Good to see your Small Tortoiseshell, saw three at the Whitehall garden centre
at Laycock last week, guess what!, no camera with me.
And that is a fabulous ' blue ' female Common Blue from a couple of posts back.
Wiltshire does seem to produce some very fine ' blue ' female Blues.
Trevor.
Wurzel
Re: Wurzel
Your Marble White reminds me of chasing, I should say hobbling 
through the fields in Kent looking for a shot of one but unable to be quick enough to get my shot I diid how ever in the end Goldie 
through the fields in Kent looking for a shot of one but unable to be quick enough to get my shot I diid how ever in the end Goldie Re: Wurzel
Fresh Marbled Whites! Is it really that long since they were out? I love the inkiness of the black markings and the contrast with the creamy white - great shots, Wurzel. 
Cheers,
Dave
Cheers,
Dave
Re: Wurzel
Cheers Nick If you do pay a visit down South give us a holler and I can try and put you onto some good sites and if allowed I could show you around some
Cheers Trevor The Small Torts do seem to be doing much, much better in Wiltshire than in other parts - I think there were only one or two visits this year when I didn't record at least one - long may it continue
Cheers Goldie I was looking through some of my younger daughters old Beano books (well they were actually mine but have now found a younger, more avid reader ) and in one of them was the solution that you could have used for your boot; you could have put a roller skate in it and then whizzed across the Downs hunting down the Marbs 
Cheers Dave It seems like only yesterday that I was eagerly anticipating their arrival and now here we are in mid September, the nights are drawing in and the butterflies are waning 
I blame Brexit
Have a goodun
Wurzel
If you do pay a visit down South give us a holler and I can try and put you onto some good sites and if allowed I could show you around some Cheers Trevor
The Small Torts do seem to be doing much, much better in Wiltshire than in other parts - I think there were only one or two visits this year when I didn't record at least one - long may it continue Cheers Goldie
I was looking through some of my younger daughters old Beano books (well they were actually mine but have now found a younger, more avid reader ) and in one of them was the solution that you could have used for your boot; you could have put a roller skate in it and then whizzed across the Downs hunting down the Marbs Cheers Dave
It seems like only yesterday that I was eagerly anticipating their arrival and now here we are in mid September, the nights are drawing in and the butterflies are waning I blame Brexit Have a goodun
Wurzel
Re: Wurzel
Grovely Woods 30-06-2019
As the girls were still away my wife and I took the opportunity of a woodland walk without the moans or constant “how far is it?” questioning. We decided on Grovely Wood as my wife hadn’t been there before and in the hot weather the thought of a little shade was appealing. I had no expectations but took my camera just in case.
The first part is a dusty trackway that gently climbs uphill hemmed in by Beech trees; a Painted Lady was there at the start to entice us further up the track. Occasionally there is a break between the trees and then on the other side the margins of the fields have been left to their own devices, little ecological buffer zones between the wood and the arable fields. I glimpsed golden skipper, meadow Browns, Ringlets and the occasional Marbled White as we walked. As it started to level as we neared the brow of the hill a Small White flew near us and at top a Ringlet posed nicely as we gingerly edged through the Bramble tunnel.
Now the shade really picked up as we were in the wood proper and so we carried on breaking out into the sun again as we walked along one of the woodland rides. The Browns (Meadow Brown and Ringlet) and Large Skippers abounded on the lush vegetation and then like a flying scimitar cutting through the air my first White Admiral of 2019. What a cracking sight!
Slightly further on I spied another White Admiral doing the familiar slow circular cruise. I waited and sure enough it came down to the deck a couple of times. Unfortunately whatever it was that had attracted it was in much shorter supply than it had anticipated and so it promptly took off again.
The wood changed now with more open wider areas from tree clearance, felling of pines. As I scanned across the butterflies that fluttered about a vivid orange butterfly flew and landed up high. Too high for a decent shot unfortunately but still identifiable as a Silver-washed Fritillary, another first for the year. Once we’d walked on through the Fairy Tale like part of the wood (massive gnarly Oaks randomly placed) and reached the crossroads we made the turn around having first added another 2 White Admirals which were gliding about near the turn around point to the tally. On the later stretches of the walk back whilst still in the wood a White Admiral hung around up high for a bit peering down at me, the undersides gloriously backlit and making rue that I’d not brought a step ladder with me. On the final stretch surrounded by dust and Beech a Specklie wished adieu. All in all a lovely and productive afternoon walk.
