Pauline
Re: Pauline
Hi! Pauline, glad to see you're still posting, A Green Hair Streak in August, that would be great if they did start having second broods, if I miss them up here I could catch them down there in Kent.
That poor Butterfly Pauline, I don't like to see that happen, West Thorney sounds great to visit, it must have been amazing seeing all those Butterflies at once Goldie
That poor Butterfly Pauline, I don't like to see that happen, West Thorney sounds great to visit, it must have been amazing seeing all those Butterflies at once Goldie
Re: Pauline
Thank you Goldie - it really was quite spectacular not least because they were all in the same small area.
Hi Neil - perhaps I need to invest in that book - I'm sure I've seen it referred to before somewhere Seriously, that is extremely interesting and also good to know. I shall expect to see my sighting mentioned in your next book!
Hi Neil - perhaps I need to invest in that book - I'm sure I've seen it referred to before somewhere Seriously, that is extremely interesting and also good to know. I shall expect to see my sighting mentioned in your next book!
Re: Pauline
18 August
A return visit to West Thorney today did not disappoint. Amongst the masses of Whites and dozens of Painted Ladies a few Clouded Yellows made an appearance. A few of the butterflies had a bit of damage but, hey, they’ve been around for a while now. Others were very fresh including a Holly Blue which I watched egg-laying. Unfortunately, the shots of both the ovi-posting and the eggs were blurred due to the strong wind. Despite the numbers of Painted Ladies here I was still unable to find any of the immature stages. A distant shot of Lapwings on the water:
A return visit to West Thorney today did not disappoint. Amongst the masses of Whites and dozens of Painted Ladies a few Clouded Yellows made an appearance. A few of the butterflies had a bit of damage but, hey, they’ve been around for a while now. Others were very fresh including a Holly Blue which I watched egg-laying. Unfortunately, the shots of both the ovi-posting and the eggs were blurred due to the strong wind. Despite the numbers of Painted Ladies here I was still unable to find any of the immature stages. A distant shot of Lapwings on the water:
Re: Pauline
I'm pleased to see that you do not stick too firmly to arbitrary rules, Pauline. If you stay around, you might find some Long-tailed Blues next
Mike
Mike
Re: Pauline
What with the Heatwave starting today it's good to see you're out of hibernation Pauline Cracking shots of the Brostreaks and Cloudies so no wonder you got the itchy feet and had to get back out
Have a goodun
Wurzel
Have a goodun
Wurzel
-
- Posts: 2483
- Joined: Sun Jul 24, 2011 6:23 pm
Re: Pauline
Good to see you back, Pauline! As Mike says, don’t go into hibernation just yet, for things could get interesting at the end of this month...
Re: Pauline
I reckon you could be absolutely right Mike . Good to hear from you.
Cheers Wurzel - not sure how long it will last but we'll see......
Thanks Mark - I certainly hope so
19 August
Earlier in the season I watched a Small White egg-laying in my garden and posted a shot of the egg on my diary. The eggs hatched, the cats grew but I was surprised to find they had pupated on one of my potted plants – a Daphne I think! The camouflage is superb – I shall keep an eye on these. Sadly one of the larva got eaten by this bug which I have so far been unable to identify (some sort of Cabbage Bug?):
Cheers Wurzel - not sure how long it will last but we'll see......
Thanks Mark - I certainly hope so
19 August
Earlier in the season I watched a Small White egg-laying in my garden and posted a shot of the egg on my diary. The eggs hatched, the cats grew but I was surprised to find they had pupated on one of my potted plants – a Daphne I think! The camouflage is superb – I shall keep an eye on these. Sadly one of the larva got eaten by this bug which I have so far been unable to identify (some sort of Cabbage Bug?):
Re: Pauline
A well timed break from hibernation if I may say so, Pauline.
As others have said, the very end of this season could be very exciting.
You mentioned that Thorney Island was heaving with Butterflies, and is also M.O.D. land.
A site I visit regularly on Salisbury Plain is M.O.D. and a superb butterfly site.
I think this is down to such land being left alone, ie. little Human interference where
nature can get on with it, and of course the land has always been free from pesticides, and fertilisers.
Perhaps we should join the Military!. .
Trevor.
As others have said, the very end of this season could be very exciting.
You mentioned that Thorney Island was heaving with Butterflies, and is also M.O.D. land.
A site I visit regularly on Salisbury Plain is M.O.D. and a superb butterfly site.
I think this is down to such land being left alone, ie. little Human interference where
nature can get on with it, and of course the land has always been free from pesticides, and fertilisers.
Perhaps we should join the Military!. .
Trevor.
Re: Pauline
Hi Pauline ,
I think your ' Cabbage bug ' could be the early stage of the Pied Shieldbug - Tritomegas bicolor , but don't hold me to it .
Glad the Brown Hairstreaks eventually turned up for you . Here on the Kent / Surrey border where we had to rescue eggs from the flail last autumn and
wire them into receiving sites and the original site after the flail had done it's worst , we have had 37 sightings over 3 of the 4 sites , with plenty of egg laying too , boding well for next year . But it has been a very strange year for the species .
