millerd

David M · Post by **David M** » Mon May 06, 2013 9:44 pm

Wurzel wrote: However I see you also have a few shots of the horrible green thing, the least said about that the better

This hatred is becoming debilitating, Wurzel.

millerd · Post by **millerd** » Tue May 07, 2013 7:48 pm

No Green Hairstreaks for me today, Wurzel!

Not a great deal of anything, in fact, as work took me up to the Big City for the day.

However, as it was still warm at six when I returned home, I had to venture out round my home patch just in case. I soon encountered a Speckled Wood and a Green-veined White, both headed for the trees, presumably to roost. A little further on, I found a couple of Orange Tips on a variety of wild parsley. The male was persistently bothering the female, who was displaying the typical abdomen-in-air rejection attitude. Eventually, she became fed up, and flew off across the river. The thwarted male then fluttered around the spot where she'd been for a good five minutes before he gave in and went up into the trees. I carried on to the patch of garlic mustard where I'd seen roosting Orange Tips a few days ago. Sure enough, there were another pair here. The female was still settling down, but I imagine the male had preceded her as he was oblivious to her presence a few flowerheads away. Moving on again I spotted two more, this time a mating pair settled on a bluebell in the low sunshine.

Oh, and I saw three Peacocks, defending their various bits of path to the end of the day.

It hardly seems possible, looking out on this summer evening, that tomorrow and subsequent days will be cool with showers and strong winds.

Dave

Wurzel · Post by **Wurzel** » Tue May 07, 2013 9:47 pm

Fantastic shots Dave

I really am going to have to try and find a regular spot for Orange-tips as I'm just loving the close-up shots you're getting

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Post by **Pete Eeles** » Sat May 11, 2013 8:53 am

I agree. The backlit mating pair is excellent at showing the difference between the 2 sexes, even when their wings are closed! Must try this myself

Cheers,

- Pete

millerd · Post by **millerd** » Sun May 12, 2013 9:10 pm

Thanks chaps! The end of a sunny day is definitely the best time to get close to Orange Tips.

I haven’t been able to get out in the field since Tuesday - until yesterday, when the weather decided to be thoroughly unkind.

I was able to go to Ryton with my three boys, but with sun virtually non-existent and some hefty showers, all we saw was a single Speckled Wood and some Orange Tip eggs. Even more annoying to get home at half past seven to find it had been dry all day.

Today (Sunday) was better, and an hour or so around my local patch provided a fair bit of interest. Once again, by far the most numerous butterfly was the Holly Blue. There must have been twenty or more altogether, often in groups of two or three, both males and females. They were more inclined than usual to settle lower down for some reason, which was good. In addition, Small and Green-veined Whites were frequent, along with Orange Tips of both sexes. There was also a solitary male Large White, only just bigger than his cousins. Speckled Woods were also well in evidence, definitely a better showing than last year, but with no Peacocks and only one Comma (a female I suspect, as it was crawling over low-level nettle and hop leaves), they may well have had their time in the sun. Finally, there was one Red Admiral, occupying a riverside glade territory that has attracted his forebears certainly since I started walking this route seven years ago. He had to share it with a couple of Speckled Woods and several Holly Blues – which kept him very busy.

Dave

Wurzel · Post by **Wurzel** » Sun May 12, 2013 9:31 pm

Lovely shots of the Holly Blues Dave

The Red Admiral seems to be something of a rarity so far this year so it was great to see you've got a shot

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Neil Freeman · Post by **Neil Freeman** » Mon May 13, 2013 6:09 pm

Sorry to hear your trip to Ryton was a bit of a washout.
I went out myself on Saturday planning to circle around Bishops Hill/Harbury/Ryton as descibed in my diary. As it happened, the only place that I got out of the car was at Harbury, the rain was just too heavy when I arrived at Ryton later in the afternoon so I carried on home.

Some lovely photos in your past couple of posts, especially the backlit Orange Tips as others have said. I'm jealous of your Holly Blues, I have only seen a couple so far and they have been in full flight.

Cheers,

Neil F.

David M · Post by **David M** » Mon May 13, 2013 7:47 pm

Some great shots of a beautiful butterfly there, Dave. Not many people can ever say Holly Blues were the most numerous species seen in a site visit!

Looks like they might be enjoying a good year. Perhaps the cold winter put paid to many of their predators?

millerd · Post by **millerd** » Mon May 13, 2013 8:23 pm

Many thanks again for the comments, folks.

I suspect Holly Blues are much overlooked: many of those I saw were well above head height and their behaviour resembled hairstreaks rather than anything else. The number that came down and settled close to me was quite surprising.

Today was a different sort of day: I didn't get out round my local area until three, and it was windy, quite cool, but with longish sunny spells. I saw a few Holly Blues (but not like yesterday's abundance), five or six Speckled Woods, one Peacock, and a selection of Whites. I approached one or two - the first was a female Orange Tip, and all the others identifiable turned out to be Green-veined Whites today. In addition, I saw six or seven male Orange Tips, battling against the wind and settling fairly readily every time the sun dimmed. Photo opportunities increased - but the wind made things very trying!

Dave

Wurzel · Post by **Wurzel** » Mon May 13, 2013 10:31 pm

Cracking shots of the Orange-tips again Dave

I know what you mean about the wind - you almost want to reach out and hold the stem of the plant they're on - but you dare'nt unless the butterfly flies away. On another matter I'm stocked up on Crafty Old Hen but I'm back enjoying Poacher Choice from Badger, it's a different taste but a winner as far as I'm concerned

Have a goodun

Wurzel

millerd · Post by **millerd** » Mon May 13, 2013 11:12 pm

I have that one stashed away as well, Wurzel - another favourite!

Cheers,

Dave

Pauline · Post by **Pauline** » Tue May 14, 2013 5:45 am

I am green with envy at your lovely Orange Tips shots Dave. I don't think I have ever seen more than one in any one place. I have spent the last couple of weeks trying to search for them even resorting to stopping the car if I come across appropriate patches of plants!!! I know exactly how Wurzel feels but for me it's orange, not green.

millerd · Post by **millerd** » Thu May 16, 2013 10:46 pm

Thank you Pauline - I doubt I'll ever match the lovely pictures you take, mind. I have seen quite a few Orange Tips around here this year, and I've been lucky in the times and conditions in which I've been out, which seem to have hindered them in their usual ceaseless activity in the sunshine.

The sun beckoned today, and I took the risk of driving down to Bentley Wood in the late afternoon. The sun was out, but the Eastern Clearing was very soggy with recent rain and in comparison with other years it looked somewhat barren: the bluebells were only just out, very little bugle was to be seen, and the bracken fronds remained furled. There were butterflies - I saw over a dozen Brimstones, including a number of females laying on the recently opened buckthorn buds, plus several Orange Tips. But... no Pearl-bordered Fritillaries seen in the two hours I was there. I bumped into another chap on a similar, but equally unfulfilled mission - his afternoon was redeemed somewhat by an encounter with a nightjar. I will have to return in a week or two. I imagine the few PBF seen a few days back succumbed to the storminess of Tuesday night.

Driving home, I witnessed the odd phenomena of having brilliant clear blue skies to the south, and dark grey heavy showers to the north. Perhaps I should have gone elsewhere - but you can never predict these things.

Dave

millerd · Post by **millerd** » Tue May 21, 2013 9:19 pm

After a very grey day, the sun made a half-hearted appearance at just before six. I set off around my local patch to see if anything had been tempted into activity.

Close to home, I found four or five Green-veined Whites flitting between the wild parsley flowers, along with a solitary Orange Tip. Further along, the Garlic Mustard patches were host to another four or five Orange Tips, all males, and all nectaring while they could before settling back down to roost. Photos were easy to take, but though the butterflies were not very active, the breeze made clear pictures not quite so easy. The Orange Tips are also becoming noticeably worn now.

No other butterflies seen - though it was seven o'clock when I left the Orange Tips.

Dave

Wurzel · Post by **Wurzel** » Tue May 21, 2013 10:43 pm

Lovely shots Dave

You've inspired me so I might try and make an evening visit tomorrow night

Have a goodun

Wurzel

millerd · Post by **millerd** » Thu May 23, 2013 7:21 pm

Amazingly, in a day filled with cold winds and sporadic hail, the sun shone for an hour between five and six. The temperature rose to the dizzy heights of around 11 degrees, and I set off around my local walk. Almost immediately, I came across a couple of intrepid Green-veined Whites. One promptly buried itself in the vegetation, but the other basked for a while. Moving on, the only other butterfly I saw was a fresh Small White, soaking up what heat there was amongst the brambles.

And it's going to be much worse weatherwise tomorrow...

(but better over the holiday weekend, allegedly)

Dave

Wurzel · Post by **Wurzel** » Thu May 23, 2013 9:31 pm

Lovely shots Dave

intimate almost

The weathermen don't have a good track record when forecasting good weather so I hope that they get it more accurate than usual

ireally need to get out and find some butterflies!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

millerd · Post by **millerd** » Sat May 25, 2013 9:41 pm

A very different day today to yesterday's flashback to winter. A day out with all the boys took in Amersham for steam trains on the Metropolitan Line, Dunstable Downs for tea and kite-flying, and Totternhoe quarry for whatever might be about.

There were Whites, Orange Tips and Brimstones across the site, plus a couple of Speckled Woods and a Peacock. However, I was pleased to find both of the main target species for the day, Dingy Skippers and Small Blues. The former were frequent when the sun was out, again in all parts of the site - I must have seen more than a dozen. However, I only tracked down two of the latter species, both tucked up in the pathside shrubs and difficult to spot. Finally, in one of the chalk pits, a single Duke of Burgundy took off as we arrived.

Oh, and specially for Wurzel, there was a rather nice Green Hairstreak perching in a hawthorn.

Dave

millerd · Post by **millerd** » Sun May 26, 2013 9:12 pm

A glorious day, but I was limited to looking around my local patch. It was a day dominated by white butterflies, with all three species much in evidence, plus several Orange Tips and Brimstones. Completing the picture were ten or so Holly Blues, five rather tatty Peacocks and a couple of Speckled Woods. Still waiting for Small Heaths, Brown Argus and Common Blues to make an appearance.

Today was also the first day I have seen dragonflies and damselflies this year.

Dave