Pete Eeles
- Pete Eeles
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Re: Pete Eeles
Thanks Mike / Piers - I stand enlightened!
Stockbridge Down
An unexpected and brief visit to one of my favourite Chalkhill Blue sites, mid morning for an hour or so. The Chalkhill numbers are building nicely and the numbers I saw (200+) bodes for a strong emergence this year. Most individuals were really fresh - a couple of which (see photos below) were quite "interesting"! A few Dark Green Fritillary were still clinging on, and several next-generation Brimstone were in attendance. I also saw a Small Skipper egg laying, but didn't manage to get a photo, unfortunately. Other species included Small Copper, Small White, Green-veined White, Marbled White and Small Heath.
Cheers,
- Pete
Stockbridge Down
An unexpected and brief visit to one of my favourite Chalkhill Blue sites, mid morning for an hour or so. The Chalkhill numbers are building nicely and the numbers I saw (200+) bodes for a strong emergence this year. Most individuals were really fresh - a couple of which (see photos below) were quite "interesting"! A few Dark Green Fritillary were still clinging on, and several next-generation Brimstone were in attendance. I also saw a Small Skipper egg laying, but didn't manage to get a photo, unfortunately. Other species included Small Copper, Small White, Green-veined White, Marbled White and Small Heath.
Cheers,
- Pete
Diary entries for 2011 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Life Cycles of British & Irish Butterflies: http://www.butterflylifecycles.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
- Pete Eeles
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Re: Pete Eeles
Portugal
I've just returned from 2 sunny weeks in Vilamoura, in the Algarve region of southern Portugal - our family holiday. Although butterflies were very much secondary for a change (!), it wasn't long before I disappeared on excursions close to the villa we stayed at, which was surrounded by orchards, woodland and more open areas. Unfortunately, most ground was bone dry with very little green vegetation. However, I did manage to notch up Southern Gatekeeper, Common Blue, Brown Argus, Holly Blue, Lang's Short-tailed Blue, Long-tailed Blue, Swallowtail, Scarce Swallowtail, Meadow Brown, Monarch, Small White, Large White and Speckled Wood. But the highlight was actually in the villa garden, where I managed to find Long-tailed Blues ovipositing profusely on a particular species of shrub that had been planted - ID would be appreciated! I can only assume that the larvae burrowed straight into the flower buds since I never found one! And I would never have gotten a photo of the very jittery adult females either, if they hadn't settled to lay.
Fennel grows commonly across the Mediterranean as a common weed, and I did find a relatively-lush patch fairly close to the villa. Or, I should say, a female Swallowtail found the patch and I followed her flight as she laid egg upon egg. Closer inspection led me to find larvae in all instars.
Still - it's nice to be back![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Cheers,
- Pete
I've just returned from 2 sunny weeks in Vilamoura, in the Algarve region of southern Portugal - our family holiday. Although butterflies were very much secondary for a change (!), it wasn't long before I disappeared on excursions close to the villa we stayed at, which was surrounded by orchards, woodland and more open areas. Unfortunately, most ground was bone dry with very little green vegetation. However, I did manage to notch up Southern Gatekeeper, Common Blue, Brown Argus, Holly Blue, Lang's Short-tailed Blue, Long-tailed Blue, Swallowtail, Scarce Swallowtail, Meadow Brown, Monarch, Small White, Large White and Speckled Wood. But the highlight was actually in the villa garden, where I managed to find Long-tailed Blues ovipositing profusely on a particular species of shrub that had been planted - ID would be appreciated! I can only assume that the larvae burrowed straight into the flower buds since I never found one! And I would never have gotten a photo of the very jittery adult females either, if they hadn't settled to lay.
Fennel grows commonly across the Mediterranean as a common weed, and I did find a relatively-lush patch fairly close to the villa. Or, I should say, a female Swallowtail found the patch and I followed her flight as she laid egg upon egg. Closer inspection led me to find larvae in all instars.
