Goldie M

[millerd]

Yes, it's great to see a Green Hairstreak that actually has a proper "hairstreak"! Almost all those I see down here have one dot, or maybe two or three very faint ones. And you have Holly Blues now as well! Good to see things picking up a bit with you.

Dave

[Goldie M]

Thanks Dave for your post, things are picking up here, seems I missed the Dukes by a day also looks like I might be missing a few more Butterflies, I did my back in it seems and the Doctor says rest for a few days, thats life I suppose!! Goldie

[David M]

Nice line of 'streaks' on that GH, Goldie. How frustrating to have to rest when the weather is so good? Hopefully your back pain will ease soon and you can get out again.

[Goldie M]

Many thanks Dave, I felt I was just getting into my stride and bang, I did too much gardening I think, now I'm stuck in it I must get answering some posts even if they make me depressed! Goldie

[Pauline]

I was sorry to read about your back Goldie but don't get too down. You have loads of stuff in your garden so get a comfy chair out there and a nice cuppa and keep your camera by your side Have you ever thought about doing Pilates? Liked your shot of the White on garlic btw

[Maximus]

Hi Goldie,

I hope that your back improves very soon. I put mine out recently digging our allotment and it took a few days to 'ease up' again.
As others have said, that's a very nice Punctata Green Hairstreak I also like the White on the wild Garlic

Mike

[Andrew555]

Great shots Goldie, I do like a butterfly on or surrounded by flowers.
Hope you feel better soon!

[Goldie M]

Thanks for all your posts, Pauline, I wouldn't know where to start I did sit in my garden though and did get a shot of an allusive Small White
Many thanks Andrew, the Garlic flowers have an over powering perfume and were attracting lots of Butterflies that day, never the ones you want though
Thanks Max, I bet you did a lot of swearing that day I know I did

Well after a few days of shuffling about and living on Co-Codamol, I decided enough was enough, so yesterday we thought we'd have a ride to Southport, my Husband said if we parked near the Dunes I wouldn't have too far to walk and if I felt rough could easily get back to the car.
When we arrived in South Port it was evident there was some kind of road race going on, all the main promenade was closed to traffic, so we were stuck in traffic for over an hour, we finally got to the Dunes and had our sandwiches before setting off into the Dunes.
The sky was cloudy but the weather was warm, we came a cross a man who said he'd been in the Dunes for a couple of hours and seen nothing except for a dead Rabbit!! That was very encouraging I'd heard things like that before so we just carried on into the Dunes smiling
We saw nothing at first then a slight flurry caught my eye and to my delight saw it was a Small Heath, I was unable to chase but encouraged we walked on and another one landed in the long grass just in front of me and I got a shot.
I'm afraid that's what happened to most of my shots all except one was taken in the grass
We walked on and were rewarded with two are three Common Blues and when I saw the Wall it made my day It landed just the once then took off but I managed a quick shot.
Has we went hobbling back to the car we saw this lovely moth and two live Bunnies, so it shows, ( never go off what other people say ) Goldie

[ernie f]

I agree with you Goldie about never taking what other people say as absolute truth. I was over Old Winchester Hill once and met the assistant ranger in the car park. I asked him there had been any sightings of the Adonis Blue and he said none whatsoever. Still, unperturbed, I walked on and what do you know, one of the first butterflies I saw (after a Small Heath) was an Adonis. Then another, and another.

This person I asked is there quite a lot but of course I don't ask him anymore

Glad you managed to get out and about and hope you get better soon. It was worth it for the Wall Butterfly. This is not a species that I ever expect to see near where I live in NE Hants.

[Goldie M]

Thanks very much ernie, has you say it's always great to see a Wall I'm very pleased about that and couldn't believe it when I did because they usually love the Sun and yesterday was hazy not full Sun, I hope you manage to see one this Summer Goldie

[CallumMac]

I agree with you Goldie about never taking what other people say as absolute truth

And me! You never know if the other person has been looking in the right places. At Hawnby Hill on Saturday we estimated there must have been 40 or more Dukes flying. Towards the end of the day I walked into the next field over and met a slightly glum chap who said "seems to be more Dingies than Dukes around today". I hadn't seen a single Dingy up to that point - but his statement turned out to be spot on in that second field. He was probably only 25 m from the main concentration of Dukes!

