April 2009 Lepidoptera Sightings

[Shirley Roulston]

Gary, how do you get your photos into these frames, I think you have given them a nice finishing touch. They are all very nice, my favourite is the Orange Tip.
Shirley

[Pete Eeles]

The frames are the result of some changes I made - where smaller images are shown on the main pages (so that they load more quickly), and you have to click on them to see the full image.

Cheers,

- Pete

[Jack Harrison]

I think I must have started this off Pete when I wrote to you about loading times.

When seeing the new pages, I hadn’t initially realised that it was necessary to click on an image to see it in all its glory. I was under the impression that the standard of photography recently had taken a nose dive. I saw one of my own contributions and thought how awful it looked - until I realised about clicking.

Worthwhile stressing about the need to click.

Jack

[Pete Eeles]

Given the size of the "thumbnail" I'm wondering if we should just revert to seeing the full-size image. The reduction in posts per page may be sufficient to improve loading times.

Thoughts?

Cheers,

- Pete

[Padfield]

I much prefer the new way of displaying uploaded pictures, providing it remains possible (as it is at the moment) simply to link to images already on the web.

The 'thumbnails', although not so small, behave much better when scrolling that the previous method permitted and also show the whole picture at once.

Guy

[NickB]

Nice to see such a flurry of activity! Lots of great pics everyone - looking good for the Photography Workshop & get together...

"...looking forward to next weekend, guys!"
"Catch me if you can!"
And I didn't, not quiet!
Nick
PS. everything is at it!

[NickB]

...I went to Sharpenhoe & Totternhoe ( i was chilling with my 'hoes ) yesterday. No Green Hairstreaks or Dukes. Peacocks, Commas, whites & the season's first Speckled Wood.
Charles

I went to Totternhoe very early last year and had a similar experience - I think it is just a little higher (and windier) so that 16C in Cambridge is nearer 14C there and consequently takes a little longer. Mind you, the GH are out a week earlier than last year on the FD so who really knows? Local micro climates obviously play a big part...
Only a few GHs on the DD at Newmarket - seem to have very few white specks on the wings compared to examples from elsewhere; only saw one with that distinct pattern.
N

[Dave McCormick]

Weathers improving, good today around 15-16c saw red admiral, several green veined whites and small tortoiseshells, but I had no camera as I was coming home from college. Have to go out tomorrow and get pics on my free day. I know where to look, so it won't be too hard to find anything.

[Jack Harrison]

Monday 20th, Devils Dyke near Newmarket. Eleven species:

Brimstone, Small White, GV White, Large White, Orange Tip
Peacock, Comma, Tortoiseshell
Speckled Wood
Holly Blue, Green Hairstreak

Jack

[eccles]

I like the large thumbnails too. All too often an oversize picture wouldn't previously display on my monitor unless I increased the framesize.
BTW Shirley, your green veined white is a small white.
White numbers have exploded in the last couple of days on my local patch at Willsbridge. At a 1/2 hour transect today at 11am I counted 26+ individuals comprising 6 large, and the others mainly small although because they were mostly very mobile, I couldn't be sure whether some or all were GVW. Still waiting for the first holly blue here, although I saw one yesterday at Walton Common.
Others were: comma (4), speckled wood (5), orange tip male (3), peacock (2), brimstone male (4).

[Charles Nicol]

Went to the northern section of the Devil's Dyke near Reach this morning. By 10:30 the Green Hairstreaks were whizzing around their favourite bush

the butterfly in the first pic has plenty of white markings... the second not many.

Charles

[Shirley Roulston]

Eccles, got it wrong have I well to-day I suddenly saw an OT and jumped out of the car and started taking photos like mad, butterflies everywhere, I was so busy I forgot all my training with the camera settings and had the thing on Auto , it was a lay by on a country lane flowers and ivy everywhere, a butterfly paradise. I'll put little photos here and I think one of them is a female OT.

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DSC01533.JPG (69.98 KiB) Viewed 639 times

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The last one being a Speckled Wood and there were loads of them. if its sunny tomorrow I'm going back
Shirley

[eccles]

I don't think any of those are OT, Shirley. I would say: small white, green veined white, small white. For OT check out the pieridae ident pages, also Jack's post here is a good example of a female OT upperside: http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/phpBB2/v ... f=7&t=3078
Note the deep dark edges and checkered borders to the forewings. You can just see the mottled underside through the rear wings too.

[Denise]

At last today, I got an Orange-tip female.

Hooray, at last.
Also seen today, lots of Speckled Wood, Small and Large White and a large butterfly which whizzed past me, maybe a Peacock or Red Admiral, and three Holly Blue.
Denise

[Shirley Roulston]

Well done Denise, good for you. Oh Pete, I like the photo frames very nice.

[Charles Nicol]

here is a Green Veined White from yesterday

Charles

[Shirley Roulston]

Just got lucky to-day, I've been searching for this little one for a long time, even got the camera settings right.

Shirley

[Dave McCormick]

Saw 3 small Tortoiseshell and a Peacock, no hope of getting a photo, would not sit sitll long enough! Anyway, got a Diamond-Back Moth when I was out today:

[thepostieles]

saw my first holly blue today

[m_galathea]

20th April 2009: Had a pleasant walk from Falmer to Castle Hill and back, noting Elms and Wild Pansy on the way.

Butterflies spotted: Large White (6), Brimstone (M) (1), Speckled Wood (1), Small Tortoiseshell (3), Peacock (23), Small Copper (1) and a possible Painted Lady (1).

Alexander