I couldn't get out unfortunately 
l Still it's early day's yet Goldie 
Wurzel
Re: Wurzel
Cracking Photo's Wurze, I couldn't get out unfortunately l Still it's early day's yet Goldie
I couldn't get out unfortunately l Still it's early day's yet Goldie Diary entries for 2013 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Re: Wurzel
Cheers Philzoid You're back in the lead again now with that Large Skipper 
My plans for another post and to catch up on my PM's have had to be put on hold as we got the call today that all schools dread - OfSTED are in tomorrow So better get back to the lesson planning
Cheers Goldie I'msure you'll be out there soon enough, and in time for some goodies 
Have a goodun
Wurzel
You're back in the lead again now with that Large Skipper My plans for another post and to catch up on my PM's have had to be put on hold as we got the call today that all schools dread - OfSTED are in tomorrow So better get back to the lesson planning Cheers Goldie
I'msure you'll be out there soon enough, and in time for some goodies Have a goodun
Wurzel
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Re: Wurzel
Am at work now so got to be quick: That well patterened micro is Grapholita compositella 
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Re: Wurzel
Cheers for the ID Philzoid
To work and whilst there...
During the good weather last week I was regularly stopping off for five minutes on the way to work. I’d pull into the lay-by near Larkhill, grab my camera from the passenger seat, start the stopwatch going and start off scanning the grasses for butterflies. At four and a half minutes on my watch I’d take my last couple of shots and head back to the car. I’d then finish the journey to work in discomfort as the dew would have soaked me from the knees down so I’d have the blower on full pelt and burning in the hope that my trousers and shoes would dry out by the time I pulled into the car park at work.
Last year I discovered this site quite late in the season but it yielded Common Blues, Marbled Whites and Ringlets. Then in the early autumn there were Whites and Red Admirals so this year I was hoping to add to the species tally...
A few stops saw me adding Wall Brown and Grizzled Skipper to the list. The Wall was there and then gone in the blink of an eye and the Grizzlie I located at 4minutes 15 seconds so I didn’t have enough time to follow it and try for some shots but next time I’ll have a closer look. I also Small Blue to my “stop off list”, and luckily it played ball, coming out from hiding in the long grasses to pose very elegantly for me.
Whilst at work I’ve also been lucky enough to make a few visits to the wildlife area and whilst butterflies are in short supply it has produced some new moths. Some are so micro that they are right on the edge of the capability of my lens and it’s tricky to get the focusing right. Still at least I have a record of the species.
The weather for the weekend doesn’t look very conducive for butterflying and I’ve got my in-laws visiting so I don’t know if I’ll be able to get out anywhere. But what with OfSTED visiting this week I’m still behind on my postings as I’ve got last Saturday and Sunday still to sort out so the bad weather means I might actually catch up!
Have a goodun
Wurzel
To work and whilst there...
During the good weather last week I was regularly stopping off for five minutes on the way to work. I’d pull into the lay-by near Larkhill, grab my camera from the passenger seat, start the stopwatch going and start off scanning the grasses for butterflies. At four and a half minutes on my watch I’d take my last couple of shots and head back to the car. I’d then finish the journey to work in discomfort as the dew would have soaked me from the knees down so I’d have the blower on full pelt and burning in the hope that my trousers and shoes would dry out by the time I pulled into the car park at work.
Last year I discovered this site quite late in the season but it yielded Common Blues, Marbled Whites and Ringlets. Then in the early autumn there were Whites and Red Admirals so this year I was hoping to add to the species tally...
A few stops saw me adding Wall Brown and Grizzled Skipper to the list. The Wall was there and then gone in the blink of an eye and the Grizzlie I located at 4minutes 15 seconds so I didn’t have enough time to follow it and try for some shots
but next time I’ll have a closer look. I also Small Blue to my “stop off list”, and luckily it played ball, coming out from hiding in the long grasses to pose very elegantly for me.
Have a goodun
Wurzel
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Re: Wurzel
Make sure you 'bank' Father's day for when the weather is better wurzelWurzel wrote:The weather for the weekend doesn’t look very conducive for butterflying and I’ve got my in-laws visiting so I don’t know if I’ll be able to get out anywhere. But what with OfSTED visiting this week I’m still behind on my postings as I’ve got last Saturday and Sunday still to sort out so the bad weather means I might actually catch up!