Still - it's nice to be back
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Cheers,
- Pete
Diary entries for 2011 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Life Cycles of British & Irish Butterflies: http://www.butterflylifecycles.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
- Paul Wetton
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Re: Pete Eeles
Some more great photos Pete.
Glad you enjoyed your holiday and managed to get a bit of butterfly watching in.
Are you going to post a trip report from Switzerland. I'd love to have a look at your photos from that.
Glad you enjoyed your holiday and managed to get a bit of butterfly watching in.
Are you going to post a trip report from Switzerland. I'd love to have a look at your photos from that.
Diary entries for 2011 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Cheers Paul
_____________________________________________________________________________
http://www.wildlife-films.com http://www.ibirdz.co.uk
_____________________________________________________________________________
http://www.wildlife-films.com http://www.ibirdz.co.uk
- Pete Eeles
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Re: Pete Eeles
Thanks Paul.
Cheers,
- Pete
Oh yes - definitely. Hopefully this side of Christmas, since it always takes a lot of effort to get photos ID'd, input gathered from 7 photographers, etc. etc.!Paul Wetton wrote:Are you going to post a trip report from Switzerland. I'd love to have a look at your photos from that.
Cheers,
- Pete
Diary entries for 2011 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Life Cycles of British & Irish Butterflies: http://www.butterflylifecycles.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
- Paul Wetton
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Re: Pete Eeles
Hi Pete
Glad to hear everyones photos will be located together in one trip report. Looking forward to it.
Don't know if your saw my trip report on my personal diary. Linked to my website due to large numbers of photos. Maybe I should have posted it separately may add it again in overseas section.
I have some great Marmot photos if you ever change your avatar picture.
All the best.
Glad to hear everyones photos will be located together in one trip report. Looking forward to it.
Don't know if your saw my trip report on my personal diary. Linked to my website due to large numbers of photos. Maybe I should have posted it separately may add it again in overseas section.
I have some great Marmot photos if you ever change your avatar picture.
All the best.
Diary entries for 2011 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Cheers Paul
_____________________________________________________________________________
http://www.wildlife-films.com http://www.ibirdz.co.uk
_____________________________________________________________________________
http://www.wildlife-films.com http://www.ibirdz.co.uk
- Pete Eeles
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Re: Pete Eeles
Nope but just found it, and tweeted it! Excellent report!Paul Wetton wrote:Don't know if your saw my trip report on my personal diary.
The "nickname" came about because I saw our one-and-only marmot at one of the sites. Then, 2 days later, and since I was the only one that didn't take any waterproofs to Switzerland, ended up buying a lime green waterproof top. The make? Marmot, of course!Paul Wetton wrote:I have some great Marmot photos if you ever change your avatar picture.
Cheers,
- Pete
Diary entries for 2011 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Life Cycles of British & Irish Butterflies: http://www.butterflylifecycles.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
- Paul Wetton
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Re: Pete Eeles
Thanks for tweeting the report. First time I've had anything to do with Twitter. I know get with the times Mr. Wetton.
You could get many worse nicknames than Pete "The Marmot" Eeles.
All the best.
You could get many worse nicknames than Pete "The Marmot" Eeles.
All the best.
Diary entries for 2011 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Cheers Paul
_____________________________________________________________________________
http://www.wildlife-films.com http://www.ibirdz.co.uk
_____________________________________________________________________________
http://www.wildlife-films.com http://www.ibirdz.co.uk
- Pete Eeles
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Re: Pete Eeles
Doings at Home
After a walk around Pamber Forest this morning, and a thorough soaking that neither I nor the dogs were expecting (well, they looked surprised
), I decided to take a look at the only critter being reared at home at the mo. I rescued "Gerald" the Grizzled Skipper quite a while ago now since he (as an egg) was in serious danger of being squished. I'm pleased to say that he's developed nicely into a final-instar larva. Since he spends pretty much all of his time in a larval tent, I gently prised it apart to take a look and the chap is doing just great!
