Goldie M

[Goldie M]

Many thanks everyone, it was a great surprise to the Dukes so near the edge and they stayed there for ages loads of people got shots of them which was great. It was also good that at least a few Slipper Orchids were out, quite a lot still had protective jars over them, the rain in the last few days ( Sunday being the exception) has helped them but they've struggled this year. Goldie

[Goldie M]

After three days of catching up with house work etc, we decided with the weather being forecast as good for Thursday we'd venture out to Southport. We picked my cousin up and the three of us on arrival went to the Chippy in Banks , ( we go there some times and the lady there cooks the fish whilst you wait, she also knows we take the food to the Marine Drive in Southport and eat them at Marshside, so she wraps them up even in the cartons we receive)
After we'd eaton my Husband and I set off to look for Wall's, I'd seen them before at Marshside so I was hoping this visit would be more fruitful than our last. (my cousin's not interested in BF's I'm sorry to say so she stayed in the car) I wasn't going to miss an opportunity.
We walked down the path and right a way we spotted one which of course took off right a way, after this we saw about three which did the same thing ( mind you it could have been the same one) we were about to give up and go , feeling guilty we'd been there for about an hour when one finally settled so I could get a shot at last
Also there were Common Blue's, most of them a bit worn but because they were my first of the season I took shots of them

We then moved further down Marine drive to Birkdale Dunes, I saw a Wall right a way but it took off and we never saw it again, the CB's here were very different to the one's at Marshside, two females were lovely their colours out standing, one was resting on a seed head and I just managed a couple of shots before she shot off. Also there there were Small Heath, and one was resting on some very dry Dog Poo! We noticed there was very few flowers for the Butterflies the Dunes not really at their best yet.
Any way I'd enjoyed my spell there and went to the shops with my Cousin after wards on Lord ST , my Husband content to read his book in the car Goldie

[Wurzel]

Pretty envious of you Wall Goldie, a species that I'm still trying to find this year Great 'blue' female blue as well
I had to reread part of your PD a second time as I was rushing the first and I read the phrase "After we'd eaten my husband..."

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[trevor]

Yes, I have to agree that is a lovely blue female Blue, Goldie.
As for eating your husband, I saw a sign the other day , outside a shop
claiming they were ' family butchers ', did I go in ?, no fear!.

Best wishes,
Trevor.

[Goldie M]

Hi! Trevor and Wurzel, I never thought of that when I posted I told my Husband and he laughed saying, " you've always had a huge appetite",
Glad you both liked the Blue Lady, there's some thing about the Common Blue Female Butterfly that's most uncommon there I go again
I was pleased to find the Wall, last year the only photo I took of a Wall BF was one with part of it's wing missing, you'll probably find one soon Wurzel, I'm going back there when I can because I saw more than one and they looked really good , they did seem darker than usual though and smaller than I remembered, must try for the Pearl's first though.Thanks again , Goldie

[bugboy]

Yes, that is a very fine female Common Blue, hopefully they'll have a better year than last.

As for eating people, I think I'll stick to my sandwiches when I'm out and about!

[Goldie M]

I think sticking to your sandwiches is wise Bugboy, you can get really bad indigestion with people
In Birkdale Dunes the CB's always do well, it's one of those places you know you'll see them for sure but it's the first time I've seen the Females look in such good condition, I must have gone just at the right time, thank you for your comment. Goldie

[Goldie M]

We went to Gait Barrow on Tuesday and was surprised at the lack of Butterflies, It's the first time ever that I've been up there and not got a shot of at least one Butterfly, no Dukes, GHS's etc, I thought the SPBF would be out but nothing! Looks like another trip up in the nice weather is called for, maybe it'll bring more out.
I did get a shot of a Speckled Yellow Moth which was bit tricky swinging on the grass stalks
We decided to call at Brockholes on the way back and I managed a shot of a Common Blue also a pair of Whites which I thought at the time was a single Butterfly it was quite a distance a way it turned out to be a mating pair, of what I'm not quite sure
there was lots of GVW's there so I'm thinking those.
At this time of year at Brockholes there's always loads of Damsel Flies, every where we went we seemed to just miss standing on them, it turned out to be a really pleasant day for us ,even if the week started out bad with the news from Manchester that gave us a great shock.Goldie

[Wurzel]

Those Speckled Yellow Moths are right little buggers, I swear they can hear the mechanics in the camera so you did great to get it I reckon your air of whites are Small Whites as I can't make out any streaking no the underside and the 'spot' on the wing looks quite small.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Thanks for that Wurzel, I couldn't think what species they were, with the Sun shining on them and the distance it didn't make for good ID's I'm pleased because I've seen a lot of Mating pairs this Spring from the Dukes to GVW's, so I can add these to the list now.

