June Butterflies 9th >>> onwards

[Susie]

Congratulations to the Might one on seeing His Maj.

I have had a cracking week, White Admiral and Heath Fritillary on Monday. Marlpost Wood on Tuesday morningfor more White Admiral, Silver Washed Fritillary, Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Large Skipper and Comma. Tuesday afternoon was Denbies Hillside and more Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Small Heath, Large Skipper and my first ever Marbled White. There are masses of these there - so many that I had to go back this morning to get some more pics.

I haven't seen any Purple Hairstreak or Purple Emperor yet - I am keeping my fingers peeled and eyes crossed.

[Dave McCormick]

good day today, cycled down road to a meadow not far away and first got chased by a dog which wanted to eat me by sounds of it then when I arrived I saw two ringlets, then a common blue male, then a few meadow brown came by, some more ringlets and 3 male common blues and a 4th female common blue. And a few little goldenish colored moths which I will post a pic of soon. And 1 large white flew past. Good for an area I have never been to before, cool site. Post pics soon.

[Piers]

I will be joining Matthew in Fermyn this year, where various obscure and irregular practices may be conducted in the name of science!

I have purchased some super-concentrated Belachan just for fun to see if it works. I have not yet dared to open it though...

Felix.

[Neil Hulme]

Hi all,
Story I just posted on the BC Sussex website.

Sussex is currently 'leading the pack' for the mighty Purple Emperor this year. Seven of us had fantastic views this morning, as they fought almost constantly over two of the four locations I eventually saw them in. Activity (2 males) was slow over the usually-favoured Dogbarking Master Trees. But I was delighted when Malcolm and Barbara (who I know have put a great deal of effort into seeing the species over the past few years) had to delay their departure, after discovering a further pair beating the daylights out of each other over the car park. Congratulations! This pair fought almost constantly for an hour and a half. Tom Ottley and I then went round to the Madgelands Master Trees and the action here was instantaneous. I later saw three in hot pursuit, each within inches of each other. A solitary male over 'Butterfly Corner' made a total of 8, double my best tally for the woods last year (it looks like the species is set to do well in 2008). But the grande finale was yet to come! I returned to the Marlpost car park and at precisely 15:15hrs, a Purple Emperor launched itself at a Greater-spotted Woodpecker which came low over the canopy! It chased it across the canopy clearing and down the ride to the east. Having spent the most-part of the day fighting, showing off, sunbathing and 'cleansing' the area of woodpeckers, they finally 'turned in' at 15:30hrs. A day to remember!

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Neil

[Neil Hulme]

Hi Felix,
Belachan is HIGHLY toxic! The stuff I buy is treble-wrapped and once I've mixed it up I store it in a container, in a container, in a container. Quite incredible that this is manufactured for human consumption!
Neil

[Jack Harrison]

Sussex Kipper mentioned:

Dogbarking Master Trees.

Thanks Neil for taking me there on Tuesday. I can visualise the scene. Did we visit the Madgelands site? I can't recall you mentioning that name.

Jack

[Neil Hulme]

Hi Jack,
Yes, that was the area on the 'other side' of the wood, where we saw most of the White Admirals later in the day. The Master Trees are those oak and ash, below which you had a chat with my father, just before heading home. Lots more Silver-washed out today!
Neil

[Piers]

Hi Felix,
Belachan is HIGHLY toxic! The stuff I buy is treble-wrapped and once I've mixed it up I store it in a container, in a container, in a container. Quite incredible that this is manufactured for human consumption!

Neil - is this really true?

How toxic? I though it was just obnoxious rather than harmful (I don't plan to eat it - believe!)

I have purchased a small bottle of liquid - a distillation of Belachan if you like in super concentrated form. I was going to dilute it and pour it onto a suitable vehicle (a bit of natural sponge for example) to use as a lure.

Please advise me before I open it...

Many thanks in advance.

Felix.

[Annie]

quite frankly, with a description like this, it should be a controlled substance;

"Belacan, a Malay variety of shrimp paste, is prepared from fresh tiny shrimp of a species known as geragau in Malay. These are mashed into a paste and buried for several months. The fermented shrimp are then dug up, fried and hard-pressed into cakes"

normal shrimp paste cakes are raw so have to be cooked before human consumption - I don't know if Apatura Iris is so fussy (or susceptible to food poisoning )

[Neil Hulme]

Hi Felix,
Sorry if I alarmed you! No, it was just my way of saying that belachan is totally unacceptable to the human olfactory organs. I mixed some (by hand - yuch!) in my kitchen this morning and the smell is worse than digusting! Are you sure that the fermentation process only lasts a FEW months Annie? The fumes are enough to send any self-respecting canary down the nearest coal mine. Where did you get the concentrate Felix? Surely the use of this 'weapons grade' belachan was banned by the Geneva Convention?
Neil

[Jack Harrison]

Interesting comments about the smell of shrimp paste. I have never smelt it but do have an absolute aversion to the smell of cooked tomatoes so can certainly understand disgusting odours. Things like spaghetti bolognaise for example really turn my stomach. There were a couple of occasions when I was flying and the smell of the of the breakfast wafting up to the flight deck was so revolting that I had to go on to oxygen.

