ernie f
Re: ernie f
David - I am sure the weather will improve where you are soon. Its still summer - kind-of.
Diary entries for 2018 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Ernie F
Re: ernie f
Noar Hill - 13th August 2018
It was a bit overcast when I went out today but I wanted to try out my new camera, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ72 - getting used to its controls, settings and features. It has the ability to optically zoom by x120 and of course this is novel for me so I keep pushing the camera to its extreme. As a result many of my pics came out blurred because the anti-shake device was not cabable of handling it on its own. I don’t have a tripod and don’t intend to get one either so I must remember to keep the zoom reined in!!
Enough about that though. I did get some fair shots today, including one I have been hankering for some while – an open-wing 2nd brood female Holly Blue.
Some others that weren't perfect but didn’t come out too blurred which I am sure I can improve on over time.
I also saw a female Brown Hairstreak being chased off by a male Common Blue. No pic of it though. It was close to where I saw a female the other day and was probably the same one.
And this moth. I think its a Mocha but it has a greener tinge to it than the picture in my book.
Non-butterfly Snapshot of the day
A Buzzard in silhouette just before it flew off.
It was a bit overcast when I went out today but I wanted to try out my new camera, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ72 - getting used to its controls, settings and features. It has the ability to optically zoom by x120 and of course this is novel for me so I keep pushing the camera to its extreme. As a result many of my pics came out blurred because the anti-shake device was not cabable of handling it on its own. I don’t have a tripod and don’t intend to get one either so I must remember to keep the zoom reined in!!
Enough about that though. I did get some fair shots today, including one I have been hankering for some while – an open-wing 2nd brood female Holly Blue.
And this moth. I think its a Mocha but it has a greener tinge to it than the picture in my book.
A Buzzard in silhouette just before it flew off.
Diary entries for 2018 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Ernie F
Re: ernie f
Looks like your really getting to grips with the new gear Ernie 
Cracking close up shot of the SWF
Have a goodun
Wurzel
Cracking close up shot of the SWF Have a goodun
Wurzel
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Re: ernie f
Thanks, Wurzel. There are so many settings on this new camera it will take some time to suss it all out.
Diary entries for 2018 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Ernie F
Re: ernie f
Noar Hill - 14th August 2018
More experimentation with the new camera today. Not everything I tried worked (well you wouldn’t expect it to) but some things did.
Got a nice crop of the regular butterflies...
And a Clouded Yellow passed though and stopped off at a few blooms momentarily – just enough time to rattle off a couple of shots.
Non-butterfly Snapshot of the day
The Autumn Gentian is starting to flower now, there are quite a few in fact, mostly in a combination of bud and bloom.
More experimentation with the new camera today. Not everything I tried worked (well you wouldn’t expect it to) but some things did.
Got a nice crop of the regular butterflies...
The Autumn Gentian is starting to flower now, there are quite a few in fact, mostly in a combination of bud and bloom.
Diary entries for 2018 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Ernie F
Re: ernie f
Well done with the Clouded Yellow, Ernie. I've not seen one yet this year.
But the UK bred specimens sometimes extend my season into November !.
Great stuff,
Trevor.
But the UK bred specimens sometimes extend my season into November !.
Great stuff,
Trevor.
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Re: ernie f
Trevor - Thanks. I'm still trying to improve my focussing ability with this new camera..
Re the Clouded Yellow - yes there is plenty of time left to track them down.
Re the Clouded Yellow - yes there is plenty of time left to track them down.
Diary entries for 2018 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Ernie F
Re: ernie f
Noar Hill – 15h Aug 2018
Overcast but warm at 20 degrees with a slight breeze. As the butterfly season winds down at Noar Hill, many of the butterflies are faded, nibbled and tired-looking. Most Common Blues had some kind of wear and a fair number of the Meadow Browns and Whites likewise. I only saw one Gatekeeper after a period of plenty.
The exceptions to the wear-and-tear rule-of-thumb seem to be the Speckled Woods and the Small Heaths which are still going strong (of course the Speckled Woods have a lot of mileage in them yet). I was re-setting my camera when I noticed two Small Heaths fly past me and down onto the ground. I didn’t realise what I was looking at until it was all over a few seconds later, but one held its wings open and flat on the ground and then juddered before zooming off once more. I guessed this was a female rejecting a male although I have never seen this before so cannot be sure. No pics of it though unfortunately.
Did get another Painted Lady and also a Small Tortoiseshell (not seen one of these since spring). These were both reasonably fresh.
Non-butterfly Snapshot of the day
Yesterday I mentioned that the Autumn Gentian are beginning to bloom at Noar Hill. I have been visiting Noar Hill getting on for 15 years and until today I have never seen a white one here.
This is only my second ever time of having seen one anywhere. The first one was at Old Winchester Hill a couple of years ago. At that location you can see upwards of 10,000 normal purple Autumn Gentian on a single slope of the hill. Looks like its a 1 in 10,000 chance of finding one and yet here it was again today at Noar Hill. For me its been almost as good a year for wild flowers as it has for butterflies.
