Pauline

[Katrina]

Thanks for posting the comma pupa. Great pupating shots too!

[MikeOxon]

I like the 'in a spin' shot

Regarding your earlier shots in the kennel - never trust auto white balance; it's always better to select an appropriate setting for the lighting but, of course you then have to remember to re-set it.

Mike

[Pauline]

Thankyou Katrina - perhaps I'll be able to catch one of the butterflies emerging, just to complete the cycle, given that I saw the egg hatching.

The thing that is so great about this site is the fact that there is always someone on hand to help out, whether it is advice, an ID, information etc. I am sure that my photography has improved over the years and that is mostly due to 2 or 3 contributors on these forums, one of whom is Mike. A big thank you Mike for all the help you have given me in the past and more recently with the moth photos I posted. Mike has kindly shown me how to get rid of that colour cast on the moth photos with some software and don't they now look just so much better! Thank you Mike.

[Pauline]

Well, this is more like it:

Several of the males seen had been in the wars:

[Pauline]

A few more from a very enjoyable couple of hours at SB:

[Wurzel]

Cracking set of Brostreaks Pauline Hopefully they'll be as well behaved on Monday

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[Katrina]

Beautiful photos. I am tempted to head to SB myself.

[trevor]

Congrats for your Brown Hairstreak shots.
It's a wonderful site and well worth the journey.

A mrgreen for the open wing male

Stay well,
Trevor.

[David M]

Fabulous selection of fresh, late summer species, Pauline.

Those Brown Hairstreaks are to die for. Plenty of life in the season yet!

[Pauline]

Cheers Wurzel - I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

Go for it Katrina! I reckon it's the most reliable site round here. I may well be back myself as I haven't seen any at Noar Hill. Thank you for your kind comment.

I was pleased with those shots Trevor, mostly because I found 3 of them myself. Pleased you like them - good luck for Monday.

Thank you David - there were loads of fresh species around (including Wall) but with only 2 hours to spare I couldn't afford to devote too much time to them.

I met with the NH reserve manager a couple of days ago for a tour of the site and a discussion re management. I was pleasantly surprised that my concerns were taken seriously and some measures will be implemented which will hopefully improve the situation. I really hope it isn't too late - if any locals happen to read this and have seen BH on site I would be grateful for a PM. Yesterday, in perfect conditions I covered most of the site with a friend but we saw no sign of them. (JB if you happen to read this we both had a good laugh at your text but you should know there is a lynchmob waiting for you! ).

I almost didn't get to NH yesterday as I was waiting for a DGF egg to hatch - which it eventually did at mid-day today. The egg turned very pale before the larva emerged by eating a hole in the side of the egg. It then ate the egg which took several hours as it demolished every last bit. It then disappeared into the moss so I am not sure if I will ever see it again - I hope so:

[Pauline]

Seen just before 6.00pm today - female egg-laying - at last!!!! Just shows numbers are right down:

Must go back to try to find the eggs.

[Pauline]

Amongst the Brown Hairstreaks today I was very pleased to find a Wall Brown - a species I haven't seen for several years - but it wasn't easy to approach:

[Wurzel]

Fantastic images Pauline - that female Brostreak is just lush Was that at Noar Hill or at Shipton? I ask as I'm off to Shipton again tomorrow and I'm hoping to find a few females - they've taken their time emerging this year

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[Pauline]

Hi Wurzel - the female was the first BH I have seen at Noar Hill despite many visits (but she was worth waiting for and surprisingly egg-laying close to 6.00pm). However, I was at SB today to find the butterfly for someone who hadn't seen it before and found a gorgeous female. Ashley W. was leading a walk there today and told us they had seen about 10 females, several in the grass, in the track leading up from the village. Hope this helps. Have a good day.

[Pauline]

A few of the other butterflies seen over the last couple of days:

There are still large numbers of very fresh butterflies around, in particular Small Torts which I am seeing everywhere this season.

[Pauline]

It's just as well my car was having some work done on it today otherwise I might well have missed my first Comma emerging from its pupa:

[Wurzel]

Cracking Comma sequence Pauline Cheers for the info as well - I was at Shipton yesterday and I think the group Ashley was leading were having lunch whilst I was at the main hedge - that was only a recce though - got the females and then some today

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[David M]

I'm surprised it's been so long since you saw a Wall Brown, Pauline, but ever so pleased that you did. They seem to be appearing a little bit more regularly these last couple of years inland. Maybe they are finally breaking through that 'developmental trap' we're all familiar with.

Fabulous fresh female BHs too. They are quite late this year aren't they? Normally they are starting to look worn around mid-August so seeing them as pristine as that is a bit of a surprise.

As for the Comma emergence, well, for once you have benefitted from having so many odd jobs to do. Had your car not needed a bit of work, you would probably not have witnessed it.

[bugboy]

Some fantastic action shots recently from both ends of a butterflies life cycle

[Pauline]

Must just have missed you Wurzel - I left before midday I think.

Hi David - Wall Browns were common in Hants not so long ago. I wonder how many species we'll be saying that about in the future? Perhaps the BH will be one of them. I don't think they are just late around here, I think numbers are seriously down. I shall make an effort to do my own egg count this year as measurements of trends seem sadly lacking. Missed the 2nd Comma emerging today - I guessed it would but I was too busy planting some winter colour in the garden - which the hens have already eaten!!!

Thank you Paul - much appreciated.

I paid a much overdue visit to the common this afternoon to catch up with 'my' Dingy Skipper. Surprisingly he was out, perhaps to get a bite to eat - but not for long. Once he spotted me he was back to his hibernaculum pronto. What surprised me was that his shelter has now been constructed from Bramble leaves, rather than the Birds-foot-trefoil that he used in the past. I guess he is too big now, being in final instar I believe:

The hibernaculum as it looks from above and the 'tent' he has created:

My White Admiral also reckons it's time to settle down for the Autumn: