Reverdin

[David M]

Lovely images, Reverdin.

I'd absolutely love to see this form of the species.

[Reverdin]

Thanks David... it is a little gem, worth a trip

Here's another shot from today...

[Pete Eeles]

Great stuff Paul. I really need to get north soon

Cheers,

- Pete

[Wurzel]

Lovely shots Rev Now how can I convince the rest of my family that a trip up North is necessary

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[IAC]

Superb Paul!! I was down there myself today from about 2.30 this afternoon it was quite a spectacle with the Small Copper and Wall Brown now heavily outnumbered . Just glad you had a great day.


Iain.

[Reverdin]

Thanks chaps.... hey if anyone does the long trek north (east), get in touch, I'm always up for a day out ..... and Ian... sorry I missed you.... hope you enjoyed it as mch as I did

[Reverdin]

not a butterfly... but my wildflower patch today....

[Reverdin]

2014
Finally the new season is underway up here. Wall to wall blue sky, and following the Commas, Peacocks and Small Tortoiseshells which have been braving things for a while, today bought the first Orange Tips ( 2 males and 2 females) and Green-veined Whites.
So to celebrate....

Canon 7D AE mode 1/800 f9.0 iso125 exp comp -1/3 EF100mm Macro

[Reverdin]

A trip out for our local rubi provided a couple of decent images, the white spotting being a bit off white in a couple of them this year, no idea why. Also a rather pleasant bird encounter, excuse the poor quality, using a macro lens for bird photos is a bit hopeless

[Rogerdodge]

Paul
Impressed with both the GH and the Ring Ouzel. How close did you get? I used to see them on Exmoor, but they seem to have gone now - sad.
Good to see your season has got off to a good start.
I spent the weekend at Marsland and had some excellent PBF encounters.
See you soon.

Roger

[Reverdin]

That was from about 30 feet away.... never had one let me that close before.... think I dragged myself across every moorland thistle on my way though

PBFs a bit of a way off for me yet. Hope U both well

[Reverdin]

More Green Hairstreaks today... 2 reasons.. firstly I love them, secondly, there's not much else to see here at the moment.

[Reverdin]

Just wandered round the garden at dusk, and ended up gazing into the leaves of our two 20 foot Elms, Sapporo Gold, I planted some approx. 7 years ago. Whilst wondering which moth catty was creating all those ragged leaves, my eyes settled on first one, then a second slug like silhouette - low enough down to confirm White-letter Hairstreak has arrived, and all on it's own, no help from me (promise ) - If I can see two, how many more might there be... I just hope they survive the feeding birds. Sort of thing I had hoped for, and indeed planted the trees for... yay!
First Small Copper of the year for me last week.... and on my wild patch..... yay again!
Lastly, a couple of shots of the sort of mundane stuff you are all bored with now this year....

[Rogerdodge]

Paul
Brilliant news about the White-letter Hairstreak.
Is it worth while rearing one, protected from predators, in a sleeve?
Just a thought.

[Reverdin]

Hi Roger
I now see three ! I will just let nature take it's course.... I really would love this to become a regular habitat for them, but if it's going to, it needs to be naturally viable.... imagine sitting back with a cold one in the garden, contemplating WLH's going about their life with the thought they arrived 'cos I provided the trees.
Here's a pic from tonight....

Isn't that camouflage just brilliant !

Incidentally, Sapporo Gold seems to flower very early here, compared to Wych Elm. Mine have been flowering for 4 years now but the last 3 years, all the flowers destroyed by frost... this year has been so mild they were maintained to point of seed. I hope this won't mean the larvae will be wiped out in future years by more normal weather. I have put 2 Wych Elm by their side, as bought as "Bonzai's" at a very local Garden Centre.... They are now 10 foot and growing, but not yet at flowering maturity.

[Padfield]

It's a brilliant thing you've done, Paul. And fantastic pictures of the cats, too. The pupae are difficult to find but with a cold thing, a pair of binoculars and a nice sunny evening you should be able to scan every twig and leaf ...

Guy

[Reverdin]

Cheers Guy, I will be unable to resist looking!!!..... the remains of many of the flowers, husk like now, are really really WLH pupa like, and it will be like looking for a needle in a haystack.... just reminds you how wonderfully the pupa mimics the host.

Oh, and one very lucky WLH larvae to have found you, wasn't he/ she. One more butterfly to grace our planet hopefully

[Reverdin]

fourth WLH catty now visible, I know it is number 4 'cos it's on the other tree!

One of the others has positioned itself on the upperside of a small leaf, looking like it has loosely pulled in an overhanging leaf, and is turning colour to pupate. So it's not aimed for the old flowerbud husks I thought it might. Will try to photo it tomorrow, too dark this eve.

[Reverdin]

Hmmm... all disappeared, including the one about to pupate.... I suspected they had been swept up by birds, but today, on scouring the branches yet again, I found this.....
( Blooming difficult to photograph, so forgive the shortcomings!!! )

So all is NOT lost... yay!

[Padfield]

I think those are superb photos, Paul! And I agree, yay!

Guy