millerd

[Janet Turnbull]

Lovely shots of the White Admirals - they look so velvety

[Wurzel]

Cracking H.Comma Dave and the last White Admiral of the sequence is brill, I love the underside of the White Admiral

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[bugboy]

I see you're still using and abusing you're retirement to within an inch of its life Dave. Great stuff and very handy to find out where my next target is likely to be

[ernie f]

Dave - My vote is for the four-wing underside shot despite the frayed edges.

[Goldie M]

Hi! Dave, just catching up on posts, Lovely LB's , the White Admiral shots are great I like the Under side of the Admiral better than it's upper side I hope they're still around next week when I come South Goldie

[millerd]

Thanks all for your comments on the White Admirals. They are a lovely butterfly (especially the underside), and it has been interesting to see them being almost completely ignored as everyone concentrates on their larger, more purple, cousins.

I wouldn't use my wanderings as an up-to-date basis, Buggy - I'm still a week behind reporting things. A week is a long time when it's hot and sunny every day and the butterflies are active for 14 hours a day and wear themselves out!

Friday 22nd June: Time at last for the first trip down to Chiddingfold. As I wandered down from the Botany Bay entrance, I was greeted by several White Admirals, one of which was inseparable from a damp and muddy patch even if I stood in the middle of it.

However, I had to leave it be and continue in search of more spectacular prey. As expected, Trevor was already in position, and around ten o'clock, we spotted the first of a succession of Purple Emperors.

As an aside, has anyone else noticed that viewing a PE photo on the the computer screen at different angles changes the degree of purple showing on the wings? Just like the real thing!

A great day, with great company and some terrific butterflies.

Dave

[millerd]

Saturday 23rd June, and a complete change of scene. I drove over to the other side of London, and the splendid little spot near Leigh-On-Sea Station that abounds with White-letter Hairstreaks. This is on the edge of Hadleigh Country Park, which has other hotspots, but this one is most easily reached and located. It didn't disappoint: the warm and sunny weather brought out dozens to the brambles. They were easy to approach, but their habit of positioning themselves edge on to the sun didn't make them easy to photograph.

I walked a bit of a way into the verges of the park, where dozens of Marbled Whites, Ringlets and Essex Skippers flew in and over the grass and along the path.

There were also various whites, including a mating pair of GVW.

For me, though, the oddity was seeing a series of female Holly Blues, in far better condition than the last few stragglers I had seen at home.

They appeared to be laying on the brambles, there being very few other options around here that still held unopened flower buds.

However, the main event was the Hairstreak population, which included some fresh examples, mostly females.

It's a bit of a way to travel, but well worth it, and the M25 was unusually kind on the day.

Dave

[kevling]

Dave, Lovely photos of the WLH. I have visited that very spot for the last couple of years and the population continues to grow. Like you I got up close and personal with them too. Very nice butterfly

Kind Regards
Kev

[Pauline]

I agree with you Dave that the WLH is not an easy butterfly to photograph but you have done them proud with your lovely images - especially on the Columbine (?). You didn't do too badly with those PE's either - I'm looking forward to reading the next installment

[millerd]

Thanks, Kev - they are very easy to approach at this spot, and it's hard to tear yourself away.

Thank you, Pauline - I think it's just common or garden bindweed. I have another photo of a Large Skipper almost engulfed by the flower, so it does have attractions for butterflies. The WLH is sucking something up from the surface of the petal. There is one other instalment before I return to the Land of Purple...

Sunday 24th June. I stayed local today, and as an exercise performed a long loop around my patch, trying as far as possible not to cover the same ground twice. In around two and a half hours, I counted the following:
Small Skipper/Essex Skipper - 40 fairly evenly split
Large Skipper - 4
Large White - 4
Small White - 20
Green-veined White - 3
Common Blue - 5
Red Admiral - 2
Small Tortoiseshell - 12
Comma - 7
Speckled Wood - 2
Gatekeeper - 9
Ringlet - 4
Small Heath - 18
Meadow Brown - 71
A small selection of what was seen...

