Kev Ling

[kevling]

Thanks Wurzel and Guy,

I couldn’t let spring pass without a few photos of my favourite species, the Orange Tip. They are still going strong and I’m hopeful for an egg laying female on our garlic mustard.

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Kind Regards
Kev

[Wurzel]

Cracking close-up shot Kev They always remind me of very tired old men - what with those massive 'bags'around their eyes

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Lovely Dukes and Orange Tips, Kev. I've noticed the latter are seriously on the wane, and it's hard to believe they'll soon be gone for another year.

Such a shame they aren't double-brooded.

[kevling]

Thanks Wurzel: I do enjoy the Orange Tips details close up.
Thanks David: Orange Tips still going her in Suffolk but I agree we don’t see them for long enough. They are my favourite.

Another spring species that I adore is the Green Hairstreak. This has been my best year so far for them and unlike most other years I am seeing them mostly at or near ground level as opposed to perched higher up in the bushes. Has helped me get some nice shots

Kind Regards
Kev

[Wurzel]

Green Hairstreaks are great aren't they? They have had a good season Looks like you've got some 'punctata' ones there as they've got spots on both wings

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Nice work, Kev. Green Hairstreaks can be tricky but as you say, it helps when they decide to spend time near ground level.

Pleased they seem to be having a good flight period given how awful May 2021 was for them.

[kevling]

We have been blessed once more with some egg laying Orange Tips in our garden. Garlic Mustard never fails to entice them.They take some tracking and move very quickly once ready to pupate, but perseverance paid off and we now have some pupa.
We witnessed an Orange Tip emerging from it’s ovum. Excuse the poor quality image, they really are that small to focus in on.

Here is the first instar on the move

At fourth instar stage

Attaching itself by a silk girdle ready to pupate

Pupation complete (sorry cannot rotate image)

We then had a second larva pupate, this time choosing it’s host plant of Garlic Mustard

Note the discarded head an anal claspers at the base of this pupa

Kind Regards Kev

[trevor]

A fascinating sequence of the early stages in the life of the Orange Tip Kev.
It's always amazed me just how long they remain in the pupae, almost a year.
I have always been concerned about a site near me, a disused railway, now a footpath.
This is flailed every summer right where the Garlic Mustard grows, I'm sure pupae are lost.
But on the plus side OT's do re-appear there every year, and it's my go to site for them.

Great stuff,
Trevor.

[David M]

Superb sequence, Kev. Just makes you love them even more, knowing how treacherous their path to adulthood is.

[kevling]

Brampton Woods - 11th June 2022

I took a trip into Cambridgeshire in search of Black Hairstreak. The location was the lovely Brampton Wood near Huntingdon.
This was my first visit to the wood, so it took a while to get my bearings and find the rides where they hang out. Once I had, there were good numbers active around the blackthorn and a couple of sheltered glades where I got up close and personal with them.

Another pleasant surprise on the day was the early emergence of Silver Washed Fritillary. This was my earliest ever sighting of the species and double figures were reached before I left.

Kind Regards
Kev

[Wurzel]

Brilliant set of shot Kev The second and third butterflies look like really fresh individuals

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Love those Black Hairstreaks, Kev, and the Silver Washed Fritillary is impressive too.

[kevling]

I'm pleased to say that Silver Studded Blues are having a bumper year on the Suffolk Heaths.
My local site Purdis Heath has seen a record number count of 589, almost doubled from last year. This is despite our local Butterfly Conservation group being unable to do any habitat management in recent years due to a change in land ownership. We are hoping to reinstate work parties this autumn.
The hot weather of a couple of weeks ago paid dividends and on Saturday 18th June I was on site at 7am to enjoy them coming out of their roost in great numbers. Every so often, you have a day that you will never forget. This was one of those days.

Kind Regards
Kev Ling

[Wurzel]

I love the shots of the Silver-studs against the pink background Kev - good to hear they're doing well

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

I'm pleased to say that Silver Studded Blues are having a bumper year on the Suffolk Heaths. My local site Purdis Heath has seen a record number count of 589, almost doubled from last year...

Excellent news, Kev. Hopefully the upward trend will continue. A count of approaching 600 is some going and I can picture how satisfying it must have been to see them slowly stir from their roosts during that early morning.

[kevling]

Hi everyone,

The traditional start to the year for me is my beloved Orange Tips.
After almost 10 months of patience,our garden pupa finally produced a lovely female. This was the first time I had ever witnessed the rare sight of an Orange Tip emerge and it was a such a treat.

Later that afternoon a walk on my local park produced this stunning pair. The female was raising its abdomen just prior to this, rejecting the advances of the male.

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Kind Regards
Kev

[Wurzel]

Cracking emergence sequence Kev I love how you can see the yellow 'eyelids' in the close-ups

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

A rare treat indeed, Kev. Thanks for sharing.

[kevling]

21st May 2023 - Devils Dyke, Cambs

A little late with my diary entries due to other commitments.
On 21st May, my first field trip was to Devils Dyke, opposite the July course in Newmarket. My target species was Adonis Blue.
I counted a total of 80 include two pairs in copulation;

Also plentiful were Brown Argus, with 78 seen, the greatest concentration I had seen a single site.

The trip was complete with over 25 Brimstone (another record haul for a single site), Green Hairstreak and Dingy Skipper.

Kind Regards
Kev

[trevor]

You mention finding 78 Brown Argus Kev.
My own observations suggest this species is having a great year.
A for your female OT sequence, well captured.