Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Cheers Dave It's important to get a regular dose I reckon that we should change the breakdown of the year into Winter, Spring, Summer 1, Autumn 1, Summer 2 (which starts in September generally as soon as the kids go back to school) and Drear...
Cheers Trevor It was particularly galling when the weather during the week was okay and then at the weekends terrible!This year was hard work at times
Cheers Ben I'd definitely like too

Packway Call-in 13 and 14-07-2021

13-08-2021

Mate told me that he’d heard on the grapevine that there were Whitters on the Packway so on the way home I called in and did a quick recce. The instructions were “little car park opposite the church – walk to the Elms and they like to come down to the Brambles”. I knew roughly where this was but the first problem was that there were two car parks. The first was smaller and cordoned off, the section was in a poor state of repair but was open to the public so I chose to pull into this one. Next problem was that behind the first car park there was a small overgrown field with what looked like Elms at the far end and a large clump of Bramble but it was massively overgrown. The car park I’d pulled into was hemmed in by trees and the footpath ran diagonally across a massive field with a line of trees. Which to check out first? While I deliberated I watched 12 or more Small Skippers crawling about in the mud of a drying puddle feeding off the salts.

In the end I opted for the field as it looked fantastic and either way this wouldn’t be a bad choice. There were Creeping Thistles on either side of the path which were alive with butterflies; Marbled Whites, Smeesex Skippers, Ringlets and Meadow Browns surrounded me as I wandered a short distance along the path. There was also a delicate Small White among the ocean of grass that really caught my eye.

After this bewildering mass of butterflies I waded back out from the path and tried my luck with the small field behind the smaller car park. It was much harder going and once I’d fought my way through the tangle of vegetation; grasses up to my waist with Bramble sneaking across the ground, blister inducing Wild Parsnip and Hogweed; I reached what I though was the spot. I couldn’t find any Whitters, in fact there didn’t seem to be any butterflies and that’s when I ran into the final problem – I don’t really know what an Elm looks like. At Bentley Wood it’s easy as there’s a little stand of trees that I have been told are Wytch Elms and I’ve seen Whitters there but I grew up during the reign of DED and remember watching a report one Saturday morning on Number 73 (I think Sandi Toksvig introduced it) explaining about how huge numbers of trees had already been lost. So I fought my way back to the car and made for home vowing to return.

14-08-2021

When lunchtime arrived I headed out and set off through the Pits. On the way the Browns were well represented by numerous Meadow Browns and a few Ringlets and Marbled Whites; Smessex Skippers (all the ones that I was able to identify easily were Smalls) were abundant but the one that really stood out was a surprisingly kempt Large Skipper. The Bramble flowers in the middle of the large Bramble proved particularly popular this lunchtime and for once a Ringlet sat still long enough for a photo.

As I broke through the trees a H.Comma went up from the Bramble and then there’s (much) more of the same with the addition of Small Heath taking off from the path underfoot. The Small Skippers seems to be crawling all over the Hedge and on the return leg there was also a Red Admiral on the Bramble in the corner which towered over the Smessex. At the very end a Small Tort stood out nicely as it sat on the Ragwort, this often makes a nice background for this species and it also looks good for Small Coppers which alas I couldn’t locate.

On the drive home I called in at the Packway again for another try at finding some Whitters or at least having a better look at the site. The muddy patch in the car park was noticeably smaller and drier but was still attracting the butterflies but I was anxious to press on and so made my straight to the path. I started out following the track that followed the line of the trees rather than wading into the jungle along the diagonal trackway. Walking the length of the track there were Smessex all around and I was able to distinguish an Essex among the multitude as well as get a grab shot of an ab.arete Ringlet.

Once I’d found my way back to the car park I started looking along the diagonal trackway. A Hedgie flew into the scrub as the path left the trees behind and a Large White flew on ahead of me leading me siren fashion deeper and deeper into the field with the grass closing in behind me. Once again I was surrounded by butterflies. They were so close and there were so many of them I could hear their wings scratching against stems, leaves or other wings and I was bedazzled to the extent that I just didn’t know where to point the camera first. I gave myself a mental slap across the cheek and got stuck in. There were masses of Smessex and Meadow Browns, slightly fewer but still numerous Marbled Whites and every now and again some little gem would pop up. One such butterfly was a tired and worn Common Blue, so tired in fact it looked almost like a different species. Another was a luscious Small Tort but my favourite sighting was of ‘Little and Large’.

