Jack Harrison

[Jack Harrison]

30th June Bailieborough co Cavan, Ireland

Not been out searching properly yet but plenty of Ringlets on waste ground. The habitat is much more open than would be typical in England.

Jack

[Jack Harrison]

1st July Bailieborough co Cavan, Ireland

Masses of Ringlets. Small numbers of Meadow Browns and Speckled Woods. One white seen in flight but probably too fat to be a Reals - probably GVW.

Meadow Browns quite colourful here.


And note that I have already started "training" my new "friend".


Jack

[NickB]

Glad to see it, Jack!
What happens, tho', when she shows she is better than the teacher...

[Jack Harrison]

4th July Bailieborough co Cavan, Ireland

Ringlets are by far the most numerous butterfly occurring in the usual woodland but also in quite open rough meadows.

Meadow Browns and Speckled Woods are quite scare being only at about 2% of the density of Ringlets. The "woodland" whites have turned out - as expected - to be quite small GV Whites. They seem to fly fast here. Two Small Tortoiseshells.

Jack

[Jack Harrison]

1st week July central Ireland

Nothing exciting. Common Blue, GV White, Speckled Wood, Tortoiseshell all looked pretty "standard". Meadow Browns seem slightly brighter than their English cousins and I cannot recall seeing one settled on stones in this manner.









Jack

[Gibster]

Hiya Jack, I'm jealous of your trip!

Irish races you should be aware of (although I'm sure you are...) and features to observe are:

Wood White ssp hibernica - only on The Burren it seems. Hindwing undersides are distinctly greenish-yellow and it's a stronger flier than the UK race.
Brimstone ssp gravesi - the males are less vivid yellow than in UK and the females more yellow. Both somewhat midway between typical British male and female colouration.
Green-veined White ssp britannica - very heavily marked hindwing underside and higher incidence of creamy coloured specimens than in UK
Small Copper ssp hibernica - orange band on upperside of hindwing very broad. Undersides very greyish all over.
Common Blue ssp mariscolore - male forewing rather pointed. Female is large with extensive blue scaling on uppers and large orange lunules.
Dark Green Fritillary ssp scotica - female forewing very rounded, under-forewing tinged pinkish, hindwing green is darker and tinged brown. Male under-hindwing has silver spots conspicuously black edged
Grayling ssp clarensis - endemic to Burren. Very pale and chalky looking (so probably only lands on stonewashed jeans! )
Grayling ssp hibernica - warm browns and deeper orange forewing underside than in UK
Meadow Brown ssp iernes - large size. Male upper forewing has larger orange band and eyespot is usually double-pupilled. Under forewing orange area distinctly paler to outer edge with a dividing brown line. Female upper forewing has orange band extensive but always broken by a brown line. Under hindwing as male but stronger contrast.

In case anyone thinks I'm REALLY good at Irish butterflies, I'm not. All that came out of the wonderful Riley book!

Hope you see lots more, Jack. And hope you manage to show us some of the relevent features you see too!

All the very best,

Gibster.

[Jack Harrison]

I'm still in Ireland but have very limited internet and can't add any pictures due local rules, eg of the very heavily marked race of GV.White. New addition to my Irish list: Peacock.

Next week I move back to England and will be living in northwest Norfolk in North Wootton just to the north of Kings Lynn but there will still be some shuttling between there are Co.Cavan Ireland. Complicated scenario - my life has taken a surprising turn as you will have realised.

Jack

[Gibster]

Complicated scenario - my life has taken a surprising turn as you will have realised.

You think THAT'S complicated, Jack? It seems that Real's Wood Whites are actually another species altogether - dubbed "Cryptic Wood White" for the moment. Real's probably doesn't occur closer than Northern Spain, it seems. Time to rewrite the books...or should they give it another few months to let the full tale unfurl?

Take care mate,

Gibster.

[Susie]

It'll work itself out x

[EricY]

welcome to North West Norfolk Jack. might see you around again & look forward to your experienced eye finding us some local rarities. Eric

[NickB]

Be good to have you back in the East Anglian chapter of LOTSW.....
N

[Jack Harrison]

Susie: It'll work

Yes it's working fine and am even getting on top of the financial sorting out.

And a great thanks to you Susie and Nick B who were my "confidents" during the initial stages of the break up of my marriage and my subsequent relationship.

Life is great but the 2011 butterfly season has taken a bit of a back seat. Stella and I look forward to meeting some of the ukb members next season once we have sorted out houses etc.

PS. Anyone want to buy a house in Ireland?

Jack

[Susie]

I think I told you at the start it would all end in tears! I am so pleased to be proven wrong and glad it has worked out well. As for butterflies, you aren't missing anything today; rain's torrential.

You've taken a very brave course of action. It's nice to know that there is always time to seek happiness.<3

[NickB]

And I did point to different outcomes too; though, of course, any chance of happiness in this life - go for it - life is too short to wonder...
N

[Jack Harrison]

Central Ireland mid July

Quite the most abundant butterfly is Ringlet. Plenty of heavily marked GV Whites,

Also Meadow Brown (colourful), Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Common Blue and a possible Holly Blue.

Here is me outside my Irish residence .

(In fact where Stella's mother was born in 1918)

Jack

[Gibster]

Have you been partaking in the local brew, Jack??? Or is it the house that's on a slippery slope, lol

[Jack Harrison]

Northwest Norfolk 22nd July

We're slowly getting organised in ournew house but many things still need to be sorted; we don’t yet have a washing machine for example. Pity the Purple emperor season is past its best; my unwashed clothes would no doubt be a prime attraction! (In reality, I have been using someone else’s washing machine until we get our own next week).

Seriously, things are gradually falling into place. I have even got a TV licence; however, that was almost impossible to buy without being online. And then I got the wonderful message: “Congratulations, your application for a TV licence was successful” as if I had won the lottery . If my application had been unsuccessful, no doubt I would have incurred a criminal record. Funny old world.

I'm begging and borrowing internet for the time being but I should be online at home by middle of next week.

The potential garden list is impressive. My new property adjoins the western edge of Ling Common to the north of Kings Lynn. In the limited time I have had available, I have already seen Peacock, Comma and Red Admiral, Speckled Wood, large and Green-veined White with the most abundant species of being Large Skipper. I haven’t yet seen Purple Hairstreak but with mature Oak and Ash just over the garden hedge, they must be present.

Jack

[NickB]

...and well placed for a day-trip by the sea-side to Hunstanton and SSB in Norfolk.....

[Jack Harrison]

...and well placed for a day-trip by the sea-side to Hunstanton and SSB in Norfolk.....

And just round the corner from Hunstanton is the splendid Holme reserve and further along the coast Holkham and Kelling. Being both "senior citizens" (no work constraints) we were quite flexible where we chose to live. Far be it for me to dare suggest that the appeal of our house had anything to do with its convenient location as far as wildlife is concerned No, it's ideal for the shopping centre Kings Lynn with its large Tesco, PC World, Argos and all those delightful retail establishments that are so few and far between

Jack

[Jack Harrison]

24th July North Wootton (northwest Norfolk)

Two more for the garden list in my new home: Purple Hairstreak (confirmed – several seen at 1900 hours) and a single Holly Blue. Surprisingly, no Gatekeepers so far.

So I’m very satisfied that this is a good location. I had never thought that I might live somewhere and be able to watch Purple Hairstreaks from inside the house. The habitat is superb and it would not surprise me to see SW Fritillary or White Admiral one day.

Here's the view from the back garden. Commas are numerous with up to four being seen at once. (one ringed and then close up).





Jack