[Goldie M]

Typical! that Callum, you don't stay put and take note of other people but wander about I can't stand it when people stay in one spot hoping to see a Butterfly that some one else has seen in that vicinity, chances are it could come back ( Common Blue seem to do this) on the other hand, I usually walk about and say " if you see any thing give me a shout' and carry on walking Goldie

[Wurzel]

Never listen to the nay-sayers Goldie Good to see your persistence paying off with a lovely set of shots, that Small Heath is mighty fine You also got what is becoming a rarity - a Rabbit, at least that's what they talked about on Costing the Earth I think it was last week? I think the Moff is a Common Heath

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Thanks Wurzel for your post The rabbits were quite big we thought and there still seems to be quite a lot in the Dunes, the two we saw were oblivious to us, carrying on what they were doing, one spotted us and jumped off but the other one had it's back to us so i managed the shot Thanks for the ID on the Moth, I've taken a few shots of moth's lately and thought I'd save them up and get ID's later, so that's one I can cross off
if the back holds out I hope to go to GB some time this week I've heard the Northern Brown are out up there, fingers crossed!
Goldie

[David M]

Glad you managed to get out after your setback the other day, Goldie. I hope the Wall Brown was fair reward for going through the pain barrier.

[Goldie M]

Thanks David, I'm still trying to build up my walking strength, I've even got a mileage stick

Yesterday we went to Fleetwood, it was cool at first and windy but in the afternoon it got quite hot and we were glad of the breeze.
Before you get into the town it's self, there're some long walk's behind the promenade and most are sandy and sheltered from the sea, great if you want to beat the many Bikes and mobile chairs as there's only room for one person at a time, also, Common Blues and Wall's ( i've not see any Wall's yet) are there .
Yesterday it was full of Large White's and I tried to take some shots of mating pairs, ( I must say I saw some strange going's on there) : I saw a couple of CB's and managed a few shots but it was definitely a LW coming out day,
I'm not sure the Female wasn't approached by quite different males, she seemed to be willing at first and then changed her mind a few times, even hiding in the grass so she couldn't be seen there were so many large Whites it was confusing
Hope fully this week-end I'll get out and see some Fritillaries, Goldie

[ernie f]

Amazing sequence of Large White shots, Goldie. Both the male and female are obviously trying to connect but for some reason failing. I wonder why?

[bugboy]

Amazing sequence of Large White shots, Goldie. Both the male and female are obviously trying to connect but for some reason failing. I wonder why?

That raised abdomen posture by the female is the classic 'bugger off, I've already been mated' sign, she definitely not interested in the males advances! You see this behaviour with most of the Whites.

[Goldie M]

Hi! Bugboy, I've just had a good laugh at your post I thought has much when she disappeared in the grass a couple of
times:lol: I've always thought the Female raised her abdomen in order to mate, until yesterday when I saw her hiding
The Male butterfly wasn't the only one chasing her, at one time she'd about three or four round her

Thanks for your comments ernie, I must admit too not knowing that about Large Whites, you live and learn Goldie

[Goldie M]

When I went to Fleetwood on Thursday, disaster struck , I found my zoom lens wouldn't work, I luckily had my 18 - 55mm lens with me but what a difference, the large Whites were every where and I couldn't get close to them, when I got home I'd to enlarge all the shots with the Computer and I was lucky i'd some that weren't too bad, I tried to fix it and thought I had done, so when we went up to Gait Barrow today the flaming thing did the same again, I pressed the button half way as usual to bring it into focus, It wouldn't focus but took the picture right a way.
If you've ever tried to take shots of a Dingy Skipper when it wouldn't stop for more than a few seconds you'll know what I mean, I couldn't get close to it so I've had to enlarge some shots again.
I went to look for the Dukes with other people also looking for them, No Dukes!!! I think only one or two have been seen in the last few days and only sighted one or two in all. Also no Small Pearls seen although one or two have been reported, I'm really wondering what's happening to the Dukes at Gait Barrow
Any way the Dingy were my first for this year so not a totally lost day, just disappointing. Goldie