March 2009 Lepidoptera Sightings
- Charles Nicol
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Re: March 2009 Lepidoptera Sightings
Glad you liked the pics Denise. I'm so glad i made the effort to go back yesterday... today the weather is awful
Charles
PS there are some more of the pics from yesterday at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/captaincatkin/
Charles
PS there are some more of the pics from yesterday at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/captaincatkin/
Re: March 2009 Lepidoptera Sightings
Pics 398 and 408 are stunner's.Charles Nicol wrote:Glad you liked the pics Denise. I'm so glad i made the effort to go back yesterday... today the weather is awful
Charles
PS there are some more of the pics from yesterday at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/captaincatkin/
You've really lifted the bar the last few months Charles. Good on you.
I've yet to see Small Tort this year
Denise
Denise
- Charles Nicol
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Re: March 2009 Lepidoptera Sightings
Hey Denise thanks for your kind comments.
You may not have seen any Small Tortoiseshells but you must have been the first person in the country to see a Speckled Wood this year !!
You may not have seen any Small Tortoiseshells but you must have been the first person in the country to see a Speckled Wood this year !!
- Dave McCormick
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Re: March 2009 Lepidoptera Sightings
Hi Charles,
I noticed in one of your pics, one of the small tortoiseshells looks very light coloured compared to normal. Would this be down to age or something else?
I noticed in one of your pics, one of the small tortoiseshells looks very light coloured compared to normal. Would this be down to age or something else?
Cheers all,
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My Nature videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/DynamixWarePro
- Charles Nicol
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- Location: Cambridge
Re: March 2009 Lepidoptera Sightings
Hi Dave
I noticed this too. It is quite striking in comparison to the other one. My first thought was perhaps this was a gender thing with the slightly smaller & paler one being the female.
Charles
I noticed this too. It is quite striking in comparison to the other one. My first thought was perhaps this was a gender thing with the slightly smaller & paler one being the female.
Charles
Re: March 2009 Lepidoptera Sightings
My little spot in Willsbridge Valley has been good for comma for many years. It's been good to see a resurgence in small tortoiseshell, with 3+ spotted here. Also a further 2 seen near Hencliff Wood in the Avon Valley.
Regarding brimstones favouring ivy, they hibernate in it, so it makes sense to hang around for a while in case the weather turns colder, sending them back there for shelter.
I shot this nice condition peacock yesterday in my local spot.
Sony A700 with Sigma 105mm EX Macro.
Regarding brimstones favouring ivy, they hibernate in it, so it makes sense to hang around for a while in case the weather turns colder, sending them back there for shelter.
I shot this nice condition peacock yesterday in my local spot.
Sony A700 with Sigma 105mm EX Macro.
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Re: March 2009 Lepidoptera Sightings
Hi all, Some excellent photos so far ....and its only March....realy enjoyed those photos from Charles..Torts on catkins...spiffing stuff....very windy today, no Butterflies for me...sadly...in all last week about a dozen Small Tortoiseshell and 5-6 Peacock....very good for the time of year..last year my first butterfly was a Comma April 1-2....Here is a Peacock from last week. Cheers IAC.
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Re: March 2009 Lepidoptera Sightings
Just seen two days ago my first butterfly of the year a comma at Chester zoo . Things are looking up
Pete
Pete
- Charles Nicol
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Re: March 2009 Lepidoptera Sightings
do they have a special cage for them ?LCPete wrote:Just seen two days ago my first butterfly of the year a comma at Chester zoo . Things are looking up
Pete
charles
Re: March 2009 Lepidoptera Sightings
Amazed to see this emerge out of the washing today, dried outside
yesterday... presume must have found a spot to roost and was not noticed when clothes taken off the line..... though not such a good choice, as it's now a bit battered ... ( would rather it had been a Large Tort!! )
yesterday... presume must have found a spot to roost and was not noticed when clothes taken off the line..... though not such a good choice, as it's now a bit battered ... ( would rather it had been a Large Tort!! )
- Pete Eeles
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Re: March 2009 Lepidoptera Sightings
A "whiter than white" white then?
Seen this morning on the ivy outside my window - the first sighting I had was earlier this week - but today I managed to get a photo!
Cheers,
- Pete
Seen this morning on the ivy outside my window - the first sighting I had was earlier this week - but today I managed to get a photo!
