Cheers Goldie - I'll be happy if I see a PE at all as the combination of weather and collectors in this area makes it increasingly unlikely.
Hi Butterfly Boy - that is a Dingy Skipper in a shelter it has created. How long have you been interested in butterflies and what sparked your interest?
Cheers Wurzel - I think the female SWF is so much more attractive than the male. In fact, I think that's true across most species
Thank you David - speaking of diagnostics, have you noticed the difference in colour between male and female Small Skipper antennae?. Took this yesterday as it provides a good contrast:
Thank you Ben. You make some good points. I have been wondering if the use of a black, mesh butterfly cage speeds up the process by providing a 'micro-climate' of sorts, given black absorbs heat and provides a little more shelter than they would otherwise have? I did initially leave the Brown Hairstreak eggs just tied to my Blackthorn to try to rectify this but had to resort to the cage as so many ended up as bird food!
I always like to have a target when I go out with my camera but frequently abandon the plan depending on what I find. Today I could not locate any Purple Hairstreaks but saw this lovely female Beautiful Demoiselle:
I was distracted by 5 or 6 WA in the canopies and when I looked back she had another insect on her and didn't seem very happy about it. Some sort of parasitic wasp perhaps? Quite a colourful insect but no match for her stunning looks:
I don't think I have seen this Damselfly before but I think it MIGHT be a female White-legged Damselfly:
Only 10 species seen this morning but the weather was poor. I won't post shots of them all but this pair caught my attention - just good friends!!!