dilettante

[dilettante]

Thanks Wurzel. Yes, definitely some snakelike manoeuvres were required to creep up close on my belly

[David M]

I love the underside markings on Walls.

Me too, and you've captured them beautifully there, dilettante. They're so intricate and cryptic. Perhaps the loveliest amongst all the UK satyrids.

[dilettante]

28-Jul to 8-Aug-2018
Just back from a family holiday to Northern Spain (Cantabria, Biscay). As usual this was not a primarily butterflying holiday but I always keep my eye out.

Clouded Yellows were very common along the coast:



And Speckled Woods, in their more orange continental form


Just a Red Admiral, but nice and fresh:


And I think these are just Common Blues:



This Short-tailed Blue was nice to see on a fairly grey day



In Bilbao, we took the funicular to the top of a hill at Artxanda, where I came across two Scarce Swallowtails hilltopping. One eventually settled for a few seconds.



And in the museum of fine arts, a reminder that great artists often take a bit of licence with realistic potrayal of their subjects! This is a detail from a still life by Juan de Arellano:

[Wurzel]

Great set of shots Dilettante I'm off to France soon and Scarce Swallowtails are almost top of my hitlist I like you will be on a family holiday so most of y sightings will be grab shots whilst out and about doing touristy things

Have a godun

Wurzel

[David M]

Like it, dilettante. The 'common' butterflies on these family holidays are predominantly those we don't see at all in the UK, so even a half hour stroll should turn up something unusual.

Love the Short Tailed Blues. You've captured them really well!

[Goldie M]

Lovely shots dilettante, it's always good to see Butterflies we don't see here, Goldie

[dilettante]

Time to start my diary for 2019, a bit late!

I forgot to record my first sightings of the year of the hibernators, but last week was the start of the spring butterflies for me.

17th April 2019
A turn around Cherry Hinton pit LNR turned up Holly Blue, Speckled Wood and Orange Tip - all firsts of the year for me. Also Brimstones, Comma, Peacock. And a Small Tortoiseshell and Green-veined White in the same location the following day. A good start after a long wait.

Speckled Wood, Cherry Hinton LNR, 17-Apr-2019

20th April 2019
I went for a bike ride and stopped off at Over Cutting, Cambs to look for Grizzled Skipper. It's a small and not very accessible site, but the grizzlies seem to be just about hanging on. I found one fairly quickly, but that was about it:

Grizzled Skipper, Over Cutting, Cambs 20-Apr-2019
I was also delighted to see a pair of Small Coppers - I hardly ever see these in this part of the world. The two were squabbling and duelling so not sitting still for photographs much

Small Copper, Over Cutting, Cambs 20-Apr-2019

I returned on my way home but neither skippers nor coppers were in evidence.

22nd April 2019
I went up to Devil's Dyke near Newmarket in search of Dingy Skippers and Green Hairstreaks. It's a big area, with steep grass banks and very few flowers to serve as any sort of magnet for skippers, so it was a bit of a needle in a haystack job. I was going to give up until someone I met said he'd seen a couple so I persevered and managed to find a couple. They weren't posing well, and I'd brought the wrong lens, but at least I found them. And I don't think I've photographed the underside of a Dingy Skipper before, so all good!

Dingy Skipper, Devil's Dyke, Newmarket 22-Apr-2019


Dingy Skipper, Devil's Dyke, Newmarket 22-Apr-2019



Green Hairstreak, Devil's Dyke, Newmarket 22-Apr-2019



Pasque Flower, Devil's Dyke, Newmarket 22-Apr-2019

[Wurzel]

A cracking start Dilettante and a cracking selection of shots - especially the closed wing Dingy - don't often see that particular pose Things are motoring along nicely now

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

As ever, great images, dilettante. Seems everyone is seeing Dingy Skippers except me....even their undersides!

[Goldie M]

Lovely shots dilettante, your off to a great start, Goldie

[dilettante]

Thanks for the kind comments Wurzel, David and Goldie

[dilettante]

Weds 15th May 2019

I was supposed to be working from home but the weather was too good, the dog needed walking, and I'd had a enticing report by email of the butterflies of Totternhoe Knolls, so decided to take the afternoon off and take myself there. I'm very glad I did.
The only time I'd been there before was on a damp May day in 2011 when I'd struggled to find a solitary Small Blue skulking in the wet grass and not much else. Yesterday was glorious sunshine, and the butterflies put on a much better show.

I came across this Small Blue very quickly.



I was on the look out also for Duke of Burgundy, but realised I was in the wrong place, with a lack of cowslips. I did see a Green Hairstreak (first of several), and this Holly Blue ovipositing on dogwood:



I moved on and soon found myself in more promising Duke terrain. Dingy Skippers were everywhere - I've not seen so many for a long time - but it took a while to spot my first Duke:



But now I was in the right place there were quite a few to be found, and I spent a very pleasant hour or so poking around.



A bonus Brimstone on a cowslip:



All so much better than working!

[Wurzel]

Beautiful shots as always Dilettante but hats off for the Small Blue shot - that is sublime, easily one of the best I've seen Definitely better than working

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Beautiful detail in that Small Blue image, dilettante. The Brimstone is striking too, with that glimpse of the upperside.

[dilettante]

16th June 2019

It was too windy for photographs, but I went down to Therfield Heath, Herts to look for Summer butterflies.
Meadow Browns were out in quite good numbers in the more sheltered spot, five or six Marbled Whites, and a single fast-flying Dark Green Fritillary

In my garden in Cambs, a Painted Lady (there seem to be a lot of these about recently), a fresh Red Admiral, a Large Skipper and a Holly Blue.

[dilettante]

Sunday 23-Jun-2019

Living in Cambridgeshire, there are some butterflies that I can't really justify making the trip to see, but I was in Weymouth for the weekend, so coming back via Collard Hill was not much of a detour. I've never seen Large Blues before, so this was an opoortunity not to be missed. Yesterday had been sunny and warm; today was cooler, with an East wind and overcast. It didn't take too long to find my first individual, and over the course of a couple of hours I saw probably seven or eight. None was in great condition, but fantastic to see them for the first time.









I think those last two are male and female respectively, if anyone can confirm?

[Wurzel]

Cracking stuff Dilettante - even when a little past their best they're still an impressive butterfly I reckon you've got the genders correct, males have fewer and smaller spots/flashes than the female

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Nice images as ever, dilettante. I guess the recent storms didn't do the butterflies any favours. Normally, Large Blues are still pretty fresh looking around midsummer's day (in some years their flight season has barely begun).

[dilettante]

Thanks Wurzel and David.

While I'm writing, I'll note my first Ringlet this morning in Trumpington Meadows, Cambs

[dilettante]

Saturday 29-Jun-2019

With temperatures around 30C, I went to Trumpington Meadows, just south of Cambridge . Not long ago this was arable land but is now an amazing meadow full of knapweed, oxeye daisies, grasses, trefoil etc (and divided down the middle by the M11). And so many butterflies - mostly Meadow Browns, Small Heaths and the like, but I haven't seen them in such numbers for a long time.

The heat meant everything was very active and not inclined to open their wings, but here are some mediocre pictures!

Species seen:
Large and Small Whites, Large and Small Skippers, Marbled White, Meadow Brown, Small Heath, Common Blue, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell.