June 2023

[Charles Nicol]

here are some pics from Sundon in the last few days

does anyone know what the little plant is ?

[aeshna5]

It's one of the eyebrights, Euphrasia sp, Charles.

[Charles Nicol]

It's one of the eyebrights, Euphrasia sp, Charles.

thanks again for your expert assistance aeshna !

[Ian Pratt]

Today has been probably the best day this year for seeing butterflies close to home.
I visited a private woodland and saw the following:
Silver-washed fritillary about 15
White admiral about 6
Red admiral 10
Ringlet, meadow brown, gatekeeper: loads
large white 4
Green-veined white 1
Small skipper 1
Common blue damselfly 1
Common darter 3
Peacock 5
Speckled wood 1
Unidentified hawker 1
Comma 4
Golden-ringed dragonfly 1
Marbled white 3

I attach some photos of the silver-washed fritillaries which were flying around madly and hardly stopping.
I then managed to photograph mating silver-washed fritillaries with a female valezina and then in the same photograph two pairs mating.
Hopefully, things may improve even more now.

[petesmith]

I then managed to photograph mating silver-washed fritillaries with a female valezina and then in the same photograph two pairs mating.
Hopefully, things may improve even more now.

That's pretty remarkable Ian! I can't imagine there are many photographs taken in the wild with two mating pairs of paphia in the same vista!

[David M]

That's pretty remarkable Ian! I can't imagine there are many photographs taken in the wild with two mating pairs of paphia in the same vista!

Extraordinary!

[Ian Pratt]

Sorry, I should have put this in the July thread!

[David M]

Sorry, I should have put this in the July thread!

Don't worry, Ian. It's not a capital offence.

[Ian Pratt]

Another photograph of the two mating pairs on hazel , with the valezina on the left of the rear pair.

[Ian Pratt]

Thanks for all comments and views.