Your moths are Celypha lacunana (you've had him before i think) a leaf miner Phyllonoryncter (harrisella perhaps
) and Micropterix aruncella There, that's my lunch break gone Diary entries for 2013 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Re: Wurzel
Cheers Philzoid Sorry for depriving you off your lunch break 
I'll definitely "bank" Father's Day
Martin Down
Last weekend I headed over to Martin Down with my older daughter hopefully to see Blues – ideally Adonis at that. We had a cracking afternoon walking the downs, photographing butterflies and just enjoying the wind and the sun. However it’s taken until now to sort my photos and write my report because of another trip and also OfSTED 
.
We set off from the Sillens Lane end but instead of the normal route along the boundary path to where it transects Borkerley we took the path up the hill. We were heading to the small area of springy turf we discovered the year before as this seemed to be a magnet for butterflies. We were accompanied by Dingies, Brimstones and ubiquitous Small Heath that flitted along the edges of the path.
Almost as soon as the area came into sight we noticed butterflies. First was a Common Blue that was being harassed by a voracious Dingy. Small Heath would erupt from the almost non-existent turf as we headed to the oasis of the Bramble and Hawthorn Island. As we set up first camp a Brown Argus whizzed by and there was one of our quarry, a slightly ragged but still stunningly coloured Small Copper. The set was completed with a Yellow Shell, Grizzlie, ragged Greenstreak (looking lost) and Dingy with peachy orange markings along the hind wing margins which I had never seen before.
Having enjoyed the springy turf area we set off again to the top of the down so we could then wind our way down along the ditch. As we walked there were Grizzlies, Small Heath and Dingies everywhere it seemed. We made a very brief stop for another, fresher and brighter looking Small Copper. Unfortunately it was quite nervous so I couldn’t get too much closer as at the time I thought it was more orange than normal, and I noticed that the spots on the forewing seemed much smaller than usual – an aberrant?
Finally we reached the top of the ditch and my daughter set up camp two on top of the earthen mound so while I wandered along the base of the she became engrossed in a Famous Five book. This little area was great as I found more Common Blue, including a mating pair and a fighting pair of males, more Brimstones, Green Hairstreak (I can’t seem to get away from them ), Small Blues and a charismatic little Brown Argus. Also here was an Adonis Blue although the white wing margins don’t seem that chequered and the ground colour looks too pale?
Have a goodun
Wurzel
Sorry for depriving you off your lunch break I'll definitely "bank" Father's Day Martin Down
Last weekend I headed over to Martin Down with my older daughter hopefully to see Blues – ideally Adonis at that. We had a cracking afternoon walking the downs, photographing butterflies and just enjoying the wind and the sun. However it’s taken until now to sort my photos and write my report because of another trip
and also OfSTED . We set off from the Sillens Lane end but instead of the normal route along the boundary path to where it transects Borkerley we took the path up the hill. We were heading to the small area of springy turf we discovered the year before as this seemed to be a magnet for butterflies. We were accompanied by Dingies, Brimstones and ubiquitous Small Heath that flitted along the edges of the path.
Almost as soon as the area came into sight we noticed butterflies. First was a Common Blue that was being harassed by a voracious Dingy. Small Heath would erupt from the almost non-existent turf as we headed to the oasis of the Bramble and Hawthorn Island. As we set up first camp a Brown Argus whizzed by and there was one of our quarry, a slightly ragged but still stunningly coloured Small Copper. The set was completed with a Yellow Shell, Grizzlie, ragged Greenstreak (looking lost) and Dingy with peachy orange markings along the hind wing margins which I had never seen before.
), Small Blues and a charismatic little Brown Argus. Also here was an Adonis Blue although the white wing margins don’t seem that chequered and the ground colour looks too pale?
Wurzel
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Re: Wurzel
Definitely Adonis with the chequered pattern on the fringes. Some of them are near enough the same colour as Common Blues, especially at certain angles to the light. That's a lovely Dingy - there seem to be wide variations with this species too.
