Trevor

[Wurzel]

Some very good ideas there Trevor - cheers for the input Definitely up for a Wall Brown Fest

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

...Thanks for all your comments this year David, and a mrgreen for living so close to the High Brown Fritillary.

Thanks, Trevor. Sadly, High Browns didn't have a great year at the Welsh site, which is something of a mystery as both Dark Greens and SPBFs were around in encouragingly good numbers.

This species is still very much at risk in the UK.

[trevor]

Wishing everyone on UKB a great Christmas.

And plenty of these in 2019.

[Wurzel]

Here's hoping Trevor I hope you and yours have a very Merry Xmas too!

Have a goodun

Wurze

[David M]

Wishing everyone on UKB a great Christmas.

And plenty of these in 2019.

Just a handful would be nice, Trevor! This is one species I don't see in the Alps when I'm away.

Merry Christmas to you and all the best for 2019.

[trevor]

A few signs of Spring this afternoon.

The Snowdrops and the Daphne are from my garden.
The Daffodils are on a South facing bank in the old station car park.
This is not a record for this clump however, they were out on Boxing day in 2015.

Enjoy.
Trevor.

[Goldie M]

Great to see the Spring flowers Trevor, my Daffs are getting there but no where near out yet, but my Snow Drops were out when I came back from Kent after Christmas, they were a welcome sight Goldie

[Wurzel]

Spring is definitely on the march over your way Trevor and over this way with Snowdrops, Cocci, Daffs and Aconites all blooming at the moment Fingers crossed we don't get another 'Beast'

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[John W]

Hi Trevor,

I saw a primrose in Madgeland Wood on Saturday (26th Jan). Which was a lot earlier than last year, when I didn't see any till March!

Cheers
John W

[trevor]

Many thanks Goldie, Wurzel & John. We have just past the middle of the mid-Winter month,
and gained about an hour in the evenings, all this plus a few early flowers make me a little
optimistic that we are on the right side of things.
BUT! I will be more careful than last February, when on a Springlike day on the 15th I saw my
first Butterfly, a Brimstone, and foolishly proclaimed '' were off the mark ''.

I think we all remember the weather that followed.

[David M]

Great to see, Trevor. The first daffs have flowered round my way and it is giving me a lift before even January is out!! We need to be on our guard though – last year, late February was abnormally cold so we still have 4 or 5 weeks to go!

[trevor]

IT PAYS TO LOOK TWICE !.

One day on our trip to the French Pyrenees we pulled in to a lay-by, which was surfaced
with fine granite chippings. I soon spotted a very fresh Dark Green Fritillary taking moisture
from the damp surface, and having secured several satisfactory images, re-joined the rest of the group.
On our return to the minibus, I noticed that ' the DGF ' was still there, so I snatched a couple more shots.
Only this evening did I notice that the DGF had been replaced by a Niobe Fritillary, which was also
taking moisture from almost the same spot!.

[Wurzel]

Crickey Trevor what a twofer I'll have to go back through all my images and check them again now

Have a goodun
Wurzel

[trevor]

Cheers Wurzel, I have awarded myself a .
Still, on the bright side, I now have one more Niobe image than I originally thought.

[Wurzel]

That's still several more than me

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[trevor]

Looking through a memory card from our trip to the French Pyrenees,
I have selected some images not seen before. I hope some of the Butterflies
below can be identified.

Looking forward to any help.
Trevor.

[Wurzel]

Great set of shots Trevor - certainly help to keep the cockles warm in this wintry blast I reckon the blue before the Large Blues could be a Provencal Short-tailed Blue and the one before that could be a Silver Stud or at least one from that Genus? I agree with you on the Sooty Copper. The first one though really has me really stumped - it looks like a Ringlet species and looking through the Butterflies of Europe app I saw only one that fitted the bill with no markings whatsoever and that was a Water Ringlet Or it could be a non-marked Ringlet (A.hyperanthus) or even a very dark non-marked male Meadow Brown - a real puzzler
Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Hi Trevor,

Although I've never seen it myself, I think your first image may well be the constans form of Yellow Banded Ringlet (erebia manto).

Quite a few others have posted images of this seemingly 'blind' species from the Pyrenees.

[trevor]

Many thanks Wurzel & David.
It's amazing what information is stored at the back of the brain, and just needs a prompt
to bring that information forward.
I now remember our tour leader puzzling over the ' all brown Butterfly '
and he came up with Yellow banded Ringlet. I now recall showing my image of this
Butterfly to him during our alfresco lunch.
Thanks for the info on the Blues, Wurzel. Provencal Short Tailed Blue could be right,
my bad open wing shot of that Butterfly shows very minute tails.

[trevor]

On three occasions my first Butterfly of the year has been found on Feb.15th.
Like last year it was a Brimstone. Today I was with Dave Cook and together we
spotted seven male Brimstones in different parts of Park Corner Heath and Rowland Wood.

On arrival at home, a Red Admiral was flying around the garden and landed on
my neighbour's hedge, hence the bad, distant shot.

No bold statements this year! but a very enjoyable first day.
Trevor.