Have a goodun
Wurzel
As the girls were still away my wife and I took the opportunity of a woodland walk without the moans or constant “how far is it?” questioning. We decided on Grovely Wood as my wife hadn’t been there before and in the hot weather the thought of a little shade was appealing. I had no expectations but took my camera just in case.
The first part is a dusty trackway that gently climbs uphill hemmed in by Beech trees; a Painted Lady was there at the start to entice us further up the track. Occasionally there is a break between the trees and then on the other side the margins of the fields have been left to their own devices, little ecological buffer zones between the wood and the arable fields. I glimpsed golden skipper, meadow Browns, Ringlets and the occasional Marbled White as we walked. As it started to level as we neared the brow of the hill a Small White flew near us and at top a Ringlet posed nicely as we gingerly edged through the Bramble tunnel.
Slightly further on I spied another White Admiral doing the familiar slow circular cruise. I waited and sure enough it came down to the deck a couple of times. Unfortunately whatever it was that had attracted it was in much shorter supply than it had anticipated and so it promptly took off again.
Once we’d walked on through the Fairy Tale like part of the wood (massive gnarly Oaks randomly placed) and reached the crossroads we made the turn around having first added another 2 White Admirals which were gliding about near the turn around point to the tally. On the later stretches of the walk back whilst still in the wood a White Admiral hung around up high for a bit peering down at me, the undersides gloriously backlit and making rue that I’d not brought a step ladder with me. On the final stretch surrounded by dust and Beech a Specklie wished adieu. All in all a lovely and productive afternoon walk.
Wurzel
Re: Wurzel
What a lovely fresh White Admiral, Wurzel - you can see all of its chequered fringes!
Cheers,
Dave
Cheers,
Dave
Re: Wurzel
Cheers Dave I was dead chuffed with that shots as it was such a fleeting liaison, all over in 15 seconds or less
Have a goodun
Wurzel
I was dead chuffed with that shots as it was such a fleeting liaison, all over in 15 seconds or less Have a goodun
Wurzel
Re: Wurzel
Slop Bog 02-07-2019 Part 1
The Silver-studded Blues had been flying for a while and due to one thing or another I’d not been able to catch up with them. To rectify this managed to arrange a visit after work. So come the day I was changed into my gear, coffee travel mug loaded with thick, hot black magic and with the ever popular Iron Maiden replacing my usual ear fodder for the journey home, I was away. Slightly annoyingly SATNAV had me travelling the usual route home but then on the outside of Salisbury I ended up following roads that I’d never ventured on previously before finding myself at Matchams where I was able to get my bearings. Then in no time at all it was a matter of parking, jumping out and marching through the wood before slowing as I stepped onto the boardwalk…
At this juncture of the site things suddenly change with habitat flipping from deciduous woodland to wet Dorset heathland. The trees stop suddenly to be replaced with reeds which peter out to cotton grasses and then heather. Almost as soon as I rounded the corner and spied heather before me I could see little puffs of blue floating over the tops of the Ling and Bell Heather like dyed cotton grass buds. Once off the boardwalk I was able to actually investigate rather than watching from afar and so I waded into the heather here noting that this area which is usually at east damp under foot is now bone dry. All around me Silver Studs fly most looking a bit worn and tired with chips and tears in their wings, some of them missing their margins and the worst looking a deep royal blue colour having lost the scales on their wings which give them their stunning electric blue colour when fresh. With these worn males were flying females that were in slightly better nick and they were almost as numerous as the males which left me feeling that perhaps I’d left it a little bit too late for a visit?
I carried on criss-crossing the heath and paused to watch the various shenanigans occasionally. At one point I was privy to a failed courtship. The male flew in and landed on the same perch as a female. After a bit of wing flapping she settled down slightly and things were looking good for the male I thought. They proceed with a bit of antenna touching and (the butterfly equivalent of checking out each other profile?) and shuffling along the twig. But no the female changes her mind and starts flapping her wings frantically again; a definite rebuff. The male flies off but not very far, just to a neighbouring stand of heather and where he settled down lower in the foliage to regroup and come up with a new strategy possibly. He seems to steel himself with a quick bask before flying back to the same female and having another go. He obviously hasn’t learnt the ‘No means No!’ and once again he gets the elbow.
