Janet Turnbull

[Old Wolf]

Hello Janet,
I am catching up on diaries and have just finished yours. What a diverse selection you have been seeing with some great shots of our avian friends. Also, you are knocking it out of the park with the abs so far, especially the Valezina, definitely worthy of one of these

[Janet Turnbull]

Having seen on BC that we should try to leave the grass to grow long, I have resisted the temptation to mow the lawn. If that's what it can still be called. The garden isn't that big and simply mowing a path to the washing line seriously depleted the amount of long grass remaining, but as I sat in the sunshine on Sunday afternoon we were rewarded by a visit from a Small Skipper - I'm sure we have never previously had one in the garden.

A very handsome, fresh and hirsute Small Tortoiseshell and a battered Painted Lady sampled the verbena bonariensis.

[bugboy]

Well done for not mowing the lawn Janet, doesn't matter how small it is, every little helps as your Skipper visitor shows. Can't help but notice it's a female and she's perched on one of the favoured food plants, Yorkshire Fog. I suspect you'll be seeing a few more next year

[Janet Turnbull]

8th July: Anderton nature Park
G and I took an afternoon out to the naturepark - the day had lost the sunshine although it was still very warm and humid. We were hoping for Purple Hairstreaks, but it was not to be. G rescued a Peacock caterpillar from certain death as it hurried across the footpath, and set it on a nettle where it seemed happy.

The first butterflies we saw were Meadow Browns all busy egg-laying, but the one I happened upon is a double-eyespot individual.

Dozens of Ringlets were fluttering in the 'Uplands' meadow and we were thrilled with our first sighting this year of a Gatekeeper and we kicked up a moth which may be a Red Carpet.

[Wurzel]

Cracking shot of the Hedge Brown Janet Good job on resisting the mowing too I reckon your moth is a Shaded Broad-bar

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Lovely Gate Keeper shot Janst, not seen them here yet Goldie

[Janet Turnbull]

I'm not sure I really want a garden full of Yorkshire Fog, Bugboy! I just read that the roots of an acre of Yorkshire Fog would weigh 7 tons (not that our garden is that big)
It was the first Gatekeeper here, Goldie
Thanks for IDing the moth for me, Wurzel - I couldn't find it in my books
Thanks for your kind comment, Old Wolf! I guess I was just lucky - I didn't recognise any as being abs until later.

Don't know what happened to the report on Bucknell Wood - the photos haven't matched up with the words at all!

[David M]

Love the Hedge Brown, Janet. I always think once they've hit their peak summer is on the wane.

[bugboy]

I'm not sure I really want a garden full of Yorkshire Fog, Bugboy! I just read that the roots of an acre of Yorkshire Fog would weigh 7 tons (not that our garden is that big)

Yellow Rattle is your friend in this context Janet

[Janet Turnbull]

The annual road trip to Denmark and Norway part 1
Stopping over at Mulmshorn in German to break the journey, A and I took a stroll along the lane to where we found the Large Chequered Skippers last year - and sure enough, a couple were there again in the same place, although a week later than before. The sunn was a little uncertain so they were quite docile until I got too close for comfort

and the soldier beetles were on military exercises

[Janet Turnbull]

Annual road trip to Denmark and Norway part 2
On reaching Jeni's house near Skanderborg, I discovered several heavily marked GVWs as well as more 'normal' ones

Along the lane from the house were dragonflies, of which only one actually landed.

The Small Tort looked brand new but the Painted Lady, whilst well coloured, had a bite out of her wing. The Meadow Browns were busy laying eggs deep in the grass and were almost invisible when closed.

[Wurzel]

Fantastic images Janet That Large Chequered Skipper is something else it wouldn't look out of place in a tropical rainforest somewhere The Painted Lady is also a cracker - it seems to have two extra spots on each of its fore wings - something I've not seen before Looking forward to what you see next

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Looking forward to reading more about your trip, Janet. I love the Large Chequered Skipper and the Green Veined White is absolutely stunning.

It's always interesting to see overseas variants of butterflies we get in the UK and that one is particularly attractive.

