Trevor

[Wurzel]

Brilliant Brostreaks and LTBs Trevor I just need them to start working their way west a little more and a little more regularly

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

This morning I travelled up to Whitehawk Hill for my first session with the Long Tailed Blues of the year....

Great you caught up with them, Trevor. Looks like that site (and a few others) will keep plenty of people occupied for the next few weeks.

[trevor]

Thanks Wurzel & David. Hopefully LTB fever awaits!

Yesterday morning I went over to Herstmonceux Castle, and a few beauties awaited my arrival
For those that like late Summer colour, how does the Peacock shot grab you ?.
Also present were fresh Large and Small Whites, two Painted Ladies and many fresh Small Coppers.

No third brood Walls or Clouded Yellows there at present.

Trevor.

[Wurzel]

"For those that like late Summer colour, how does the Peacock shot grab you ?."...it grabs me quite forcefully and screams "look at me'
The flowers there really do set the butterflies off beautifully The Cloudies seem to be on the march so maybe they'll arrive at Herstmonceux any time now, fingers crossed for you

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[trevor]

Cheers Wurzel, Talking of Cloudies.................

Yesterday there was a posting on facebook, UK butterflies, which although no location was given
was clearly from the LTB hot spot at Worthing. Also no LTB images were posted.
So with perfect weather I set off for Worthing this morning, and on arrival was met by the lovely
lady whose property fronts onto the beach ( Anyone who visited last September will remember her )
and she told me of a Clouded Yellow she'd seen earlier. As we talked a Cloudie flew by, and then another.
One of the two seen was a perfect, fresh ,female and was quite obliging for several photo sessions.

Clearly there were no Long Tailed Blues present, but a perfectly fresh Painted lady, a fiesty Small Copper,
and a Hummingbird Hawkmoth made the visit more than worthwhile.

Trevor.

[Katrina]

Good work with the Painted Ladies!

[trevor]

Thanks Katrina. There seems to be quite a few fresh Painted Ladies around at the moment.
But my first Clouded Yellow of the year stole the show for me.

[millerd]

Great Cloudies, Trevor! If they hang around, I may have to venture down that way soon...

Cheers,

Dave

[trevor]

Cheers Dave. It was the superb weather that persuaded me to visit today.
If you remember it was towards the end of September last year when we enjoyed all that LTB action.
Only two, possibly three Cloudies present today.

[John W]

Cheers Dave. It was the superb weather that persuaded me to visit today.
If you remember it was towards the end of September last year when we enjoyed all that LTB action.
Only two, possibly three Cloudies present today.

Hi Trevor,

I saw a Clouded Yellow at Herstmonceux yesterday. It stopped briefly on some verbena but not long enough for me to get a photo. It looked in good nick.

Cheers
John

[trevor]

Cheers John. That's good news about the Clouded Yellow, hopefully some 3rd brood Walls soon too.
Herstmonceux like Worthing seems to hit peak at the end of September.

Good to hear from you.

[David M]

...As we talked a Cloudie flew by, and then another. One of the two seen was a perfect, fresh ,female and was quite obliging for several photo sessions...

Seen record numbers of Cloudies in Wales this last couple of weeks, Trevor, but none of them have been females.

[trevor]

Seen record numbers of Cloudies in Wales this last couple of weeks, Trevor, but none of them have been females.
[/quote]

That's good to hear, David, they are still reasonably scarce around here, but there's still time for improved numbers.

[Wurzel]

"Cheers Wurzel, Talking of Cloudies................." I reckon I manifested those for you Trevor Cracking collection of shots - and hopefully she'll have encountered a male or will do soon and there could be another round

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[trevor]

Cheers Wurzel. A Cloudie was reported at Herstmonceux the day after my last visit!
A certain law at work there I think. Now the weather has collapsed. Oh well!

[trevor]

A window of slightly better weather around lunchtime was all the incentive needed for
a trip to Herstmonceux Castle today. Of the dozen or so Small Coppers braving the strong breeze
one in particular stood out, it had the brightest orange markings I have ever seen!
Fortunately my camera almost captured the brilliant orange that could be seen by eye.
A surprise find was a brown female Common Blue in a sheltered spot.
Also braving the now deteriorating weather were several Large Whites and a fresh Red Admiral.

The hoped for male Wall Brown reported at the weekend did not show today.

[millerd]

That Small Copper really stands out on the Michaelmas daisies, Trevor. Dazzling! When I was growing up in North London in the Sixties, Michaelmas daisies at this time of year were always covered in butterflies - not a common sight now, unfortunately.

Cheers,

Dave

[trevor]

Cheers Dave. Unfortunately quite a lot of Verbena was removed last Winter
to make way for varieties of Michaelmas daisy. They don't have quite the
same attraction for butterflies in general, but Small Coppers like them.

[trevor]

A large patch of blue sky in the west this morning prompted another trip to Herstmonceux.
Unfortunately the blue sky never came further east, and drifted north, so it was milky
sunshine at best for the rest of the day.
An early sighting was of a lovely, fairly fresh, female 3rd brood Wall Brown. Unusually
no males could be found, though one was reported last week.
The rest of the day produced several fresh Red Admirals, Small Coppers, a female Common Blue,
and many Large and Small Whites.
A young Canadian girl student came up to me and asked what I was photographing. I was able to
point out a Small Copper for her. Apparently at home she was very familiar with the Monarch,
but was unfamiliar with the Mourning Cloak. I suggested the internet.

[Wurzel]

Brilliant shots Trevor the Small Copper shots in particular and especially the face on one - awesome

Have a goodun

Wurzel