I move over from the little initial field of heather and start working my way along the edges of the main track with a sea of pink and purple before me. The range of activities I manage to witness grows with fights between males over either perching spots or females, wing rolling, basking and sitting on poo. I saw a few butterflies doing this and one notable female was not only sitting on poo (one for the collection) but was also wing rolling. Pleased to see all of this I moved on not knowing or caring where my meanderings would take me and just enjoying there being so many Silver Studs. I can’t recall ever seeing so many and I’d have attempted counting but that would have been impossible as almost as soon as I’d take the next step countless butterflies would erupt from where they’d been hidden in plain sight and they bewilderingly fly off in different directions. It would have been as difficult as herding cats. I did witness another failed attempt at courtship and although the majority of the males that I found were tired looking the occasional fresher individual did turn up.
Having managed to find a few males in good nick I then started to search more actively for females. I was fairly convinced that they were about in only slightly lower numbers but they seemed to favour the more sheltered areas like the little under hangs below the crown of the heather. So instead of looking across the heath at the tops I’d reach a stand of heather and lean over to look around the lower stems. This worked out as a found a female which once she realised that I’d seen her flew up the floral bells and started prodding around them. She was a stunner and then I noticed a second female at my side only 20 or so centimetres away from the first one. I spent a good while with these ladies photographing one and then swivelling my hips to work on the second. The initial one seemed fresher and was a delicious chocolate brown occasionally showing the greens and oranges on the fore wings when the light hit them just right. The second had a few more scratches on her wings yet her margins were intact and near the body there were lovely blue hair like flecks which shimmered slightly in the early evening glow.
Slightly dozy from the heat and weary from work I wandered further afield into the heather. It felt like I was in the middle of a miniature jungle but in reality I was only three strides from the path! Heartbreakingly I witnessed yet another failed courtship but as some consolation I noticed that the males were starting to open up now. They crawl/tightrope walk along a side twig or blade of grass; ascend to the top of the heather amid the bells, and sit wings spread in the grasses. This meant I was able to pick and choose the better looking males for photographing yet the cloud wasn’t helping. One or two males really stood out. One was brilliantly marked, the blue blending into pure white at the front leading edge of the wing. Another stood out because it was smaller than one of the smallest brown Argus and also because it was so stunning painted.
I’ll leave it there for now – only another 500 photos to sort through!
Have a goodun
Wurzel
The Silver-studded Blues had been flying for a while and due to one thing or another I’d not been able to catch up with them. To rectify this managed to arrange a visit after work. So come the day I was changed into my gear, coffee travel mug loaded with thick, hot black magic and with the ever popular Iron Maiden replacing my usual ear fodder for the journey home, I was away. Slightly annoyingly SATNAV had me travelling the usual route home but then on the outside of Salisbury I ended up following roads that I’d never ventured on previously before finding myself at Matchams where I was able to get my bearings. Then in no time at all it was a matter of parking, jumping out and marching through the wood before slowing as I stepped onto the boardwalk…
At this juncture of the site things suddenly change with habitat flipping from deciduous woodland to wet Dorset heathland. The trees stop suddenly to be replaced with reeds which peter out to cotton grasses and then heather. Almost as soon as I rounded the corner and spied heather before me I could see little puffs of blue floating over the tops of the Ling and Bell Heather like dyed cotton grass buds. Once off the boardwalk I was able to actually investigate rather than watching from afar and so I waded into the heather here noting that this area which is usually at east damp under foot is now bone dry. All around me Silver Studs fly most looking a bit worn and tired with chips and tears in their wings, some of them missing their margins and the worst looking a deep royal blue colour having lost the scales on their wings which give them their stunning electric blue colour when fresh. With these worn males were flying females that were in slightly better nick and they were almost as numerous as the males which left me feeling that perhaps I’d left it a little bit too late for a visit?
- Second time still unlucky!
Have a goodun
Wurzel
Re: Wurzel
Slop Bog 02-07-2019 Part 2
The sun was shining intermittently and it was great to watch the change in hues worn by a single butterfly as the sun waxed and waned. The males would go from a violet blue in the shade to an almost metallic sky blue in the sun whilst under the same change in lighting the females would alter from dark chocolate to the oily sheen. I found that I turned my attention more and more to the ladies as I couldn’t get enough of their subtle peacock colours. One that I found early in my searching wasn’t exactly oily but instead it looked like it had fallen into first a tub of glue and then a container of gold glitter – it sparkled in the golden glow of the evening sun.
