Susie

Susie · Post by **Susie** » Mon Apr 11, 2011 7:03 pm

Just got in from the garden where i've been checking out the orange tip and brimstone eggs.

I had a look at the brown hairstreak eggs too. Another hatched yesterday, now named Odin, and at least two more hatched today. I found a tiny caterpillar, about 2mm long, which is probably Thor but could be Odin. I took some pics so if they are reasonable I'll post later.

Susie · Post by **Susie** » Mon Apr 11, 2011 9:28 pm

I cropped and played around with the pics to improve them and then lost the finished result so you'll just have to have the originals and see if you can spot the egg and Thor.

Susie · Post by **Susie** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 7:40 pm

Dragged the young 'un up to Denbies again where she sat very patiently with her book and a green hairstreak took a liking to her and sat on her hand

We also saw brimstone and grizzled skipper.

Went to a local wood this afternoon and the bluebells are opening. There was a speckled wood flying around.

Found a patch of wild pink wood anenomes among the usual white ones.

Susie · Post by **Susie** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 3:50 pm

I spend a pleasant couple of hours this afternoon in the company of Jack Harrison and my youngest daughter. Don't believe the grumpy persona Jack puts over on the forum, he's lovely company and far more sprightly than I expected.

Jack gave me some tips for my camera for which I am grateful and I need to look up how to turn off burst mode in the camera manual to be able to put use of the flash into practice.

We saw plenty of brimstone and green hairstreak, a couple of orange tips, a couple of grizzled skippers and an adder.

I love the "eye lashes" on this chap.

Jack Harrison · Post by **Jack Harrison** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 5:13 pm

Susie said about me:

Don't believe the grumpy persona Jack puts over on the forum, he's lovely company and far more sprightly than I expected.

But just as fat as expected

Susie was exactly as I had expected - bubbly and most enjoyable company. Thanks Susie.

You missed a superb view of an adder just after you had gone.

Jack

ChrisC · Post by **ChrisC** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 5:50 pm

if you mean the one that takes 3 pictures press the delete/wastebasket button.

Chris

Susie · Post by **Susie** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 6:49 pm

Thanks, Chris

Susie · Post by **Susie** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 7:47 pm

Well I had an amazing experience this evening, nowt to do with butterflies though, I just watched a calf being born. Fabulous.

I'm never eating beef again - solidarity between mothers and all that.

Jack Harrison · Post by **Jack Harrison** » Tue Apr 19, 2011 2:30 am

Susie:

....watched a calf being born.

We used to stay regularly on a dairy farm in Dorset. I was away working one time so Mum took the children - then aged 5 to 12 - without me. Great anticipation for the birth of a calf for them to watch. Very sadly, the calf was one of the small percentage that are still-born. However, they did see a live birth soon afterwards.

They still eat beef.

Jack

Susie · Post by **Susie** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 7:51 pm

Don't youj just hate it when there is a butterfly explosion and you don't know where to go first or have enough time to do the species out justice!

We went on a bike ride along the downs link today, with a minor detour, and saw stack loads of butterflies, mainly orange tips. It was a wonderful way to spend a spring day (even if it did feel like July!)

Susie · Post by **Susie** » Sat Apr 23, 2011 5:45 pm

What a splendid St George's Day I have had today. I can't think of anything nice than mucking about with butterflies

Firstly I went on the Sussex BC walk led by Neil Hulme at Mill Hill where green hairstreak, grizzle skipper, dingy skipper, brimstone, holly blue, red admiral, orange tips, speckled wood were showing well. I think everyone had a lovely time, I know that I did.

Then Neil offered to show me the dukes at Kithurst Hill and I jumped at the chance. Not only was there a duke there but also a common blue and a small heath (I didn't get to see the small heath) and many other butterfly species. I was quite blown away by the cowslips at Kithurst and it's on my list as another of my new favourite places!

Now I'm settling down with Dr Who, shortly to be followed by a take-away curry and a bottle of red wine. There's nowhere I'd rather be!

Lee Hurrell · Post by **Lee Hurrell** » Sat Apr 23, 2011 5:50 pm

Lovely pictures Susie.

