ChrisC

[Wurzel]

That Peacock shot is a cracker Chris How do you manage to get Large Skippers in your garden?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[ChrisC]

Thanks Wurzel, the same goes for all the butterflies i get i just plant alot of plants and hope for the best

Chris

[ChrisC]

a brief hour visit to a cloudy very breezy martin down this afternoon produced, Brimstone, chalkhill blue, meadow brown, gatekeeper, small skipper, small copper, some worn looking DG frits, a single marbled white. but my main quarry was small copper. i'd say at least a dozen scattered about that i saw but i didn't get far.

this one was particularly nice with a multi coloured sheen, unfortunately i couldn't do it justice

couldn't turn down this opportunity

came home to another garden first that i can recall, a female red admiral

[Debbie]

super pictues - Debbie

[ChrisC]

Thanks Debbie about time for the next entry in your diary isn't it?

Chris

[ChrisC]

a short walk this afternoon the cloud keeping the butterflies quieter. but took the camera anyway and glad i did
not for the Gatekeeper

not for the darter

but for this chap. a juvenile goldcrest.

shared an intimate minute or so with the family.
http://www.youtube.com/my_videos_edit?n ... uF_KIMAS-w

[philm63]

Chris

came home to another garden first that i can recall, a female red admiral

How do you sex these??

Phil

[ChrisC]

Hi Phil, i was assuming it was a female based purely on abdomen length.
Chris

[Wurzel]

Great Small Copper shots Chris, I was at Martin Down on Friday and there were a couple of nice ones there then too - and there was me all worried about em

I like your Gatekeeper too with 4 clear spots, I think I "need" one like that for my collection...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[ChrisC]

no butterflies but a moth and one not for arachniphobes
found this Black Arches on the wall of the bungalow, the marble white of the moths

and normally when i shine the torch on this one she scurries off, last night she didn't, despite the file name i'm not 100% percent sure if it's steatoda nobilis or Grossa, but she's a false widow that's for sure and a magnificent creature.

[Debbie]

Hi Chris,
As always great diary and pictures .
I have not forgotten about mine, | just need to sort through my pictures to start it off.
I had been a little poorly, but I am fit and well and keen to get out butterflying again.
Debbie

[ChrisC]

thanks for the comments Debbie, glad you are feeling better.

chris

[ChrisC]

well diary readers, work means i can't compete with all the other diarists with stunning pictures of butterflies so i'm afraid it's going to be my highlight of August if not the year so far (it was the dingy skipper in the garden) but i'm afraid it doesn't have wings and has 2 extra legs. UKB may i introduce the RDB3 spider hyptiotes paradoxus , now this wee beastie hasn't been recorded in Dorset for at least 60 years, until that is 'til yesterday hanging from my garden pergola

full distribution see here.
http://srs.britishspiders.org.uk/portal ... +paradoxus

to say i'm a happy chap is an understatement, well they say small things please small minds.

[Padfield]

That's fantastic, Chris!

You have made me decide I need a spider book...

Guy

[ChrisC]

be careful guy, they can be addictive and as my next picture will show, i'm an addict

following on from my last spider, i was out the front yesterday to see if anything was around. well not only was it around she's a beauty. i've posted a pic before I think but a while ago so let me introduce the nationally notable Araneus angulatus

it would have been rude of me not to, last night i watched her come down and build her rather large web. a much quicker builder than than Garden spider.
i've adjusted contrast etc to make the web more visible

[Pauline]

Exactly how big is that web Chris It looks amazing and well done on the spider find.

[ChrisC]

Thanks Pauline, i'd say it can't be too far off 2ft

[ChrisC]

just over an hour over Martin Down today got me my Brown argus, good to see so many butterflies. still at least half a dozen Dark greens clinging on. meadow browns, gatekeeper, small heath, brimstone, chalkhill and common blues, small copper, peacock,

[ChrisC]

i was out messing around in the front garden with some sky pics last night

when i hear the familiar whine of a mosquito. i looked at the end of the leylandii hedge i was standing next to and there was rather a lot of them.
rather than follow my basic instinct to run like hell and start scratching i thought i'd have some fun with them too.

when i increased the shutter speed i was surprised to get this one.

when they started landing on me i beat a hasty retreat.

[ChrisC]

saturday was red admirals, sunday rain and cloud, tonight it was the turn of the Small toroiseshell. 7 on the buddliea along with red admirals. a sight for sore eyes as prior to this only 2 all year wherever i've been.

not a bad 10 minutes work and an absolute joy