Overcast but warm at 20 degrees with a slight breeze. As the butterfly season winds down at Noar Hill, many of the butterflies are faded, nibbled and tired-looking. Most Common Blues had some kind of wear and a fair number of the Meadow Browns and Whites likewise. I only saw one Gatekeeper after a period of plenty.
The exceptions to the wear-and-tear rule-of-thumb seem to be the Speckled Woods and the Small Heaths which are still going strong (of course the Speckled Woods have a lot of mileage in them yet). I was re-setting my camera when I noticed two Small Heaths fly past me and down onto the ground. I didn’t realise what I was looking at until it was all over a few seconds later, but one held its wings open and flat on the ground and then juddered before zooming off once more. I guessed this was a female rejecting a male although I have never seen this before so cannot be sure. No pics of it though unfortunately.
Did get another Painted Lady and also a Small Tortoiseshell (not seen one of these since spring). These were both reasonably fresh.
Yesterday I mentioned that the Autumn Gentian are beginning to bloom at Noar Hill. I have been visiting Noar Hill getting on for 15 years and until today I have never seen a white one here.
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Ernie F
Re: ernie f
The Buzzard silhouette picture is brilliant. Love it 
You seem to getting to grips with the new camera very quickly
You seem to getting to grips with the new camera very quickly
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Old Wolf.
Re: ernie f
Thanks, Old Wolf. The new camera takes a bit of getting used to. For example I have only just figured out how to force the flash in daylight to front-light a backlit subject. Also the buttons look the same in many ways as my old camera but the functions are switched round in some cases so I am constantly pressing the "wrong" button and cursing when the butterfly flies off without having its picture taken first! 
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Ernie F
Re: ernie f
Broxhead - 15th August 2018
In the afternoon it was still mainly overcast but the sun peeped through on occasion. Broxhead Heath was festooned with heather in full bloom, including Bell Heather, plus the Sheep’s Sorrel had sprouted green leaves. If the Small Copper larvae has survived the hot spell we may get a good late brood flying here - fingers crossed. By my estimation we still have about three weeks to wait before it kicks off, if indeed it does at all.
At Noar Hill I only spotted one Gatekeeper. Where did they all go? It was Broxhead! There were still quite a few here in sheltered spots but they were all quite faded on top by now. The undersides were sharper though.
There was also a single Small White, a single Common Blue, a Meadow Brown and two Speckled Wood – so very low numbers altogether.
However I did see what I think is a Peacock moth even though my book says they only fly in May-June and this is mid-August! Do they have a second brood I wonder?
Non-butterfly Snapshot of the day
The tree branches here can be covered with lichen. The picture below is one amazing example I found two years ago during the time of the Small Copper boom here but I espied many different types today in the birch and oak copse en-route to the Small Copper lek.
At Noar Hill I only spotted one Gatekeeper. Where did they all go? It was Broxhead! There were still quite a few here in sheltered spots but they were all quite faded on top by now. The undersides were sharper though.
However I did see what I think is a Peacock moth even though my book says they only fly in May-June and this is mid-August! Do they have a second brood I wonder?
The tree branches here can be covered with lichen. The picture below is one amazing example I found two years ago during the time of the Small Copper boom here but I espied many different types today in the birch and oak copse en-route to the Small Copper lek.
Diary entries for 2018 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Ernie F
Re: ernie f
Old Winchester Hill - 17th Aug 2018
The main target today was the 2nd brood Adonis. At this time of year though it is common to find Adonis, Chalkhill, SS Skip and Clouded Yellow all in the same place at the bottom of the hill below the car park and indeed this is just what happened today. I counted 27 male Adonis Blues on my way down the hill between 9 and 10 am but on my return along the same track between 10 and 11 am I only spotted three! However my return trip was solidly along the path – I did not go “off-piste”. This tells me that to see the numbers you have to wander off the path on occasion.
I saw 7 Silver-spotted Skippers.
2 Clouded Yellows.
And umpteen Chalkhill Blues.
There was one marvellous moment when I saw all four of the aforementioned species close-by within the space of a minute without moving from my spot.
Other species seen today were Small Heath, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Speckled Wood, Small and Large White, Common and Holly Blue and Red Admiral.
Non-butterfly Snapshot of the day
This location last year had hundreds of Autumn Ladies Tresses Orchid but today only one was starting to bloom. There will be more over the next few weeks I am sure. This is also Noar Hill’s Orchid #12 but so far I have only seen them in bud there.
The main target today was the 2nd brood Adonis. At this time of year though it is common to find Adonis, Chalkhill, SS Skip and Clouded Yellow all in the same place at the bottom of the hill below the car park and indeed this is just what happened today. I counted 27 male Adonis Blues on my way down the hill between 9 and 10 am but on my return along the same track between 10 and 11 am I only spotted three! However my return trip was solidly along the path – I did not go “off-piste”. This tells me that to see the numbers you have to wander off the path on occasion.
