Pauline

[Wurzel]

"Wurzel, are you suggesting I become an amateur arsonist "...There's normally a couple of kids around that can do that, or a careless smoker
I know your luck hasn't been good recently but that only means that you're due some great times as the Karmic balance realigns itself, fingers crossed I can get away from work when you find the Scarce Tortoiseshell

Have a goodun
Wurzel

[David M]

Now what were you saying David about me needing some better luck? Well, my car has failed its MOT - in quite a spectacular way I should add. It is now in the garage and I have a courtesy car which got me to a physio appointment as I have hurt my back . On my return I found that my frontage fence has been demolished by an oil delivery lorry - thankfully witnessed by the landscapers next door.

I henceforth resolve to refrain from commenting on any kind of fortune, good or bad, that you might experience, Pauline

Beautiful Green Veined White by the way (surely that can’t tempt fate?)

[Pauline]

Thank you Neil for your kind words and encouragement. I am ashamed to say I have not yet had the moth trap out this year (just no time) but I hope that will change soon, so watch this space

It's not the Tortoiseshells I'm after Wurzel - it's the Camberwell Beauty, and I'll send you a text when I find it Thinking of you earlier as I always do when I'm trying to get shots that are a little bit different so I hope you appreciate my efforts on your behalf

Thank you David for your generous comments as I struggled through this bad patch. Fingers crossed, unless something else untoward occurs (god forbid!) I now have everything under control and I'm raring to go. That said, I couldn't go far today and with a cool breeze and much cloud cover I was a bit sceptical as to whether I would find my 'target'. I was pleased to see 3 or 4 flying - one looked a bit worn, the others quite fresh but from memory this is quite a 'late' site. I have not been here for a few years even tho' it has the advantage of being quite close. Anyway, without more ado here are the pics. I imagine many are saying 'thank goodness for some shots of butterflies at last instead of b****y chickens and fences'!

[Wurzel]

Definitely very appreciative Pauline - lovely set of shots Aside from the close-ups and great stained glass shots there are a couple where the 'Pearls' really ping

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[essexbuzzard]

They are in fine condition for so late in the season, Pauline. Great pictures, too.

[Pauline]

I think that was something to do with the light Wurzel - nothing to do with my skill with the camera!

Cheers Mark - I was afraid I might have been too late for fresh individuals but I got there just in time I reckon .

I feel I have a lot of catching up to do and today I thought I would seek out some Small Blue. Honestly, you never know what you are going to find. A few of the 'pretty' shots first which I always take immediately on arrival:

There were more Small Blues at this venue than I have ever seen in one place before. My companion guesstimated hundreds but they were also more widespread on the site than I have ever seen them. At times I worried I might stand on one. There were 17 on one clump of vegetation. It was inevitable that at least one would come to a sticky end and when I noticed one thrashing around on the ground I stopped to take a closer look. In the past when I have seen a spider catch a butterfly it has been neatly packaged up. I don't know what type of spider this was but it eventually dragged the butterfly down into it 's web:

Once it had pulled it as far as possible down into the web it was off out looking for the next victim

[Pauline]

After the spider incident I was relieved to see that the females were doing their best to ensure the success of the next generation with much egg-laying and mating, and on one occasion a third male was quite persistent causing some disturbance to one couple:

[Wurzel]

Lovely set of images in the second post Pauline As for the one prior to not quite so lovely but even more interesting - looks like a tunnel web spider cracking sequence

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Pauline]

As you might imagine Wurzel it was the spider that interested me most as I hadn't realised that different species used different techniques (thankfully I haven't seen this many times). I think you are probably correct in the identification as the web was tunnel shaped and the butterfly was just dragged down there. It also looked as if another (different type) of spider had been caught in a similar fashion. For some reason I had imagined (presumably wrongly) that spiders wouldn't eat each other There was plenty of interest at this site including many day flying moths - my first Mother Shiptons of the season and what I think is a Common Carpet moth. I also offer up a tentative ID of a Bag Moth larval case:

I had to chuckle at all the birds taking a bath in the pond even though it wasn't all that warm. You all know my bird photography is pretty awful but this might give you an idea. I obviously know the Goldfinches but is that a Linnet?

