Plans for next year?

[Glostopcat]

Living in Gloucestershire I hope to see and photograph the following next year: wood whites, Duke of Burgundy, Chalkhill Blue, Adonis Blue, Green Hairstreak, White Letter Hairstreak, dingy skipper, grizzled skipper and if I venture into Wales the Marsh Fritillary

[NickMorgan]

Living in Gloucestershire I hope to see and photograph the following next year: wood whites, Duke of Burgundy, Chalkhill Blue, Adonis Blue, Green Hairstreak, White Letter Hairstreak, dingy skipper, grizzled skipper and if I venture into Wales the Marsh Fritillary

We don't get any of those up here! I am hoping that I may find graylings and speckled woods in the area!

[Michaeljf]

and if I venture into Wales the Marsh Fritillary

Hi Glastopcat,
keep an eye on the sightings page next year from May next year, as several of us based in Wales will no doubt be visiting the South Wales sites for the Marsh Fritillaries. I am hoping also to see Duke of Burgundy next year and Green Hairstreak and may go to Prestbury Hill near Cheltenham for those, but if you know of any better sites in the area please feel free to share the knowledge

Regarding Prestbury Hill, I would be interested if anyone here has specific location for the best spots for the DoB when the subject comes up next year! I know both reserves on Prestbury Hill - Bill Smyllie reserve is on one side at SO993244 and the Masts Reserve on the other side at SO993248 and I have a general idea of the best spots (sometimes generalities aren't enough with butterflies) Both Chalkhill and Small Blues are at the same site and are easy enough to see if you go the right time of year.

If you're after White-Letter Hairstreaks we have this year confirmed a reliable site in Cardiff at Forest Farm which would be worth a visit at the end of July.
Michael

[Dave McCormick]

In Northern Ireland there are 4 resident butterflies I have not yet seen, Wall, Dingy Skipper, Silver Washed Fritillary and Purple Hairstreak. Hoping to see if I can find a grayling again too as I haven't seen one since 2005. I know where to find the Purple Hairstreak. being rare here there is only a few known sites for it (In Fermanagh I think) Dingy Skipper is rare here too so not sure if I can see it, but I would like to find the Silver Washed Fritillary that evaded my grasp this year.

There are two more on the NI list, small blue and Brimstone. Small blue is feared extinct here as it hasn't been found since 2001 I think and Brimstone was last seen in Fermanagh but might not have been breeding there, might have came across from Cavan or Letrim or Monaghan (don't really know its status now, but none were seen in NI this year so far), so I don't think those are ones I will get to see.

Hoping to see Reals wood White again next year and get a video of some. Saw quite a lot at Lough Neagh in Co Armagh this year as well as quite a few holly blue and saw a grass warbler, something I have not seen before then. Only downside to that is the 3 trillion or so Lough Neagh flies. For about a mile there is a thick black cloud of these flies there, ugh. Not sure if this is right, but from what I remember from going to Lough Neagh, I was told that they wanted to possibly make a documentary on Reals Wood White.

Also wanting to manage a photo of a Dark green Fritillary, they are not easy to photograph (not for me anyway) 2 years and still not a good photo of one yet.

[Gibster]

and saw a grass warbler, something I have not seen before then.

I'm not surprised you haven't seen one before...there are 5 spp - Moustached GW of Africa, Fly River GW (cool name!) of New Guinea, Bristled GW of Pakistan/India, Large GW of Vietnam into Himalayas and finally the New Caledonian GW of (wait for it...) New Caledonia.

Or did you mean Grasshopper Warbler

(All meant in harmless fun, don't take me seriously. The lack of butterflies here is doing my nut in, as we say in Sarf London)

Where would be a cheap European destination to brighten up this butterfly drought over the winter period? Any hot-spots worth thinking about? I think I've got about a week's worth of holiday owed before the year is out. Anybody???

[Padfield]

Where would be a cheap European destination to brighten up this butterfly drought over the winter period? Any hot-spots worth thinking about? I think I've got about a week's worth of holiday owed before the year is out. Anybody???