Other species seen today were Small Heath, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Speckled Wood, Small and Large White, Common and Holly Blue and Red Admiral.
This location last year had hundreds of Autumn Ladies Tresses Orchid but today only one was starting to bloom. There will be more over the next few weeks I am sure. This is also Noar Hill’s Orchid #12 but so far I have only seen them in bud there.
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Ernie F
Re: ernie f
That's a lovely shot of a very fresh looking Adonis Blue, Ernie, and 27 males is not a bad count, at least they're hanging on in there.
Mike
Mike
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Re: ernie f
Lovely sequences of late summer butterflies, ernie. That second brood of Adonis is always welcome at this time of year, and your first image shows the vivid, striking blue colour extremely well.
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Re: ernie f
Thanks David and Mike - I always look forward to this time of year at Old Winch. Most of the Adonis looked fresh. One or two had nicks in their wings but on the whole a healthy bunch. They may have started later here than at other locations in the south.
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Ernie F
Re: ernie f
Selborne Common - 19th Aug 2018
It brightened up in the afternoon which gave me the chance to get out and I decided upon Selborne Common. Its a climb up the zig-zag path so there is some effort involved but I try to visit at least once a year.
This time of year usually yields good numbers of Speckled Wood in all the deciduous woodlands near me but I had never come up here to count them. Today I did and got 49 in total.
There were also 6 rather faded Holly Blues.
And a few Common Blues.
Because of this I assumed the next pic was a female Common Blue but on my return when I enlarge it on my computer I question whether it may instead be a Brown Argus. I really should know this for sure but have to admit in this case I do not.
It came across as being brown all over but at certain angles in the field it did shine toward blue in places but this may have been due to fading. It also was not as small as the confirmed Brown Argus's I have seen in the past.
Also seen were Red Ad, M Brown, S&L White, SW Frit and Comma.
Non-butterfly Snapshots of the day
As autumn draws ever closer, so more fungi appear. These two on the same blitzed old tree today.
It brightened up in the afternoon which gave me the chance to get out and I decided upon Selborne Common. Its a climb up the zig-zag path so there is some effort involved but I try to visit at least once a year.
- View from the top of the zig-zag path
Also seen were Red Ad, M Brown, S&L White, SW Frit and Comma.
Non-butterfly Snapshots of the day
As autumn draws ever closer, so more fungi appear. These two on the same blitzed old tree today.
- Southern Bracket
- Pale Oyster
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Ernie F
Re: ernie f
Love the fly flyby on the blue and your possibly Brown Argus is 100% a Brown Argus, the narrow abdomen indicates it's a male! 
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Some addictions are good for the soul!
Re: ernie f
Thanks for the Brown Argus ID confirmation, Bugboy.
Also - the fly that buzzed in actually unseated the Common Blue and took over his flower-head!
Also - the fly that buzzed in actually unseated the Common Blue and took over his flower-head!
Diary entries for 2018 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Ernie F
Re: ernie f
Its been a bit overcast today so no butterflying for me so far.
Other forum members have been sharing their wonderful pics of butterflies they have seen on their hols recently and I feel a bit left-out because I cannot travel far this year, so instead here are a few more pics of some I have seen stateside over the past years.
Other forum members have been sharing their wonderful pics of butterflies they have seen on their hols recently and I feel a bit left-out because I cannot travel far this year, so instead here are a few more pics of some I have seen stateside over the past years.
- The Buckeye
- Gulf Fritillary
- Mormon Metalmark
- Funeral Dusky Wing
Diary entries for 2018 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Ernie F
Re: ernie f
Noar Hill - 21st Aug 2018
Today I was here really for the "big three" late summer chalk-down flowers but butterflies seen were the usual Small Heath, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Speckled Wood, Small White, Red Ad and Common Blue.
There were plenty of Mint Moth and the new camera enabled me to get in for a close-up.
Non-butterfly Snapshots of the day
And so to the main course. I have shared pics of all three of these before when I saw them bloom for the first time, but now they are all out at Noar Hill at the same time. Indeed on one occasion I saw all three in the same patch.
Firstly, Noar Hill's last Orchid of the year.
I also saw this red-arsed bee...
I looked it up and my book called it the Red-tailed Bumble Bee. My terminology might differ slightly but it seems I got close to the real name without realising it!
Today I was here really for the "big three" late summer chalk-down flowers but butterflies seen were the usual Small Heath, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Speckled Wood, Small White, Red Ad and Common Blue.
There were plenty of Mint Moth and the new camera enabled me to get in for a close-up.
And so to the main course. I have shared pics of all three of these before when I saw them bloom for the first time, but now they are all out at Noar Hill at the same time. Indeed on one occasion I saw all three in the same patch.
Firstly, Noar Hill's last Orchid of the year.
- Autumn Ladies Tresses
- Autumn Gentian
- Carline Thistle
Diary entries for 2018 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Ernie F