philm63

[Pauline]

I totally agree with Mike. Your Peacock images are stunning.

[philm63]

Mike and Pauline

Thank you both.
I feel there is something intrinsically beautiful with butterfly images. That does not mean they are all good, but when things come together, the pose and focus it can be visual magic. You are right Mike about the images sometimes being better than the real thing to view, looking at my recent Large Skipper images the minute details that you can see, such as the fringes, the total effect of the mottling, colour changes on the antennae, eye-rings all bring the creature to life. I wonder if I am too concerned with getting an image in the field that it detracts at times from watching the actual living creature. In my birding I have always been a local patch person, enjoying whatever was there and super-enjoying the unusual which was not necessarily rare; could never get into twitching at all. I would still love to have a super rarity on my own patch though, some things are always constant.
Would you believe having a Brimstone here would be nice, yet to turn one up. They do occur further down the Aire valley, I have seen them a few times at Fairburn Ings RSPB Reserve, just not seen one locally

Phil

[Goldie M]

I love your Peacock pic's the colours are fantastic Goldie

[philm63]

Goldie - Thanks

Looking back

Never be afraid to ask!!! - Green Hairstreak April 2011

I usually pop up to Whetstone Gate on Ilkley Moor at least once a year to pick up Red Grouse and Wheatear. It is somewhat bleak in anything but very good weather, the wind is always a constant (at least when I visit it is). Not far from the car park was a birder with his scope out, birders are notorious for the "anything about?" calls with which they greet each other, understandable when the other guy is usually a total stranger it kinds of breaks the ice. Got talking birds then I mentioned butterflies, to which he remarked there are a few Green Hairstreak about on the bilberry. Well I had seen Green hairstreak in my field guides, and I dearly wanted to see one live. Only one problem, well swallow the pride and go for it - "Err what does bilberry look like?". Quick introduction given to a small plant nearby "Like this, head in that direction and look for a biggish clump". So I did, headed in that direction, found a biggish clump with heather nearby and some glacial boulders and lo and behold I found my Green Hairstreak, and not just one. Two days later, another spot, tried it again and found more.
More is the pity I only see occasional birders around, the park nearby has oaks, and it has Purple Hairstreak I've read it, even seen pictures of them taken in that park, So I've found the oaks but I yet haven't found the Purple Hairstreaks, now if a Butterflier (actually what is the term?) happened to be around I wouldn't hesitate to ask "Where are the b****y Hairstreaks?"

[philm63]

30 June

Will the rain never cease! Went out to Prince of Wales' Park today and saw only 1 Red Admiral and 1 Speckled Wood. Ringlets have not emerged locally yet but soon I hope.

Looking back: Beauty in all you survey - The Browns

i was initaially disappointed that the only butterflies I encountered locally in any numbers were the 'dull browns'. I have since learnt to appreciate the subtle tones of the Ringlet, Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper and I rank Speckled Wood as one of my all time favourites, especially seing it in the the dappled parts of the woods it inhabits. Wall Brown is always appreciated when found.

[Gothic_dreams]

Some more lovely photos Phil

Chris

[philm63]

Thanks Chris

1 July

Decided to give Bingley Bog North a go again, weather is holding with some brigh spells, but the wind is still fresh, one of the features of 2012 it seems to have been windy all year here.
On the way popped along Sty Lane to come in via the canal. At a similar place to last year, only 1 day different I again found a smal colony of what I believe are Peacock caterpillars on field edge nettles. {Reliably informed some if not all were Small Tortoiseshell caterpillars based on the photo below which is from the second group] This year the caterpillars are only half the size they were last year at this time.
Bingley Bog North had nothing showing, no whites in the fields, no nymphalids moving about but did find:
Meadow Brown 3m1f, Large Skipper 2m1f and Ringlet 3m (a first for the year). It was hard work finding anything as the browns were hugging the bases of the grasses and only moving briefly if disturbed to then go back to ground. The Ringlets were semi-comatose and could be handled. It took four passes and a brief sunny spell to find the skippers, but well worth the wait. This site also holds Small Skipper but no signs as yet. No other butterflies seen today at all.

[MikeOxon]

if a Butterflier (actually what is the term?) happened to be around I wouldn't hesitate to ask "Where are the b****y Hairstreaks?"

The usual answer is "out of sight on the upper surfaces of leaves at the top of an oak-tree"! For PH, look for little light-grey butterflies high in an oak tree and then wait patiently until one comes looping down to explore a lower branch. I think Hairstreaks in general fall into the category that has to be looked for and doesn't just 'turn up'.

I think 'butterflier' is a reasonable term - I have heard 'butter' used but that sounds more like a goat!