If you're serious about getting out for some winter butterflies, I think your best bet is the Canaries. You won't see much wherever you go, but if you head off there you do at least stand a chance of getting something interesting. Canary Island large white flies all year round, as do Canary speckled wood, Canary blue and plain tiger, all of which I've seen on La Palma (the only Canary Island I've visited).

Guy

[Dave McCormick]

I'm not surprised you haven't seen one before...there are 5 spp - Moustached GW of Africa, Fly River GW (cool name!) of New Guinea, Bristled GW of Pakistan/India, Large GW of Vietnam into Himalayas and finally the New Caledonian GW of (wait for it...) New Caledonia.

Or did you mean Grasshopper Warbler

Yes that's what I meant, couldn't remember. I remember seeing it in a bushy area that was becoming overgrown that was going to be grazed by horses in future. Was hard to spot past the swarms of flies.

[David M]

How about Morocco for a trip? I know it's not in Europe but the temperature there is still in the seventies.

[Gibster]

How about Morocco for a trip? I know it's not in Europe but the temperature there is still in the seventies.

Oddly enough...see the Overseas Section, the post named "Agadir in January". I already posted a thread but it didn't gain much interest. I'm still hoping to get out there with a bunch of birders, although the date has gone back to March it seems. I've got the Collins guide which covers northern Morocco but we plan to head further south and my query was regards useful field guides.

If you're serious about getting out for some winter butterflies, I think your best bet is the Canaries.

Yep, definitely serious! I've seen a few species on Tenerife a couple of years ago. We had Bath White, Cleopatra, Painted Lady, Monarch, Canary Blue, Indian Red Admiral (or so we thought at the time, Pete's since updated me!) and a few others. Plus a Tricoloured Heron on the beach, an incredibly rare vagrant from America.

I'd really like to try and see the endemic Trocaz (Long-toed) Pigeon and Firecrest on Madeira. Anything much happening out there butterfly-wise over the winter months?

It's currently wet, windy and a very dull grey in Surrey and I'm just heading off birdwatching with Sami, which really drums home just how very different birding is to butterflying! Of course, we ought really be seeking out WL Hairstreak eggs or something useful. Plus I guess it's fast approaching that time to sit down and sort out the year's records for BC...gulp!

Cheers all

Gibster.

[Jack Harrison]

My plans are part of a rolling programme. Without going to huge effort and expense (there are other things I want to do! )I cannot really see all the British species in one season. Two or three seasons make up my rolling programme.

So for 2011, main targets are to see those I missed in 2010:

Lulworth Skipper
Chequered Skipper (but unlikely to go all the way to Scotland so that species remains a past memory)
High Brown Fritillary(Arnside)
Glanville Frit – Sand Point Weston-super-Mare in 2011. I know it’s introduced but having seen the “real” thing, I won’t get too bothered about a “cheat” at Sand Point.
Mountain Ringlet – unlikely as climbing hills not now feasible. Another past memory.
Northern Brown Argus

In addition, I will probably return to Crowle in N.Lincs for Large Heath. I saw plenty there in 2010 on a scorching hot sticky day but was driven away after a mere two hours by the incessant attention of Horse Flies that drove me crazy; I will choose a cooler day to visit in 2011.

Of course there are species that I simply won’t want to miss even though I had my “fill” in 2010 – Purple Emperor, Pearl Bordered Frit, Adonis Blue, Wood White to name just four. I might well go a long way west to Haugh Wood Herefordshire for PB Frit and Wood White where I knew them in excellent numbers some 40 years ago. However, I have been unable to find recent reports of success or otherwise.

Jack

[Mikhail]

Gibster

I don't know if you got an answer to your earlier query about guides to butterflies of Morocco, but if you go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_th ... of_Morocco and scroll down to the bottom of the page you will find a couple of useful references. The list itself has some silly errors.