After what felt like an age as there were so many butterflies but was actually only a matter of minutes I clawed my way back out of the self-sealing trackway and made for the car. I stopped for a bit to watch the Skippers at the puddle and there were noticeably fewer…

I wonder if this chap could be the reason why?

Look out for Whitters
Around about the Packway
No joy but still good

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[bugboy]

Interesting that you had mudpuddling Skippers as well this year. I've occasionally seen the odd one but never seen the masses I came across this year!

[trevor]

Hopefully Larkhill will deliver the goods next year.
That guy I met was quite positive that White Letters are to be found there.

Stay well,
Trevor.

[Katrina]

Interesting ab Ringlet

[Wurzel]

Cheers Bugboy It's not something I come across often either, perhaps the odd Holly Blue but nowhere near the numbers - it might have been a combination of some wet weather followed by very warm dry weather?
Cheers Trevor Fingers crossed Trevor - I'm going to try and read though some of Paul H's old posts as he had an easy way of spotting Elms so then I'll know where to look when the time comes
Cheers Katrina I seem to do okay for this particular aberrant round this way

Work 15-07-2021

“Another day another Dollar” meant that I was once again at work when instead I would rather be out and about either walking the woodland rides or dawdling the Downs. Reasoning that come the weekend I would be I took solace in the usual Work time walk. As I cut through the Pits the highlights among the usual fare were a bright and fresh looking Small Copper that didn’t stop and a Small White that did.

Doing my best to ignore the butterflies that would have seen me spend all of my remaining time in the Pits I continued on and broke through the line of trees to investigate the Bramble patch in the corner. There now butterflies there today just an interesting looking Wasp which was blacker with yellow stripes than the usual converse. After this I continued on down the Hedge stopping again almost as soon as I’d started for a Meadow Brown with faded orange patches on the hind wings. One of the fore wing ‘eye’s had a second pupil as well.

As I dove on down the hedge a Red Admiral and a few remaining Small Torts that hadn’t dispersed yet hung around about the half way mark. As I watched the Red Admiral a smaller butterfly flew into the hedge. It was noticeably smaller and brighter than the surrounding Meadow Browns. It was the first Hedge Brown for the site this season and oddly it was in the Hedge and looked Brown. Pleased with this I made my way back stopping briefly for a Small Skipper which looked a little out of sorts. For a start he wasn’t surrounded by a multitude of other Skippers and secondly he was down on the deck on the short turf of the path rather than in longer grass of the Pits or the unmown sections.

Quickly working back through the Pits, time ticking on as ever my progress was arrested by a Small Tort (it would have fitted the narrative better if it had been a Small Copper but there we go…) looking glorious as the sun shone through its wings and the markings contrasted nicely with its choice of nectar source. There was a second sitting, head down, on the wall of the Tech Block. After getting a few shots I checked back some of the images and so spooked it swiftly and purposefully…it hadn’t chosen the safest places to sit!

Hedge and Meadow Browns
Summer is in full sway now
Hope the weather holds
Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[millerd]

You're lucky to be able to fit a bit of lepidopterous activity into your working day, Wurzel. I can remember the frustrations of looking from a dreary office out at summer sunshine and pondering what I might be missing... It seems a reasonably productive patch too.

I like your suggested reassignment of the seasons - reminiscent of something from the very early TP books... September is often like an extra summer month, compensating for August failing dismally in that regard (less than a hundred hours of sunshine round my way this year, which really is dismal - only 3 hours a day on average).

Looking forward to your next weekend outing.

Dave

[Wurzel]

Cheers Dave It's turned into a little slice of heaven much to the chargin of the locals that seem to forget that it's private property and feel that the fields belonging to the school are their own dog park The'd much prefer it to be mown to within an inch of its life so their dogs don't lose their balls

October 2021

Well we came into Autumn with a bang today hopefully the butterflies will have found somewhere out of the wind and rain so if we do ever get some dry, sunny days they might put in a late showing

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[trevor]

Kiddies playing sports or just playing in a field where dogs are exercised, the mind boggles.
Good to see the butterfly life at your work place is varied though. Great Small Torts, I can't
offer a mrgeeen for them though, I now feel quite smug about their upturn around here recently!.

Maybe about two weeks left if we are lucky.

Stay safe and well,
Trevor.

