Mark Colvin

[Mark Colvin]

Hi Neil,

Many thanks for your kind comments.

The top shot in particular is excellent.

I was rather pleased with that one myself

Speak soon.

Kind regards. Mark

[Mark Colvin]

Hi David,

Regarding your question:

Where did you get this information, Mark?

The information is available on UK Butterflies and has been for some time.

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=5175&p=45291&hilit= ... lle#p45291

Kind regards. Mark

[David M]

Thanks, Mark. I'm sure I must have read that last year (given that I posted comments on that very thread!!)

[Mark Colvin]

Dear Philip,

Thanks for your message.

I believe your questions have already been answered under another forum but to reiterate, I believe the site is privately owned and the owner(s), presumably commercial and undoubtedly investment orientated, will quite rightly be looking at some point for a return on their asset. They will inevitably have to consider the conservation implications of any development proposals they put forward, and these will have to be discussed and agreed by the relevant authorities and interested conservation based organisations e.g. the local Wildlife Trust. Any development is likely to be conditional of a number of caveats which, in reality, should take into consideration vulnerable or protected species. Ecological surveys will inevitably need to be undertaken in order to provide such information. Surrey Butterfly Conservation may feel it appropriate for their involvement at some stage but not because of the presence of the Glanville Fritillary. Do remember, as Gary quite rightly stated:

Best of luck with that, the moment the developers find out that the area is renowned for the unauthorised introduction of the Glanville. They will pass off all other fauna & flora, endangered or otherwise, as introduced.

I appreciate your comments that the site may well make a very nice nature reserve though this, in my opinion, is extremely unlikely to happen. You'd be totally wasting your time contacting the owners, particularly if you plan to ask permission for access, as the health and safety responsibilities for giving such access will inevitably fall on their shoulders. No company or individual in their right mind would give permission to members of the general public to a former quarry and landfill, no matter how safe you or I may deem it to be.

I know you heart is in the right place but take away the Glanvilles, as they really don't count in the overall equation, and you are left with an old landfill and quarry. Take the site for what it is and enjoy it while you can.

Good hunting.

Kind regards. Mark

[P.J.Underwood]

Dear Mark,
Thank you for your comments.It is easier for me in our part of Surrey-The Chidd.Woods and Hambledon-including Nutbourne Brickworks-,but I used to be involved in the Farnham area.However,I can't be involved in tresspass.Yes,I am off hunting to the Brenne in two weeks with a private group.Let's hope the weather is better.There really is a crash in the Swallowtails when I was in Norfolk last week,only one and an egg at Wheaten fen,and myself and a friend drew blanks on different occasions at Strumpshaw fen.
Philip

[Mark Colvin]

Hogwood, 19 June 2012

Decisions ...

Feeling a little under the weather this morning, I decided to stay close to home and visit Hogwood in West Sussex in the hope of an early Silver-washed Fritillary or White Admiral. Despite ideal weather conditions my two targets would appear to have not yet emerged, at least not in Hogwood, or they were doing a very good job of keeping a low profile.

What did catch my eye were the Large Skippers, the males launching attacks against anything coming in close proximity. A rather nice female in particular caught my eye, and being far less active than the testosterone fuelled males, provided several photographic opportunities. This was the first time I've seriously tried to photograph Large Skippers and I have to say I found it quite difficult to get a shot that was different from the normal images one sees of this species, and more importantly, one that I was happy with. At one point the female was joined by a male showing more than a passing interest. Having watched them for a good 15 minutes I was optimistic of a pairing, though this sadly didn't happen as a passing male broke up the party.

I'll certainly give them a go again but I'd of preferred to have found my targets.

My favourite shot below ...

Large Skipper (female), (Ochlodes faunus)

[Mark Colvin]

East Blean Woods, 20 June 2012

100 miles and 2 hours later …

… I finally arrived at my destination, East Blean Woods in Kent, my target the beautiful Heath Fritillary (Melitaea athalia). I arrived at around 7.45am, much later than planned, though my final decision to visit wasn’t made until around 5.15am when I woke after an unsettled night. The temperature, a humid 16°C, had already raised a number of males into flight, the dappled light conditions proved challenging …

Managed by the Kent Wildlife Trust, East Blean Woods covers 122 hectares of ancient woodland and chestnut coppice situated on a patchwork of differing soils. It holds protected designation as a National Nature Reserve (NNR), a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC). The woods have historically been managed and after the coppice is cut, much of the ground is colonised by Common Cow-wheat (Melampyrum pretense), the primary larval food plant of M. athalia.

In 1934, the artist and lepidopterist F. W. Frowhawk wrote, “During the past half-century this butterfly has disappeared from many of its haunts where it was formerly abundant, and now occurs only in a few of the southern English counties. Its chief localities are in Kent, Devon and Cornwall; in Sussex it was formerly common, but now exists only in limited numbers.” He goes on to say “In Essex, where several females were liberated about ten years ago, it is now abundant.” He also claims “Its apparent extermination in certain localities was largely due to over-collecting, combined with extensive rearing of pheasants, as both the young and old of this bird, especially during the breeding season, destroy an enormous number of insects, especially ground-feeding larvae.” Fortunately the butterfly still occurs in Kent, Essex, Devon, Somerset and on the Devon-Cornwall border, albeit in much reduced numbers, though it has sadly long been lost from my home county of Sussex. The Exmoor and East Blean colonies are currently recognised as its principal strongholds. This is one of Britain’s rarest butterflies, which without carefully targeted conservation efforts, i.e. burning and bracken control on Exmoor and coppicing and ride widening in the Blean Woods complex in Kent, it is inevitable that a rapid decline of this delicate species would be seen.

