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William
Re: William
Thank you Butterflysaurus - you kind comments are much appreciated
.
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Re: William
I agree with Rex, having never seen a Helice let alone photographed one I'd love all of those in my collection
Have a great Crimble
Have a goodun
Wurzel
![Mr. Green :mrgreen:](./images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif)
Have a great Crimble
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Have a goodun
Wurzel
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Re: William
Thanks Wurzel - I hope you one day catch up with a Helice - they are simply stunning. I also found they were much more obliging than their more 'normal' relatives - I don't know why
- hope you have a merry christmas, and many butterflies in 2014
.
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- Neil Freeman
- Posts: 4467
- Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 6:25 pm
- Location: Solihull, West Midlands
Re: William
A fantastic series of Clouded Yellow images William
I was fortunate to catch up with loads of Clouded Yellows in Dorset this year and took loads of photos but would dearly love to have captured some images like yours, particularly the open wing helice ones
Excellent stuff
Hope you have a great Christmas,
Neil
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
I was fortunate to catch up with loads of Clouded Yellows in Dorset this year and took loads of photos but would dearly love to have captured some images like yours, particularly the open wing helice ones
![Mr. Green :mrgreen:](./images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif)
Excellent stuff
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Hope you have a great Christmas,
Neil
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Re: William
Thanks Neil - I was very suprised to find my first helice - from distance I thought it was a yellowy large white - a stunning butterfly
. Have a merry christmas
.
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Re: William
Small Tortoiseshells
Like everyone else, I found Small Tortoiseshells had a really excellent year, and I found them everywhere in larger numbers than ever before. It was really wonderful, to be able to walk my transect (along a rather scrubby field margin next to some maize fields) and find them jostling for places on the flowerheads - on one afternoon in August I counted 101 feeding on the creeping thistle and Purple Loosestrife - an experience that will live long in the memory.
The larvae I found in June moved quickly through their life cycle, as did the numerous other batches of ova and caterpillars I saw, indeed, seemingly every nettle patch I saw contained a seething mass of black caterpillars - they were everywhere!
These developed quickly, and I took a few final instar larvae in for observation.
As well as photographing the immature stages, I enjoyed observing the adults in my garden, and on 'the patch'.
I even managed to find one at roost - unusually not in a hole in a tree or a building. There had been nearly 60 feeding on Purple Loosestrife and when the rain came, a few stuck around.
Like everyone else, I found Small Tortoiseshells had a really excellent year, and I found them everywhere in larger numbers than ever before. It was really wonderful, to be able to walk my transect (along a rather scrubby field margin next to some maize fields) and find them jostling for places on the flowerheads - on one afternoon in August I counted 101 feeding on the creeping thistle and Purple Loosestrife - an experience that will live long in the memory.
The larvae I found in June moved quickly through their life cycle, as did the numerous other batches of ova and caterpillars I saw, indeed, seemingly every nettle patch I saw contained a seething mass of black caterpillars - they were everywhere!
These developed quickly, and I took a few final instar larvae in for observation.
As well as photographing the immature stages, I enjoyed observing the adults in my garden, and on 'the patch'.
I even managed to find one at roost - unusually not in a hole in a tree or a building. There had been nearly 60 feeding on Purple Loosestrife and when the rain came, a few stuck around.
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-
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- Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2011 11:01 pm
Re: William
Hi William,
Excellent photos of the Clouded Yellows.
But i enjoyed your photos of your early stages of the Small Tortoiseshell even more. Just brilliant.
I hope you and your family have a excellent New Year.
All the best, Nick.
Excellent photos of the Clouded Yellows.
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I hope you and your family have a excellent New Year.
All the best, Nick.
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Re: William
Thanks Nick - I have enjoyed your immature clouded yellows just as much - simply stunning, I look forward to the final instalments
.
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Re: William
A lovely sequence of Small Tortoiseshell photos William
Mike
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Mike
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Re: William
Thanks Mike - it was great to see so many this year
.
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Re: William
Peacock
I thought I'd continue my nymphalid theme this week and go with Peacocks. I found 2013 was a good year for these stunning butterflies, but in some areas not others. Usually in late summer Peacocks are one of the most numerous butterflies in my garden, with as many as 20 individuals. This year however they scarcely made double figures, whilst I enjoyed up to 33 Small Tortoiseshells, and similar numbers of Large Whites. Nevertheless, they were around in good numbers elsewhere, and on one thoroughly enjoyable walk on my 'patch' I counted 50 Peacocks within 10m squared on some buddleias, a wonderful experience, every flower seemed to posses a flickering pair of multicoloured wings
.