On top of this, I was investigating the tiny Essex Skipper colony by the airport perimeter and strangely drew a blank. However, a small brown butterfly flew past and into the hedgerow elm next to me. Having got my eye in for such things the day before, I quickly identified it as a White-letter Hairstreak. However, before I could get the camera on it in its shady perch, it set off for the tops of the scrubby elms. I saw it (or another) again shortly afterwards high up. I have always suspected they might be present here, but this is the first definite sighting I've had. This is the area, Essex Skipper spot on the verge, elms to the left.

There was one other stand out moment today. I had noticed that the Small Heaths were now a mix of old and new brood examples. The new ones seemed larger and more sandy-coloured, and I wonder if they had somehow managed to match the increasingly dried-up nature of the grassland.

I was watching one of these new ones, and spotted that it kept flicking its wings open and then shut again. Worth a try I decided, and this was the result.

(Shame about the shadow on the right wing...)

It really is a pity that they don't routinely open their wings.

Dave

[Wurzel]

Brilliant stuff Dave I've heard about being able to talk the birds down out of the trees but you can do the same for butterflies You're looking good for a 50+ year by the look of things

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[bugboy]

Blinking eck Dave, I was looking forward to seeing those Small Heath shots after you told me about them but........!

[millerd]

Thanks, Wurzel - you could be right as the tally stands at 46 at the moment. And it's not quite July yet...

Cheers, Buggy. I was pleased with the Small Heath shots, though there was more luck than judgment involved in achieving them. I don't think any other of our butterflies is that colour so it is a shame they almost always hide it.

Monday and Tuesday 25th and 26th June: Two consecutive mornings at Chiddingfold in the company of Purple Emperors, plus Trevor of course and a number of other people of a purple persuasion, including another sighting of Pauline on the second day. Great to see you all. Glorious weather, good company and many encounters with the Emperors. Here is a selection of shots from both days. The stark contrast between sunshine and shade, and the butterfly's propensity to sit in areas where both mingled did not make things particularly easy. I also sadly missed seeing Trevor's ab on Tuesday, being occupied round the corner with three others taking it in turns to sit on the track.
25th:

The most unusual sighting came on my way back to the car when I spotted something moving in the grass. I thought it might be a reptile or a rodent, but in fact it was an Emperor wandering around in the shade of the undergrowth. Eventually it emerged and flew off along the path.

26th:

There were fewer around on Tuesday, and most (for me anyway) kept their wings shut in the heat.

Memorable summer's days...

Dave

[ernie f]

Dave - Great shots of all those Purple Emperors. Also I looked back though your recent posts and found that wonderful moment you captured a Small Heath with its wings open. Now that really is a rarity!

[trevor]

You've been very busy lately, Dave.
Love your WL Hairstreaks, all look pretty fresh.
You also managed some purple, I agree the harsh sunlight and dark shadows
made photography difficult, with glare from the ride surface combined
with a dark Butterfly, not the best combination.

Good to see everyone again,
Trevor.

[Wurzel]

Brilliant Purple Emperors Dave It seems like I need to get to Chiddingfold one year Fingers crossed they play nicely tomorrow at Bentley Wood

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Andrew555]

Great WLH's Dave, and your Emperors and White Ads are very nice indeed.

But my favourite has to be the Small Heath upper wing shots. A fantastic thing to see and catch on camera, well done!

[Pauline]

Hi Dave - your diary sets a challenging pace. I am struggling to keep up especially in this heat and I'm wondering where you've been most recently You were way too modest about your Chiddingfold PE's - some really cracking shots there - but for me the real envy lies with Durlston (got to be one of my favourite places) and your shots of the Lulworth.

[Neil Freeman]

Just caught up with those open winged Small Heath shots Dave, great stuff and well done

Cheers,

Neil.

[Old Wolf]

Hello Millerd,
I love the shots of the White Admirals and Purple Emperors.

I have never seen either of these butterflies so I love looking at pics and hoping one day I get a shot like those.

Stay Hydrated.

Old Wolf.