[Maximus]

You're lucky to have a site like that near work, Wurzel really do wish we were still at the 15th of July in 2021 As you have said, roll on next spring

[Wurzel]

Cheers Trevor The locals do get quite irate about 'their fields' I didn't think any would be forthcoming after their resurgence round your way, long may it continue
Cheers Maximus The best thing is I don't make as many sneaky stop-offs on the way home now so I'm spending less time in the doghouse

Bentley Wood 17-07-2021

With the onset of some reasonable weather I made my way over to Bentley Wood. I reckoned that it would be best to arrive early but what I hadn’t reckoned on was how full the car park was going to be. Luckily there were a couple of spaces still begging and as I pulled into one I consoled myself that at least there would be plenty of people craning their necks skywards and seeking out His Nibbs. Once I’d loaded up on caffeine I stood in the middle of the car park and looked about and chatted with a few others including a chap called Nick. A few Silver-washed glode among the upper storeys of the canopy and then a Purple Hairstreak did the same. Nick was just saying that this was the first that he’d seen when I noticed that the Purp was flying lower and lower, spiralling down in an erratic softly lilting manner before its descent culminated in a last ‘plop’ onto a few fronds of Bracken. I pointed it out to Nick and he was able to get at least a record shot of it before a couple more Purps followed suit and offered a slightly less obstructed view.

Pleased with this we all set off along the main track trying to scan the tree tops for duelling Emperors whilst at the same time staring into the distance hoping for a shark fin or flash of purple on the deck. The foliage on either side of the track was alive with Ringlets and Large Skippers and the occasional Red Admiral did a plausible impression of His Nibbs. A few more Purps dropped from the trees falling down like errant leaves abscising very early to beat the autumnal rush. One sat annoyingly tilted towards us and in the shade so the usual silvery grey looked almost chocolate brown but another further on fluttered about sitting nicely now and again in the grass at the edge of the path. An Emperor did a fly past high up, soaring around and looking so stocky it could have been mistaken for a day flying bat but it headed off further into the woods which to us tied by gravity are impenetrable. I pressed on to the crossroads whilst Nick headed back to the car park.

At the crossroads I turned left and made for the corner of the path that leads onto Donley Copse. Along the way I was joined by Silver-washed, Ringlets, Meadow Browns and the odd Hedgie. More Purps crossed the track high up from one Oak to another but all were too far in off the track to reach. Once I got to the corner I stood back and waited. A Red Admiral hung about occasionally coming down to the deck and an Emperor passed overhead. I waited with baited breath for it to descend but it stayed up high and disappeared into the trees to become lost from sight. After this I broke up the waiting and staring at the sun by checking out the woodpile. Again there were some very flighty Silver-washed and a White Admiral cut effortlessly though the air turning on a sixpence now and then but annoyingly it only came down when it was too far away from my lens. In desperation and working on the premise that once I’d gotten something more and better photos should follow I took a few distant record shots. I took the grand total of four of which luckily two were passable but these turned out to be the only shots I got all season so this species is now high on the hit-list for next year.

I carried on past Donkey Copse scanning the trees tops whenever there was a break in the trees and I soon reached my next stopping point the small cutting which looked like a layby. As I stared upwards an Emperor flew across the canopy but as seemed the way today it too was on a mission heading off into the woods so I consoled myself with checking out the little patches of grass among the coppiced trees in what is now a large cleared area but last year was a twisted tangle of bramble and bracken. I found a pair of Ringlets which was a bit of a surprise as most species this year have been very shy when in cop. There were also five Silver-washed all using this little area zooming back and forth. Well four were zooming about the fifth was a bit more surreptitious and when I manged to get nearer I could see that the fifth was a she. One of the males spotted her just as I leaned in for a shot and they both set off across the clearing before she managed to lose him in the shade. Luckily I was able to get a bit closer and the coolness of the shade had made her even more approachable. As I got back onto the firmer footing on the path I met another couple whose names I forget (sorry about that) but I do remember that he appreciated Badge Beer! So after another brief chat I carried on back to the corner where Nick had arrived with another chap who’d struck purple on the main track; typical wrong place at the right time! As I was grinning and bearing looking at his shots another Emperor (or more likely the same one from earlier) did another couple of passes high up as if to ensure that Nick at least got to see an Emperor.

On my way back a fourth Emperor passed over and at the end the track by the crossroads I bump into Adrian which was nice and so we have a good catch up. I’ll say this for Emperor Season I mightn’t see many butterflies but it’s a highly sociable affair. As we’re talking a Purp floated down from the tress and landed in the bushes sitting under a Bracken frond which it used as a parasol, or so it seemed.