I also found far more larvae this year, somewhere in the region of 8 nests. Given that I've only ever found one nest before, I was delighted to see so many of these handsome gregarious larvae.
I thought I'd continue my nymphalid theme this week and go with Peacocks. I found 2013 was a good year for these stunning butterflies, but in some areas not others. Usually in late summer Peacocks are one of the most numerous butterflies in my garden, with as many as 20 individuals. This year however they scarcely made double figures, whilst I enjoyed up to 33 Small Tortoiseshells, and similar numbers of Large Whites. Nevertheless, they were around in good numbers elsewhere, and on one thoroughly enjoyable walk on my 'patch' I counted 50 Peacocks within 10m squared on some buddleias, a wonderful experience, every flower seemed to posses a flickering pair of multicoloured wings
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
I also found far more larvae this year, somewhere in the region of 8 nests. Given that I've only ever found one nest before, I was delighted to see so many of these handsome gregarious larvae.
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Re: William
Stunning shots William
My favourite has to be the Peacock and Small Tort together, it looks like one of those team building exercises where you ave to rely on each other to stay balanced on a very narrow and very high platform
Have a goodun
Wurzel
![Mr. Green :mrgreen:](./images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif)
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Have a goodun
Wurzel
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Re: William
Thanks Wurzel, much appreciated
- I think that's an excellent analogy - I was suprised to see the two co-operating, particularly on such a small flower
.
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- Neil Freeman
- Posts: 4467
- Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 6:25 pm
- Location: Solihull, West Midlands
Re: William
Just catching up on your diary William. Your posting some beautiful images which are really going some way to brighten up another dark and dreary evening
Cheers,
Neil
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Cheers,
Neil
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Re: William
Thanks Neil - Peacocks are magnificent Butterflies
.
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Re: William
I had an extremely enjoyable time today, for once being blessed with magnificent weather. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to see any adult butterflies, but a friend showed me some superb White - Letter Hairstreak ova in his garden, as well as some lovely footage of an abberant Small Copper - an afternoon well spent ![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
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Re: William
Hi William,
Lovely photos of the Peacocks, both larva and the butterflies.
Especially the second photo down, excellent.
Also thats a smashing photo of the White- letter Hairstreak ovum. I am really looking forward to reading your PD in the coming months.
All the best, Nick.
Lovely photos of the Peacocks, both larva and the butterflies.
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
All the best, Nick.
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Re: William
Thanks Nick - your kind comments are much appreciated ![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
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Re: William
Chalkhill Blues
Chalkhill Blues, are sadly, not all that common in Somerset, with a scattering of colonies on the Mendips, Poldens and at Brean Down. Nevertheless, I make a pilgrimage to see them each year, normally at a site just down the road from Collard Hill on the Poldens. This year was no exception, and I was fortunate to find them in better numbers than ever before. On a cloudy, windy evening in August, a clocked up around 50 specimens, including several handsome aberrations. The Supporting Cast included Brown Argus, Common Blue and Marbled White, these, coupled with the spectacular views, made for an enjoyable evening.
The cloudy weather made getting undersides quite easy...
And uppersides more challenging.
I tried to put a name to the many aberrations, but it was a thankless task - perhaps someone can help?![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Chalkhill Blues, are sadly, not all that common in Somerset, with a scattering of colonies on the Mendips, Poldens and at Brean Down. Nevertheless, I make a pilgrimage to see them each year, normally at a site just down the road from Collard Hill on the Poldens. This year was no exception, and I was fortunate to find them in better numbers than ever before. On a cloudy, windy evening in August, a clocked up around 50 specimens, including several handsome aberrations. The Supporting Cast included Brown Argus, Common Blue and Marbled White, these, coupled with the spectacular views, made for an enjoyable evening.
The cloudy weather made getting undersides quite easy...
And uppersides more challenging.
I tried to put a name to the many aberrations, but it was a thankless task - perhaps someone can help?
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
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- Pete Eeles
- Administrator & Stock Contributor
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Re: William
Hi William - great photos! The penultimate ab. is definitely a candidate for ab. postico-obsoleta ("Underside of the hind wings with all spots absent except the discoidal. Forewings normal." and your last definitely tending toward ab. fowleri.William wrote:I tried to put a name to the many aberrations, but it was a thankless task - perhaps someone can help?
Chalkhill Blue abs. were "done to death" by Bright and Leeds in "A Monograph of the British Aberrations of the Chalk-Hill Blue Butterfly" and, as a result, we now have in the region of 500 different abs. defined that vary in the tiniest of details and pinpointing which of the 500 applies isn't easy!
Cheers,
- Pete
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Life Cycles of British & Irish Butterflies: http://www.butterflylifecycles.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com