[jenks]

Yes, Pauline, 3 Goldfinches and a cock Linnet. Could almost be a title for a film, ( or a song from Music Hall days).

Cracking photos of PBF and Small Blues. I`d be quite happy with the birds as well seeing how difficult it is to get close enough to them for a shot. As others posting on here have said, let`s hope your luck has changed for the better.

Jenks.

[Goldie M]

Lovely set of shots Pauline, I'm going to miss out on quite a lot this Spring so it's great to see your shots Goldie

[David M]

That's a highly interesting, if macabre, sequence involving the spider and the unfortunate Small Blue, Pauline. Given their numbers so far this spring though, I'm sure they can take a few losses.

Nice Mother Shiptons by the way; an honorary butterfly in my opinion.

[Pauline]

That's very kind of you to say so Jenks and thanks for the ID. I have another one that you (or someone) might be able to help me with (just don't dilly dally ). She was just sat in the top of an Oak tree seemingly collecting bugs as they came within reach. She had a very sweet voice and was still there when I left:

I saw quite a few butterflies today but they were all worn and ragged. The ground and plants are parched and desperately need some rain. The only other creature I found worth taking a shot at was this female Broad Bodied Chaser:

and a GVW in the garden which just refused to pose nicely:

You might have missed out on the Spring butterflies M but there will still be plenty for you to see. Once you're fully mobile you'll feel heaps better I'm sure - I am pleased you like my pics tho' and I appreciate your comment

I certainly thought so David. I couldn't have rescued it even if I had wanted to - one of the many reasons I really don't like spiders. Have you ever been to Mother Shipton's grotto?

[David M]

The bird has a bit of a look of a chiffchaff, Pauline, although I'm in no way an expert on these things.

[jenks]

Hi Pauline,
Two birds immediately come to mind; Willow Warbler and Chiff chaff. WW is more olive green than CC which is greyer. WW also has a more pronounced supercilium and generally pale legs, those of CC are generally black. Looking at your photos you can see a distinct eye-stripe, olive green colouring and yellow tinge on the breast and just make out pale legs and feet. The guiding factor though must be the voice. You said the bird had a sweet voice. WW has a pleasant descending warble whereas CC`s is just a collection of "chiff" and "chaff" in no particular order. No-one would rightly say that was a sweet song ! So Willow Warbler it must be.
I spent yesterday morning at Cwm Claisfer, on the southern fringe of the Brecon Beacons. This is an example of the hanging woodlands that cling to hillsides in Wales and holds birds that love the mixed woodland, fields and stream at the bottom of the valley that typifies this habitat. I was not expecting any butterfly surprises but the first sighting was a Green Hairstreak that landed on a Gorse bush a yard from my car. Bright green on bright yellow. Wonderful !. The woodland held Speckled Woods and the field and stream produced Orange tip and Green veined White. The woods were full of birdsong; Redstarts (3 pairs), Pied Flycatcher (2 pairs) and Wood Warbler (2 singing males) seen. Tree Pipits were numerous and I had one chasing a Cuckoo. I would guess protecting its nest and territory from that egg-laying imposter. Red Kite, Buzzard and Goshawk were seen overhead. A long walk across the moorland top produced sightings of one Red Grouse (very small population in S. Wales),displaying Snipe, Wheatear and Whinchat. On the way back home I stopped off at Aberbargoed Grasslands. This is the site of the Ty Fry colliery, closed after the strike of 1984 , the land being turned into a nature reserve. The grassland holds Marsh Fritillary and it was time for me to check for these as they seem to be appearing everywhere at the moment. The weather was now cloudier but I counted 12 MF`s mostly down on the grass or on the mass of Bluebells here. When the sun appeared the Marshies became hyper active. 5 Small Heath also counted here. The old coal tip remains, with varying vegetation, and this gave me Small Copper 2, Dingy Skipper 3, Common Blue 6 and singles of Green veined White, Large White and a very tatty Peacock. The bare earth here is good for Wall Brown but I didn`t see any today and Grayling later in the year. So a return visit will be made in July. I got back home at 5 pm, having left the house at 8 am. My app showed I had walked 6.2 miles and it certainly felt like it !
Jenks.