I envy you your proximity to places like Martin Down, Wurzel!
Dave
I envy you your proximity to places like Martin Down, Wurzel!
Dave
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Paul Harfield
- Posts: 854
- Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2011 9:48 pm
- Location: Hampshire
Re: Wurzel
Hi Wurzel
Your 2nd Small Copper certainly looks quite unusual. Martin Down looks like butterfly heaven at the moment I almost headed there myself yesterday but decided at the last minute for somewhere closer to home as the weather was not that great early on. In the meantime I will just have to make do reading your wonderful reports
Your 2nd Small Copper certainly looks quite unusual. Martin Down looks like butterfly heaven at the moment
I almost headed there myself yesterday but decided at the last minute for somewhere closer to home as the weather was not that great early on. In the meantime I will just have to make do reading your wonderful reports Diary entries for 2013 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Re: Wurzel
Cheers Dave - you know how it is sometimes when you see a species for the first time after 8 or so months and you're a bit rusty with it It is great having Martin Down just down the road but then you have Wood Whites, and you're closer to Heath Frits than I am
Cheers for your kind comments Jack It seemed that Martin Down was back to it's usual best, last year it was a bit lack lustre
Part 2
Eventually I managed to rouse my daughter from her book and we set off down the hill to the “hotspot”. On my last visit I noticed that it had been burnt out but the area just as the ditch starts uphill on the other side of the path is equally as good. And so it turned out today in fact we saw almost everything we’d seen around the rest of the reserve, all jam packed into this tiny little area!
After finding Dingy and Grizzled Skippers and Small Heath almost under pretty much every step I found another Green Hairstreak. This is the same area in which I saw my first ever Green Hairstreaks three seasons past. The next year I struggled to relocate them and in the end managed a singleton and likewise last year. So to find them at four or five sites across the reserve this year suggests to me that 2013 has been a goodun for Greenstreaks!
There were also Blues around with a difficult to chase Brown Argus, Small Blues and Common Blues. One Small was taking minerals from a large piece of dung whilst the Common Blues were engaging in that all important business of ensuring that there might be some Common Blues here next year, the sole purpose for their existence.
Whilst I was letting my daughter loose with my camera she said “Dad I got a Blue” and she had, a much better view of the Adonis and one looking much more like the second brood – more electric blue and less pastel. It seems that all of a sudden the temperature had reached the optimum as all along the ditch Blues were flying, fighting, generally larking about and mating.
One female was tiredly crawling through the grass stems as if she were hacking her way through a jungle, dragging her mate along behind her when another male literally dropped out of the sky next to her, totally oblivious to me. He must have thought that he was a better prospect than the incumbent male and made a lot of flapping fuss but the other male stayed locked to the female. In the end she decided by turning round and crawling off further into the grass, dragging her male behind her. I followed them for a bit and they maintained copulation for another 5 or 6 minutes by which time my daughter had borrowed the camera and was busy taking landscape shots.
The way back held more Dingies and Grizzlies as well as very flighty Brimstones and all too soon we’d reached the car and so the glorious afternoon was at an end. As I drove over the bumps and potholes of Sillens Lane I thought “Better try for Small Pearls tomorrow while the weather lasts”...
Have a goodun
Wurzel
- you know how it is sometimes when you see a species for the first time after 8 or so months and you're a bit rusty with it It is great having Martin Down just down the road but then you have Wood Whites, and you're closer to Heath Frits than I am Cheers for your kind comments Jack
It seemed that Martin Down was back to it's usual best, last year it was a bit lack lustre Part 2
Eventually I managed to rouse my daughter from her book and we set off down the hill to the “hotspot”. On my last visit I noticed that it had been burnt out but the area just as the ditch starts uphill on the other side of the path is equally as good. And so it turned out today in fact we saw almost everything we’d seen around the rest of the reserve, all jam packed into this tiny little area!
After finding Dingy and Grizzled Skippers and Small Heath almost under pretty much every step I found another Green Hairstreak. This is the same area in which I saw my first ever Green Hairstreaks three seasons past. The next year I struggled to relocate them and in the end managed a singleton and likewise last year. So to find them at four or five sites across the reserve this year suggests to me that 2013 has been a goodun for Greenstreaks!
