Queen of Spain Fritillaries in Sussex

[Buttyman Col]

Hi all,

Only just found out about these - apparently the offspring of a female seen in July.

Check out http://www.sussex-butterflies.org.uk/sightings.html for more info.

Good luck to anyone who goes.

Colin B (Derby)

[Rogerdodge]

Colin
Good to hear from you again!!!!!
Try this thread - some good photos and comments (just skip over the guff about map references).
Send me a PM as I have lost your e-mail address.
http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/phpBB2/v ... 1&start=80

[Pete Eeles]

Colin also kindly sent me a message suggesting that the QoS sightings are "home page" material and, of course, he's absolutely right. Shame on me

The reality is that the website currently takes quite a lot of looking after, and so I've spent the last couple of months rebuilding some of the basic capabilities to remove the major bottleneck (i.e. me) out of the way, with the conscious "sacrifice" of not updating the home page, incorporated the latest submissions and the like. I guess I've been focusing on the medium / long term of late.

My vision is for the website to be run by a team of dedicated members (you lot!) that bring the site to life - with daily updates - some of which should appear on the home page. In summary - all of my energy, recently, has been spent as the "IT guy" that provides the mechanisms that this website provides. The new gallery mechanism is just an example and when this is integrated into the main species pages, you'll see that we'll have the most-definitive source of images on UK butterflies anywhere. There are already hundreds of superb contributions that are still tucked away in the galleries - and their day will come (very soon!). Species-related information is also being actively worked on by myself and Piers ("Felix", who is focusing on aberrations right now).

I also want to get us into the 21st century with regard to Web 2.0 technologies. I'd like to see support for RSS and Atom feeds, weekly (if not daily) podcasts - both audio and video, links into YouTube videos, Google Map support etc. etc. What you see today is just the start.

And while all this is going on - we need to keep an eye on how a website such as this practically contributes to conservation aims - in particular, those of Butterfly Conservation.

As ever, all feedback is welcome, especially since there are going to be some significant changes over the next several months.

Cheers,

- Pete (currently completing the remaining species descriptions!)

[Buttyman Col]

I'll forgive you Pete! Sounds like you're incredibly busy and this site is an absolute credit to you.

Of course, if I visited regularly enough to know my way around the site properly I would have found the previous postings.

Fortunately Rog saved me from further embarassment.

Having learnt my lesson I'll try to contribute more often in future!

Colin B

[Susie]

The whole QOS thing has been an eye opener for me. I was not aware of how much snobbishness there was in the butterfly world.

[Denise]

The whole QOS thing has been an eye opener for me. I was not aware of how much snobbishness there was in the butterfly world.

You should try birding Susie, now that is snobby in certain circles.
I just enjoy wildlife and do my own thing, and I try hard not to mix in those circles anymore.

Denise

[Piers]

The whole QOS thing has been an eye opener for me. I was not aware of how much snobbishness there was in the butterfly world.

Go on... I haven't understood this...

[Susie]

apologies, it was an ill thought out comment on my part which i shouldnt have posted. It wasnt in reference to anyone on this forum or the people i met at the site who were all lovely.

[Zonda]

Susie...I do know what you meant by your honest outburst....There is a similar snobbishness in the Fungi groups too. I have never been able to join a local group of enthusiasts for this very reason. Anyway,,,loads of people just get in the way of my photography. It can all get a bit twee for my tastes. 'Don't forget to bring your wellingtons, and there will be tea and cakes in the tearoom afterwards'. The write-ups are just as bad....'Some of the members got wet feet crossing the stream, as they had forgotten to bring their wellingtons'. I'm an atheist,,,,, but lord give me strength.

[Dave McCormick]

Susie...I do know what you meant by your honest outburst....There is a similar snobbishness in the Fungi groups too. I have never been able to join a local group of enthusiasts for this very reason. Anyway,,,loads of people just get in the way of my photography.

I can understand this too. A couple of times when I was out on local BC trips, the people there seemed to race on, not taking enough time to actually look for butterflies/moths and left me a bit behind photographing things. I was surprised they found anything at all really. And now because I actually take enough time to search for species when out, I am known as the caterpillar finder here. But there is nothing wrong with anyone I have met, they are all nice people, just don't seem to take enough time to really find things like I do sometimes. I happened on one trip to find pupae and caterpillars of six spot burnet, located quite a few painted lady cats in thistles and snout/large yellow underwing moths and lots of straw dot moths that the rest of the group missed.

I guess when your a real inthuesast (sp?) that takes the time and effort to appreciate and search out wildlife and photograph them like a lot of us here, there will be others that are not so much and won't exactly understand how some of us feel about taking the time and effort in what we do.

[Susie]

Lord, I've unleased something now!

I can only apologies again for my comment, I was oversensitive about something someone said (not anyone on this forum) and it is all best forgotten about. Least said, soonest mended.

[Zonda]

Gosh! I hope you're not getting all 'snobbish' about this. We know what ya mean.

[Susie]

A chav like me, get snobbish? Maybe, I guess everyone has to look down on someone.

[Zonda]

Yeh! Yeh! and i'm obviously a prime target. Stay chilled.

[Susie]

Anyway, back to the Queen of Spain. I wonder if there were any sightings today.

[Zonda]

Haven't heard today.

[Danny]

I went today (Saturday 17th Oct) and looked (after busking in Horsham) but it was a bit late - got there at about 4.15 and stayed til 5 - I picked up some chestnuts (there are chestnut trees there) to consume..the sun wasn't really out at this point...thing is I didn't really know where to look - I presumed they might be alongside the maize field..anyway I didn't have the emotional moment of a lifetime tick...I'm going tomorrow though...hopefully there will be other humans that are not dog walkers, that can point me in the right direction. If somebody can tell me where to look I'd really appreciate it...I know I've found the site..but I don't know where on the site!

Danny

[Vince Massimo]

Danny,

You were in the right place. You should look in the short grass in the middle of the meadow in the morning, but the male does not usually appear until after 11am. In the afternoon walk up and down the path at the front of the maize field. It is usually basking on the path that runs parallel to the road, but you should check any of the paths around the field that are in sunshine.

The forcast is good for tomorrow so there should be many pairs of eyes to help look for it. Good luck.

Cheers,

Vince

[Susie]

I have PM'd you, Danny. I know of several people who are due to go tomorrow, some of whom where there earlier in the week so, as Vince said, there should be people there to show you the right places.

[Danny]

Thanks Vince/Susie...so the bit of grass/cropped stuff in between the chestnut trees and the Maize is where the brute is!!?? Is it worth circumnavigating the whole field?? I probably will anyway.

I have two girls with me tomorrow (both 8 years old - my daughter Jasmine and her friend Chloe) and they get bored quickly!! When I took her with me to check out the Brown Hairstreak at Steyning it was a persistent drone of "Can we go now??"..eventually it appeared and my daughter could be released to explore the dire world of Macdonalds (which costs me money I hasten to add)..same with the various butterfly walks that I want to go on..When I went to Friston Forest, even though she got to handle a Private Hawk moth she was still badgering me to go! To be fair she's been good with the Purple Emperor walks, but then that's her favourite butterfly...Nice thing is at the age of eight she can identify most UK species because I have indoctrinated her - a bit like a tennis parent..anyway I'm hoping because there will be two of them for me to look after then they will entertain each other...Please!! I really wanna see the QOS!!!

Where do you park BTW? I put the car just at the side of the road outside somebody's house..is there a proper car parky type place?

Danny