We've not been out in the hot weather this weekend. I find I Can't go walking in the hot Sun these days, also I've found the Butterflies also seem to come out later when the weather has cooled down, ( i'm just judging the ones in the North ) i believe the SPBF are out at Warton so we've decided to wait for June to arrive before we venture forth again to see if we can find them at Gait Barrow, I find it's much easier to walk there ( not too many hard slopes to climb ) Call it an age thing

In the garden yesterday after the Ice Cream and Shandies I suddenly saw a flash of Blue, I was pleased to find a Holly Blue had landed on my bushes, grabbing the camera I managed a quick shot before it flew off next door, after that I'd a series of flash flights
by other Butterflies which I couldn't Identify ( they didn't land ) but looked coloured so I'll be out later tonight to see if I can find them at Hall-Lee-Brook. Goldie

[Wurzel]

Sitting in the garden, ice cream and shandies and then a Holly Blue coming to you - sounds like a butterfliers paradise

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Hi! Wurzel, I didn't get a chance to visit HLB until today and except for the walk that's all the exercise we got , we saw one white Butterfly
I wasn't too bothered though because in the garden this morning I had a visit from my first of the season Red Admiral, I think it came for a shandy It must have been the one I saw the day before in the garden but this time it stopped! It wasn't in tip top condition,( a bit faded ) but who cares at last they're finding the garden.
My front Garden faces East so I get the morning Sun, in the afternoon it's full of shade so when I went looking on the front garden this afternoon, I wasn't surprised to see this rather large Frog,( don't think it's a Toad, ) taking cover on the lawn. i just hope it's not after the Butterflies Goldie

[Goldie M]

After the lovely hot weather of Thursday and Friday Saturday was rather cooler but still sunny and dry, then came the Thunder storm which didn't last too long but gave the garden a good soak which was needed.
Sunday dawned much cooler and cloudier but after doing nothing much for three days we decided to go to Southport and look in the Dunes, it was a walk even if we didn't see any thing
When we arrived the temp's was about 16c but with no breeze was much better to cope with and felt warm in the Dunes, there was no Sun so I set the camera to cloudy but forgot to change the ISO not to worry, you live and learn!
We went firstly to Marshside NNR, no sign of the Wall but I found two fresh Red Admiral's which were just sitting in the shelter of some leaves, I was pleased knowing I'd probably find other Butterflies now
Marshside covers two sides of the Marine Drive so we went to the other side and discovered a lovely Female CB and a Painted Lady which looked like it had been on a long journey also there were numerous Whites, Large, Small, GV.
After this we carried on to the newly names Jubliee Trail which is further down Marine Drive, still cloudy but much brighter, we counted lot's of Small Heath and CB's also a Cinnabar Moth which was too quick for us On o ur way home the Sun came out, better late than never Goldie

[Wurzel]

Good find that Painted Lady Goldie, I'm still hunting for one of those this season I've just got back from a long weekend camping on the Isle of Purbeck but I only saw three butterflies of three species the whole time I was there Oh well you've got to have some bad luck so that you can have the good

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

I was pleased to find the Painted Lady Wurzel, It's been a strange year so far, after years of seeing loads of Butterflies, Small Tort's,
Peacock's in my Garden and over at my local NR" Hall-Lee-Brook" in Spring, this year I've seen none in my garden and with the exception of a handful of ST's at HLB, they seem to have disappeared which is worrying .
Added to that list also is the OT, I took no shot's at all at HLB and saw two the whole time I went there and then to my surprise I found an Orange Tip in my Garden,( once ) It seems certain area's have been hit badly this year ( no Butterflies) where as some places are seeing more, I've had to travel to
different places to get shots of species I used to take for granted were plentiful, so the fact you only saw three species on your holiday doesn't surprise me. Goldie

[millerd]

I'm also envious of your Painted Lady, Goldie, and I like the female Common Blue. Another "blue" female - almost all I've seen have been like this in 2017.

Dave

[Goldie M]

Hi! Dave, I know what you mean about these Female Common Blues, when I visited Southport ( twice Now in 2017) I've seen lots of these colourful Females, they really are unusual and a pleasure to see, the first one I took a shot of was a much brighter blue than the last one I took a shot of which was much darker, I've always thought it strange how the Female's change their colour's and the Male's don't. Goldie

[Goldie M]

Turned out to be much better than I thought yesterday weather wise, we had a ride to Fleetwood, rain had been forecast for Cumbria and with the sky being dull and cloudy here, decided not to go too far.
Firstly we called at Wyre CP but with the cloudy skies nothing was seen except one Red Admiral, the Sun started to appear has we made our way to Fleetwood so after lunch we decided to have a walk along the front in the shelter of the Dunes which are not very big at Fleetwood
The tide was coming in and across the bay you could see Morecambe and the Lakes, the tide comes in very Quickly in the bay so it's very dangerous and people were coming off the beaches. The path was full of yellow flowers which the Bee's were really enjoying has were the Butterflies with the Large Whites every where and to numerous to count. By this time the Sun had disappeared again, in spite of this the LW's were still flying and we saw just a couple of Common Blues, it was a very nice day until we hit the traffic on the way home, which was awful and instead of the usual 3/4 hour trip, it took us 2hrs UGH! Goldie

[Wurzel]

It must have been great seeing lots of Large Whites - last year (or was it the year before that?) they had a bad one so it's good that they've made a recovery

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Is that Heysham power station in the distance, Goldie?