The only other item I have at home is a parasitised Marsh Fritillary larva that I found ages ago, complete with "maggots". So I took it home, where the maggots (larvae of the wasp Cotesia (=Apanteles) bignelli) duly pupated within cocoons formed in a dense web of silk on the unfortunate Marsh Fritillary larva. Once they'd done that, I stuck them in the fridge (like you do!) assuming that they were also single-brooded and I wanted to make sure I didn't miss them emerging. Anyway, I took a look earlier today, and left the box on the desk in my study for an hours or so while I was occupied with other things. When I got back, I found a wasp emerging! I must admit, I feel somewhat gutted that I think I've inadvertently caused the critter to overwinter unnaturally, and the box is now back in the fridge. Even the wasps deserve a decent chance at procreation - and the remaining batch will be given just that. Anyway - some interesting photos nonetheless (although not the best of photos because the wasp is absolutely tiny, and never stops moving!). If someone could confirm the species I'd appreciate it - can't seem to find much information on these wasps on the Net.
Cheers,
- Pete
After a walk around Pamber Forest this morning, and a thorough soaking that neither I nor the dogs were expecting (well, they looked surprised
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
The only other item I have at home is a parasitised Marsh Fritillary larva that I found ages ago, complete with "maggots". So I took it home, where the maggots (larvae of the wasp Cotesia (=Apanteles) bignelli) duly pupated within cocoons formed in a dense web of silk on the unfortunate Marsh Fritillary larva. Once they'd done that, I stuck them in the fridge (like you do!) assuming that they were also single-brooded and I wanted to make sure I didn't miss them emerging. Anyway, I took a look earlier today, and left the box on the desk in my study for an hours or so while I was occupied with other things. When I got back, I found a wasp emerging! I must admit, I feel somewhat gutted that I think I've inadvertently caused the critter to overwinter unnaturally, and the box is now back in the fridge. Even the wasps deserve a decent chance at procreation - and the remaining batch will be given just that. Anyway - some interesting photos nonetheless (although not the best of photos because the wasp is absolutely tiny, and never stops moving!). If someone could confirm the species I'd appreciate it - can't seem to find much information on these wasps on the Net.
Cheers,
- Pete
Diary entries for 2011 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Life Cycles of British & Irish Butterflies: http://www.butterflylifecycles.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
- Pete Eeles
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Re: Pete Eeles
Woolhampton Gravel Pits
It's been quite a while since I last posted in my diary - for reasons that will come clear in the fullness of time, not least the fact that I'm having a thorough clearout of all my images, re-processing them all with the latest advances in Lightroom, and deleting around half of them in the process! Last week I managed to get out (on 14th) and headed straight to a site that has more than its fair share of ivy - an essential nectar source at this time of year. Plenty of Red Admiral and Comma, a few Green-veined White (including an ovipositing female) and a few Holly Blue (also including an ovipositing female). Looking under a sheet of corrugated iron revealed 8 very beautiful Grass Snakes! Back home, a quick search of the ivy outside my study revealed 8 larvae - all still quite small - but will try and grab some photos during the week and will post them here. Unlike last year, no ants are (currently) in attendance! All in all, still quite a lot going on in my neck of the woods, although things are definitely winding down.
Cheers,
- Pete
It's been quite a while since I last posted in my diary - for reasons that will come clear in the fullness of time, not least the fact that I'm having a thorough clearout of all my images, re-processing them all with the latest advances in Lightroom, and deleting around half of them in the process! Last week I managed to get out (on 14th) and headed straight to a site that has more than its fair share of ivy - an essential nectar source at this time of year. Plenty of Red Admiral and Comma, a few Green-veined White (including an ovipositing female) and a few Holly Blue (also including an ovipositing female). Looking under a sheet of corrugated iron revealed 8 very beautiful Grass Snakes! Back home, a quick search of the ivy outside my study revealed 8 larvae - all still quite small - but will try and grab some photos during the week and will post them here. Unlike last year, no ants are (currently) in attendance! All in all, still quite a lot going on in my neck of the woods, although things are definitely winding down.
