Wurzel

[Nick Broomer]

Astonishing photos Wurzel, just brilliant. It must of been so difficult to get any sort of picture at that time of morning, well done.

All the best, Nick.

[Goldie M]

I just love your photo's Wurzal, they look unreal, fairy like, so delicate,Goldie

[Neil Freeman]

Superb images Wurzel, fantastic effect with the dew

Unfortunately it is dark in the morning now when I am on my way to work so I miss out on the early morning dew on the cobwebs.

Cheers,

Neil.

[Wurzel]

Cheers Dave I had to be very careful not to knock the grass heads for that very reason - which made a change from being careful so that it didn't fly away
Cheers Nick It was just finding the little beauties that was the hard bit, I let the camera do the rest
Cheers Goldie for your kind comments
Cheers Neil I'm still trying to catch up with my PD so by the time I do we might be back on BST

Larkhill 05-09-2013

...The next morning I was back and having found really fresh individuals and dew coated little beauties I thought I ought to try for something else so I tried a few backlit almost silhouette type shots. But first I’d have to try and find them. Since the heady days a week previously when I discovered the “dozen” they’ve been dwindling from 12 down to 5, then a pair and so if the trend continued I might not find any. Luckily I bucked the trend and found three or four different individuals in various states of repair. The first looking pretty aged and so was more Common Grey than Blue (if it is a Blue and not a Brown Argus – I can’t see the cell spot?).

A later one was nicely positioned at the top of a grass at the edge of the path where I could photograph it side on with the light from behind. It had a few tears in the wings but that didn’t matter overall as I was more interested in the shape of the closed wings.

The penultimate didn’t hang around for any sort of shots but the final one encompassed the range of shots I’d taken recently in a montage; kinda fresh, grey and green background, a few dew drops and slightly backlit.

06-09-2013

The following day I was interviewing so didn’t have time to stop on the way to work but a brief 3 minutes saw me finding a pair of males nicely contrasting each other. One was fresh with wing margins white and hairy and practically untouched and orange lunules showing nicely against the pale grey background. The other was ripped and torn, margins long gone and faded with the barest of orange lunues. It kept its back to me and got on with feeding whereas the fresher one was much more eager to show off its livery.

I’m not sure how much longer there will be butterflies here as the Indian Summer we were promised seems to have waned too soon...here’s hoping I’m wrong.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

October

Here's hoping that October is is mellow and fruitful...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

The 1st day of October was good for me Wurzal, in my Garden I've still got the STS and lots of Red Admiral's keep arriving as well as Comma's and Speckled Wood.

Weather suppose to be nice for the weekend, lets hope so Goldie.

[Wurzel]

Glad to hear my wishes came to fruition for someone Goldie Great shots too

Going for glow 10-09-2013

The following week I made another stop-off on the way to work. I guess that’s another advantage to living in the South – we hold onto the bright mornings for slightly earlier . A quick walk around didn’t yield much and there didn’t seem to be anything else around apart from a few Blues and Brown Argus that I’ve photographed a few times. So as the butterflies weren’t different I tried for some slightly different shots of them.

I’d admired other peoples’ photos when they’d managed to capture the butterflies in the golden glow of the morning and in the silhouette so that’s what I aimed for...whether I achieved it I’m not really sure, but it made for an enjoyable 5 minutes before work. In fact it was so enjoyable that I actually stayed for 8 minutes

While I took my shots another butterfly caught my eye so I decided to see if it wanted to make a more personal acquaintance. I offered it my finger and it clambered on board, probably to try and beat the chill. After a few shots I gazed at the butterfly and we shared a moment and I thought to myself how tough a life it was leading. All this Zen however wasn’t getting me photos so carefully I lowered my little mate down towards the grass heads and grudgingly it clung back on.

I got back to the “glow” but the time was catching up to with me and my little break was coming to an end...

11-09-2013

The next day was cooler and wetter and despite searching in all the usual places I only found the one on this morning. Unlike previously it was quite low down on a grass stalk and it made me wonder about how they roost. Is it at the top of the grass heads or do they move down and then come back up the following morning? Is their position on the stem related to the weather, perhaps moving down in cooler and wetter weather or is it just a matter of where ever they land then that’s their home (for the night). The one I found was certainly pretty active, turning and climbing from one stem to another, but always low down in the vegetation. When I finally got a clear view I noticed that one of the spots seemed to be made from three smaller black dots which was interesting but probably within the usual range of variation.