Wishing each other well and good luck Adrian and I went our separate ways, he was after His Nibbs but me well I’d had enough of the Purple Git (as I shall hence forth name all Emperors that don’t come down to the deck) and so I set off on the long trek to the memorial. Along the way I caught up with the Badger Beer couple and when we reached the memorial there was the first couple from the car park. All of us craned our necks and stared up at the trees that had held Whitters last year but alas to no avail. We all drifted apart at this point and I ended up on my own watching a H.Comma and some Spotted Flycatchers. As I was strolling back I thought that I’d give it one last try and so for about 5 minutes I looked upwards watching the small gap between the trees growing on other side of the track. After about five minutes my neck felt like it was permanently set but a small grey and square cut butterfly jinked its way across the gap between the leaves. I hastily grappled my bins to my eyes and managed to get onto it as it completed its jinky flight and it was a Whitter. And then almost as quickly as it had appeared it was gone, and so was I back towards the car park and home...

So with this species ticked off but no photos I made my way back seeing more of the same including another Peacock and a Purp down on the ground for just long enough to focus on it before it was gone. Towards the end of the track I caught up with Adrian and we chatted until we got back to the car park where a male Silver washed was flying around skimming the deck but everything was very skittish in the heat. I said my various goodbyes and set off for home aching at both ends of my body; footsore from all the walking and an aching neck from all the craning upwards. They say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result and I’ve always considered myself to be on just the right side of sanity so I think next year Chiddingfold it is!

Elusive His Nibbs
Difficult White Admirals
Bentley is hard work

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[Padfield]

Hmm... I say 'admiral' as two syllables. You could always have 'Difficult L. camilla' to please everyone.

I don't find time to do a lot of commenting in all the wonderful diaries, but I do read yours regularly, Wurzel, and enjoy it.

Guy

[millerd]

A great account of your experiences at Bentley in the Emperor season, Wurzel. You'd be most welcome at Chiddingfold next year, but it was actually quite hard work this time round before the regular commuters ended up lucky. However, there are always plenty of other things to keep you occupied, even when the majestic Purple one is playing coy.

Dave

[trevor]

I have a feeling in my water that Chiddingfold could well deliver the goods next year.
We've had two consecutive poor years there, Sallow affected by drought, heatwaves
and storms during the flight period. This year the Sallows have been subject to plenty
of rain, so are hopefully nice and succulent for this years larvae.
Of course much can happen between now and 2022, so let's hope for the best.

Do try and make it next year.

Stay well,
Trevor.

[Wurzel]

Cheers Guy In the Dorset dialect it's a definite a 3 syllables , I sounded out a few times and got some strange looks from my daughters which seemed to reflect that they thought that I'd finally lost it - I generally get these looks a couple of times a week
Cheers Dave At least if I'm not granted an audience I'll be able to chew plenty of fat
Cheers Trevor I think it's time to try somewhere else for His Nibbs so I reckon I'll be winging it over to Chiddingfold next year for sure...that is if there isn't still a fuel crisis Hopefully it'll be a bumper year

Work 19-07-2021

So began the final week of term, the end was in sight, I’d almost made it and hopefully the light at the end of the tunnel wasn’t an express train coming in my direction! To celebrate the start of the final week I left behind Department Handbooks and Learning Journeys and made my way out of the block. Instead of completing the usual ‘back and forth’ route today I made my way diagonally across the football pitches to the far corner of hedge. A couple of Whites flew past in the distance, the occasional Meadow Brown did their slow motion eruption from the turf and I found a couple of Smessex along the way. Once I’d reached the unmown sections that have now become Wildflower Meadows I swung my camera off of my shoulder in readiness. There were Meadow Browns and Ringlets and I counted three Marbled Whites right at the edge of the path whilst along the Hedge the odd Hedge Brown and numerous Smessex vied for my attention.