There were also Blues around with a difficult to chase Brown Argus, Small Blues and Common Blues. One Small was taking minerals from a large piece of dung whilst the Common Blues were engaging in that all important business of ensuring that there might be some Common Blues here next year, the sole purpose for their existence.
Have a goodun
Wurzel
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Re: Wurzel
Bentley Wood
After a successful afternoon on the Saturday I pushed my luck even further and arranged to meet Philzoid and his girls with my girls at Bentley Wood for Small Pearls last Sunday. We arrived there early and headed straight to the Eastern Clearing and set up camp by the bench under the small Oak. While the girls applied and read books I had a mooch around the main clearing and ended up in the more reedy, damper area just over the stream to the North of the main clearing. There I met another butterflier and we were shortly joined by Pauline and also my girls and then we waited for the temperature to rise sufficiently for butterflies to take to the wing.
Eventually it seemed that there was sufficient warmth and a few faded and worn Pearls started flitting over the reed heads. Then they were joined by much fresher and more ginger Small Pearls. They were actually quite frustrating to begin with as they played hard to get. The Sun would come out and then about 3 minutes later so would the butterflies. But as soon as the sun went in, so would they. So we spent the next half hour in intermittent sun chatting, and then hunting. Finally one of the Small Pearls settled for long enough to allow an approach and then it closed its wings for us. As I was lining up the shot I thought that it seemed paler then I the Small Pearls I’d seen in previous years.
Leaving this Small Pearl alone I had a further mooch and found a few more to get some shots of, including a very poor attempt at a Padfield but also a cracking addition to my “Stained Glass collection”. There were also a few more Pearls still hanging on in there. What a difference a week or two makes as most looked positively knackered.
Dave had moved over to the main part of the clearing but I’d stayed in the “reeds” so that my girls could get some of their own shots but we made a move when Dave kindly put us onto a female Small Pearl that had been roosting for a good 10 minutes. In exchange we pointed out the Grizzlie that the girls had been enjoying watching – so a fair exchange?
Apart from the larger and rounder abdomen I’ve noticed that Small Pearl females seem to have much paler marking around the wing margins, with almost white spots created by the chevrons. This individual was stunningly marked and so myself and the girls spent a good 15 minutes just looking at it and taking shot after shot. While I was revelling in the butterfly I thought about the comparison between it and the Pearl Bordered and I came to the conclusion that it’s a good job that Pearls emerge earlier then their “Small” cousins else they might not get a look in compared to the wonderful under wing markings of the Small Pearl. Last year I’d arrived later in the morning and it was a lot warmer so under wing shots were at a premium then hence now I Iapped it up for all it was worth.
Leaving the Small Pearl in the capable hands of Pauline the girls moved back to their original camp under the trees where my older daughter read her Famous Five book and my younger daughter managed to get my iPod, load up Angry Birds Star Wars and complete a particularly difficult level that I was struggling with! I meanwhile was in “mooch” mood again an added another species to the tally for the day. A Bentley Duke of Burgundy.
Philzoid arrived but we only had a short time to catch up and a brief wander around and make plans for the next major meet up. We also bumped into CJB, I knew it was him almost as soon as I saw the iPhone and a bare space around his neck where a camera should be . He’d come to see the Pearls and there right before him was a Pearl and a Small Pearl. Eventually we had to go as my younger daughter had a Birthday party to attend, mind you she moaned like a goodun all the way home as she wanted to stay at Bentley. As we drove home we chatted about which butterflies we’d seen and then I realized that we’d only seen 6 species all morning: Small Pearl, Pearl, Grizzlie, Duke, Brimstone and a Green-veined White. But who needs quantity when you have quality like this!
Have a goodun
Wurzel
After a successful afternoon on the Saturday I pushed my luck even further and arranged to meet Philzoid and his girls with my girls at Bentley Wood for Small Pearls last Sunday. We arrived there early and headed straight to the Eastern Clearing and set up camp by the bench under the small Oak. While the girls applied and read books I had a mooch around the main clearing and ended up in the more reedy, damper area just over the stream to the North of the main clearing. There I met another butterflier and we were shortly joined by Pauline and also my girls and then we waited for the temperature to rise sufficiently for butterflies to take to the wing.