Cheers,
- Pete
Diary entries for 2011 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Life Cycles of British & Irish Butterflies: http://www.butterflylifecycles.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
- Pete Eeles
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Re: Pete Eeles
Photo Rationalisation
I've finally completed a long overdue sortout of all of my photos taken in the UK - reducing 2712 photos down to 1631 in the process! I've also used a template to help me better-understand targets for the remainder of this year - and next year. Amazing how some of the commoner species have slipped through the net! For example, no Small Tortoiseshell undersides worth keeping! A few screenshots below, omitting 2nd brood photos, common forms, very rare migrants, introductions and extinctions. I must admit, I found it a very interesting exercise for all sorts of reasons! Below the sequence is male upperside, male underside, female upperside, female underside, ovum, larva, pupa.
A few nice surprises also emerged - for example, a file I had labelled as a 3-star (out of 5) is now looking pretty good thanks to advances in image processing! And definitely the most colourful photo of a Large Heath I have! Taken at Meathop Moss in 2006.
Cheers,
- Pete
I've finally completed a long overdue sortout of all of my photos taken in the UK - reducing 2712 photos down to 1631 in the process! I've also used a template to help me better-understand targets for the remainder of this year - and next year. Amazing how some of the commoner species have slipped through the net! For example, no Small Tortoiseshell undersides worth keeping! A few screenshots below, omitting 2nd brood photos, common forms, very rare migrants, introductions and extinctions. I must admit, I found it a very interesting exercise for all sorts of reasons! Below the sequence is male upperside, male underside, female upperside, female underside, ovum, larva, pupa.
A few nice surprises also emerged - for example, a file I had labelled as a 3-star (out of 5) is now looking pretty good thanks to advances in image processing! And definitely the most colourful photo of a Large Heath I have! Taken at Meathop Moss in 2006.
Cheers,
- Pete
Diary entries for 2011 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Life Cycles of British & Irish Butterflies: http://www.butterflylifecycles.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
- Pete Eeles
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Re: Pete Eeles
Immature Stages
Been a while since the last post - been stupidly busy with work, which shows no signs of abating for some time. I suppose it's good to be busy
Anyway - quite a few things have been keeping me occupied over the last few weeks. First off, Gerald (Mr. Grizzled Skipper) has pupated - in a shelter that didn't seem that dissimilar to his larval tents. Carefully prizing back the leaves allowed me to get some shots. He (unless this is actually Geraldine) is now safely tucked away in a cool place until spring, when he'll be released from whence he came. Photos below. The colour of the pupa seems quite different to those of other species I've observed; the wing cases are particularly pale in relation to the abdomen.
A weekend walk near the Hants and Isle of Wight BC branch reserve at Bentley Station Meadow resulted in a few Red Admiral larvae and two pupae. One of these is shown below. No matter how much I try to get the effect of the "gold" spangles to portray themselves on the computer, they just don't look anything like real life!
Back home, inspired by Vince's images of rearing Green-veined White, I've been rearing a few through myself. Given a lack of time I "cheated" and went to a garden centre and bought a few cabbage plants to rear them on. While there, I noticed that some of the plants had been eaten. On closer inspection, I found a few Small White larvae - good for them, I thought! And so these were the plants I then took to the till. When I pointed the larvae out to the checkout assistant, she apologised and was about to remove the larvae, when I told her this was the only reason I was buying the plants. Talk about being "stunned"! A short discussion did, I hope, leave her with a better appreciation of our butterfly fauna!
I was particularly fascinated with the subtle differences between Green-veined White and Small White larvae; the Small White having "double yellow" markings around the spiracle and a yellow line along the back, whereas the Green-veined White has a single yellow marking around each spiracle. Just take a look at the latest "Thomas and Lewington" and you'll see what I mean!