[Pauline]

Thank you David and Jenks. I have now looked at both and can see just how similar they are but the sweet, melodic little song, well, I could have listened to that all day. Prior to this I have heard a Chiff Chaff but have never seen one. Reckon I need a mentor!

That sounds like a fantastic day out Jenks. Love the sound of that Green Hairstreak against the yellow background. My back is still not 100% so I'm having a bit of trouble bending and moving quickly to get the shots I want. I missed some great opportunities today including a couple of Green Hairstreaks as a result. However, I'd just like to slip in something a bit different for those who enjoy all wildlife. I was fortunate enough to be invited to a friend's flat in the middle of Guildford which overlooks the garden of the flat below where a vixen had decided to have her cubs - all 9 of them!! Sadly, 2 of the cubs have died over the last 48 hours but it was an absolute delight watching them romp and play. Unfortunately, the management company contracted to keep the garden tidy inadvertently disturbed them and the vixen has now moved the remaining cubs but is still returning for the much needed food now being put out for her. Looking at the debris near the den it seems she has been scavenging in bins trying to support this unusual number of cubs. I wish them all the best of luck. The shots were taken from a distance at dusk and are a mixture of my own shots and those of my companion:

[Pauline]

Yesterday I decided I would check on the WLH larva at OWH. They were initially found on a discrete clump of relatively small Elms but I could find no sign of any of the 4 larva seen previously despite an hours careful search. I assume they have either been predated or have gone up or down to pupate. I am convinced from my rearing activities with this species that they pupate in a variety of places including the soil and their choice of location is probably influenced by several factors including the size and type of Elm. Paul has already demonstrated that even on the tree they are not consistent in where they pupate whether it be leaf or bark. It was disappointing not to be able to locate them but not unexpected and those who have attempted to track immature stages in the wild will know exactly how much time and effort is involved for (very often) little return.

A consolation prize was seeing the Adonis on this site both male and female. I struggled to see whether the females were egg-laying or just newly emerged as several were crawling around in the grass. I hope my physio can work his magic on my back as it is still quite painful to bend but that is my punishment for lifting stone benches and fence panels A couple of females had a lovely sprinkling of blue:

A couple of Dingy Skippers appeared to be egg-laying on a grassy bank. Now this was more interesting. The tendency was to land on the larval food plant with wings fully open. After a few seconds like this the wings would be half closed as the abdomen scraped along the food plant and the butterfly went to the nearest energy source before repeating the process. It was frustrating not being able to locate an egg (more bending!) but neither did I have my hand lens which is becoming increasingly necessary

There were lots of other butterflies around - vibrant Common Blues, Holly Blue, a single Small Blue, Grizzled Skipper and Green Hairstreaks to name just a few but even better for me was my first ever shot of a Green Woodpecker. It flew past me and landed in trees so far away I couldn't even see it. I just pointed the camera at the trees and hoped for the best. The shot is massively cropped but at least it is just about identifiable:

[Pauline]

It is good to have Pearls so close to home but for the Small variety it is necessary to travel a bit further - worth it tho' for my annual look at this lovely butterfly. They were hard to track down and in the wall-to-wall sunshine in the 2 hours I was there were even harder to photograph.

I think the colours of this butterfly are amazing:

There weren't that many Pearls about compared to previous years but those I saw ranged from very worn to relatively fresh. I witnessed 3-4 failed courtship attempts:

I also saw a couple of Marsh Frits but the one I chose to point my camera at was probably the most worn:

[Goldie M]

Nothing wrong with your last batch of shots Pauline, love them
I hope I see some Adonis when I'm on the holiday that will suit me, also a Grizzled Skipper if I'm not too late Goldie

[Wurzel]

I agree with Jenks and David Pauline - it was the song that did it, a "sweet fluid descending lilt" is how I saw it coined when I was starting out birding many, many moons ago - strange the stuff that sticks Loving the Adonis and did you find the Small Pearls at Bentley? I only ask as I was a bit worried that they might not have been there after the poor showing last year and so I've been trying to find out about a 'back up' site?

Have a goodun

Wurzel