Badgerbob

[Maximus]

Stunning Wall Brown photos Bob, great shot of the mating pair

Mike

[badgerbob]

Thanks Mike, I'm beginning to think this should be a Wall Brown personal diary!! With it being really chilly this morning with a stiff breeze blowing and rain in the air I thought I would only see the larva and pupa. However, near the pupa a Wall took flight as I walked along a narrow path followed shortly be a female. Both were lost on the wind, I went and looked at the Small Tortoiseshell larvae which were all in a tight mass. Then a little sun came out and I spotted a female Wall Brown basking in the little bit of sun. It stayed long enough for me to get my best female shots to date. Suddenly another Wall flew over and the female flew up to join it. Knowing the female was freshly emerged and probably a virgin I watched them both come to ground and virtually straight away they mated. They allowed some pictures to be taken and after 20 minutes, during which I sheltered them from a shower I left them to it, Just after yet another fresh female was seen. 2 Dingy Skippers were also seen during the morning.

Small Tortoiseshell larvae

female Wall Brown

Mating Wall Brown, female on left.

Mating Wall Brown.

http://bobsbutterflies.blogspot.com

[David M]

Great images, Bob. Sometimes, adverse weather conditions can play into your hands.

I now have a date fixed with Wall Browns for next weekend (assuming the weather plays fair).

[Butterflysaurus rex]

Great stuff once again Bob, I particularly like the photo of the very fresh female. I just can't seem to get out of the house at the moment, I hope to escape and join in on some of the fun soon.

All the best

B'saurus

[badgerbob]

Last week I got lucky with an invite by Downland Boy to go to his Wood and see the White Admiral larvae that he had found. The idea was also to try to find some more of these bizarre looking beasties on the honeysuckle. He had already found 3 the previous week, so he had a good idea of where to look and what to look for. The larvae he had found the previous week showed straight away and he soon found another 3. I however failed to find any, obviously I'm only any good at this sort of thing if I'm on my hands and knees!!!! Many thanks to the 'Boy' for the invite and allowing me to put these pictures up that I took of his larvae.

White Admiral larva

White Admiral larva

White Admiral larva

[William]

They just get better and better - superb photos Bob, that last one is particularly well lit, just stunning

[David M]

It's one thing to take images of early stages you're breeding yourself, but to go out and find these same stages in the wild and capture them like you have done is creditworthy beyond applause.

[badgerbob]

Thanks for those great comments. Thanks again also to Downland Boy for taking me to see them. The great thing about hunting for these things is that you see so many more things although sometimes it can be disappointing, the Wall pupa that took me around 20 hours to find over the last 2 years looks as though it may have died. I have been monitoring it almost daily and it seems to have stopped changing. I am still slightly hopeful but confidence has gone down somewhat. It is one of the problems with them being in the wild that there is no control over them. This is the 2nd Wall pupa that I've found and the other one also perished whilst last year I found one being formed and was being eaten by ants. The many hazards that our butterflies and their immature stages face!!

Wall pupa. 2 weeks after being found.

[Pauline]

Your diary is inspiring Bob - it is adding a whole new dimension to and feeding my interest in the other stages. I am not sure how you can improve on what you have already posted but I can't wait to see more.

[Wurzel]

Fantastic shots recently Bob - those mating Walls are great and the White Admirals are freaky looking things
Have a goodun

Wurzel

[badgerbob]

Thanks again Pauline and Wurzel for your thoughts. A few images here from the last few days on the patch. A further search for Wall Brown pupa turned up a couple more Marbled White larva. Once again 2 different colours, the green form is the main one that I'm finding although one of these is a very pale form and heading toward the brown form. On top of this a few butterfly shots that I've managed to get. Interestingly, the main reliable area on the patch for Green Hairstreak still hasn't produced any yet despite good numbers a little further along the valley where they started to emerge some time ago now.

Marbled White larva. Green form.

Marbled White larva. Pale/brown form.

male Speckled Wood.

female Wall Brown

Grizzled Skipper.

http://bobsbutterflies.blogspot.com

[Butterflysaurus rex]

Still finding some Marbled White larva then Bob! Brilliant photos as always, I've had a look for more Wall and 'my first ever' MW larva myself and didn't see any - maybe next time
Very sad if your Pupa has expired.

B'saurus

[David M]

Bob, you really are a larva aficianado!

You must have a sixth sense.

[badgerbob]

Well David, My wife just thinks I have too much time on my hands!!!! I just think it's some sort of addiction. Vince contacted me about the Marbled White larva and has said that the green larva is just about to moult, shown by the small head, and the brownish one has just emerged from a moult, as shown by the large head!! Incidentally, the green one I found just as a crab spider had grabbed it. I felt a bit mean on denying the spider his lunch, but I hope the Marbled White rewards me for rescuing it by posing nicely when he becomes a butterfly!

[Wurzel]

Great stuff Bob - those two different forms are really interesting to see, and the Grizzlie (last shot) is a cracking image

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[badgerbob]

Today was a little different as I arrived on site for a short morning visit with the temperature being only 7 degrees. However, with the sun shining there were already 2 Wall Brown having a territorial fight. Later in the day I headed to the far end of my patch and I was lucky to get 2 Wall Brown posing well for a change including a very fresh female. I also found a brand new Brown Argus and a roosting Dingy Skipper as I was leaving the area. 2 Oak Eggar larvae also seen along with the odd Green Hairstreak, Grizzled Skipper, Orange-tip and Green Veined White. A very rewarding and enjoyable afternoon.

Male Wall Brown.

Female Wall Brown.

Brown Argus.

Oak Eggar Larva.

Roosting Dingy Skipper.

http://bobsbutterflies.blogspot.com

[Katrina]

I really like the roosting Dingy shot!

[Pauline]

Morning Bob. Your diary is one of my favourite reads and I so envy you having Wall Browns close by. Your shots are beautiful and remind me of when these butterflies were a common sight in the industrial North East where I grew up. In those days we thought they were called 'Walls@ because they could always be found on walls - the walls of the brick council houses and the concrete walls around them (Wonder if they are still there?).

[badgerbob]

Thanks Katrina and Pauline for those great comments. I will have to try really hard to keep Pauline saying things like that!!
A little different today with no Wall Brown!! In fact not even a butterfly. I did see some but I could only get out before the sun had warmed things up to get things really moving. I did try to get close to a Wall Brown that seemed a bit darker than usual, but I didn't get a good enough view to be sure if it was a bit different. Probably not!!
Lots of damselflies now on the move, I managed a few shots of an Azure Damselfly. I then came across a very fresh Pyrausta Nigrata, one of those tiny moths found on the Downland. Moving on I then spotted my first Broad Bodied Chaser dragonfly of the year. This one was also in my favourite stage with it being an immature male in the stage of the colour change to maturity.

Azure Damselfly.

Pyrausta Nigrata on speedwell.

Maturing male Broad Bodied Chaser.

[badgerbob]

Once again I was out looking for more Wall Brown immature stages when I came across a different butterfly larva. This one was new to me but when on site I decided it was either Speckled Wood or Meadow Brown. Once home it was very easy to see it was a Meadow Brown larva, this one is hairier than the other Browns as well as having a white tail.

Meadow Brown larva, top view.

Meadow Brown larva.

Butterflies seen included my first Common Blue of the year, plenty of Dingy Skippers, Grizzled Skipper, a Green Hairstreak that was very fresh, unfortunately it looked like it had scratched its wings on the thorns in the bushes, Orange-tip and a couple of Red Admiral.

Green Hairstreak.

Orange-tip.

http://bobsbutterflies.blogspot.com