Mike

[philm63]

Mike, thanks for that. I am determined to get to grips with them this year, I know of another site where they occur in a wooded valley. It is possible to walk on both sides at about tree-top height, so will take the binos up there and, weather permitting, give that area a go. As for the local ones I may well be looking at the wrong patch of oaks.

Looking back: Missed opportunities – The Blues

I spent the 1970s and the first part of the 80s in West Germany whilst I was in the army, I have had an interest in wildlife from an early age and I carried this into adulthood with me, it was not until the last few years in the army that it developed into birding proper. This army period presented some different missed opportunities that I particularly look back on. The first is bird related; I was into wildlife but had yet to take up photography that would come later when I was back in civilian life. During my time in the army I went four times to the Battlegroup training area on the prairie at Suffield in Alberta, Canada. I would when time allowed walk around the areas we spent the periods between the different exercises. Here I had close encounters with Western Sandpiper, Willet, American Avocet, Franklin’s Gull, American Robin, Slate-coloured Junco, Lesser Yellowlegs and Killdeer; to name but a few. In some cases, because they had developed no fear of people, I had them almost at my feet. I have regrettably no photos to remind me of all this, just the memories. The second is butterfly related, my interest in butterflies has only covered the last few years so it was an amazing moment for it to have stuck in my memory. In the early 70s I was part of a small group from my unit chosen to do border patrol. I am certain we covered from around the area of the Harz Mountains in Germany, along the Elbe up to near Travemunde on the Baltic coast and alongside a West German Border Police patrol. On the first day we arrived in the first accommodation stop in a small country village, it was high summer and the weather was glorious as most continental summers appeared to be. The next day we came out to prepare for our first day patrolling and even now I can picture the scene as I came out into the garden there were small, predominantly blue, butterflies everywhere, some flowers / plants had 10 or more on them. Everyone remarked on it, I have no idea what and how many species were present, I now look at my field guide and the maps and wonder what species I may have added to my tally if I had an interest in butterflies then like now. Back to the present day, regrettably this area is not a stronghold for blues in the UK, but I look forward to when I can start getting about a bit more and adding these glorious creatures to my seen list. For the moment I was more than happy with my Holly Blue encounters this year.

[Pauline]

Lovely to hear about your previous encounters and at least you have the memories. I hope you find the Hairstreaks - there will be others looking for them also, you can be sure of that but unless this weather improves ............

[Vince Massimo]

Hi Phil,

Your caterpillar is that of a Small Tortoiseshell. There are significant differences between Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell larvae at this stage of their development. Basically the Small Tortoiseshell is mainly black with some yellow markings while the Peacock has white or silvery spots. The rearward sets of legs also usually appear much pinker on the Peacock. These aspects are best illustrated by the photos below.

Small Tortoiseshell larva

Peacock larva

I wil remove these images from you diary in a few days time.

Vince

[philm63]

Vince

Thanks for the correction, there were two groups about 50 yds apart, I was sure the first ones were Peacock and probably took it for granted they all were, I posted the best image I had which was from the second group. On reflection they were probably all Small Tortoiseshell. I am happy for the images to stay as a reference, but it is up to you

Phil

[philm63]

Looking back: Seek and ye shall find – The Skippers

In 2011 having had a reasonable first year in 2010, I was determined to add some more species to my seen list. Looking at the field guide I could see these moth-looking species called skippers. I knew from research that a few species occurred locally, yet in all the time I had walked around birding I had no recollections of seeing anything like them. I had a visit from one daughter last summer on a nice day, and she loves butterflies. There are butterflies all over her house, on the fridge, the walls and so on as magnets and pictures. She does not go out at all looking for them, just enjoys what she sees wherever it occurs. So decided to take her out on a local walk, we came to the path leading up to Eldwick Reservoir and in a few feet we put up a small golden butterfly, surely not a skipper. Tried to follow its flight but lost it. Never mind it returned soon enough and yes there was my first Small Skipper, I really enjoyed that. On the way home we passed the old barn, an overgrown site that I like, and there we saw something similar but not quite the same, camera out and shots taken. Looking at them at home we realised we had seen a Large Skipper. My first ever skippers and I had got both local ones on the same day. Luckily for me in one way I didn’t have to worry about splitting the Small Skippers from Essex and Lulworth Skippers. The jizz was implanted now and I started looking at all likely spots, by the end of last year I had identified Large Skipper locally in six different areas and Small Skippers from five. One spot in particular held both with some very amenable Small Coppers, but regrettably it has disappeared under bulldozers this year as they build some more canal-side apartments.
Why had I seen none before, because I was still going around “birding”, I was covering the same ground but my viewpoints were still being driven by 30 years of looking for birds - what is flying over, what is in the trees over there, or tucked in the corner of some body of water. I was walking past places but with a distant viewpoint, whereas now what I wanted was down at my feet. At the weekend looking for Large Skippers at Bingley Bog North it really came home as I made multiple passes over a path-side verge, in looking specifically for the skippers I was going to miss that bird passing nearby. The other point is you add to your repertoire, as with the Green hairstreaks and biberry, I now am becoming more aware of the plants and flowers down at ground level, and I now see the Bird’s-foot Trefoil and start thinking good area to look

