Pauline

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Pauline,

Your little moth looks like Nemaphora degeerella, I had a couple of these in my garden last year.

All the best,

Neil.

[David M]

Spot on David- at least that's what she was sold as but don't know what's going on with the brown feathers. She's a sweet, tame, friendly hen tho' and I'll be very sad (as will her Cockerel) if she doesn't make it.

Aah! She looks just like ours in that image, Pauline. Must have been a trick of the light in the first photo.

Yes, our bluebells are tame but can bully some of the less muscular chickens (and they're extremely greedy too).

Fingers crossed she'll be ok.

[Pauline]

Cheers Goldie. I am sure you will have noticed all the little green cats dangling from trees recently which is probably how Jim acquired his one. If it doesn't find its way back home I am sure a hungry bird with little'uns will make good use of it

Thank you for the ID Neil. Loved your recent post - hope you have more photos to show us including a repeat of the eggs?

Thank you David - fingers crossed but not looking good.

It's getting to be something of a habit but yesterday I wasn't able to get out until late afternoon. Others have pointed out that looking for immature stages can be time consuming and frequently unsuccessful. It certainly is! At times such as these one just has to take any opportunities that present themselves. At 7.00pm there was little visible except a couple of dozen very fresh Common Blues going to roost. As beautiful as they are to watch I rarely take photos as I can never do them justice but as I had found very little else ..............

[Andrew555]

Lovely Marshies and PBF's Pauline, that PBF encounter sounds amazing. I Like your Blue's as well, I need to try some early evening spotting.
Great selection of larva shots, love Buggy's PE cat.
From your previous post the first caterpillar is of the Lackey moth and your bug is a Brassica shieldbug.

[Pauline]

Cheers Andrew. Evening butterflying when the temperatures soar is not a bad idea. I bumped into John Williams today (nice to meet you again John) and he was telling me that's exactly how he got some good shots of SPBF recently. Thank you for the ID's too - much appreciated. I was so thrilled when Buggy offered to introduce me to Padfield - honestly Andrew, you have no idea how excited I was I decided today I would do a bit more Sallow searching myself. It is perhaps just as well that I didn't find my target as I now realise the camera was on the wrong settings!!! Nevertheless it was hard to ignore the Wood Whites - most of those I saw were either females looking to egg-lay or males with some wear and tear:

(I'm not stalking you Buggy, honest!! )

Of my many finds amongst the Sallow was this larva which I THINK will become a Harlequin Ladybird and this huge caterpillar - it was a real whopper. I don't know what it is yet but whatever it is will be big!

There has been a great deal of work carried out at Chiddingfold which will no doubt be a huge improvement - it really opens up the area creating wide rides and glades which will certainly benefit many species.

[MrSp0ck]

one of the possible ids for the caterpillar is the Notodontid "Pale Prominent" which is large and a Sallow feeder, but is a bit early.

[Wurzel]

When you said 'Bugboy introduced me to Padfield' for a moment I thought "I didn't know he was back in the country A great set of Blues and Whites recently Pauline especially the really blue female Blue The Small Pearls are out at Bentley...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[John W]

Evening butterflying when the temperatures soar is not a bad idea. I bumped into John Williams today (nice to meet you again John) and he was telling me that's exactly how he got some good shots of SPBF recently. Thank you for the ID's too - much appreciated. I was so thrilled when Buggy offered to introduce me to Padfield - honestly Andrew, you have no idea how excited I was I decided today I would do a bit more Sallow searching myself. It is perhaps just as well that I didn't find my target as I now realise the camera was on the wrong settings!!! Nevertheless it was hard to ignore the Wood Whites - most of those I saw were either females looking to egg-lay or males with some wear and tear

Hi Pauline, it was very nice to meet you again too. Here's the best of the Wood White shots I got today.

It was a bit frustrating in the heat though - I have taken some lovely shots of Wood Whites in previous years but only when it was cloudy and cool!

Cheers
John W

[trevor]

' Camera on the wrong setting '. That's nothing !.
A couple of years back I arrived at BB, in the thick of the Emperor season,
only to discover there was no memory card in my camera. It was still in my
computer 54 miles away !. .
There was some good news that day, no Emperors were seen !.

Really enjoy reading of your wanderings.
Trevor.