Cheers Greenie
I think your ' Cabbage bug ' could be the early stage of the Pied Shieldbug - Tritomegas bicolor , but don't hold me to it .
Glad the Brown Hairstreaks eventually turned up for you . Here on the Kent / Surrey border where we had to rescue eggs from the flail last autumn and
wire them into receiving sites and the original site after the flail had done it's worst , we have had 37 sightings over 3 of the 4 sites , with plenty of egg laying too , boding well for next year . But it has been a very strange year for the species .
Cheers Greenie
Re: Pauline
Hi Trevor - how do I sign up? I think you could possibly be right about MOD land. Time yet to meet up over a LTB
How ya doing Greenie? Good to hear from you. Yes, I've been following your posts about the Kent BH - well done! I think you are correct about Shield Bug too (presumably Cabbage bugs are vegetarian?). Definitely immature stage as I watched it grow and change after those photos.
I'm going to jump forward a few weeks now just to stay on topic. I did keep an eye on those Small White Pupa so here are a few shots of one.
31 August:
1 September
10.13am:
11.30am
12.30pm:
12.45pm:
Not a great deal of difference in them as far as I could see but then it happened at 13.00pm:
How ya doing Greenie? Good to hear from you. Yes, I've been following your posts about the Kent BH - well done! I think you are correct about Shield Bug too (presumably Cabbage bugs are vegetarian?). Definitely immature stage as I watched it grow and change after those photos.
I'm going to jump forward a few weeks now just to stay on topic. I did keep an eye on those Small White Pupa so here are a few shots of one.
31 August:
1 September
10.13am:
11.30am
12.30pm:
12.45pm:
Not a great deal of difference in them as far as I could see but then it happened at 13.00pm:
Re: Pauline
Cracking sequence again Pauline As you're out of hibernation are you going to be able to make it to the Social this year? It was good to see you last year but we didn't get o have a proper chin wag
Have a goodun
Wurzel
Have a goodun
Wurzel
Re: Pauline
Cheers Wurzel -afraid I can never be sure about the Social until a couple of days before .........and I might be hibernating again by then
Whilst taking these shots above I was aware that several Small Whites were in the garden and kept returning to the Plum tree where I could see a Small White was resting and rejecting their advances. It wasn’t until slightly later that I realised it was a mating pair. Strange as it might seem, this is the very first time I have seen Small Whites mating and was particularly pleased to get my first shots in my garden:
Whilst taking these shots above I was aware that several Small Whites were in the garden and kept returning to the Plum tree where I could see a Small White was resting and rejecting their advances. It wasn’t until slightly later that I realised it was a mating pair. Strange as it might seem, this is the very first time I have seen Small Whites mating and was particularly pleased to get my first shots in my garden:
Re: Pauline
Pauline wrote:...As he was talking to me a fresh Green Hairstreak????? flew past.
Amazing sighting, Pauline. I don't think I've ever heard of one being spotted in August before.
Re: Pauline
Me neither!!! It was almost a relief when Neil informed that there had been records of a second brood in 2013 in Sussex. Interestingly that was also the year that a number of LTB came to our shores. Perhaps the same climate suits them both but if we get any more 'LTB years' I shall certainly be on the lookout for 2nd brood GH - just wish it had settled on my side of the checkpoint
20 August
A final trip Thorney to look for Painted Lady eggs or larva – again without success. Nevertheless, it was a joy just to stand for a couple of hours in one small area and watch the activities of dozens and dozens of butterflies. I took a few more shots of the Painted Ladies as it might be a while before the opportunity returns to view them in such numbers and GVW mating.
The second Wasp Spider I have seen this week – thankfully this one didn’t have a butterfly in its clutches.
As I wanted to know more about them and their strange web construction this is an extract I found:
‘Wasp spiders are a very distinctive looking species. They have black and yellow stripes across their bodies, looking like no other species of spider found in the UK. Their colour and pattern mimics the colouration of a wasp, which is where the Wasp spider gets its name from. Their appearance is actually a defence mechanism, as by disguising themselves as wasps, predators leave well alone believing them to be a wasp and not a spider. Their bright appearance may seem dangerous, but don’t be fooled as these mesmerising little creatures are actually harmless! And in fact are related to the Common garden spider.
To match their unique look, Wasp spiders also have a unique web. They are orb-shaped, like a Common garden spider, but they have a single zig-zag pattern of silk through the centre rather than all over. Their webs aren’t always like this. When Wasp spiders are young, their web is a circular zigzagging design. When the spider grows older, it makes both the circular and straight zigzag pattern through its web, until it eventually only makes the straight zigzag pattern.
The zigzag design is created to reflect UV light and attract pollinating insects like flies, bees and moths!
As is the case with many spider species, the females rule the roost!-Or web in this case! Female Wasp spiders are much larger than males, measuring in at an impressive 14-18mm, whilst males only reach up to between 4 and 6mm.When it comes to mating, males play a daring and dangerous game. Males will wait at the edge of a web until the female has moulted into a mature form then will dive in to make their move. Females actually eat males whilst they are mating, so doing it at this precise moment is key to the hopeful survival of males as the female’s jaws are still soft. However, luck isn’t on their side much and the females still eat the males alive, soft jaws or not!’