Eventually it seemed that there was sufficient warmth and a few faded and worn Pearls started flitting over the reed heads. Then they were joined by much fresher and more ginger Small Pearls. They were actually quite frustrating to begin with as they played hard to get. The Sun would come out and then about 3 minutes later so would the butterflies. But as soon as the sun went in, so would they. So we spent the next half hour in intermittent sun chatting, and then hunting. Finally one of the Small Pearls settled for long enough to allow an approach and then it closed its wings for us. As I was lining up the shot I thought that it seemed paler then I the Small Pearls I’d seen in previous years.
- Quite heavily marked?
- A failed Padfield
Apart from the larger and rounder abdomen I’ve noticed that Small Pearl females seem to have much paler marking around the wing margins, with almost white spots created by the chevrons. This individual was stunningly marked and so myself and the girls spent a good 15 minutes just looking at it and taking shot after shot. While I was revelling in the butterfly I thought about the comparison between it and the Pearl Bordered and I came to the conclusion that it’s a good job that Pearls emerge earlier then their “Small” cousins else they might not get a look in compared to the wonderful under wing markings of the Small Pearl. Last year I’d arrived later in the morning and it was a lot warmer so under wing shots were at a premium then hence now I Iapped it up for all it was worth.
. He’d come to see the Pearls and there right before him was a Pearl and a Small Pearl. Eventually we had to go as my younger daughter had a Birthday party to attend, mind you she moaned like a goodun all the way home as she wanted to stay at Bentley. As we drove home we chatted about which butterflies we’d seen and then I realized that we’d only seen 6 species all morning: Small Pearl, Pearl, Grizzlie, Duke, Brimstone and a Green-veined White. But who needs quantity when you have quality like this!Have a goodun
Wurzel
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-
Nick Broomer
- Posts: 1091
- Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2011 11:01 pm
Re: Wurzel
It seems you had a great time Wurzel, as usual. Lovely photos of the SPB, especially the one for your glass stained collection, what a beauty.
All the best, Nick.
All the best, Nick.
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Re: Wurzel
Hi Wurzel,
It was great to meet you and as ever you have produced some great shots!
The iphone is still doing me proud at the moment (
) and I am in Dorset this weekend, so with a bit of luck will get out to the Giant at Cerne to snap an Adonis! Still ticking off the species one by one, or two by two as was the case with Bentley; what a great place. I am up to 41 species so far, but it is starting to get more difficult!
It is my trip to the Trossachs in Scotland which I am most excited about as I am hoping to come away with a Scotch and Northern Brown Argus as well as a Large Heath, so wish me luck! I don't think the Mountain Ringlets are nearby so I won't get to emulate SussexKipper's amazing shots.
It is the hairstreaks that are eluding me, apart from a lucky Green a few years ago, I have failed to get onto them, so hopefully this year will be different.
Flutter on!
CJB
It was great to meet you and as ever you have produced some great shots!
The iphone is still doing me proud at the moment (
) and I am in Dorset this weekend, so with a bit of luck will get out to the Giant at Cerne to snap an Adonis! Still ticking off the species one by one, or two by two as was the case with Bentley; what a great place. I am up to 41 species so far, but it is starting to get more difficult!It is my trip to the Trossachs in Scotland which I am most excited about as I am hoping to come away with a Scotch and Northern Brown Argus as well as a Large Heath, so wish me luck! I don't think the Mountain Ringlets are nearby so I won't get to emulate SussexKipper's amazing shots.
It is the hairstreaks that are eluding me, apart from a lucky Green a few years ago, I have failed to get onto them, so hopefully this year will be different.
Flutter on!
CJB
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Re: Wurzel
A lovely set of photos from Bentley Wurzel, especially the 'stained glass' effect. Surely that heavily marked one has to be an abberation - I am surprised no-one has commented. Wish I'd seen it.
