Pauline

[William]

Those are simply stunning Pauline - I've never seen a photo of mating Brimstones before - absolutely brilliant

[Padfield]

I agree - fantastic pictures. I watched what seemed like a good couple for ages today, waiting for her to say yes (she did seem to be following him, often backwards, rather than flying away) but they never got it together. They disappeared off in a gust of wind. I can't remember even seeing a mating pair of brimstones.

Guy

[Maximus]

Brilliant photos Pauline, I think that's quite a rare sight

Mike

[Pauline]

Lovely to hear from you William and thank you for the compliment.

I appreciate your comments Guy - I certainly have never seen a mating pair before. I am not sure what was dangling from the butterfly and tho' it spoiled the composition a little I was not about to risk disturbing the pair by trying to remove it.

You are most certainly right Mike. It was quite a thrill finding them given the absence of any other butterfly.

[MikeOxon]

I am not sure what was dangling from the butterfly and tho' it spoiled the composition a little I was not about to risk disturbing the pair by trying to remove it.

There's always Photoshop

mike

[Goldie M]

Lovely shots of the Brimstones Pauline, your so lucky to live where you do, we've had really cold weather here, this morning there were even remnants of snow and the bird bath's were frozen, however on the bright side we're nearly in April Goldie

[Pauline]

I'm pleased you think so Goldie. You might recall that I grew up in the cold, windy, industrial North East so I most certainly do appreciate where I live now, so close to so many great butterfly sites

I think I've forgotten how to use even the basic facilities in Photoshop Mike . However, you will be pleased to know that my tripod is now a permanent feature as I practice taking better shots of the immature stages (see below) in preparation for further developments. However, no BH eggs have hatched yet so my fingers are still crossed and my patience is being tested. At least I am now sure they are all tied to Blackthorn

Today I have also taken a few PH eggs out of the fridge as I can wait no longer

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Pauline,

Just seen your photos of the mating Brimstones, great stuff

Good luck with the eggs, both BH and PH.

Neil.

[Maximus]

Brilliant shots of your BH eggs Pauline, know they will hatch soon

[Wurzel]

You could try hurrying them along but I don't think Raspberry leaf tea/a hot bath/a hot curry would be that effective for them Looking forward to the big day

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Pauline]

Thank you Mike. I used the timer as you suggested and I think it has made a big difference.

It's very kind of you to say so Neil, thank you, much appreciated.

Seems like the curry and hot bath worked Wurzel - the first 2 BH eggs were hatched this morning - trouble is, I have no idea where the cats have gone and can find no signs of where they might have entered a bud . It is all very worrying and I shall be keeping a close eye on the others. A couple of early photos showing absolutely nothing, just for the record!

Today I have tied the remaining PH to Oak buds and shall be keeping a close eye on them too.

[Maximus]

Excellent news Pauline (and photos) that your first two BH eggs have hatched Don't worry they're tucked deep inside leaf buds and you will see them or signs of them in a few days time.

[Vince Massimo]

Great news Pauline

The leaf buds look exactly the right size for the new larvae, so the timing seems perfect. As Mike says, they will be tucked away at the moment but should show themselves soon.

Vince

[Wurzel]

Glad to see that the remedies worked I'm sure you'll get onto the cats again - they can't have gone far!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Pauline]

Thank you Mike/Vince for the reassurance but I still haven't seen a single cat and now feeling a bit frustrated.

Last night another 5 eggs hatched Wurzel - 2 BH and 3 PH - can't seem to stop them now but I am beginning to despair of ever seeing a cat and my opportunity diminishes with each emergence. Another couple of empty eggshells is all I have to show for now:

[Pauline]

Shortly after my last posting I did a routine check of the eggs and Bingo!!! One of the BH had just emerged. For such tiny creatures they can move surprisingly quickly. Although my shots leave a lot to be desired (and I could list many reasons why, not least my excitement at this first ever sighting) it was just such a thrill to finally see one of these tiny cats. Mostly for my own pleasure the images I managed to capture are included below:

[Padfield]

Brilliant! I share your excitement!

Guy

[NickMorgan]

Wow, fantastic Pauline. How exciting.

[Maximus]

Glad you got to see a BH cat hatching at last Pauline, great pics too

[Pauline]

Thank you Mike but trying to get these close up shots has only made me appreciate your expertise in obtaining those crisp images of such tiny creatures.

Thank you so much Guy/Nick - it is certainly a first for me and I am still smiling. However, I hope my next post will be somewhat more interesting (despite the poor images) and will most certainly require the knowledge that I know is available on this site.