In all the excitement I‘d reached the Pits and having made one change to my routine already I followed it up with another. Usually I’d wander up and down the couple of little tracks that run across the Pits but today, what with the arrival of the Hedgies I paid more attention to the shrubs at the margin of the Pits. The Primary School had corralled their pupils to a section of the playground well away from the boundary hedge and so I was free to look carefully for Hedgies without the interruptions of “What you looking for?” As I strode through the swathes of tall grass yet more Meadow Browns, Ringlets and Smessex flew. Then a brighter orange butterfly zipped out from a crown of florets, intercepted a Meadow Brown, bullied it away and then landed back to near where it had started. A cracking looking Hedgie. There were another couple around and so I spent a couple of minutes here trying to get some shots of this feisty twosome. With the clock ticking ever onwards I made my way back towards the school building but stopped on the way as a Small Tort was clinging to the side of the Nursery School – I couldn’t work out if it was touting for business as a Steeplejack or an Electrical Engineer?

The end is in sight
Butterfly days stretch ahead
Hopefully no ‘Ping’…
Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[trevor]

Great selection from your work Wurzel. The Small Tort on the lightning conductor deserves a
Make the most of this weekend, before we a forced to hang our cameras up for the winter.

Stay well,
Trevor.

[Wurzel]

Cheers Trevor I can only bring myself to check the weather up until Thursday something tells me that next weekend that could be it

Work 20-07-2021

The penultimate day at work finally arrived and what with finishing at lunch time and the planned farewell speeches the Ultimate trip out at lunch time had also arrived . A few moments prior to the bell ringing I was all ready to go; year 10’s work all neatly filed away in correct subject folders, stools under the benches, desks sprayed down and the floor swept with errant hand wipes safely stowed in the bin and my own hands sanitized and washed eagerly clutching my camera. I was like a well-oiled machine but then I have had several months to practice this routine. “Drrrrrrrrrrrrrrring!” and I was off under starters orders!

With the warmth finally returned I was hoping for a good rate of return and as I made my way through the Pits there were good numbers of butterflies each way that I turned. Meadow Browns had been joined by the occasional smaller Hedgie, Smessex were zipping around and scrapping like the Gangs of New York and the odd White and Small Tort happened by. I stopped by a Thistle head on the other side of the large Bramble bush and there was a Smessex looking back at me, the indicators on its antennae indicating that it was yet another Small. So was the next one, and the one after that etc etc. In the end I gave up checking for an Essex and just enjoyed watching their antics. A Small White stopped by and took advantage of the Creeping Thistles. As I leaned in for some shots I couldn’t help but wonder if the Brostreaks would start emerging soon as here was one of their favourite nectar sources?

A lot of the butterflies were very active in the mid-day sun and so I hung around in the Pits as experience has taught me that on days like this the Hedge is really hard work, everything is zipping here and there, most things stop just long enough for me to line up a shot by which time they’ve had their few sips of nectar and they’re off to the next flower. As it turned out this was a sensible decision as a sandier looking butterfly plopped itself down a short way away. I’d been caught out by a similar sandy coloured Small Skipper a week or so previously so I was a little sceptical that this was actually an Essex. But as I got nearer the identification of it as such became obvious – the ‘ink dabs’ could have been seen from a mile off!

It felt like the Essex had been waiting for me to get my eye in as now when I started scanning through the Smessex/Smalls I quickly discovered a few more that must have been hiding in plain sight! Further weight was added to this supposition as the second that I managed to photograph looked to be a female. The third that fell under my lens was a lovely looking male that had the look of a cheeky school boy about him.

All too soon it was time to head back in and I did so with a heavy heart knowing that my little visits, my 25 minutes of sanctuary will be postponed until September by which time there might not be any butterflies left here…

Sadly last visit
All good things come to an end
Essex finale

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Nicely posing Essex Skippers, Wurzel. It never ceases to fascinate me just how long their proboscis is - as long as the butterfly itself at least. A reminder of the days of high summer... (I don't think there's a wistful emoji, though no doubt some youngster will put me right! )

Cheers,

Dave

[Neil Freeman]

Some nice reminders of better days there Wurzel to cheer me up on another dull and quite autumnal morning here.

Cheers,

Neil.

[Wurzel]

Cheers Dave A wistful emoji would be a wonderful thing and would compliment the well I think, giving a much more nuanced approach Essex Skippers do seem to have massive proboscises, I suppose it's a bit like having a skeleton key in a way as they can access a much wider range of nectar sources
Cheers Neil I'm dreading the onset of the drear