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Padfield
- Administrator
- Posts: 8216
- Joined: Sun Nov 05, 2006 10:19 pm
- Location: Leysin, Switzerland
- Contact:
Re: Wurzel
Yes, beautiful pictures (the 'failed Padfield' made me laugh! - not at the picture, but the whole idea ). I especially enjoy seeing pictures of small pearl-bordered as this is quite uncommon in much of Switzerland and I hardly ever see the species for real.
I agree with Pauline that that is a very striking melanic pearl-bordered. I've noted before that the small fritillaries in general are very prone to melanism but the variety of forms and patterns that get thrown up makes them all fascinating to find.
Guy
). I especially enjoy seeing pictures of small pearl-bordered as this is quite uncommon in much of Switzerland and I hardly ever see the species for real.I agree with Pauline that that is a very striking melanic pearl-bordered. I've noted before that the small fritillaries in general are very prone to melanism but the variety of forms and patterns that get thrown up makes them all fascinating to find.
Guy
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Re: Wurzel
Cheers Nick I was dead chuffed with the day
Cheers Pauline I didn't notice the dark PBF at the time it was only later checking through tat it seemed to stand out.
Cheers Guy I'm enjoying your diary and I keep hoping to see a Badger in there
Middle Street
Over the weekend the weather wasn’t up to much so getting out was going to prove difficult. Also my in-laws were visiting and my younger daughter was sick so I looked after her all day Saturday in order that my wife could spend time with her folks. On Sunday she wasn’t any better and so I faced another day in the house encouraging her to sip water and fetching the bowl. My wife suggested that I went out for some fresh hour to give me a break so I leapt at the chance, grabbed my camera and headed off to Middle Street.
It wasn’t looking great as there was no sun and it was pretty cool but I strolled along the town path hopefully enjoying Sedge Warblers and Caddis flies en route as well as finding a cracking looking larvae.
Once at the site I couldn’t believe the transformation from the last time I’d visited. The grasses were now at waist height and some of the taller ones reached up to my chest. There were wild flowers everywhere and it looked like a butterfly haven, if only it was sunnier/warmer. Still I worked my way round the pond and then down along the river and over the course of the next 45 minutes I checked out likely looking parts of the site ready for when the Golden Skippers and Marbled Whites arrive. I also managed to get some shots of Common Carpet and a new Bee and Wasp.
However the real star appeared just as I was leaving. I was starting to make my way back when an unusual looking leaf caught my eye low down in the vegetation at the very edge of the path. As I got loser I realised it was a Moth – an Angle Shades. It was in a pretty obvious position and I didn’t want one of the local dogs to disturb it so I encouraged it to crawl onto my hand so I could move it further into the bushes. It was too good an opportunity to miss so I also got a few shots and then placed it out of the way.
No butterflies; “I’ll have to try and get back here when there’s a bit more sun going because it should yield some butterflies – if I haven’t missed them already that is” I thought to myself as I set off back home to resume nursing.
Have a goodun
Wurzel
Cheers Pauline
I didn't notice the dark PBF at the time it was only later checking through tat it seemed to stand out.Cheers Guy
I'm enjoying your diary and I keep hoping to see a Badger in there Middle Street
Over the weekend the weather wasn’t up to much so getting out was going to prove difficult. Also my in-laws were visiting and my younger daughter was sick so I looked after her all day Saturday in order that my wife could spend time with her folks. On Sunday she wasn’t any better and so I faced another day in the house encouraging her to sip water and fetching the bowl. My wife suggested that I went out for some fresh hour to give me a break so I leapt at the chance, grabbed my camera and headed off to Middle Street.
It wasn’t looking great as there was no sun and it was pretty cool but I strolled along the town path hopefully enjoying Sedge Warblers and Caddis flies en route as well as finding a cracking looking larvae.
Have a goodun
Wurzel
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Re: Wurzel
Hi Wurzel, you have posted so many fantastic photos over the last week, I don't know where to start. But love the SPFB's and the Angle Shades is amazing!
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Re: Wurzel
Yes Great pictures wurzelMaximus wrote:Hi Wurzel, you have posted so many fantastic photos over the last week, I don't know where to start. But love the SPFB's and the Angle Shades is amazing!