[philm63]

Looking back: Current favourtite – Small Copper

This exquisite little gem is a delight for me as it is probably the butterfly I currently most enjoy seeing locally. Not as brash as the nymphalids, common enough to be found in a number of places and across quite a broad period of the summer but still a delight when one is found. Then again, this year’s sightings of Holly Blue have pushed for a spot there at the top, and I know if I had been able to keep track of a vivid blue butterfly I saw briefly last year and had managed to get some shots; it would no doubt have jumped to the top of the tree. Still I will continue to treasure all those sightings had and yet to come of the Small Copper

[philm63]

7 July

Best bit of weather for a while so popped out to do my local patch. Things started well as I entered Prince of Wales' Park which had 11 Speckled Wood along the area I walked and a clearing held 3 Meadow Brown. Some shots of the various Speckled Wood are below. The most unusual thing was the small clearing that last year held a Southern Hawker in July, had another one today, no close views but I suspect either Common or Southern Hawker. I then moved onto Heights Lane and further on down to Eldwick Reservoir, sunshine was becoming more infrequent. Very little moving about with Large White 3, Small Tortoiseshell 3, Meadow Brown 1 and a Speckled Wood seen. The field by the reservoir overflow channel held a single Common Hawker that would not come close. No Ringlets at all today.
The rest of Heights Lane produced 2 Oystercatcher and a magnificent view of three Buzzards together, I normally only see the occasional single.
Walsh Lane held two Large Skippers but too distant to get any good shots and the area over the wall there is out of bounds to the public.

[philm63]

Sat 14 July

No sunshine but a bit warmer. Started well when, not 30 yards from the house, a Speckled Wood settled on a house side wall about 15 feet up, unusual position but nice to see one.
Travelling up Walsh Lane the situation looked less welcoming. the fields and road verges are still all empty, no passing whites, browns or nymphalids, it seems almost eerily quiet. Checked all the areas besides the wall for Large Skippers but to no avail and a simialr situation on Heights Lane. Then one after another I started turning up fresh male Ringlets, had 7 in total in about 300 yards. Not huge quantities but all were fresh looking so they must be starting to emerge up here now, about a mile and a half away down in the valley I had them a few weeks ago. Matters not, the weather forecast is starting to sound better so prospects may look up now. I got half way along the road to the area of the old barn where I found a single Meadow Brown sheltering in a wall and then the rain started again, the rest of the way home was dismal and wet. Nothing at all seen in Prince of Wales' Park.
Given a dry day tomorrow will try a trip down into the valley, if it is quiet on the butterfly front should at least pick up some dragonflies/damselflies, but am hoping for my first Small Skippers of the year
Reading the other diaries I can only gnash my teeth in envy at what other areas have available, seriuosly though the main thing is to enjoy what you do

Some of todays Ringlet

[Pauline]

I am enjoying reading your diary Phil (in fact I have just re-read it), your recollections and your new discoveries, and I am so pleased you decided to keep posting your photos. I see where you are located now but as you rightly state it is about enjoying what you are doing and what is around you and the unusual is a bonus.

[Nick Broomer]

Lovely Ringlet photos Phil,the composition of the first picture is wonderful.

All the best, Nick.

[Neil Freeman]

Agreed, cracking Ringlets. A very under appreciated butterfly especially when fresh.

Regards,

Neil F.

[philm63]

Nick, Neil

Thanks for the compliments, but it was sheer luck. It is usually a few weeks before these start "posing" on the thistles around here and by then they are usually damaged or worn. The first six today were all landing at the base of grasses and presented few chances for a good shot except the one that landed on a wide leaf which is the upperwing shot above. The seventh was luckily near a nettle bed and landed just right, but I made no actual thoughts about composition, just wanted a good side on view and got lucky. Normally if something hangs around after I have got my "record" shots I then start to try for more unusual angles, face on etc. The number of those I have deleted is probably around 90%, but the few that have worked I enjoy looking back on. Your own diaries contain some cracking shots, I really must plan a trip to a more southern area at some point next year, I am dying to see and try photographing some of the lovely blues and fritillaries I see in other diaries, and certainly Marbled White.