We have reached an agreement in our family that the others only have cooked tomato preparations when I am away (so they had spag bol last Monday and lasagne on Tuesday when I had phoned to say I would be back late. I have no problems with the smell of fresh tomatoes although I won't eat them. I actually like the smell of growing tomato plants and we grow several each summer.

Neil mentions various "obscure and irregular practices" to be used in "the interests of science" for studying Purple Emperor. When some travellers invaded Fermyn a year or two back, it was found that used nappies were powerful attractants. I presume human sweat would also work. (The "great unwashed" - any PE sites near Glastonbury?)

Incidentally, with reference to banned substances, on Thursday I pulled up in a layby on a main road in East Anglia. I am well aware that hemp (Cannabis sativa) is grown as a commercial crop but had understood that the farmers were a little coy about exactly where in order to avoid unwanted attention from druggies who think it might work for them. This large field was scarcely hidden from view.

Jack

[Annie]

(The "great unwashed" - any PE sites near Glastonbury?)

Glastonbury Festival would only attract PE's if they've developed a liking for Range Rovers, air-conditioned yurts and organic venison burgers

I know my grandfather employed pig manure as an attractant (in the pursuit of Iris, obviously, not as some sort of perverted aftershave) and I've seen the "offerings" left at Bentley Wood - but does any of it actually work?

[Rogerdodge]

Incidentally, with reference to banned substances, on Thursday I pulled up in a layby on a main road in East Anglia. I am well aware that hemp (Cannabis sativa) is grown as a commercial crop but had understood that the farmers were a little coy about exactly where in order to avoid unwanted attention from druggies who think it might work for them. This large field was scarcely hidden from view.

Jack
The cannabis grown as a commercial crop does not contain the active ingediant THC.
I shall make no further comment on the grounds that I may incriminate myself.
Roger

[Jack Harrison]

The cannabis grown as a commercial crop does not contain the active ingediant THC.

I knew that commercial hemp is no good for the druggies but they might not always realise that. That was what I had implied when I wrote:

farmers were a little coy about exactly where in order to avoid unwanted attention from druggies who think it might work for them.

Maybe today's drug users are a little more educated so won't make a mistake and no longer do farmers have to be cautious.

Jack

[Matsukaze]

This Belachan stuff...now I like SE Asian food. Are there any good recipes involving it?

the usually-favoured Dogbarking Master Trees

What is it about the Purple Emperor which make so much that is connected with it seem like a bizarre wind-up?

[Piers]

Neil mentions various "obscure and irregular practises" to be used in "the interests of science" for studying Purple Emperor. When some travellers invaded Fermyn a year or two back, it was found that used nappies were powerful attractants. I presume human sweat would also work. (The "great unwashed" - any PE sites near Glastonbury?)

Sweat indeed seems to attract them, although whether it's down to the urea content, the salts or simply the moisture I am not sure. More than once I have had a male emp partake from my clothes (my T-shirt before anyone makes an 'amusing' nappy comment!)

"Belacan, a Malay variety of shrimp paste, is prepared from fresh tiny shrimp of a species known as geragau in Malay. These are mashed into a paste and buried for several months. The fermented shrimp are then dug up, fried and hard-pressed into cakes"

That's going to be a tough wine-match then. Domestos perhaps..?

I know my grandfather employed pig manure as an attractant (in the pursuit of Iris, obviously, not as some sort of perverted aftershave) and I've seen the "offerings" left at Bentley Wood - but does any of it actually work?

The ludicrous offerings made at Bentley wood is nothing short of littering. Thanks very much to whoever it is that every year covers the information board with rotting crap.

Felix.

[Neil Hulme]

Hi Matsukaze,
I think it's because the butterfly is so remarkable itself! The egg, larva, pupa and imago are all stunningly beautiful. But the habits of the butterfly are nothing short of bizarre! Why feed on fragrant flowers when you can drink sweat and chase woodpeckers?
Neil

[eccles]

Thanks very much to whoever it is that every year covers the information board with rotting crap.

They'd do well around here if old mattresses or shopping trolleys worked.

[Jack Harrison]

Very windy in S Cambs (and of course elsewhere). Grassland butterflies, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Small Heath and Marbled White were giving this photographer a hard time as they would land deep down in the grass. If they did happen to land in view then the wind shook the vegetation and made photography almost impossible.

So I returned early evening as they were settling in for the night. This Ringlet found a warm spot on some nettles that was catching the sun. And who was it - Annie? who wanted to see the butterfly in context in its environment. I had that in mind when I took this shot.

Canon S3 with +2 achromatic, RAW hack to firmware on camera.

Jack

[Gwenhwyfar]

Got my very first Purple Hairstreak today at Bentley Wood. Despite butterflying now for a few seasons, these little blighters have never crossed my path! I was only saying to Gary, that a Purple Emperor or Hairstreak wouldn't go a miss, and it flew straight between us!

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