Pauline

[David M]

Lovely images of the Orange Tips, Pauline, both adults and ova.

It's a frustrating time right now with such a general dearth of butterflies, but I guess that's not surprising given the extraordinary weather conditions these last few weeks. Every year seems to bring with it something exceptional; last year was glorious, this year abnormally cold (with another vicious storm due on Saturday)

It'd be nice just to have some 'normal' weather, but it's hard to define what normal is anymore.

[Pauline]

Cheers Wurzel - Uhmmm, an old firefighting helmet, a bear on wheels and an old bike Don't you just love the back stories tho'?

I'm with you on that one Otep. Butterfly wings are so beautiful and intricate they are definitely worth a closer look. Appreciate your comment.

Thank you David. Yes, I've given up struggling to try to find any more butterflies in this unseasonal weather and instead focused on the immature stages. The Brown Hairstreak I tied to my Blackthorn have now emerged and this one is a couple of days old:

The Purple Hairstreak larva, like many others, are well camouflaged:

[bugboy]

Hi Pauline. Some lovely images as usual. With regard to OT eggs and their location. The females will try and lay on the youngest flower spikes to give the hatching larvae the best start in life with freshly developing seed pods. These young flower spikes are still surrounded with fresh leaf growth so its inevitable that some will end up laid on the leaves. These flower spikes do grow fast so by the time the egg is due to hatch it will look like the female has laid the egg away from the flowers, when in reality its just that the flower spike has grown and 'pushed' the egg further down the plant. The resulting larvae just have to walk a bit further to get their first meal

[Pauline]

Cheers Paul. That makes perfect sense - thanks for clarifying.

Today was meant to be the best day of the week weatherwise (tho' you wouldn't think it to look at it now) so I set off to search for some Green Hairstreaks. I managed to find half a dozen - a couple of females egg-laying (I spent some considerable time watching these and saw my first Small Copper and Small Heath of the season) and a few males repeatedly involved in some impressive territorial squabbles, which attracted several visitors. All of these Hairstreaks had sustained some wear and tear.

Leaning over on the leaf with wings extended to absorb sun's warmth:

Egg-laying:

[Katrina]

Beautiful, I particularly like the first photo where the green contrasts with a bit of the brown.

[Wurzel]

A lovely collection of the 'Green One' Pauline I'm with Katrina - the first one with the contrast is a cracker - very Mint Cornetto

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[David M]

Lovely collection of Green Hairstreak images, Pauline. Shame their flight season has coincided with this miserable spell.

I'm not surprised you have a few Hairstreak larvae up your sleeve and wish you well with them. I look forward to seeing how they develop.

[Pauline]

Thank you Katrina - I think I like that one best too

Cheers Wurzel - not really into Cornettos but could quite fance a Magnum right now

Not so much 'up my sleeve' David but considering putting them 'in a sleeve'. Having escaped the flames at Noar Hill they deserve a proper chance - if the Blue Tits haven't already spotted them.

Well, with blocked drains, a broken wash basin and in the middle of decorating, I have been limited to whatever has been spotted in the garden. Once I download them from the camera I shall be back.

[Pauline]

I'm champing at the bit to get out there but it is not to be. So, the garden it is! A few days ago a Red Kite landed in a neighbours garden - yesterday I thought it was about to land in mine as it swooped down below chimney level.

I only managed this shot as I was already outside with my camera trying to get a photo of a pristine Holly Blue that was just a wee bit too high up in the plum tree for a satisfactory result:

It was good to see I have about a dozen Orange Tips eggs on my garlic mustard. I never saw the female but a couple of males were around today:

The Brown Hairstreaks are a little bit bigger - and I really must put a sleeve over them!

Given that I am a bit constrained right now this seems an opportune moment to include a couple of shots of Magnet and Hope enjoying their herbs :

[David M]

That female Holly Blue is such a tease, Pauline. All you needed was another 3 feet to grab that perfect shot....and she looks nigh on perfect too.

Thanks for the updates on both the Hairstreak larvae and the rabbits. The latter seem to be in their element with those fragrant herbs.

[Pauline]

I guess I could have gone and got a stepladder David but I have so many shots of Holly Blues .......... today tho' I really needed a break from preparing these walls and woodwork so despite the weather I decided a change of scene was in order. Usually at this time of year I visit Chiddingfold to search for Wood White pupa. Never found one yet but it hasn't stopped me trying. Soon after arrival I realised that I may have left it too late - they are already emerging. Only a couple of adults found (no pupa), neither of which was very active given the cool conditions:

Well, better get back to the sandpaper and the sugar soap!!!

[Katrina]

Fantastic you got great shots on such a grey day!
I’ve never thought about looking for pupae - I will at least look in the book about them.

[Chris L]

Your butterfly close-up photos are once again a joy Pauline. Thank you for those.

Your black and white rabbit has a very goat like head in that photo. What a fine, gigantic rabbit !

[Benjamin]

What wonderful rabbits! We have guinea pigs, but if we had a bit more space would definitely get rabbits. Great shots of the Brown Hairstreaks - I too am pushing my luck by not covering things that really should have a sleeve. So nice without one, but any moment now I’ll regret it.......

[Pauline]

Hi Ben - Magnet and Hope are lucky enough to have a 12' heated kennel and a 12' run which ajoins an 8' shed so yes, I reckon they need plenty of room to run and jump. Most of my (many) animals are rescues and if you read my diary for long enough you are bound to meet a few of the others Glad you like the Brown Hairstreaks

Thank you Otep - I have a couple more close-ups to follow. Hope you like them.

Hi Katrina and thank you. Dave found a newly emerged Wood White along with the vacated pupa a couple of years ago so it's not impossible. You know the weather never keeps me in and today was no exception. I had finished painting one of three window frames (twice!) and decided I should reward myself. The sky was really black and the rain was heavy but I thought it would be perfect weather to find a Grizzled Skipper roosting. Unfortunately, by the time I arrived at the site - only 15 mins later - the rain had stopped, the sun was out and the butterflies were all over the place.

Really sorry Goldie - perhaps best to look away now!

This one looks like it has a rainbow in its eye!

[Wurzel]

Beautiful Wood Whites and Grizzlies Pauline I'm glad that you got a break from the sugar soap and sandpaper my wife hasn't mentioned it yet but I have a feeling that the words 'freshen up' and 'lick of paint' aren't far away

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[Pauline]

Cheers Wurzel - I'm probably making a mountain out of a molehill but altho' I'm handy with a paint brush I have never put up wallpaper But hey, how hard can it be??

In between getting some Grizzled Skipper shots an added bonus was the appearance of my first Brown Argus of the season, along with a couple of Dukes and Dingy Skippers. The sun quickly disappeared and as the rain started again I was able to find one of the Dingy Skippers roosting:

[Chris L]

Photos too good for words Pauline and a cluster of species there sending my jealousy up a notch. We have no butterflies in South Derbyshire at all. All we have is rain and no sun.

[millerd]

That's a great selection of species, Pauline, considering that to see anything at all at the moment requires anticipating exactly when the next half hour of sun will appear between all the cloud and showers, and making a mad dash for it. Your Wood Whites remind me that I need to try Chiddingfold again this week - I'd have gone yesterday but there was some kind of delay on the M3 which would have messed up the afore-mentioned timing!
(Incidentally, I need to mention that it was Bugboy that found that (second brood) Wood White with its recently vacated pupa, not me, though I took the photo you probably remember. There were triple figures of them that day too.)

Cheers,

Dave

[David M]

Some excellent, intimate butterfly portraits there, Pauline.

I wish you luck in your quest for pupae - it's hard enough finding adult butterflies right now!