After this little bit of treasure I continued my searching, wading this way and that amid the Heather. The scents and smells of the Heath took me back to my formative years and while reminiscing I stumbled across a lovely looking female Meadow Brown. She was very well marked on her upper fore wings with the orange extending almost all the way over the wing and there were also little panels of orange hind wing. With the almost double pupiled eye for a brief moment I wondered if I was seeing a massive Hedge Brown! There was also a yellow blob near the top of her abdomen – paint as part of a scientific catch and release study or had she landed in the wrong place at the wrong time? Either way she represented only the third species of butterfly seen during my visit (in the end that was the total!).
I got back to the Silver Studs which wasn’t actually that difficult as they were all over the place. My wanderings had taken me to the small bit of Pine wood that acts as a buffer zone between the Heath and encroachment of the buildings. In a little clearing there is a large Bramble bush and there in the more lush and tussock like grass around it was another Large Skipper and surprisingly a male Silver Stud. He sat still for long enough to try for some close ups and I managed to get a passable stained glass shot.
After a bit of a break from butterflying to do some ‘housekeeping; pee stop, drink, snack (Mr Tom and some of my own trail mix), change battery etc. I set out from the pine woodland once more to the heath. As my feet moved from the springy pine needle carpet to the harder compacted dirt tracks between the Heather the sun went in. At first I was irked as I wanted some more oily sheens and electric blues but it worked out in the end as the lack of sun calmed a Clouded Buff long enough to get a few shots.
Have a goodun
Wurzel
The sun was shining intermittently and it was great to watch the change in hues worn by a single butterfly as the sun waxed and waned. The males would go from a violet blue in the shade to an almost metallic sky blue in the sun whilst under the same change in lighting the females would alter from dark chocolate to the oily sheen. I found that I turned my attention more and more to the ladies as I couldn’t get enough of their subtle peacock colours. One that I found early in my searching wasn’t exactly oily but instead it looked like it had fallen into first a tub of glue and then a container of gold glitter – it sparkled in the golden glow of the evening sun.
Wurzel
Re: Wurzel
I'm pleased you managed to eventually find some fresh Silver Studded Blues,
always a treat to see. I only managed one day with them this year, and my
experience with them was similar to yours.
That's a stunning White Admiral in your previous post, a really dark specimen.
Great shots as usual, Wurzel.
Have fun!,
Trevor.
PS. There's a chance of a few Wilts LTB's, some were seen in Cornwall a few weeks back.
always a treat to see. I only managed one day with them this year, and my
experience with them was similar to yours.
That's a stunning White Admiral in your previous post, a really dark specimen.
Great shots as usual, Wurzel.
Have fun!,
Trevor.
PS. There's a chance of a few Wilts LTB's, some were seen in Cornwall a few weeks back.
Re: Wurzel
Hi! Wurzel, some fantastic shots you've taken, I can't see one I like the best there all good and most of them I've not seen this year
I've a good excuse though , the Roller Skate sounded good it would only have helped break the other foot though Goldie
I've a good excuse though , the Roller Skate sounded good it would only have helped break the other foot though Goldie Re: Wurzel
Cheers Trevor That WA was a nice find - it was mint I was quite surprised this year that when I went looking for Silver Studs I actually saw more than two different species of butterfly - usually it's just Silver Studs and Large Skippers
Cheers Goldie "the Roller Skate sounded good it would only have helped break the other foot though Goldie "...ahhh...I hadn't thought of that 
I've still got a few Silver Stud shots to sort out - I reasoned that I would probably only get one shot with them this year so I filled my boots/memory card
Have a goodun
Wurzel
That WA was a nice find - it was mint I was quite surprised this year that when I went looking for Silver Studs I actually saw more than two different species of butterfly - usually it's just Silver Studs and Large Skippers Cheers Goldie
"the Roller Skate sounded good it would only have helped break the other foot though Goldie "...ahhh...I hadn't thought of that I've still got a few Silver Stud shots to sort out - I reasoned that I would probably only get one shot with them this year so I filled my boots/memory card Have a goodun
Wurzel
Re: Wurzel
Terrific Silver-studded Blues, Wurzel. Difficult to single out the highlights, but for me the female with the blue next to the body is one, and the male with the striking hindwing marginal black spots is another. 
You do need to be wary though of folk (like me! ) taking your words out of context:
"...I spent a good while with these ladies photographing one and then swivelling my hips to work on the second..."