[Goldie M]

Lovely Butterflies Pauline, looks like we were both struck with camera Hick! ups! this last week Goldie

[Pauline]

Thank you Martin - I think I'd go with that unless anyone screams otherwise Following your ID I checked it out and read that the larva from the first brood is May - June so perhaps not that early?

She was one very attractive lady Wurzel which is what tempted me to switch the camera on Thanks for the heads up re SPBF - I actually prefer these to the Pearls so might just have to return

That's a pretty fine shot John and well worth hanging around for - better than any I got in that heat. Thanks for sharing.

I think I can equal that Trevor - last season I went to Thorney Island and it wasn't until I got out of the car that I realised my camera wasn't in it!!! My companion - who had never been to Thorney - insisted we return for it, so some 2.5 hours later we were back where we started. I am not sure that we even saw a single butterfly and she has vowed never to return to that venue again! - at least not with me I'm glad you're enjoying my diary

Cheers Goldie - and it's not over yet ..........

[Pauline]

A brief outing to Noar Hill this morning was even shorter than anticipated when I realised I had forgotten my spare battery and the one in the camera was almost out of charge! I think it must be the heat! I decided I would need to ‘ration’ the number of shots I took but that became a little difficult given everything I wanted to check up on and all the unexpected activity. The first sight that met me was a pair of mating Common Blues so naturally they deserved a couple of shots just for the efforts they were putting in on behalf of the future generation!

Next up was those Duke eggs. I knew I had missed all chance of seeing them hatch due to other priorities but hoped I might find a couple of first instars – no such luck. Eggs had gone and no sign of any larva . Undeterred I set about finding some more:

Whilst searching I came across this caterpillar. I am embarrassed to ask for any more ID’s but if anyone knows what else eats cowslip……????????

Next up was a quick check of the Green Hairstreaks where I found 3 tiny ones but bearing in mind the battery, which was now flashing red at me, I had to restrain myself .

On to the Holly Blues – no sign of any larva from the 3 eggs I discovered in this area. I shall keep checking – who knows?

I struggled to find any Brown Hairstreak larva but after some effort managed to discover 3 all of which were really quite small tho' I appreciate it's difficult to tell from this shot. No sign of the heavyweights I was seeing a week ago. Perhaps they are more susceptible to predation as they get bigger and more visible, moving around to satisfy their voracious appetites, or more likely imo they have gone off to pupate and we shall see these butterflies a little earlier than usual? Time will tell.

It was time to get back to feed the pigeon and check the hen, both of which are still alive as I type. On my way out my attention was caught by this female Green Hairstreak, a little worse for wear but working hard to deposit her eggs. I watched her lay 3 before she flew to a leaf for a well earned rest.

2 of her eggs can just be seen nestled in this Bird's Foot Trefoil:

I can confirm that on this, and other local sites, Ticks are again having a really good season. My count to date is 19, 3 of those from today

[David M]

I love that Common Blue pair, Pauline.

Fascinating shots of the early stages once again although it looks like you are paying a price for all this by way of unwanted stowaways of the biting kind!!

I hope the sick birds will be okay, though judging by what you wrote I suspect this may be a long shot.

[Pauline]

I actually liked that one too David - thank you I must admit the ticks and other biting things are a problem as by the end of the season I am usually on antibiotics . If anyone has any ideas that I haven't already tried..........?

It is exactly a year to the day since I saw the SSB's so with thunder rumbling overhead and having been soaked (twice!!!) I was pleased to find a few males:

[trevor]

Lovely SSB's Pauline. Is it that time of year already ? !.

Trevor.

[Maximus]

Smashing shots of the lovely fresh Silver-studded Blues, Pauline I've finally caught up with your diary, lots of early stages in there, love the shots of Padfield ( courtesy of bugboy)

[ernie f]

Aha! So its time for me to go to Broxhead SSB lek then is it? Thanks for the tip, Pauline. Great shots too - as always.

[Paul Harfield]

Hi Pauline
I was just flicking through before I messaged you for a heads up for Bramshott. I guess your last post has answered my question already .
Excellent content in your diary as always especially those SSBs

[Allan.W.]

Love the Common Blue shots Pauline ,the females in particular are stunning ,some really terrific shots …………. Nice one !
Regards Allan.W.

[Wurzel]

A lovely set of Silver-studs Pauline I drove past my usual Silver-stud site today, I should have called in

Have a goodun

Wurzel