Long may its presence grace our countryside ...

[Neil Hulme]

Nice Frit Mark, but I like the Large Skipper shot even more.
BWs, Neil

[Pete Eeles]

Love the quotations, Mark. Frohawk was a genius and my "Natural History of British Butterflies" is one of my most treasured possessions! And another great photo.

... though my final decision to visit wasn’t made until around 5.15am when I woke after an unsettled night. The temperature, a humid 16°C, had already raised a number of males into flight, the dappled light conditions proved challenging …

Perhaps you should have opened the bedroom curtains

Cheers,

- Pete

[Vince Massimo]

You are maintaining a fantastically high standard Mark . I shudder to think about the images you reject.

My gut instinct on the Heath Fritillary is that it is a (fe)male. In any event it would make a great addition to the Species-Specific Album when you have time.

Regards,

Vince

[Mark Colvin]

Thanks.

Your comments are genuinely much appreciated

Good hunting.

Kind regards. Mark

[Mark Colvin]

West Sussex, 23 June 2012

Being in the zone (or not) …

I’m not quite sure what it was about today, but despite having the opportunity to roam at my free will, I really struggled to get motivated and focus on the task in hand this morning i.e. some serious butterfly photography. Whether or not it was because my daughter has finally finished her A Levels and is now set for university and will be leaving home in the not too distant future, or whether it was linked to my son being away from home this weekend on a Duke of Edinburgh expedition, I really don’t know, but I certainly couldn’t focus (if you excuse the photographic pun) …

Having dropped my son off nearby, I started the day in woodland just to the south of Horsham where Colin, and later Neil, had also decided to head. I soon found my first Silver-washed Fritillaries of the year, and very welcome they were too, along with a single flyby White Admiral. Having wondered somewhat aimlessly and without any real photographic success for several hours, I left and headed in the direction of home; though I felt a need to try one more location …

… and I’m glad I did …

Species seen today:

Silver-washed Fritillary
White Admiral
Red Admiral
Grizzled Skipper
Large Skipper
Meadow Brown
Small Heath
Speckled Wood
Wood White
Common Blue (female)

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Mark,

Regarding the kids leaving home, I know how you feel, my daughter moved out last year and my youngest son is off to university in September. Ironically it is the oldest that is still at home, at least he is developing a healthy interest in insects and particularly butterflies.

That is a good tally of butterflies today, your weather must have been a bit better than ours

All the best,

Neil F.

[Wurzel]

Cracking shot of the very blue female-is it just me but I haven't seen any brown females this year( yet)?

WRT kids growing up mine are 4 and 7 already - how did that happen and does it get any easier?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Mark Colvin]

Hi Wurzel,

I haven't seen many Common Blues at all this year and certainly no brown females. I couldn't believe my luck when I found the blue female today. I'm surprised I managed to get a decent picture at all, as the grass was blowing around in the strong wind. I just kept aiming the camera at her and clicked away ...

WRT kids growing up mine are 4 and 7 already - how did that happen and does it get any easier?

Harder and definitely more expensive ...

Good hunting.

Kind regards. Mark

[Gothic_dreams]

Hey mark, love the quality you get in your photos, love the Large Skipper shot you got

Chris

[Debbie]

Super picture - I am really keen to photgraph a female blue one to use in a design for a crewel embroidery project next year and have not seen one this yet. I was very lucky yesterday to see a female ssb breifly. However it is the common blue that will suit my project, so I will keep my fingers crossed. I also saw half a dozen male ssb and half a dozen small heaths and a silver y moth (?).

Debbie

[Mark Colvin]

Dear Chris and Debbie,

Thank you for your kind comments

I'm really glad to see you are following in your father's footsteps Chris and off the record, I think you've got the better camera. What ever you do don't get rid of it.

You've got some tough acts to follow with the FZ38

Debbie, I really hope you find your female Common Blue as they have been rather scarce on the ground in my part of Sussex.

Good luck.

Kind regards. Mark

[Mark Colvin]

Stedham Common, 27 June 2012 - Part 1

In search of silver …

Earlier today, before heading into local woodland, I paid a brief visit to the beautiful Stedham Common in West Sussex, my target, a female Silver-studded Blue.

It did not take long before I found the first of many males, as they took flight from the heather and birch scrub. Others, roosting amongst the undergrowth, gradually started to stir and as they did so they revealed their wings to the warmth of the new day. A slow walk through the heather finally produced four females; two rather tatty specimens and two very fresh individuals whose tiny gemstone adorned wings glistened in the hazy sun. The mating pair I was hoping for did not transpire, nor for that matter did the freshly emerged male sitting high on a single stem of purple heather with a host of ants in attendance, though perhaps that was being a little hopeful ...

Maybe next time ...

Species seen today:

White Admiral
Large Skipper
Meadow Brown
Small Heath
Ringlet
Speckled Wood
Silver-studded Blue

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Mark,

All good shots but I really like the middle photo.

All the best,

Neil F.