Over the next few days, all of the larvae pupated. I have to say, I've reared numerous Green-veined White larvae over the years (especially when I was a kid), but the pupae really are quite beautiful, and their shape just incredible. I'm definitely guilty of missing what's under my nose and really admire those that take the time (such as Vince) to really appreciate some of our commoner species! My eyes have been opened!
Finally - today I attended the Butterfly Conservation branch liaison meeting in London. It was really great to hear about BC's plans from Martin Warren and Nigel Bourne, with a focus on its 2020 vision (despite massive cuts from Natural England), but the highlight was meeting friends and colleagues - including UKB's very own NickB and Crispin Holloway!
Cheers,
- Pete
Been a while since the last post - been stupidly busy with work, which shows no signs of abating for some time. I suppose it's good to be busy
![Confused :?](./images/smilies/icon_confused.gif)
Anyway - quite a few things have been keeping me occupied over the last few weeks. First off, Gerald (Mr. Grizzled Skipper) has pupated - in a shelter that didn't seem that dissimilar to his larval tents. Carefully prizing back the leaves allowed me to get some shots. He (unless this is actually Geraldine) is now safely tucked away in a cool place until spring, when he'll be released from whence he came. Photos below. The colour of the pupa seems quite different to those of other species I've observed; the wing cases are particularly pale in relation to the abdomen.
A weekend walk near the Hants and Isle of Wight BC branch reserve at Bentley Station Meadow resulted in a few Red Admiral larvae and two pupae. One of these is shown below. No matter how much I try to get the effect of the "gold" spangles to portray themselves on the computer, they just don't look anything like real life!
Back home, inspired by Vince's images of rearing Green-veined White, I've been rearing a few through myself. Given a lack of time I "cheated" and went to a garden centre and bought a few cabbage plants to rear them on. While there, I noticed that some of the plants had been eaten. On closer inspection, I found a few Small White larvae - good for them, I thought! And so these were the plants I then took to the till. When I pointed the larvae out to the checkout assistant, she apologised and was about to remove the larvae, when I told her this was the only reason I was buying the plants. Talk about being "stunned"! A short discussion did, I hope, leave her with a better appreciation of our butterfly fauna!
I was particularly fascinated with the subtle differences between Green-veined White and Small White larvae; the Small White having "double yellow" markings around the spiracle and a yellow line along the back, whereas the Green-veined White has a single yellow marking around each spiracle. Just take a look at the latest "Thomas and Lewington" and you'll see what I mean!
Over the next few days, all of the larvae pupated. I have to say, I've reared numerous Green-veined White larvae over the years (especially when I was a kid), but the pupae really are quite beautiful, and their shape just incredible. I'm definitely guilty of missing what's under my nose and really admire those that take the time (such as Vince) to really appreciate some of our commoner species! My eyes have been opened!
Finally - today I attended the Butterfly Conservation branch liaison meeting in London. It was really great to hear about BC's plans from Martin Warren and Nigel Bourne, with a focus on its 2020 vision (despite massive cuts from Natural England), but the highlight was meeting friends and colleagues - including UKB's very own NickB and Crispin Holloway!
Cheers,
- Pete
Diary entries for 2011 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Life Cycles of British & Irish Butterflies: http://www.butterflylifecycles.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
- Vince Massimo
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Re: Pete Eeles
Great images as usual Pete, and it's always interesting to see how other people go about getting their "early stages" photos. I agree that it's very difficult to do justice to a Red Admiral pupa. I must have taken over 100 images in my last project, to end up with just a few that were acceptable. In my experience I found that using flash accentuated the gold spangles to an almost realistic level. At least this worked with my camera which has an in-built flash on the left side. Oddly, I believe that using a ring-flash may not work quite as well, but I have not been able to test this theory.
I hope that, on this site, we are able to generate a greater interest in "early stages" during the coming season. For those considering such projects, the key is to have the larval foodplants alreaday established, either in pots or in the correct part of the garden. Today I potted-up some nettles which will establish themselves over the winter and then come up strongly when they are needed in the Spring.
