April 2009 Lepidoptera Sightings

[Neil Hulme]

Hi all,
The sun finally shone in West Sussex from late morning onwards, bringing butterflies out in impressive numbers. I saw 10 Orange Tips along the Downslink disused railway track near West Grinstead, in a snatched hour before heading off to a BBQ. As I drove back towards Bury village (north of Arundel) the road verges were 'alive' with Orange Tips, as was the garden and adjacent riverbank where the BBQ was held. I probably saw a further 10 OTs and at least 15 Green-veined Whites. Brimstones were still thin on the ground - I think this species has over-wintered in lower numbers than we usually see.
Neil

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[geniculata]

sweet orange tip pics neil!
found 4 small copper again today amongst the other usual suspects, haven't spyed an orange tip yet though.
gary.

[Neil Hulme]

Thanks Gary,
I'm sure the Orange Tips will be with you soon! As is so often the case, these all appeared 'en masse'. I've struggled to find the odd one for a couple of days - then they're all over the shop. One of those species that really makes me smile
Neil

[Bill S]

A handful of Grizzled Skippers out on Martin Down yesterday.

Bill

[FISHiEE]

Excellent Orange Tip shots Neil. 1 and 3 are particularly impressive. The detail especially in 1!

John

[Shirley Roulston]

What beautiful photos of the OT Neil, just something a bit different, its such a small but very pretty butterfly, pity it only come out once in the season.
Shirley

[NickB]

Yup, I agree! I find OT's (and Whites in general) are generally v. difficult - 1) Because they are always on the move; 2) Because getting the exposure right, in direct sunlight in particular, is very tricky indeed!
So, I'm jealous, Neil & FISHiEE, of what you have produced! (Only seen that one OT myself so far... )
N

[eccles]

Some great shots, peeps.

On catching OTs, best to get them when the weather is mixed cloud and sun, or if it's a wall to wall sunny day get there early and catch them before they warm up. In either case they will rest with wings closed when cool, making them difficult to spot. But when the sun comes out they will open their wings. Snap them before they've got to optimum temperature and fly off.

Shirley, that 55-200mm Tamron lens of yours will take quite decent butterfly shots. Use it at the 200mm end with the aperture around F8. This one was taken last Tuesday with the Sony rebadged equivalent of your Tamron which is optically identical.

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For this next one, I attached a 58mm Canon 500D close up lens using a step up ring to match the filter sizes, although Canon do a 52mm version that will match the Tamron.

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Mike.

[FISHiEE]

Yes I totally agree. Mixed cloud days are good for all butterflies. Spot them and follow them when the sun is out, see where they settle when the cloud comes over

Early morning and late evening are also good. For Orange Tips they are often found roosted up on Cuckoo Flowers all the time they still have petals on them (and they blend in REALLY well). Just search all you can find and you will find the butterflies eventually. Once you've got your eye in you can spot them from a distance Once the petals have fallen they tend to look for other flowers/plants to hide on.

Best to get them early in the season while they are still nice, fluffy and scale perfect

John

[eccles]

The one above was found on garlic mustard, another of the butterfly's food plants so keep an eye out for them on these as well.

[FISHiEE]

Ah... never realised they fed on those also... explains why I sometimes see them where there is no apparent food plant!

[Pete Eeles]

I certainly agree with the sentiment of getting out just before Orange-tips take to the wing. Once they do, the first thing they seem to look for is nectar and can be quite obliging. As soon as the clouds cleared today, it became noticeably warmer. Within 10 minutes I was at my local Orange-tip hotspot and saw 26 (24 males, 2 females) in the space of 45 minutes. At one point, I just waited at a Garlic Mustard plant waiting for them to turn up! Also saw a female egg-laying, which was nice

Photos from today below.

Cheers,

- Pete

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[Shirley Roulston]

Lots of stunning photos of Orange Tips, the Ladies Smock and Garlic Mustard is not out here but the Honesty is, I saw one the other day and a Speckled Wood to-day but got in a tangle trying to change lenes, I needed three hands I took a nice Tortoiseshell the other day with that lens but the back ground wasn't blurred, there's hardly any butterflies to practise on.
Shirley

[bugmadmark]

Some fantastic photos here! I can't wait for my Sigma 150mm macro lens to arrive - it's been a long time coming so hopefully I can contribute something. In the meantime, I went to my favourite local bluebell woods on 13th April (Waresley and Gransden Woods, Cambs TL262548) in the afternoon. We saw 10+ Peacocks & 2 Brimstones but that was it. I managed to snatch 1st butterfly image of the year - not brilliant, but thought I'd include it anyway!

Peacock butterfly - Waresley Woods, Cambs 13th April 2009 EOS400D 28-135mm

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The Primroses and Cowslips/Oxlips (whichever they are - I can never tell) were in full glory and the bluebells were just begining to throw up their flower spikes so we are only a week or two away from that spectacle.

Also, not butterflies I know but for natural history value, my son spotted a pair of Smooth Newts in a puddle on one of the woodland pathways and a frog in the neigbouring ditch so it turned out to be a reasonably productive weekend to talk to the kids about our native wildlife.

Mark

[FISHiEE]

Great set of shots there Pete. The backlit Orange Tip on the Goose Grass is a stunner!

[NickB]

I went to my favourite local bluebell woods on 13th April in the afternoon.
Mark

We went to Hayley Woods on Sunday no butterflies but oxlips superb - bit too early for carpets of Bluebells - maybe next weekend?

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(Didn't find so much wildlife tho' - looks like you all had fun!)
N

[Neil Hulme]

Wow! What a pretty page. Mike's first and Pete's fourth OT are particularly nice - looks like the action is really hotting up now. They'll get to you eventually Shirley! Hope to catch up with you in Arundel at the weekend John - we can plan a Duke and PBF day - both should be good in about 10 days or so.
Neil

[Susie]

Orange tips were plentiful around here, too, yesterday.

[Dave McCormick]

wow, seems things are different where I am to places in England! OTs are just starting to be seen here and Pete has already seen them egg laying! My OT have still not hatched from their pupae yet and there is none in my area that I have seen yet.

[IAC]

Hi all,
The weather has taken a turn for the worst here in SE Scotland, after a cracking spell around easter weekend the Haar has descended. Peacock and ST now not so easy to find and Comma are playing dead...Gvw,s and Small White are still flying despite the murk...but the OT males are sitting this one out...still no females here....I understand you guys in the SE England are getting a well deserved break from the gloom, so I do expect to see some great photos over the next couple of days here....to add to the ones here now, howbout some Green Hairstreaks....I have never seen a GH in my area...I have no idea how to start looking for them...habitat and habits etc..any tips would be appreciated...anyway thats all for now till the sun comes back.
Cheers IAC.