Perham Down 21-07-2021

I’d only gone and done it! I’d only managed to make it through to the end of the school year without losing my sanity (I have so little of it this is more of an achievement than it sounds) or having a single day sick despite working at almost twice the usual capacity for about 30 of the 39 weeks! It was therefore with great relief that I drove in on the final day and instead of the usual routine of drink coffee, load up and carry stuff through for the start of the day I meticulously prepared everything for a quick getaway; camera hung round the headrest of the passenger seat, lucky hat ready on the seat, iPod plugged in with the volume on full and set up ready for Iron Maiden- Killers, notebook on top of hat ready to grab as soon as I got to my destination. Then it was time to sit back and wait – true I had a lesson to ‘teach’ but the others had been taken away for tutor time and a virtual full school assembly so I topped up on caffeine. Once the pupils had left the building and the speeches had been variously listened to and given I was away faster than James Hunt…

Usually I’d be heading to Shipton Bellinger to try for an early Brostreak – this has worked a couple of times in the past but this season everything is late and there’s only been one or two reports so this year I still headed towards Tidworth but instead of turning right I turned left and made for Perham Down in the hope of adding Silver-spotted Skipper to the Year list. I pulled up with only about an hour to make my visit so instead of climbing the steep hill and walking along the top and stopping for photos at every available opportunity I put my head down and went for it and I made mental notes of the various butterflies. Across the top field there were plenty of Meadow Browns which seemed to be all over the place and in the heat they were insanely active. There was also the odd Smessex catching my eye as it pretended to be my target species and the occasional Marbled White passed by whilst Hedgies stuck to the hedges and plots of scrub. Whites flew by in ones and twos and the DGFs kept flying, endlessly it seemed, gliding when they needed a bit of a breather. As I approached the far side of the Meadow and started to feel the slope slightly strengthening I peeled l my eyes even more. There in same area as last year, down in a little cranny between two hedges I spotted my first Silver Spot. I didn’t see if for long though as it does the Craw Step and it’s gone.

I mooched around in this general area walking forward and back zig-zagging my way back up the slope and then there’s the/another Silver Spot. I managed to fire off two of the worst ever record shots before it’s gone again, the dreaded Craw Step catches me out once again! I spotted a possible third but that too is gone in the blink of an eye. They’re next to impossible to follow as you watch them for a certain distance and then they suddenly hit the gas, veer right or left and then they just disappear. After these several abortive attempts some of the knowledge from previous years started to seep back into my frontal cortex from its holding pen in my long term memory; I remembered that actually they don’t fly that far away they almost veer off to one side and then quickly drop down. So the next time I spotted one I watched it, it disappeared and then I scanned a little way ahead to the left and then the right and managed to find it. Using this technique I eventually got some shots; the first coming from back down in the corner where I’d seen my first after scrutinizing most of the hill. Then my wanderings bring me to the thinner turf of the path where I found a second which proved to be much better value for money than the first.

As I was considering leaving a third Silver Spot appeared and this one didn’t seem as bright so I made to follow it, again using the now trusted technique of waiting for it to disappear and scanning left and right from the last known position. This one didn’t seem to want to fly as far in between each sitting but I don’t know whether this is a behaviour trait of females for such was this individual? After getting a few shots of her I said to myself that I really needed to make my way back which was when another fine looking male dropped in.

I felt a little like Michael Corleone but eventually I tore myself away and set off but this time I allowed Gravity to help me out and followed the track down the slight slope and picked up some speed as I cut across the meadow at the bottom of the hill. The walk back produced the same species as the walk in and I was just about to take the path back to the car park when something big and peach coloured flew past and landed on the deck a short way away – a fresh Painted Lady. It was very twitchy and it flew off a few times before it eventually perched on the steep, sandy side of the Down. To approach it I used a slightly adapted method of the Click Step which ran something like; step, wait for wings to twitch, Click, repeat; and doing this I managed some shots which I was happy with especially seeing as how I was clinging onto the side of the down with the side of one foot whilst clicking away (although on the big screen they weren’t great); I really had to get my Zen on! Luckily it then took to some of the flowers and while it had a refuel I was able to get in close enough for some proper photos.

After this brief interlude I continued head down striving for the car and then home and really looking forward to the first cold beer of the holiday – it always tastes extra special!

Stop on the way home
Get some unusual fare
Nice change, Silver Spots!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Very nice Silver-spots, Wurzel. That first one seems very dark, even for a fresh male.

It's part of the fun of every season, re-remembering and relearning all the different quirks of each species that have drained away from the memory over the intervening dark months. It soon comes back - though it doesn't help even when you know that a Silver-spot you're following is going to suddenly jink sharply left and then wink out of existence before reappearing in mid-air ten metres behind you...

Cheers,

Dave