Better stop before I completly take over your diary
.
Cheers,
Vince
I hope that, on this site, we are able to generate a greater interest in "early stages" during the coming season. For those considering such projects, the key is to have the larval foodplants alreaday established, either in pots or in the correct part of the garden. Today I potted-up some nettles which will establish themselves over the winter and then come up strongly when they are needed in the Spring.
Better stop before I completly take over your diary
![Mr. Green :mrgreen:](./images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif)
Cheers,
Vince
Diary entries for 2011 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Re: Pete Eeles
A flash tip - hold or tape a single ply of tissue over the flash window - it does a great job on macro photos. With a separate flashgun, a simple diffuser such as : http://www.amazon.co.uk/OMNI-UNIVERSAL- ... 415&sr=1-9 is excellent for close-up work - I use one all the time.Vince Massimo wrote:I found that using flash accentuated the gold spangles to an almost realistic level
Mike
Diary entries for 2011 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
- Pete Eeles
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Re: Pete Eeles
BC AGM and Members' Day
A superb day spent at Cheltenham Racecourse at the Butterfly Conservation AGM and Members' Day, hosted ably by the Gloucestershire branch. It was particularly enjoyable seeing the hills where I grew up as a boy in the distance, and where my love of butterflies first started. The area is now a BC reserve (see http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/t ... shire.html).
Gary and Lisa manned the UKB stand and raised a good amount for BC, sales of the UKB calendar going particularly well.
The AGM business was followed by the Butterfly Conservation Volunteer Awards, with many worthy winners. After the welcome from Sue Smith (chair of Gloucestershire Branch), we heard from Mike Barry, Head of Sustainable Business, M&S who provided some insight into why "big business" is interested in conservation and why M&S and other organizations are becoming increasingly green. This was followed by a superb presentation from Jim Asher on "The state of butterflies in the UK: the results of the BNM survey 2005-9". This has resulted in the latest publication which will be available in the next 2 weeks or so - "The State of the UK's Butterflies 2011". As you might suspect, the picture is a mix of both losers and winners.
Orlando Bloom's mother, Sonia Copeland Bloom, then told her story of how she became engaged in butterflies, resulting in her latest book, "Crystal the Small Miracle".
The afternoon was packed with excellent presentations, starting with Matthew Oates discussing "Studies of Fritillaries in Gloucestershire", in particular, the plight of the Marsh Fritillary and Pearl-bordered Fritillary. I know Matthew is one of our most well-known Lepidoptera experts, but he demonstrated just how important careful observations and recording are, especially those conducted over long periods of time.
Matthew was followed by Dan Hoare, the South East BC Regional Officer, who have a great talk on "Conserving butterflies and moths in the south-east woods", based on work performed across the south east in the previous 3 or 4 years. Dan was followed by the Marsh Awards, with some very worthy winners. But the highlight for me was seeing David Simcox pick up the well-deserved Lifetime Achievement Award. I've been lucky enough to spend a good amount of time with David over the years, on and off, (David is best know for his work, with Jeremy Thomas, on the Large Blue) and I can't think of a more worthy winner. An interview with David can be found here: http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/reports_davidsimcox.php
The day concluded with Mike Dilger, BC Vice President and presenter on the One Show, giving us an entertaining talk covering his background, his promotion of Lepidoptera on the telly, and the challenges of getting more exposure for Lepidoptera on TV. The perfect combination of humour and information. "Infotainment", as he put it![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
As ever, great to see so many UKBers at the event, which will be held in Nottingham next year.
Cheers,
- Pete
A superb day spent at Cheltenham Racecourse at the Butterfly Conservation AGM and Members' Day, hosted ably by the Gloucestershire branch. It was particularly enjoyable seeing the hills where I grew up as a boy in the distance, and where my love of butterflies first started. The area is now a BC reserve (see http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/t ... shire.html).
