August 2008

[eccles]

I'm very jealous of those super brown hairstreak pics. I have only ever seen one, a very tatty female two years ago. I can't wait to get out in some better weather and look for them. In the meantime, at my local patch I saw this nice condition female small copper ab. caeruleopunctata. It took ages and lots of duds in windy weather to get this one.

DSC07754.jpg (82.6 KiB) Viewed 2852 times

[Jack Harrison]

Stunning Brown Hairstreaks Sandra.

I have been seeing Large Whites by the hundred in my garden ruining the Nasturtiums and brassicas.

Large White caterpillars are - in my opinion - decidedly unappealing.

Jack

[Dave McCormick]

Large whites? I have roughly 150 caterpillars of them on whats left of my cabbages and cauliflowers! Managed to count that many anywy, excluding small and green veined white caterpillars. Also same red admiral back today in our garden again.

[Annie]

The weather's put paid to much activity here - but I did see a brace of Small Torts geting battered about at lunchtime, and a few Large Whites visiting the baskets during the (very short) breaks between the rain

[Susie]

Not such a bad day after all. Whites and Common Blue in the garden, then large numbers of Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Comma, Whites, and a Painted Lady on a short walk close by.

[Tony Moore]

Grafton Wood produced a very good count today. Many Speckled Woods, Gatekeepers, Meadow Browns, Small Skippers, Small, Large and GV whites. Also 4 Peacocks, 5SW Frits, 2 absolutely fresh Red Admirals, one Painted Lady ( my first this year) 5 Small coppers, 2 Brown Arguses and a male Common Blue. Several Brimstones of both sexes and, finally, a female Brown Hairstreak sitting, open-winged, on a bramble leaf. If I hadn't been struggling with my first DSLR (I dare not say what make ) on its maiden outing, I'd have had a good day . Must do better tomorrow

[Jack Harrison]

This is actually a "non-sighting".

My total species count for the year is 49. I did not try for several species:
Chequered Skipper, Lulworth Skipper, High Brown Frit, Scotch Argus, Mountain Ringlet, Large Heath, Northern Brown Argus, Large Blue, all of which are now history for this year.

My one remaining hope for the half-century this year is Clouded Yellow. In 2007, I went "on spec" to Languard, Felixstowe in September and was in luck with many seen. Does anyone have any reports of Clouded Yellows in East Anglia? (I live near Cambridge). Neither the Norfolk nor the Suffolk BC websites publish sightings of anything!

Jack

[sandraandkevin]

Hi Jack,

Thank you for your kind words.

We are currently on 50 and also have not seen a Clouded Yellow yet this year. I think we may have to go to Durlston CP but we have seen them regularly at Pegsdon Hills, Beds in previous years but the weather seems to be against us at the moment.

Good hunting

Sandra

[Jack Harrison]

I hope you are entering one of your Brown Hairstreaks in the August photo comp.

Jack

[sandraandkevin]

Jack,

You have got more chance of Labour cutting taxes or Arsenal buying an English player than Sandra entering a competition!!!

You know what she is like.

Kevin

[Eris]

My field near Petworth turned up a large number of Meadow Browns (50+) around 20 gatekeepers. I brown Argus, (mayby male as it chased everthing that few by) 3 small coppers, (2 pristine 1 tatty.) 3 common blues, (2 males and a female) a large white, and a skipper of some sort probably small. The garden added 1 Peacock and 1 small white to the tally.

[bugmadmark]

Popped up to Wicken Fen, Cambridgshire yesterday. Only half hour from me yet my first ever visit. Stunning place - and tonnes of dragonflies. Saw lots of Peacocks and a few Red Admirals. My 9 year old Jack found a Comma caterpillar on Nettle. He was keen to try out his first digital camera, a simple point and shoot Fuji finepix f40fd. I'll upload Jacks Comma caterpillar pic once I've found the file again! After some cropping the image appeared not to bad and probably far better than I got on my EOS400D.

We would probably seen more butterflies but in additon to the 9 year old, I had a lively 4 year old and less than happy 1 year old - Oh an dthe Mrs .

Took kids to Woburn Safari Park today. Found myself more interested in the large numbers of Peacocks (20+) and Red Admirals (12+) on the Buddelias around the animal enclosures. Quite a few Commas and Whites around too. Had a go at tking some pics - not got the technique right - so nothing to show. I need that Macro lens! Keep using my flash to cope with poor light but for some reason it appears that despite the butterfly wings being open when I fire my EOS 400D, they are all closed on the final images (internal and ext flash guns). More practice needed.

Mark

[bugmadmark]

Here's the cropped Comma caterpillar...

Courtesy of my 9 year old Jack!

Comma Caterpillar 14 Aug 2008 Jack Elsdon.jpg (239.94 KiB) Viewed 2407 times

[Matsukaze]

Two worn Small Skippers today, a couple of miles apart - the first I have seen in well over a week.

[eccles]

Approximately three males and a single female brown hairstreak found at Ravensroost Meadow in Wiltshire. Currently, the best spot appears to be just inside the gate by the car park. This female landed on the wrong side of a barbed wire fence and is the only record shot I have for the day.

2008_08_16_brown_hairstreak.jpg (183.42 KiB) Viewed 2361 times

[Susie]

Brown Hairstreak, Silver Washed Frit, Comma, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Common Blue, Large and Small Whites, Speckled Wood. Not bad considering I didn't go out anywhere.

[Dave McCormick]

What a day, sun came out at last! I went to this buddliah bushes in Mountstewart Gardens, and got bombarded by butterflies! Around 20+ Red Admirals, 20+ Peacocks, Quite a number of Large Whites, 4+ Small Tortoiseshells and a few meadow browns too. At one point as sun got bright, 6 Red Admirlas were flying around my head and a few people stopped to see what was going on as they passed. Really should have brought my video camera, darn!

On way back I saw a male holly blue, no photo though, too fast for me.

Red Admiral 1:



Two Red Admirals:



A Peacock:



A Large White:



A Small Tortoiseshell and Red Admiral:



A Meadow Brown:

[Denise]

At last, a day without rain, and a few sunny intervals
A nice mix of Peacocks and Red Admirals with lots of Large and Small White, quite a few Speckled Wood, still a few Gatekeepers and Meadow Brown but now a bit the worse for wear. Two Holly Blue and my first ever female Common Blue in the garden...yeaaaaaa

Just after taking this shot, I heard a Peregrine calling. I looked up and saw a young bird being mobbed by a Sparrowhawk. A moment later mum or dad to the rescue and the Sparrowhawk became dinner!

Denise

[Shirley Roulston]

Went for a nice walk to-day thought I'd give it a go looking for a Small Heath but alas no, 10 Brown Wall's instead, they are everywhere and when I got home in amongst the flower on a little stone duck another Wall, a few Speckled Woods about and a rather nice Small Tortoishell.

duck.jpg (104.7 KiB) Viewed 2032 times

tort.jpg (40.19 KiB) Viewed 2029 times

Picture 145.jpg (109.66 KiB) Viewed 2030 times

and lastly the white Buddlia still proves the favourite.

[Jack Harrison]

Perhaps a caption contest for this one.

My initial offering: "How much room do you need young lady?"

Jack