.. the angle shades is an impressive looking moth and a species I haven't had yet this year but a few of my moth-er associates have. Round my way it usually starts turning up in September onwards. That larva shot is impressive too but i've no idea what it is (macro or micro moth
)Phil
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Re: Wurzel
Cheers Maximus for your very kind comments, they made my day
Cheers Philzoid too - but you'll be cursing me in a mo as we're back on level pegging 
A few more stop-offs
At the start of the week I had to shake off the cooped up feeling so I broke my own rule and stopped off at Larkhill...on the way home
. Almost as soon as I’d gotten out of the car I found a male Common Blue which delighted in showing off, delicately pirouetting around the flower head.
After spending a whole minute with the little chappy I tore myself away and set off down one of the paths. Small Heath erupted from beneath my feet and the occasional moth would try to vie for my attention. However it was a golden blur that I was looking for and sure enough that was exactly what I saw, two of them in fact – my first Large Skippers of the year. I got a few shots before it set off again in a blur. I was happy with the higher resolution shots but lost quite a bit of detail in the resizing to fit the limit. Still hopefully I’ll get to see and photograph plenty more of the next month or so.
I then fell into bad ways and stopped for another 5 minutes on the way home on Tuesday. However I didn’t stop for too long and the lay-by was filled with vans, travellers visiting for the Solstice and Police. It was quite surreal making my way through the melee and down the path, from hustle and bustle to the relative peace of the natural world. I say relative as there was a Happy Hardcore providing the soundtrack to my photography. However that aside it was a cracking 4 minutes. There was a female Brimstone, Large White and 6 or 7 Small Heaths. A male Common Blue flew towards me up the path and a couple of Large Skippers zig-zagged in and out of the grasses. I noticed a little greyish butterfly/moth which turned out to be a Grizzlie – my first photographs from this site, an in surprisingly good nick for this time in the season.
After a minute or two I worked my way back seeking the same number and range of species as on my walk down the path. I stopped momentarily to get a shot of a Small Heath against a cracking flower.
My time was almost up so I headed back to the car, the Happy Hardcore getting louder all the while, when I was accosted by a bald, heavily tattooed and studded Traveller. After the initial “what you taking photographs of?” he was really interested and it seems he’d seen a few Small Blue and Common Blues over the day as well as Large Skippers (at least that was the identification we made from his description). I made my apologies and explained that my wife wouldn’t be best pleased to find out that I was having a chinwag when I should really be at home and so chuckling he headed back to his van.
The copper on the other hand was a completely different kettle of fish. He watched me get in the car with my camera and then as I went to pull away he stopped me and made me wind the window down before giving me the third degree in a short and surly and quite rude fashion. Oh well I suppose he wasn’t there out of choice or for a party unlike the Solstice attendees.
So not a bad 10 minutes over the two afternoons – a first for the season and a first photograph for the site. Better not get into this as a habit though...
Have a goodun
Wurzel
Cheers Philzoid too
- but you'll be cursing me in a mo as we're back on level pegging A few more stop-offs
At the start of the week I had to shake off the cooped up feeling so I broke my own rule and stopped off at Larkhill...on the way home
. Almost as soon as I’d gotten out of the car I found a male Common Blue which delighted in showing off, delicately pirouetting around the flower head.
- A little bit closer...
The copper on the other hand was a completely different kettle of fish. He watched me get in the car with my camera and then as I went to pull away he stopped me and made me wind the window down before giving me the third degree in a short and surly and quite rude fashion. Oh well I suppose he wasn’t there out of choice or for a party unlike the Solstice attendees.
So not a bad 10 minutes over the two afternoons – a first for the season and a first photograph for the site. Better not get into this as a habit though...
Have a goodun
Wurzel
Last edited by Wurzel on Fri Jun 21, 2013 6:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Diary entries for 2013 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
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dilettante
- Posts: 564
- Joined: Sun May 01, 2011 11:03 am
- Location: Cambridge area
Re: Wurzel
Really?Wurzel wrote: and a couple of Large Heath zig-zagged in and out of the grasses.
Diary entries for 2013 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
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dilettante's butterfly photos at pbase.com
dilettante's butterfly photos at pbase.com
Re: Wurzel
try Depressaria daucella for your caterpillar
Diary entries for 2013 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.