Gary and Lisa manned the UKB stand and raised a good amount for BC, sales of the UKB calendar going particularly well.
The AGM business was followed by the Butterfly Conservation Volunteer Awards, with many worthy winners. After the welcome from Sue Smith (chair of Gloucestershire Branch), we heard from Mike Barry, Head of Sustainable Business, M&S who provided some insight into why "big business" is interested in conservation and why M&S and other organizations are becoming increasingly green. This was followed by a superb presentation from Jim Asher on "The state of butterflies in the UK: the results of the BNM survey 2005-9". This has resulted in the latest publication which will be available in the next 2 weeks or so - "The State of the UK's Butterflies 2011". As you might suspect, the picture is a mix of both losers and winners.
Orlando Bloom's mother, Sonia Copeland Bloom, then told her story of how she became engaged in butterflies, resulting in her latest book, "Crystal the Small Miracle".
The afternoon was packed with excellent presentations, starting with Matthew Oates discussing "Studies of Fritillaries in Gloucestershire", in particular, the plight of the Marsh Fritillary and Pearl-bordered Fritillary. I know Matthew is one of our most well-known Lepidoptera experts, but he demonstrated just how important careful observations and recording are, especially those conducted over long periods of time.
Matthew was followed by Dan Hoare, the South East BC Regional Officer, who have a great talk on "Conserving butterflies and moths in the south-east woods", based on work performed across the south east in the previous 3 or 4 years. Dan was followed by the Marsh Awards, with some very worthy winners. But the highlight for me was seeing David Simcox pick up the well-deserved Lifetime Achievement Award. I've been lucky enough to spend a good amount of time with David over the years, on and off, (David is best know for his work, with Jeremy Thomas, on the Large Blue) and I can't think of a more worthy winner. An interview with David can be found here: http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/reports_davidsimcox.php
The day concluded with Mike Dilger, BC Vice President and presenter on the One Show, giving us an entertaining talk covering his background, his promotion of Lepidoptera on the telly, and the challenges of getting more exposure for Lepidoptera on TV. The perfect combination of humour and information. "Infotainment", as he put it
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
As ever, great to see so many UKBers at the event, which will be held in Nottingham next year.
Cheers,
- Pete
Diary entries for 2011 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Life Cycles of British & Irish Butterflies: http://www.butterflylifecycles.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
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- Pete Eeles
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Re: Pete Eeles
First diary post of the year! Due to significant work pressures (12 hour days for quite a while) I've not been able to focus on Lepidoptera as much as I would have liked. Anyway ...
First off, my Purple Hairstreak ova tally over the winter was pathetic (in single digits), which doesn't bode well for this year. I hope the poor tally is due to incompetence on my part, or simply that this species has moved to pastures new (rather than them sticking around their usual spots).
I'm currently taking a break in Eggesford, Devon (between Barnstaple and Exeter) and spent a couple of hours out walking in Homeland Wood today with my better half. Surprisingly good numbers of both Peacock (27 seen) and Small Tortoiseshell (18 seen), along with 5 Brimstone (all male) and my first non-hibernator of the year, a solitary Speckled Wood. A couple of Dippers on the River Taw were another highlight. I only have a digital compact with me, hence the poor photos![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Cheers,
- Pete
First off, my Purple Hairstreak ova tally over the winter was pathetic (in single digits), which doesn't bode well for this year. I hope the poor tally is due to incompetence on my part, or simply that this species has moved to pastures new (rather than them sticking around their usual spots).