20 August
A final trip Thorney to look for Painted Lady eggs or larva – again without success. Nevertheless, it was a joy just to stand for a couple of hours in one small area and watch the activities of dozens and dozens of butterflies. I took a few more shots of the Painted Ladies as it might be a while before the opportunity returns to view them in such numbers and GVW mating.
The second Wasp Spider I have seen this week – thankfully this one didn’t have a butterfly in its clutches.
As I wanted to know more about them and their strange web construction this is an extract I found:
‘Wasp spiders are a very distinctive looking species. They have black and yellow stripes across their bodies, looking like no other species of spider found in the UK. Their colour and pattern mimics the colouration of a wasp, which is where the Wasp spider gets its name from. Their appearance is actually a defence mechanism, as by disguising themselves as wasps, predators leave well alone believing them to be a wasp and not a spider. Their bright appearance may seem dangerous, but don’t be fooled as these mesmerising little creatures are actually harmless! And in fact are related to the Common garden spider.
To match their unique look, Wasp spiders also have a unique web. They are orb-shaped, like a Common garden spider, but they have a single zig-zag pattern of silk through the centre rather than all over. Their webs aren’t always like this. When Wasp spiders are young, their web is a circular zigzagging design. When the spider grows older, it makes both the circular and straight zigzag pattern through its web, until it eventually only makes the straight zigzag pattern.
The zigzag design is created to reflect UV light and attract pollinating insects like flies, bees and moths!
As is the case with many spider species, the females rule the roost!-Or web in this case! Female Wasp spiders are much larger than males, measuring in at an impressive 14-18mm, whilst males only reach up to between 4 and 6mm.When it comes to mating, males play a daring and dangerous game. Males will wait at the edge of a web until the female has moulted into a mature form then will dive in to make their move. Females actually eat males whilst they are mating, so doing it at this precise moment is key to the hopeful survival of males as the female’s jaws are still soft. However, luck isn’t on their side much and the females still eat the males alive, soft jaws or not!’
Re: Pauline
Well it was certainly worth coming out of hibernation, an awful lot of envy inducing images and a second brood Green Hairstreak to boot!
Some addictions are good for the soul!
Re: Pauline
Aaaw, thanks Buggy - appreciate that
21 August – Noar Hill
Possibly the last visit of the season to this site given the lack of Brown Hairstreak sightings. Great to see Mike and Cathy again whose sharp eyes spotted the only BH found that day – a lovely female who stayed with us for ages. If only it hadn’t been for that strong breeze ……….Thanks both for cheering me up (never laughed so much in ages).
and a lovely fresh Small Tortoiseshell put in an appearance:
21 August – Noar Hill
Possibly the last visit of the season to this site given the lack of Brown Hairstreak sightings. Great to see Mike and Cathy again whose sharp eyes spotted the only BH found that day – a lovely female who stayed with us for ages. If only it hadn’t been for that strong breeze ……….Thanks both for cheering me up (never laughed so much in ages).
and a lovely fresh Small Tortoiseshell put in an appearance:
Re: Pauline
22 August
A trip into Surrey today and another Brown Hairtreak seen egg-laying:
I believe several more were seen after I had to leave. Good to see you again Martin and thanks for your recent help.
A trip into Surrey today and another Brown Hairtreak seen egg-laying:
I believe several more were seen after I had to leave. Good to see you again Martin and thanks for your recent help.
Re: Pauline
23 August
Sussex provided another change of scene and welcome views (albeit distant) of several LTB. Looking quite tatty now but hey, who cares?! It was just good to see and photo a few of the primary immigrant adults:
A large caterpillar seen moving rapidly – given its size presumably searching for a place to pupate. I’m pretty sure it’s a Buff-tip moth larva.
Sussex provided another change of scene and welcome views (albeit distant) of several LTB. Looking quite tatty now but hey, who cares?! It was just good to see and photo a few of the primary immigrant adults:
A large caterpillar seen moving rapidly – given its size presumably searching for a place to pupate. I’m pretty sure it’s a Buff-tip moth larva.
Re: Pauline
24 August
You might recall that earlier on in my diary I threw out a request along the lines of ‘if anyone knows anyone who has a friend that has LTB eggs in their garden please ask them to get in touch’. Well, a friend of a friend actually did find LTB eggs in his garden and generously allowed me to rear one. Yesterday, 23 August I saw the egg hatch:
You might recall that earlier on in my diary I threw out a request along the lines of ‘if anyone knows anyone who has a friend that has LTB eggs in their garden please ask them to get in touch’. Well, a friend of a friend actually did find LTB eggs in his garden and generously allowed me to rear one. Yesterday, 23 August I saw the egg hatch:
- Chris Jackson
- Posts: 1929
- Joined: Mon May 06, 2013 6:35 am
- Location: Marseilles, France
Re: Pauline
A great series of LTB hatching shots, Pauline.
Well done.
Did the cat eat the chorion?
Chris
Well done.
Did the cat eat the chorion?
Chris