Hopefully there will still be a few to see and this isn’t the end, just the beginning of it...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Maximus]

Nice report(s) and shots Wurzel, especially the beautiful photos of dew covered butterflies

Mike

[Nick Broomer]

Lovely photos as usual Wurzel. Your early morning forays must surely be coming to an end now, but i hope you manage a couple more before the season finally draws to a close.

All the best, Nick.

[Wurzel]

Cheers Mike for your kind comments
Cheers Nick The year seems to be passing ever quicker and I've really noticed the evenings drawing in but there's still some light in the mornings if only the rain and cloud would take a hike

Larkhill 18-09-2013

It was almost a week until I managed to stop off again at Larkhill as I was busy at work so needed to get in early. When I finally made it back it looked like it was all over as up the Northbound path there were no butterflies, only a large and very hairy caterpillar which I think is a Fox Moth?

Just tucked in away from the Westbound path is a large patch of tall reed-like plants with narrow golden pyramids for flowers – Golden Rod I think I’ve found some interesting things here before – mating Small Whites, my first Essex Skipper of 2013 and today proved to be no exception. It seemed that the Blues had moved to this area for the easy nectar that it offered. Having encountered plenty of these butterflies in recently in various poses, attitudes and situations I scanned through the 3 or 4 present trying to find something different. I’ve taken shots of dew soaked and fresh individuals, worn and ripped, silhouetted and “glowing”. As I was running through this list in my mind and wondering what I could find that would be different a male Common Blue popped up and there it was, my something different. Two of the spots on the under wing had almost fused together. As I watched and photographed this variant I was surprised how obvious it had become through simply having spots that had fused into a bar, a nice little reminder of selection pressures.

I headed back to the car stopping briefly on the way to watch a couple of whites – two Small and one large. They were feeding on the same yellow flowers which lined all the bushes around the car park margins. Only one of Whites allowed me to approach it, the other two were flighty and restless almost as if they sensed that they were running out of time and they better get a move on. Picking up on this I too decided I’d better head off, I’d been here a whole 7 minutes already!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Kingston Lacey 22-09-2013

While everyone was racing off to Kent and Sussex to see Long Tailed Blues I was confined closer to home as I had used up all the good will and Brownie points that I had collected over the previous autumn and winter. Luckily a trip out for the day was suggested and Kingston Lacey was suggested so as well as the lunch, picnic blanket and flasks I packed my camera. Once we had rendezvoused with my parents and wandered to the back lawn we set up camp and started lunch which was distracting for me as a few whites kept fluttering by and trying to catch my attention. Eventually I succumbed and set off after a ragged old White. It gave me the run around settling and feeding just long enough for me to consider approaching and as I made my first two or three footfalls it would take off. In the end I gave up and noticing something on the turning Rose bushes I checked them. As it turned out the thing that had caught my eye was a stunningly fresh Large White. Clean, crisp and citrus fresh and a total contrast to the battered individual which I eventually caught up with.

Out the box

...and a "slightly" older one

Up by the house there was a small flower bed boxed in by a low hedge. It was playing host to Large, Small and Green-veined Whites as well as a Red Admiral. Unfortunately they were all on the far side of the garden so I was forced to watch them fluttering about out of reach.
With lunch packed away we set off to wander the various different gardens. First up the bedding plants and topiary bushes with faces trimmed into them. Then onto the Fernery and shade garden which was surprisingly quiet on this visit. The piglets sleeping in the neighbouring field were scant consolation for missing a golden Comma. Back along the borders I stopped occasionally for the odd white or Speckled Woods and then we dived down along the avenue and in through the woods.

While the girls rode the tractors in the kitchen garden I had a wander around the allotments which were packed with butterflies – mainly whites to the gardeners dismay, but also a Small Tort and another Red Admiral – this one allowed an approach as it basked. I haven’t seen that many Red Admirals this year so this one was a welcome addition. While I was getting my shots from various different angles a dad turned up with his daughter and waited patiently for me to finish up. I backed away and then set off down the path cheered by the soft wows as the little girl gazed at the butterfly I’d just left.

There were other butterflies around over the rest of the afternoon including back at the flower bed. I was watching a white and marvelling at what good nick it was in when all of a sudden it just dropped down dead just like that, literally falling off its perch! . Mind you I suppose it’s getting towards that time of year again.
As I drove homewards, the girls chatting away about all that they had seen and done I was surprised to find that there wasn’t the slightest pang of jealousy over the LTBs that I’d missed out on. Saying that hopefully they’ll be back next year which could be one of the few benefits of Climate Change.

