Trevor

[David M]

Nice Orange Tip shot, Trevor. Holly Blue looks good too; in fact, you've got practically all colours of the rainbow there and we're still in the first week of April!

[essexbuzzard]

Congratulations on that Orange Tip, Trevor!

When we see the first Orange Tips, we know Spring has properly arrived.

[trevor]

Many thanks, Wurzel, Mark & David.

Today, same place, similar time to yesterday and the whole length of the old railway was quiet.
Even the Speckled Woods were hiding. Two male Brimstones and a Single male Orange Tip
were patrolling without stopping and that was about it.

Peacocks were showing well, particularly around the Blackthorn. In one image two together
can be seen, possibly courting. Birds flying into and out of the Blackthorn kept disturbing
the Peacocks including the courting pair.

So I came home wondering how two days with similar weather can be so different.

Keep well,
Trevor.

[Wurzel]

It is weird how some days are just butterfly free for no apparent reason Trevor Mind you those Peacocks on the Blackthorn are a lovely sight

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[David M]

Today, same place, similar time to yesterday and the whole length of the old railway was quiet.

Even the Speckled Woods were hiding. Two male Brimstones and a Single male Orange Tip were patrolling without stopping and that was about it.

No two days are ever the same, Trevor, especially at this time of year.

I saw more butterflies at Cwm Ivy on the Gower on 22 March than I did on 7 April, even though conditions were much better on the latter date.

I think in early spring those first few days bring them all out en masse, but after a short while they begin to disperse, so while there are similar numbers around, they are less concentrated in the prime spots.

[Goldie M]

Love your Peacock shots Trevor, if the weather your way was any thing like ours today you should be luckier today Goldie

[trevor]

Many thanks all.

Today was a little busier than yesterday, with many Holly Blue sightings.
Again it was the Peacocks that stole the show, with a supporting cast of Specklies.
Just one male Orange Tip was seen whilst out, but I was delighted to see one
briefly in my garden around lunchtime.

Stay well everyone,
Trevor.

[Wurzel]

Glad you got a Brucie Bonus Trevor - an OT in the garden as an added extra to the exercise OT I'm just jealous as I don't have a garden so there will be no additional opportunities for butterflying outside the exercise hour

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[trevor]

Cheers Wurzel, I managed to grab a ' panic ' shot of the OT in my garden yesterday.
I saw it go down, had to grab the camera from indoors, knew it would soon be gone,
so I fumbled badly, anyway here is the one ' proof shot '..............

[trevor]

With a warm day forecast I took my exercise earlier today.
Even so the Butterflies were quite active, particularly the Holly Blues.
A Peacock drew my attention as it spent ages in the undergrowth, it was
observed taking up dew from the surface of a leaf.
Three patrolling Orange Tips were seen, no hope of a image there!.
I will have to wait for one of those days of Sun and cloud for calmer OT's.
My luck was in however when a Male Brimstone paused on some Spanish
Bluebells very near to where I was standing.
As the warmth built the Speckled Woods immediately closed their wings after landing.
I called it a day when my hours exercise was about to be exceeded.

Keep well, all
Trevor.

[Wurzel]

I like that as a term for an OT shot Trevor - Panic Shot - is generally an apt description for me, particularly the first of the year Cracking shots of the Specklies, good to see the exercise is still going well

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[David M]

Good to see you've now got Specklies & Orange Tips to charm your camera lens, Trevor, even if the latter was a rushed effort.

It's going to get cooler from Sunday, so that should give you a better chance of nailing them, especially earlier in the morning.

[trevor]

Thanks both, The exercising went very well this morning.

I went along to the old railway determined to photograph the Holly Blue.
There is a traditional ' hotspot ' for them quite near the entrance to the footpath.
As is usual in this weather they could be seen flying high up, with one or two swooping
lower down, but as always some look as though they are about to land, and then
disappear up into the trees again. But one individual, a fresh male, did eventually
land on a Spanish Bluebell. This made for quite a nice photogenic perch, understandably
in this weather he kept his wings tightly closed, but I left for home quite pleased that I
had some co-operation for my efforts.

Stay safe,
Trevor.

PS. A bonus shot of a Six Spot Ladybird included.

[Goldie M]

Glad you got a Holly Blue Trevor, I find when they do visit my Garden it's a case of hit and run Goldie

[Wurzel]

Good work Trevor patience pays off You did better than me with them as I watched several today and all did that thing of flying low, circling a bit and then promptly bu££ering off elsewhere

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[David M]

A Holly Blue nectaring on a bluebell! Not seen that before.

Well done, trevor, although I find that this species tends to keep its wings closed when feeding.

What you need is for one to bask on a leaf to soak up the sun.

[millerd]

Holly Blues don't often seem to nectar much at this time of year (though they do like pink bramble flowers later on), and I've never seen one on a bluebell either!

Cheers,

Davve

[trevor]

Many thanks all. No Holly Blues this morning, just an icy blast!.

I went out for my exercise this morning, but it was bitter cold, with nothing seen.
So I abandoned all hope of any Butterflies for the rest of the day.

That was until just after 2pm, when I saw a white Butterfly fluttering around the garden.
Fortunately it landed, and was quickly identified as a female Orange Tip, my first female
OT of the year in the garden!. After a few shots, I wondered whether the males might be
about too. So I returned to the old railway, where five patrolling males were eventually found.
A couple of these paused to either bask or nectar, as in other years the flower of choice
was Herb Robert, even flowers obscured by foliage were found by the OT's, remarkable!.

The only other species seen were two Speckled Woods and a single Small White.

Not a bad haul for a very cool day,
Trevor.

[Wurzel]

Good to see you got some Brucie Bonus Butterflies Trevor I found the trick to today was getting out of the wind - it was quite chilly when that was blowing but step round a corner screened by trees and it was almost sunbathing weather

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Hi! Trevor, looks like I copied you My first Orange Tip in the Garden for a year or two and a Female:D love your Male Orange Tip photo's hope I get lucky with them Goldie