Best not take up a second career as a politician - though thinking about it, persistent foot-in-mouth gaffes might actually be a qualifying criterion for the top positions!
Cheers,
Dave
You do need to be wary though of folk (like me! ) taking your words out of context:"...I spent a good while with these ladies photographing one and then swivelling my hips to work on the second..."
Best not take up a second career as a politician - though thinking about it, persistent foot-in-mouth gaffes might actually be a qualifying criterion for the top positions!
Cheers,
Dave
Re: Wurzel
Cheers Dave "I spent a good while with these ladies photographing one and then swivelling my hips to work on the second..."ah I see what you mean This is what comes from trying to emulate The King during photography
Have a goodun
Wurzel
"I spent a good while with these ladies photographing one and then swivelling my hips to work on the second..."ah I see what you mean This is what comes from trying to emulate The King during photography Have a goodun
Wurzel
Re: Wurzel
Slop Bog 02-07-2019 Part 3
It was now gone 5:30 and the butterflies were starting to clump together. Earlier there had been individuals spread unevenly across the Heather and Ling or flitting across the tracks but now I could take a few steps with nothing and then on the next step masses of blues would shine upwards like Sapphires amid the dark greens of the Heath. I’ve probably said it before but I’ll say it again – I cannot recall ever seeing so many Silver Studs at one time. I’ve visited Chalk Downlands in high summer and there have been clouds of Chalkhills and this felt just like that just on a much smaller site. I’d wade through and they’d disappear off like little sky blue puffs of smoke. There were at least a hundred in sight at any one time so heaven knows how many there actually were over the whole site. A chap I bumped into reckoned that someone had recorded 200+ on a single transect walk – now bearing in mind that you only count a metre either side there could easily be 10 times that amount present. It was awesome.
I can’t really recall anything after this as I walked in a daze from one clump to the next. I do recall some stunning oily females when the sun finally deemed to come out as well as so beautifully fresh males but I don’t think that words would do my memories justice so instead I’ll let the images do the narration.
Have a goodun
Wurzel
It was now gone 5:30 and the butterflies were starting to clump together. Earlier there had been individuals spread unevenly across the Heather and Ling or flitting across the tracks but now I could take a few steps with nothing and then on the next step masses of blues would shine upwards like Sapphires amid the dark greens of the Heath. I’ve probably said it before but I’ll say it again – I cannot recall ever seeing so many Silver Studs at one time. I’ve visited Chalk Downlands in high summer and there have been clouds of Chalkhills and this felt just like that just on a much smaller site. I’d wade through and they’d disappear off like little sky blue puffs of smoke. There were at least a hundred in sight at any one time so heaven knows how many there actually were over the whole site. A chap I bumped into reckoned that someone had recorded 200+ on a single transect walk – now bearing in mind that you only count a metre either side there could easily be 10 times that amount present. It was awesome.
Wurzel
-
Janet Turnbull
- Posts: 503
- Joined: Wed Aug 31, 2016 12:05 pm
- Location: Sale, Cheshire
Re: Wurzel
What a great day! No wonder you went around in daze afterwards. I love the photos of the females, especially the first one.
Janet
Janet
Re: Wurzel
I'm with Janet on the photos of the females, Wurzel - the fresh ones display incredible iridescence and turn what could in essence be just a small brown butterfly into a wonderful thing. Some of them have amazingly intense turquoise studs on the underside too. Great shots of a really lovely species.
Cheers,
Dave
Cheers,
Dave
Re: Wurzel
Cheers Janet I got there a bit later in their flight this season and so the females were almost as numerous and also in much better condition than most of the males
Cheers Dave I thought I'd overdone it a bit with the number of photos but they are such a photogenic species and one of the easiest to photograph especially when they're in such large numbers as they were this year
Have a goodun
Wurzel
I got there a bit later in their flight this season and so the females were almost as numerous and also in much better condition than most of the males Cheers Dave
I thought I'd overdone it a bit with the number of photos but they are such a photogenic species and one of the easiest to photograph especially when they're in such large numbers as they were this year Have a goodun
Wurzel
Re: Wurzel
A very impressive array of SSB shots from one of my favourite named sites. I could tie that on an early Lulworth skipper hunt next year. Looking at the general area on google maps it looks like there's a few places around Ferndown that might be worth exploring!
Some addictions are good for the soul!
Re: Wurzel
Simply fantastic shots Wurzel I can't pick out which I like the best, Goldie
I can't pick out which I like the best, Goldie