bugboy wrote:You lucky bugger! Thats on my list to see! where do you live? Mind if I camp in your garden over the weekend
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
Cheers mate...you are not the 1st to ask if i have "WLH open garden sessions"
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
but unfortunately, my wife does not share my passion in my chosen interests...she barely tolerates me, let alone a garden full of guests/butterfly enthusiasts!!!......................I suppose i could send her away for a few days in June/July???!!!...she'd never know
On a serious note, i live in an ordinary suburban house, in a built up area...but my house backs onto a motorway embankment, which just happens to have a good amount of mature Elm/Oak trees. It seems to be a perfect habitat for the WLH's to exist. I also see Purple Hairstreaks too, a couple of years ago, i was leaning out of my bedroom window, in order to capture some photos of a PH, which was in the Oak tree that hangs over my garden fence.
Im sure there are other folk out there, who have the same types of ideal garden habitats for WLH...but i doubt that these folk would be as vigilant as me, when it comes to watching the garden like a Hawk, in order to capture my quarry
So, this last Saturday, i put in at least 6 hours of "close garden watching"...every bee that took flight from my Bramble bush...if it was small/dark, and it flew, then i would scrutinize it, to see if it was a lovely WLH.
The 1st 3 hours went by very slowly, i had a couple of quick glimpses, but nothing i could put a camera/lens onto!
Then i caught sight of one, it flew down to the Bramble bush, but it didnt land, it just teased me for a few moments...then it flew over the other side of my shed, which is where another Bramble bush is.
I was in the wrong part of the garden!!! i should have been this side of my shed...The WLH was feeding on the Bramble bush high up, i took some long distance shots, i was happy at this point...Then this WLH took flight, but not upwards, no, downwards...it flew around me several times, i could have reached out and touched it, then it landed in various places around my garden...and i captured some nice close images
Despite me "bagging" these decent images, i still put in another 3 hours garden watching!!! well, you would, wouldnt you
Another WLH landed once again on my lawn, this one showed signs of some damage though...all in all, a good day was had.
It can be hit and miss with these garden WLH's, you could watch/search for days and see nothing, but every now and again, you get lucky...you get to experience "A great Butterfly moment"
Some photos from Saturday, cheers Paul.
The 2nd WLH on my lawn, showing wing damage.