I'll be watching Dr Who shortly. I really like your pictures! We had the curry last weekend...

Cheers

Lee

Susie · Post by **Susie** » Sun Apr 24, 2011 6:57 am

I really do not like this Dr :-S

Susie · Post by **Susie** » Sun Apr 24, 2011 8:15 pm

I had to go to one of my godson's birthday parties this afternoon but it was such a beautiful day I sneaked out for a few hours this morning over my local patch so I could have a look for dragonflies. After reading that scarce chasers and hairy dragonflies were flying I was a bit worried I might be missing the scarce chasers even though this is stupidly early for them. As it was I saw 20+ large red damselflies (one pair mating) and a couple of banded demoiselles but that was it. Phew!

The ramsons were out in the valley and the birds were singing, including nightingales and a cuckoo - my first of the year.

I saw loads of orange tips, large white, brimstone, green veined white, speckled woods (loads) and a peacock and red admiral.

Photos to follow a bit later.

Susie · Post by **Susie** » Sun Apr 24, 2011 8:53 pm

I knew there was something else I wanted to add, the orange tip egg that was laid on the cuckoo flower next to my pond has hatched, I watched the tiny little caterpillar today. That seems jolly quick!

Susie · Post by **Susie** » Sun Apr 24, 2011 10:00 pm

Arun river flood plain.

http://www.facebook.com/v/10150228031751972[/video]

http://www.facebook.com/v/10150228042026972[/video]

Susie · Post by **Susie** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 12:07 pm

I escaped early this morning and headed for Rewell Wood. You can't bottle that feeling of heading out early on a cracking day searching for butterflies!

I bumped in Richard Roebuck there and between us we managed to find three pearl bordered fritillaries.

http://www.facebook.com/v/10150228608316972[/video]

http://www.facebook.com/v/10150228610101972[/video]

Susie · Post by **Susie** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 5:44 pm

I headed out for wood white this morning at Botany Bay. Despite the tomtom trying to sabotage my plans I arrived. Hurrah!

It was sunny but a bit on the nippy side this morning and not at all the hot sunshine I have rapidly become accustomed to and nothing was flying. The first thing I noticed about the wood was the bird song. Cuckoos were calling and nightingales singing and a whole shed load of other birds too.

Bird song. Put your speaks on for this, otherwise it will be very dull. http://www.facebook.com/v/10150229910616972[/video]

I wandered up the path but only saw a solitary speckled wood. Then I noticed a white flying. It settled down and disappeared! Bugger! I hung around for another half an hour or so and sudden it was back; what's more there were loads of them. They were very annoying in that they had a very weak and feeble flight but rarely stopped for more than a second. Occasionally the odd one did stop though so I managed a few pics. I saw two briefly courting pairs and about half a dozen egg laying.

http://www.facebook.com/v/10150229970216972[/video]

I bumped into another chap who was photographing butterflies (hello if you're reading this!) who looks into this site. I hope his photos came out okay and he got some decent photos of the courting wood whites.

What is the etiquette to ask someone to let you take some photos after they have had a good bash at it and you're still standing there waiting?

Just as a warning to anyone else I may bump into, I don't go butterflying looking like my profile pic.

Just by the car some ruddy great bird flew out of a tree and gave me a fright!

In the late afternoon I hit Kithurst Hill but was unlucky with the DofB. I did find a pristine small copper though. Result. It was worth going just to see the cowslips and listen to the sky larks.

Butterflies seen today: Wood white, green veined white, small white, orange tip, brimstone, grizzled skipper, dingy skipper, holly blue, speckled wood, small copper, peacock, red admiral.

NickMorgan · Post by **NickMorgan** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 10:00 pm

Just looking at your pictures on this page. We don't get any of those butterflies here other than the common blue, but I don't expect to see one of those for another month yet!
Thanks for the advice, by the way but I don't think there is any chance of me looking like your profile picture, whether I am looking for butterlies or not!

Susie · Post by **Susie** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 5:22 pm

NickMorgan wrote:Thanks for the advice, by the way but I don't think there is any chance of me looking like your profile picture, whether I am looking for butterlies or not!

That made me laugh out loud!

How you dress in your own time is none of my business.

Susie

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