[Janet Turnbull]

Big trip part 3
Our stay in Denmark was brief and all energies were concentrated on taming the garden. Then it was a drive up to Hirtshals to get the ferry to Bergen. One night there on son's sofa before we all drove 300km generally eastwards to a big campsite at Gol, where we are at 1500ft. Chris and his four had a big family tent next to our cabin. It's great for the kids and they went off each day to swim while A and I went for gentle walks in the forest. Coated in sun cream and midge spray, we looked for butterflies and I took the photos while A tried to find a bit of shade.
Our sightings included what I believe was a Large Tortoiseshell, Scarce Copper,

and what I thought were Scotch Argus but may be Arran Browns.

Silver-washed, High Brown and Queen of Spain Fritillaries,(but I'm happy to be told I'm wrong!)

Dark Green Frit

and I could not decide if this was a PBF or an SPBF

Common (maybe) and Silver-studded Blues.

The temperature was around 30 degrees in the shade and the butterflies predictably super-charged, especially the blues which rarely settled and when they did, they kept their wings closed. The little Coppers agressively chased off the big Fritillaries and the only butterflies which gave me much of a chance were the Erebias.
The first drops of rain began to fall as we left the campsite this morning and we drove back to Bergen in Biblically torrential rain. End of summer?

[David M]

Some good stuff in there, Janet. I think your Blues may be Idas Blues. They don't look 'right' for Silver-Studded.

[Janet Turnbull]

Thank you, David! Internet time is very limited at the moment so I didn't get to look them up properly - I will ave to do that when we get back home.

August 4th; back to Denmark
Today's offering is a Queen of Spain fritillary which was in our daughter's garden on Friday; not a perfect specimen but so very joyful looking.

Two days ago (2nd August) the buddleia bush in the garden was absolutely humming with activity - I have never seen so many butterflies at at once. There must have been over 50 Peacocks, which were by far in the majority, followed by Red Admirals, Painted Ladies and a scattering of Small Torts. A few Silver Y moths were also nectaring on the bush. There was a couple of Brimstones and just a few whites - most of which, together with two or three Maps and a Holly Blue, preferred the marjoram and oregano growing in the border.

Suddenly for no apparent reason, a cloud of butterflies rose from the bush and circled round, most coming back in to land again.
Next day was more overcast and only a few butterflies remained on the bush, while many butterflies hunkered down in the grass, virtually invisible, to wait for the sun to come out again. Just walking across the lawn raised a dozen or more.

A large Longhorn beetle wandered across the lawn and out on the roadside I captured a grasshopper

The weather seems to be deteriorating now with thunderstorms promised, and sadly we leave for home tomorrow, where reports of flooding and constant rain suggest that our own buddleia bush may not have enjoyed quite the same attention from the 'sommerfugle'.

[David M]

Hope the storms weren't as severe as the ones my part of the UK is experiencing right now, Janet.

Any further butterfly images from that part of Europe would be welcome, be they non UK species or those we see here that may have different forms in that part of the continent.

[Janet Turnbull]

Hope the storms weren't as severe as the ones my part of the UK is experiencing right now, Janet.

I've now looked up the Idas Blue and have to agree my photo looks very similar! I'm still struggling to figure out the difference from a SS Blue though.

The ferry crossing was smooth and we arrived back home to a lovely day making us wonder about the reports of storms! Friday was also sunny and although I was too tired to get the camera out, I was pleased to see three Painted Ladies and a Peacock on the buddleia. By afternoon we were being deluged with astonishing amounts of rain..Where do the butterflies go for shelter? This morning there was a brief spell of sunshine and two Small Whites and a Holly Blue showed up but did not settle long enough for me to rush in and get the camera. All windy and cloudy this afternoon.

[David M]

...I've now looked up the Idas Blue and have to agree my photo looks very similar! I'm still struggling to figure out the difference from a SS Blue though.

That's until you see them both together, Janet. SSB generally has much broader black margins to the upperside and larger spots on the undersides. It is also smaller and has more rounded wings than Idas, and its ground colour on the underside is paler.

Here, Silver Studded is on the left with Idas on the right:

[Janet Turnbull]

The Painted Lady is also a cracker - it seems to have two extra spots on each of its fore wings - something I've not seen before Looking forward to what you see next

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Only now having a chance for a good look at the comments and compare photos! Thanks for your comment, Wurzel - you are right, and I had not noticed the extra spots on the Norwegian PL. Other PLs from Denmark that I photographed do not have those extra markings.

David - thank you for the comparison picture. Do they normally occur together? Just to confuse things, this Blue was at a different location from the other Idas and was practically indistinguishable from the greyish background.