Misha

[Paul Wetton]

Hi Jack

Don't give up on Mountain Ringlet. The colony at Irton Fell is only 20 minutes walk from the car park and the incline is not very steep at all. Compared to the walk you did at Fermyn Woods this July I think you'd find it quite easy.

They should be out around second week of June or possibly earlier, going by what I saw this year. I may have a go up there again this year and try for some fresher looking individuals. I'll let you know if you're interested in going. Anyone else for that matter.

Cheers

Paul

[Jack Harrison]

Thanks for that Paul. The Irton Fell I have found on the map looks a long way from anywhere:

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=31 ... 02260&lm=0

it certainly wouldn't be a 20 minute walk for an old arthritic. But maybe I have the wrong spot.

Sand Point. I believe you walk diagonally up the path from the car park to the top of the hill. I briefly tried last June along the beach and looked for them on the more vegetated parts at the base of the cliff. I guess that was the wrong and in any case, I was late in the season. I saw nothing!

Jack

[Paul Wetton]

No you've got the right spot but the fell area to see the ringlets is just out of the woods and over a 5 bar gate. It possibly took me 30 minutes at most and I was a smoker at the time.
I would guess that you would be up on the fell in less than 1 hour (easily) and under the correct conditions should see the ringlets anywhere once out of the woods.

Cheers

Paul

[Jack Harrison]

Good on you Paul to give up smoking. I can smugly say I never started. However, as I type this....pause....sip of Tesco's best cheap white wine....I am not without bad habits

I think you were going to make a video. Is that still going to happen and if so, when? I would be a customer.

And found a new type of bug today.

bug.gif (2.6 KiB) Viewed 528 times

Embed that in your e-mails and await reactions

Jack

[David M]

Also wanting to manage a photo of a Dark green Fritillary, they are not easy to photograph (not for me anyway) 2 years and still not a good photo of one yet.

They are normally almost impossible to approach closely, but if you know where they are to be reliably found in numbers then I suggest going on a dull day as I did this summer at Ewenny in south Wales. If it's dull and cool you'll disturb them walking through the grass and they'll come back to earth almost immediately allowing you to get as close as you want.

As soon as the sun comes out though they soon go hyper again.

[Paul Wetton]

Hi Jack

The video is now completed with some gratefully accepted help from Pete, especially with the commentary.

This will be a twin DVD set containing all 58 British breeding species of butterflies filmed this year. All filmed on location in glorious broadcast quality digital video format using my trustee (dropped twice this year, ouch!) Canon XL2. Total running time is approximately 2.5 hours on 2 DVD's. Using 2 prevents loss of quality in compression of video.

I have sent an almost final set to Pete who will be posting a review on this site when he has time to do so. I've kept him fairly busy with this recently.

I must thank Pete for all his help with this. His advice has been invaluable. Many many thanks Pete, much appreciated.

I am hoping that the review will contain a link to the page on my website which has one of those orange buy now buttons from the people at PayPal.

I wasn't going to say too much until Pete had put the review out as I'm waiting for some more blank DVD's and cases etc ready for the rush (I hope).

Thanks for the interest Jack.

Cheers

Paul

[Jack Harrison]

I have to say that is a damn good effort to film all 58 species in one year. I know that you had to work especially hard to get Clouded Yellow. So very well done.

Canons are tough cameras. I have had several Canon still cameras over the years. All except one, have been dropped on to concrete (fell out of upside down cases) and sure, they got the odd dent, but their workings didn't suffer one iota.

Jack

[Paul Wetton]

The second fall was the worst as it sheared the viewfinder away from the fixture on the camera body but with the help of a couple of screwdrivers and some brute force I managed to put it back together. I must admit the viewfinder was till working even when hanging by the wires.

By the way Jack you're on the first DVD at Strumpshaw photographing Swallowtails.

Cheers

Paul

[Jack Harrison]

By the way Jack you're on the first DVD at Strumpshaw photographing Swallowtails.

I have to ask. Do actors in your films earn royalties?