Gary.N

[Wurzel]

If the weather apps and reports are to be believed you might have just wrapped things up in time Gary Lovely Coppers and close up of the Red Admiral

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Andrew555]

Magical stuff Gary, looking forward to more (very soon now surely!).

[Goldie M]

Great shot's Gary and the fact you managed most of them on flowers was fantastic Goldie

[Gary.N]

Thanks Wurzel, I you were right I did wrap it up in time.

Thank Andrew, more below.

Thanks Goldie.

When I when to sleep last night the weather forecast was for cloud. Thankfully the weather forecast are normally wrong. So when i looked out the window at 8:30am, I looked out on a slightly misty but sunny day. So I went for a long walk at Friston Forest. It was a slow start until I found a patch of Blackthorn with 4 Peacock's and 2 comma's on it. Then I saw a white dot in the distance I thought it was a Female Brimstone, but as I got closer i saw it wasn't. It was a Green-veined white. Later a Small White went past and I ran after it but it didn't stop. So no change there then. So from a cloudy forecast day to a happy Gary on a very nice sunny spring day. Let spring begin.

Peacock 14.04.2018.png

Comma 14.04.2018.png

Peacock 2 14.04.2018.png

Green veined 14.04.2018.png

Green veined 2 14.04.2018.png

[Wurzel]

I think today was the day for GVWs Gary as I found my first as did Philzoid It's great when They get the weather wrong and it means favourable conditions although normally it's the other way round

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Looks like most of us saw sunshine when the forecast was for cloud, Gary. Well done with the Green Veined White - a sure sign that spring has established itself!

[Goldie M]

Great find those GVW's Gary, I'm still looking for them! Goldie

[Andrew555]

I was in the Heath/Forest area in the afternoon Gary, well done on the GVW. (I didn't see one )

[Gary.N]

This is the first chance I had to update my diary in sometime. Over the past 2 weeks either been doing my transect or been at Abbot's awaiting the Pearls. I missed the first one at Abbot's even thou I was there that day and in the same spot. But that is how things go. But stop off after my transect today and saw a few around. Also, saw my first 2 common Blues today on the Heath but no photos. They didn't stop. All I could do was watch them fly off into the distance.

So here is some photos of my travels.

Grizzled 1.png

Peacock 1.png

Peacock.png

Speckled Wood.png

GH1.png

GH2.png

Small Copper.png

Grizzled 2.png

GH3.png

Brimstone.png

GH4.png

GH5.png

SH.png

GH6.png

Pearl 1.png

Pearl 2.png

Pearl 3.png

Pearl 4.png

Pearl 5.png

Pearl 6.png

[trevor]

Good to see the Pearls, I went to Abbots the day before the first one was seen.
Spring has finally taken off !.

All the best,
Trevor.

[Wurzel]

Great stuff Gary, if feels like those Pearls have been a long time coming

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Nice shots of the Pearls Garry, they've arrived in the lakes has well Goldie

[millerd]

That's a great selection, Gary. I particularly like the Green Hairstreak that is a really yellow-green colour. They do vary, not just with the angle to the light, and that one is a bit unusual. The Grizzlie and PBF images are really good as well.

Dave

[David M]

Nice to see the PBFs beginning to emerge, Gary, and also good to see Small Heath, a species I've been getting a little concerned with lately, as they don't seem to be around in the same numbers as they were a few years back.

[Andrew555]

I saw you that Sunday Gary! On the Heath but way in the distance (confirmed it was you with zoom ).
Maybe for the best we didn't speak, I would have just babbled about how happy I was to see Small Coppers again.
Great selection of shots.

[Gary.N]

Thanks for the comments guys.

Dave, The Green Hairstreak was an usual yellowy colour. It didn't matter what angle you saw it, it was that colour.
David, don't seem have the trouble you have with Small Heath. I must be in a hot spot on the Heath.
Andrew. It would have been good to meet you and I could of babbled about the Copper ab I just saw and failed to get a shot of.

Last Monday, the 7th May I had a little trip to Heyshott. I run into Katrina and then Neil up there. It is good to see them again.

Boy, was it hot up there and the duke's thought so too. They just sat there with their wings closed and their backs to the sun. But it was fun all the same.

Duke1.png

Duke2.png

Duke3.png

Duke4.png

Duke5.png

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Duke18.png

At the end of the day I found a Dingy too.

Dingy.png

[David M]

I feel as though I'm missing out on some kind of party here with all these Duke posts!!

However, it's good to know this species appears to be having a good season. Perhaps the timing has been just right this year - cool weather immediately prior to its emergence and beneficial conditions since.

Let's hope this continues and the butterfly can consolidate its numbers this year.

[Gary.N]

David, I know what you mean. The last time I a Duke was back in 2015 and the same for a few other butteries. I was always to busy with the Pearls at that time of year. And seeing all the nice pictures on online always made you feel like you were missing out. But then I would go into the garden and look at the Pearls and realize I had something few others would never have the privilege of doing:D.

There is a pot of Pearls for this years project.

Pot of Pearls.png

[Gary.N]

Over the past week I have been haunting Rowlands wood and Park corner Heath. It started late afternoon last Sunday afternoon (13th May) when the sun finally broke through. I decided to look to see if any Small Pearls had hatched. Didn’t think there would be much hope, but I thought I would look anyway. None had hatched thou, but I did find some other things to keep me amused. Like some Dingy’s, Grizzled and some Small Heath’s.

Dingya1.png

Dingya2.png

After I went to check one warm site at Abbot’s but no luck there either, but did see some Big Pearls and some Whites.

PBF.png

(Big Pearl playing hide and Seek)

White.png

Monday (14th May) I stop off at Rowlands/PCH after work for another look. It had been a really nice sunny day and was a nice evening. Still no Small’s, but the Dingy’s, Grizzled and Small Heath’s were still playing.

Small Heath.png

Grizzled.png

Grizzled2.png

Dingy1.png

Tuesday (15th May) It was cloudy when I left work. Not much hope of seeing of seeing anything. But as I was driving home and the traffic jam started before the turning into Rowland wood. I thought to myself 20 minutes in a traffic jam or a walk around Rowlands and PCH to wait until it had gone. Guest which way I went. I pulled up in the car under the trees and as it was cold and cloudy I thought I would go to the warmest part of the wood (which is PCH). As I walked on to PCH there were a few glimmers of sunshine. Not much but enough. I had just walked pasted the hut heading to the middle of the heath when I saw my first Small Pearl of the year and the first one to make it through the winter after we’d release them last year. I lost him. No photo and cloud back over head. Then a thin line of blue sky opened up and it was sunny for about an hour, just on PCH. I found him again. Couldn’t believe my luck.

sPBF First 2018.png

Over the next few days I searched to see if I could see any more but I always found the first one.

sPBF2.png

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sPBF4.png

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Saturday (19th May). I thought I would search the wood to see how many I could find flying on a hot and sunny day. I found the usual one on PCH and 3 more in Rowlands Wood.

sPBF14.png

sPBF15.png

[Andrew555]

Andrew. It would have been good to meet you and I could of babbled about the Copper ab I just saw and failed to get a shot of.

Cheers Gary, next time. I've really come to appreciate the area, it's given me some great sights already this year.

Great Duke's, and wow that pot of Pearls!

Fantastic to see the Small PBF.