Trevor

[trevor]

Cheers Dave, still a worthwhile visit and enjoyable day out.

My pleasure Wurzel. Nothing worse than finding an exact location for the first time,
and having to concentrate on the road as well!.

I went to a familiar location today, Iping Common for the Silver Studded Blue.
On arrival at exactly 9am it was cool and cloudy, but SSB's still at roost were easy to find.
It was gone 10 before male SSB's started to open up and bask. There was a mixture of
fresh and worn specimens and numbers were very good. Finding females was a hard task,
but eventually four were found.

Keep well all!,
Trevor.

[Wurzel]

Lovely set of Silver Studs Trevor Interesting to see the difference in the amount of orange that the females have on their hind wings with yours seeming to have only the slightly hint

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[Katrina]

Beautiful photos Trevor. Well timed visit.

[millerd]

Very nice photos, Trevor, especially that almost unmarked female. It looks from what you can see in some of the shots that the heather flowers there have been crisped by frost too - this seems to be a universal problem. Let's hope that little colony has some alternative nectar sources or the heather reflowers before the Blues disappear.

Cheers,

Dave

[trevor]

Many thanks Wurzel, Katrina & Dave.

Much of the Heather was scorched, Dave, but not all. In places the ground has been
scraped clear and replanted with Bell Heather, this was in flower.

Now for a bonus sighting back at Iping car park, a Beautiful Demoiselle male.
I wasn't going to post the image as part of it is out of focus, but I did have to
hold the camera above my head!.

[Goldie M]

It's still a great shot Trevor, you've really captured it's lovely blue colour also love your SSB shots Goldie

[David M]

Some very striking blue colours in your last couple of posts, Trevor. Seems crazy for SSBs to be in full stride with over a week till midsummer's day but that's reflective of the warm, sunny spring i guess.

[trevor]

This has been a week of very few butterfly sightings.
The only species seen in high numbers was the Meadow Brown, but each day
has produced several fresh looking Red Admirals, and yesterday two fresh Commas were seen.
This morning I went over to Horseshoe Plantation, near Birling Gap to look for
Dark Green Frits and Marbled Whites but none were found.
The proximity of this site to the sea might make it a later site for them.

Later today I was fortunate to get close to a female Broad Bodied Darter.

Stay safe all,
Trevor.

[Wurzel]

Great shot of the Chaser Trevor - Dragonflies make good reserve targets when the butterflies are thin on the ground Soon be time to stock up on Tuna Chunks

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[millerd]

Yes, time to pop into Tesco, Trevor - the word is that the first one has now appeared so others won't be far behind...

Cheers,

Dave

[trevor]

Cheers Wurzel & Dave.

Already done!. Tuna in brine ( Tesco of course ) in stock, with added ingredient X.
This is in direct competition with ' Hulme's elixir '. Hopefully they will fall out of the trees.

Trevor.

[trevor]

Early this morning I visited Abbots wood for the first time since the PBF's were out.
This visit was to a different part of the wood, near the main car park.
As I walked up the main drive not a single butterfly was seen, and this was also
true as I explored the shrubbery that borders the car park/picnic area.
Then I was halted in my tracks, literally looking down near my feet there was
a very fresh White Admiral displaying perfectly, comprehension of what my
eyes were seeing was not instant!. They just don't normally rest near the ground.
After a good many shots I explored a larger area, and saw another WA on some
bramble blossom with a Red Admiral for company, not too far away there was yet
another WA sighting.
Until I examined my images at home I thought I had seen one WA several times,
but the images show three individual White Admirals were seen.

Stay well all,
Trevor.

[Wurzel]

Lovely shots Trevor - I've still to see any WAs in 2020 You'll have to get a score board ready for when the silly season kicks off proper - and if yours comes out on top perhaps there will be a market for PE bait

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[trevor]

I set out early this morning for Chiddingfold Forest.
Athough the Purple Emperor failed to show, the day was far from a disappointment.
Early on it was cool, cool enough for a male Silver Washed Fritillary to pause and bask.
For two consecutive days I've had two, normally very active, high Summer species
relax in front of me for many close up shots.

White Admirals appeared in very good numbers, and seem to be having one of their better years at Chiddingfold.
Before 10.00 I had counted 15. But as usual they proved difficult to approach.

Later on in the morning Max, an enthusiast I met at Ditchling Common, pointed me in the direction
of a Wood White at rest, and I found another fluttering along the ride. No doubt they were survivors
from the Spring brood.

No sign yet of the Ringlet or Small Skipper.
Trevor.

[millerd]

One of those "curtain-raiser" visits to Chiddingfold, Trevor! I may do the same tomorrow morning having spent today over in Essex for a change...

Great shots of those Silver-washed Fritillaries, and that White Admiral too. And those Wood Whites just go on and on - their offspring will be out before all that long!

Cheers,

Dave

[trevor]

Thanks Dave. ' The supporting cast ' certainly made for an absorbing morning.
So much so I almost forgot what I went for. I've never seen White Admirals
in such good numbers this early on.

Stay safe,
Trevor.

[Goldie M]

Fantastic shots Trevor of the WA and SWF, your making me long for Kent, it's the only place I see them Goldie

[trevor]

Thanks Goldie, hope you have a good time in Kent.

This morning I found this small Dragon Fly perched on the tip of one my tomato plant stakes.
I searched around for an identity and Common Darter seems to fit.

Stay well all,
Trevor.

[millerd]

The supporting cast ' certainly made for an absorbing morning.
So much so I almost forgot what I went for. I've never seen White Admirals
in such good numbers this early on.

I went down there today and coincided exactly with Andrew, and we later bumped into Mark Colvin. The White Admirals were pretty numerous and also very obliging, but aside from a couple of flybys we saw no SWF. There was a Dark Green, however. Nothing purplish of any kind, though, so you didn't miss anything by staying away today!

Cheers,

Dave

[trevor]

Cheers Dave. Sounds as though I saved myself from a wasted journey yesterday.
Though with all those White Admirals around it would have been far from wasted.
I could sit and watch their elegant flight for hours.
I only saw the one Silver Washed, when it stopped to bask it was in no hurry to move.
If the weather holds I'm looking forward to next week!.

Keep well,
Trevor.