I'm currently taking a break in Eggesford, Devon (between Barnstaple and Exeter) and spent a couple of hours out walking in Homeland Wood today with my better half. Surprisingly good numbers of both Peacock (27 seen) and Small Tortoiseshell (18 seen), along with 5 Brimstone (all male) and my first non-hibernator of the year, a solitary Speckled Wood. A couple of Dippers on the River Taw were another highlight. I only have a digital compact with me, hence the poor photos
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Cheers,
- Pete
Diary entries for 2012 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Life Cycles of British & Irish Butterflies: http://www.butterflylifecycles.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
- Pete Eeles
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Re: Pete Eeles
After a tipoff from Matthew Oates that Pearl-bordered Fritillary larvae were nearly full-grown (at least, at Cirencester Park in Gloucestershire), I decided to drop in on a couple of Hampshire sites on my way back from Devon. I've never seen a last instar larva of this species before, but have spent several years trying to find them - and have always failed. And it was like waiting for a bus, because I managed to find 2 at the same site. The first larva I found was quite conspicuous as it was initially feeding on a violet leaf and seemed oblivious to the world! The second was found while it was crawling, at speed, along the ground (and I confess that I placed it on the bracken frond to get a shot!). The yellow spots seem to be quite variable - the spots on one individual were quite bright, but quite subdued on another.
And a shot taken a while back at the Hawk Conservancy Trust near Andover, of a beautiful Golden Eagle. I'll definitely be returning there! Very educational and conservation-minded.
Cheers,
- Pete
And a shot taken a while back at the Hawk Conservancy Trust near Andover, of a beautiful Golden Eagle. I'll definitely be returning there! Very educational and conservation-minded.
Cheers,
- Pete
Diary entries for 2012 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Life Cycles of British & Irish Butterflies: http://www.butterflylifecycles.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
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- Padfield
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Re: Pete Eeles
Those are lovely larvae, Pete. You must be chuffed to bits! It looks as if it will be an 'April fritillary' year this year in Hampshire ...
Guy
Guy
Diary entries for 2012 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Guy's Butterflies: https://www.guypadfield.com
The Butterflies of Villars-Gryon : https://www.guypadfield.com/villarsgryonbook.html
The Butterflies of Villars-Gryon : https://www.guypadfield.com/villarsgryonbook.html
- Pete Eeles
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Re: Pete Eeles
With the weather back to normal, it's taken me a while to catch up with Orange-tips, but I've found quite a few over the last week at Woolhampton Gravel Pits, one of my favourite sites (and renowned for its bird life). Even today, with temperatures barely getting into double figures, I saw nothing until 1048 when, right on cue, 3 Orange-tips arrived at the (literally) hotspot at this site; 2 females and 1 male. This was followed by at least a dozen individuals over the course of the following hour, although I'm sure I double-counted some. As soon as cloud appeared, each adult hunkered down to roost - although there are no foodplants in flower at the moment at this site for them to roost on (when their undersides camouflage them perfectly), so most made do with a branch of another plant. Given the lack of flowering foodplant, I can only assume that the females must be laying on either unopened flowerbuds or leaves - will check next time I visit and have more time.
I did manage to witness a pairing (without any courtship whatsoever!) and also saw the male of the mated pair open his wings to (presumably) let intruding males know that they were out of luck with his girl. Likewise, several females had already paired and showed typical rejection behaviour. I just need to get a shot of an ovipositing female (once the flowers are out). And a bilateral gynandromorph would be nice![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Cheers,
- Pete
I did manage to witness a pairing (without any courtship whatsoever!) and also saw the male of the mated pair open his wings to (presumably) let intruding males know that they were out of luck with his girl. Likewise, several females had already paired and showed typical rejection behaviour. I just need to get a shot of an ovipositing female (once the flowers are out). And a bilateral gynandromorph would be nice
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Cheers,
- Pete
Diary entries for 2012 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Life Cycles of British & Irish Butterflies: http://www.butterflylifecycles.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
Re: Pete Eeles
Cracking shots! I thought I was lucky seeing one or two Orange-tips! I really like the "incoming" shot - you snooze you lose
Have a goodun
Wurzel
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
Have a goodun
Wurzel
Diary entries for 2012 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
- Pete Eeles
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Re: Pete Eeles
Thanks Wurzel ![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Diary entries for 2012 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Life Cycles of British & Irish Butterflies: http://www.butterflylifecycles.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com