I spotted the Red Admiral with the two distinct white spots, could this be anther ab, maybe!

Tuesday my Husband's head was sore so we decided to give going out a miss, yesterday our daughter drove us to Kingsland the weather was dull and cold, I saw some MB's, GK's , White's but nothing out of the ordinary, we also called at EBW again nothing but this Meadow Brown I took a shot of did seem to have two spots on one of it's wings instead of the usual one but I think I've seen that before.

So that's it up to the present day which is supposed to be dull and cool all day, so it looks like shopping is on the cards for today, hope fully tomorrow is hot with a high of 24c so they say and maybe we'll be off again. Goldie

[essexbuzzard]

It's a common blue, Goldie,but a great sighting anyway. Do visit Lydden Temple Ewell again if you get the chance. I'm sure Silver spots will be out if the sun shines,just be careful of those branches!

[Goldie M]

Hi! essex, I'm definitely going back there, tomorrow hope fully, I'll have to get my Husband a Helmet Goldie

[essexbuzzard]

Ha ha,good idea! Silver Spots are weary active in hot weather,so you may find it easier for picture taking in the morning or late afternoon and evening. Good luck,I will probably be heading there myself next week.

[Goldie M]

Hi! essex, I went back to TE and got some shots of the SSS, they were well down in the grass, one or two were flying lower down off the path, if you go look for them there.

Hi! Dave thank you for finding the Skipper's for me and it was great putting a face to a post

We arrived in the morning at Temple Ewell and met Dave who showed us where he'd seen the SSS, we saw one almost at once which quickly flew off, I did manage a shot before it took off Then further down the field we saw one circling round and Dave said there could be a female there, so we watched where it landed and sure enough there was the two of them tucked into the grass.

They were very hard to photograph but after some gentle moving of a few blades of grass we managed some
shots They didn't seem to mind us and didn't fly off, in fact it was us I think being watched

I'm not sure if they mated but from the shots we took it's possible they did, has I was walking a way we spotted a SSS on a flower, I only managed a quick shot of that before it flew off but my total for the day was five so I was pleased.

Added to my list for that day was a Holly Blue and more CHB's Goldie

[Pauline]

Great sequence of shots Goldie -I'm pretty sure you have a mating pair there. Well done

[essexbuzzard]

Well done Goldie. I'm really pleased you went back and saw the SSS' s. They really are cracking butterflies .

[dave brown]

Hi Goldie,
It was really nice to bump into you at Temple Ewell and put a face to a name. A most unexpected meeting, although I knew from a previous post that you were heading Kent way. Glad I could help with the SS Skipper. We saw 11 in total although some were in the upper part of the field the other side of the footpath.
Don't forget Wall Browns should be out at Capel along the cliff top footpath. Best spot seems to be Dover side of the Cliff Top Cafe. Walk for about 200 metres. Most years they are present in reasonable numbers.

Hope your Husband is feeling better now.
Best wishes
Dave

[Goldie M]

Hi! Dave, just thought I'd let you know we went to Kingsland Down today also Samphire Oh! nothing there except MB's GK's and White's. This time last year I'd got my first shot of a Clouded Yellow at Samphire things are really bad Butterfly wise at present, I've decided to go back to TE, at least there's a chance we'll see some Butterflies there.Goldie

[Goldie M]

I've not had much chance to reply to other posts yet but I keep reading them, being here in Kent is also a visit to my family and it's been very active fitting in my Butterflying when I get the opportunity.

Yesterday we went back to Temple Ewell not having seen any thing hardly the day before at Kingsland or Samphire Oh! I was hoping to see an Adonis but no luck yet with that. However the SSS were flying more when we got there so I managed a few more shot's of them

We also saw a large number of Brown Argus which weren't there in great numbers before so that was a treat in it's self , also there were Brimstone and Chalkhill's the latter being in much more of a poor condition now but still mating when they got the chance although the females didn't seem so interested in the Males

What really took my eye was this tiny butterfly, I thought at first it was a Brown Argus until it opened it's wings slightly when landing on a blade of grass, I suppose it's a Common B but it's the smallest CB I've ever seen and the prettiest Goldie