Cheers,
- Pete
Life Cycles of British & Irish Butterflies: http://www.butterflylifecycles.com
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Re: March 2009 Lepidoptera Sightings
Nice one Pete. No blues or speckles around here yet, but I counted 2 commas, 1 small white, 3 peacocks and no less than 7 small torts on my local patch today. This one was ovipositing.
Snapped with Sony A700 + 55-200 zoom with Canon 500D close up lens attached.
Snapped with Sony A700 + 55-200 zoom with Canon 500D close up lens attached.
- geniculata
- Posts: 245
- Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2008 9:49 pm
Re: March 2009 Lepidoptera Sightings
nice one peter and eccles,
haven't seen a holly blue yet, but wait in anticipation as its one of my favorite species, and cracking small tort sighting, ive only seen one so far but it seems that there has been a better start than last year for this species down here in hampshire!
gary.
haven't seen a holly blue yet, but wait in anticipation as its one of my favorite species, and cracking small tort sighting, ive only seen one so far but it seems that there has been a better start than last year for this species down here in hampshire!
gary.
- Pete Eeles
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Re: March 2009 Lepidoptera Sightings
That's good news about the Small Tort - I saw my first of the year today in my home patch - the first I've seen in the area for almost 2 years! So my hopes are up
Cheers,
- Pete
Cheers,
- Pete
Life Cycles of British & Irish Butterflies: http://www.butterflylifecycles.com
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- Jack Harrison
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Re: March 2009 Lepidoptera Sightings
A negative report from 29th March but I hope valuable.
Here on high ground Sooth Cambs, temperature reached only 8°C in bright sunshine and virtually nil wind. A local walk where in the right conditions at this time of year, I would ALWAYS expect to see Brimstone, Peacock and Comma. But it would seem that 8°C is just too cold.
Jack
Here on high ground Sooth Cambs, temperature reached only 8°C in bright sunshine and virtually nil wind. A local walk where in the right conditions at this time of year, I would ALWAYS expect to see Brimstone, Peacock and Comma. But it would seem that 8°C is just too cold.
Jack
Re: March 2009 Lepidoptera Sightings
...meanwhile down in the Fen from the Cambridgeshire heights (where I get a nosebleed!)
...here in Cambridge it was slightly warmer and saw 4 Small Tortoiseshell, a Peacock and a Large White (my first of the year).
(Keep waiting for the Holly Blue to emerge; nice one, Pete. Didn't we see him as a baby )
N Borrowed a Nikkor 105mm Macro, 1/800th @ f10 -0.3ve
...here in Cambridge it was slightly warmer and saw 4 Small Tortoiseshell, a Peacock and a Large White (my first of the year).
(Keep waiting for the Holly Blue to emerge; nice one, Pete. Didn't we see him as a baby )
N Borrowed a Nikkor 105mm Macro, 1/800th @ f10 -0.3ve
Last edited by NickB on Sun Mar 29, 2009 9:40 pm, edited 2 times in total.
"Conservation starts in small places, close to home..."
- Jack Harrison
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Re: March 2009 Lepidoptera Sightings
Cambridge City was only about 1° warmer today but it confirms what I have always thought, about 9° or 10°C is a minimum for most specie to be active. Notable exception is Red Admiral which will fly in much lower temperatures (I have seen one active in bright sun with a shade temperature of a mere 2°C.
By the way Nick, I recognise that Large White. I knew him as a caterpillar on my cabbages last summer
Not sure about "Champion" of anything. Still waiting to hear from the branch hierarchy if it's now "over to you Nick".
(No idea how my earlier post became so corrupted - re-submitted)
Jack
By the way Nick, I recognise that Large White. I knew him as a caterpillar on my cabbages last summer
Not sure about "Champion" of anything. Still waiting to hear from the branch hierarchy if it's now "over to you Nick".
(No idea how my earlier post became so corrupted - re-submitted)
Jack
Last edited by Jack Harrison on Mon Mar 30, 2009 6:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: March 2009 Lepidoptera Sightings
Jack, as members may know is the Large White, as well as the ChalKhill Blue, champion of our BC branchjackharr wrote: By the way Nick, I recognise that Large White. I knew him as a caterpillar on my cabbages last summer
Jack
N
"Conservation starts in small places, close to home..."
Re: March 2009 Lepidoptera Sightings
Not much around in east Somerset yesterday, despite the constant sunshine. Only one species - Comma - but at least there were plenty of them along the woodland glades and rides, far better numbers than last spring.