Reverdin

[hilary]

I very much like your alpine meadow! Is the sheeting there to stop the sstronger weeds coming through? (my efforts at a wild flwer patch are thawted by strong growing grasses in a soil that never seems to lose its fertility)

[Reverdin]

sorry... I've been away a couple of days... yes the weed proof membrane is there for two reasons.... the first, as you say is to discourage dandelionas, creeping thistle and dock... of which I have plenty!!! .... the other reason is to add to the paucity value of the soil, which can be left very thin in places, hence smaller growth of the desired plants.... it works really well!!

A bit of very fine grass seed... I took mine off the thin clumpy grasses on the moors, along with BFTrefoil, Kidney Vetch ( warning... tends to rampage), Sheep sorrel, some tighter thrift & thyme plants from the garden centre, some Sanfoin ( thanks again Jack) some Viper's Bugloss, and harebells, all from seeds, then whatever grows locally should do well, if it's small - I have very limey soil anyway.
One has to do some prudent cutting back..... I occasionally let the garden's multitude of wild rabbits in... but they do tend to DIG

The Bees love it - but the butterflies are slow in arriving... I would love small coppers and common blues to arrive.... saw SC laying eggs last year but not seen any adults yet here this year.

Do try it... it really can work!! - also looks ok!!

[Reverdin]

AH yes.... those 2 days... met up with Roger H in the West Highlands on a palaemon pilgramage ( like many others this year - we met people from Leicestershire and Southampton )... generally found we were a bit late, with small numbers flying but some a bit tatty. Definitely more challenging to photograph in a stiff breeze, but managed a couple...





Roger then set off for Mull, leaving me to slog it back to Yorkshire.

[Reverdin]

Fairly abysmal weather persists here .... but it brightened a little this afternoon and I wandered into Wensleydale to have a look see if any A. a. salmacis ( Castle Eden Argus) were sitting out..... sure enough, a couple showed themselves, one of which was a very pale/ washed out version of normal.... not particularly worn, just pale...

The first one....







and the paler one...





and although I didn't achieve a decent upperside shot, she was well spotted with what looked much more routine orange on the ups hind and forewing

[Pete Eeles]

Ooh - nice! That has to be an aberration!

Any signs of ssp. artaxerxes oop north (in their waterproofs)?

Cheers,

- Pete

[Reverdin]

Hi Pete,

I haven't been up to the site yet, but I checked when I've been before... 31st May and 5th June other years, and I guess even with this abysmal weather they will be just about out now!... so next sunny day off....

Oh, and would you like the salmacis uploaded to abberants on species page? (If you say naah, not really, I will cry )

[Pete Eeles]

Hi Pete,

I haven't been up to the site yet, but I checked when I've been before... 31st May and 5th June other years, and I guess even with this abysmal weather they will be just about out now!... so next sunny day off....

Oh, and would you like the salmacis uploaded to abberants on species page? (If you say naah, not really, I will cry )

naah, not really.

Er ... I mean, "deffo", just wanted to see a grown man cry for my own amusement

Cheers,

- Pete

[Reverdin]

aaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww..... sniff.... er ok then

you up this way anytime soon?

[Pete Eeles]

Probably not for a couple of weeks, to be honest. Work and weather seem to dictate my movements. But will be in touch

Cheers,

- Pete

[Reverdin]

Lousy weather for everything except ducks and plants!.... so I thought I'd add a few more shots of what the little wildflower patch looks like today...

Meadow Clary ( I think!)

Daisy in the midst

Sanfoin in the background

Yellow Rattle

and how the newest bit is evolving

Not sure I can cover the whole paddock this way, but watch this space!
Actually... the only thing I think the weedproof membrane discourages is ants.... which could very well turn out to be a major issue for Lycaenids... any thoughts?? would it stop icarus or phlaeas???

[NickMorgan]

The wild flowers are looking great. I would love to be able to do something like that. (A garden 20 feet square limits what I can do!) I'm not sure what you are trying to achieve with the weed-proof membrane. Is it suppressing the stronger grasses? I guess that you could have a sort of chequered pattern to leave areas that would be suitable for ants and others that you put the membrane on.
I was trying to start up a community meadow locally, (which hasn't got very far) and I was told the best way to achieve a wild flower meadow would be to stip off the top soil and scatter the seeds on the less fertile soil below. I have also noticed that some of the best patches of wild flowers around here grow on very sparse soil, almost gravel. I have often wondered if it would be worth importing a layer of gravel in which to grow certain wild flowers. That way it would be possible to have limestone or whatever is most suitable for the plants that you want.

[Reverdin]

good idea about the chequered pattern. I will give that some thought. The idea was a quick cheap ( labour wise) way of impoverishing the soil without having to weedkill then double dig to bring subsoil to the surface. I may yet have to resort to that. I am seeding Yellow Rattle through the rest of the ground... but the rabbits pick it out to eat rather than what else is there.... but once I get it going... who knows... I suspect I will just have more dandelions and creeping buttercup
A "plan B" might be needed though, as despite it's good looks, it only appears to attract bumblebees ( in masses).... could be worse!

Last shot from the friday excursion for salmacis..

[Reverdin]

Sunday 17th provided a break from the great drench, so headed out to a local but remote hillside where salmacis and DGFs fly... not that any were seen It is one of those ancient meadow sites with red ant mounds and thyme with a multitude of wildflowers alongside... I can just imagine Large Blues surviving here... but are those red ants sabuletti - anyway my first real Common Blue encounter this year, seen along with Small Copper& GVW, but nothing else at all....

[Reverdin]

Still suffering from variations on a theme of summer anihilating weather up here, with only a fresh Speckled Wood, and a left over Small Tort to be seen in the last 2 days.... so no photos - but this is my wildflower bit today

[Reverdin]

Back in business today in the North of Scotland, at the Bullers of Buchan..... a mist clung to the coast but there was enough light from above to encourage the butterflies up... I think this one was an emergee...

[Wurzel]

Lush photos of the Dark Green Rev

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Reverdin]

Thanks++ 'twas a rare and special encounter for me!

[Neil Freeman]

Lovely photos.

The Dark green frtilliary is one species that never seems to sit still long enough for me to get a good photo, perhaps the cooler weather of late will slow them down a bit and give me a chance this year

Cheers,

Neil F.

[Reverdin]

In my experience, the only good chance you get is by finding them roosting..... not an easy matter !!

(sorry for the late reply.... I've been living it up in the Alps !! - Roger H is going to do the honours, my laptop blew and I have to cadge someone else's to put anything on site now )

[Reverdin]

I've spent the majority of the last 10 days sorting out my French holiday photos, shown elsewhere, and only just got round to processing and showing these two photos of well behaved White letter Hairstreaks close to home on 14th July, early in the morning....