Have a goodun
Wurzel

[Butterflysaurus rex]

I've really been enjoying your Common Blue photo's Wurzel.... and the others of course. Great stuff as usual Perhaps we should split caterpillars into 2 simple categories Baldies and Hairies

[Hoggers]

Gorgeous Red Admiral, Wurzel! They've been quite a rarity in Kent this year, in fact I've seen more Painted Ladies and Clouded Yellows than I have Red Admirals.

Come to think of it, I've seen more Long Tailed Blues than Red Admirals!

What a Year!

[Wurzel]

Cheers Rex That's not a bad idea for the classification of caterpillars - who said this Taxpnomy thing was tricky

Cheers Hoggers I'd have swapped all of my Red Admirals for just one Long Tailed Blue- my hopes for an Idemiston population didn't come to fruition Oh well there's always next time and with Climate Change that could be quite soon

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Wurzel,

Some great photos there, cracking Red Admirals and I love the Green-veined White on the mauve flower, great colour combination

Cheers,

Neil.

[Nick Broomer]

Great couple of last posts Wurzel, as always an enjoyable read with lovely photos.

Your ID of the Fox Moth larva is spot on.

All the best, Nick.

[Wurzel]

Cheers Neil that one makes me smile too, another serendipitous find!
Cheers Nick Thanks for the kind comment and ID confirmation. Dare I say it - I might be getting the hang of some of this IDing malarkey

Larkhill 23-09-2013

After what felt like an age I took a quick stop off on the way home as I needed the break after a full on Monday and also the weather was noticeably better than it had been all day. I checked the Golden Rod on one side of the pull-in and then up the Northbound path but there was nowt about. This put me in a slightly despondent mood and so I trudged rather than walked back to the car. I then wondered if the patch of Golden Rod would have anything and so headed over there for a quick check out. Result! There were a couple of Blues and also a Brown Argus.
Having concentrated rather heavily on the Blues over my previous visits I thought I ought to spend some time with them will the season lasts. Almost as if it sensed that I was watching it started to put on a little show for me. It was a nice behaviour that I had witnessed before. It was completing circles around the flower heads and then would move to a new area and repeat this behaviour and after a few photos I started trying to work out why? Could it be keeping its territory or eyeing up threats from possible predators or was it checking out all the florets to find those with existing nectar stores? For whatever reason it was lovely to watch this delightful dance and try to capture it stop frame on film...

After my quality time with the Brown Argus I thought that I better make a move home but only after a quick check on the ubiquitous blues that were also present on the Golden Rod. They were all looking tired and I’m not sure how much longer they’re going to last...

Saying that so long there is even a sniff of a butterfly I’ll keep stopping off!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Larkhill 24-09-2013

I stopped off on the way to work the next day and it was totally different. Gone was the autumnal sun and golden glow replacing it was drizzle, mist, much cooler temperatures and a grey leaden sky. I almost considered not stopping but I’ve made a pact with myself to keep checking it out until the bitter end.
I headed straight to the patch of Golden Rod reasoning that if there was anything sitting out the dismal weather it would be here due o the profusion of nectar available. It was a pretty good hunch as almost immediately I spied a little grey flag, a Common Blue. When they’re freshly emerged they look like bright white banners but once they have lost a few scales and been around the block a bit they look more like grimy grey rags wafting in the breeze. The butterfly I’d found I recognised from a week previously as it was the aberrant with the fused spots although these were surprisingly difficult to see beneath the covering of mist and dew drops. He was all “blinged” up grimly clinging to the stem probably quite literally for his life.

A quick walk around and up both the paths didn’t produce any other butterflies...surely that’s the end?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Nick Broomer]

Hi Wurzel,

If that is the end for this year you could`nt of finished it with a more spectacular photo, [the 1st one] depicting the conditions these butterflies have to endure to survive another day. I absolutely love it.

I have really enjoyed reading and admiring your photography in your PD and, i look forward to many more adventures next year.

All the very best, Nick.

[Wurzel]

Cheers Nick for your very,very kind comments ( that's a blush not an oops). The closing question was to set up the next post which is about the next day when the weather couldn't have been more different - a little trick I picked up from someone I've still got a fair number of posts in reserve as it were so I might be able to get through to February maybe and then I'll be looking out for Red Admirals

Have a goodun

Wurzel