May 2015

[Testudo Man]

Painted Lady "fly through" in my back garden last weekend. The Butterfly looked like it was going to land on my brick wall for a second...but just kept on flying!

Red Admiral (finally seen one!!) on the 27/5/15 poor quality photo, but great to once again see this species on the wing. Other butterflies seen on the day were - Green-veined White, Large White, Small White, both male and female Orange-tips.

Location - Kent, cheers Paul.

[Pete Eeles]

Painted Lady "fly through" in my back garden last weekend. The Butterfly looked like it was going to land on my brick wall for a second...but just kept on flying

Here they come

Cheers,

- Pete

[EricY]

Just for the record, I saw a Painted Lady in Denge wood Kent on May 15th & another one @ Martin Down (Wilts I think) on Saturday May 23rd. Unfortunately no photo of either. Eric

[DaveO'B]

I spent a couple of hours on Wednesday morning (27th) at one of the N. Yorks PBF sites. A combination of sunshine & clouds (mainly clouds as the morning progressed!) meant that they were quite easy to photograph, settling for long periods when the sun went in. I counted 8, and only 1 other butterfly, an unidentified white some distance away.

[Scott Barron]

Spotted my 1st Silver-studded Blue this morning 30th May at Upton Towans in Cornwall, a freshly emerged male. 12 species in total were recorded in a two hour walk before the clouds came in.

[David M]

Pretty ordinary weather conditions this morning on the Gower, but I managed to find one Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary on Fairwood Common and 33 Marsh Fritillaries at Welshmoor:

[Ian Pratt]

First large skipper today in the fields near my home in Sandown outskirts plus a good female orange-tip who posed for photos.
Ian

[Willrow]

May is about to leave us, I think we could all be forgiven for saying we've had better ones still I've had a great past week at Aberbargoed Grasslands NNR, Gwent (Monmouthshire) where the Marsh Fritillary numbers have been building towards a peak, yesterday I spent a few hours doing a rather casual count until reaching 70 - I then moved to other areas of the reserve checking for other species; which included at least 8 Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary and low to mid-teen numbers for Dingy Skipper, Small Heath and Common Blue.

I was delighted to add a colony of Chimney Sweeper moths to my reserve list, this species had been awol for many years, great to rediscover them in a rather quiet corner of the reserve

Beautifully posed Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary

Basking Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary.

Marsh Fritillary on Heath-spotted Orchid

Rediscovered Chimney Sweeper...!!!

Half and half S P-b Frit...

Lets hope that June shines on us all a little more than May has and the bl**d* wind decides to go on holiday...

Bill

"When in doubt - venture out"

[dilettante]

Lovely photos, Bill, especially the first and the third

[Jack Harrison]

Butterfly seen on Mull

Saturday 30th one tiny (Tortoiseshell size) tatty Peacock. Calgary Bay at edge of small wood - typical spring habitat as it kept pace with me along the path.

Jack

[Willrow]

Lovely photos, Bill, especially the first and the third

Thank you kindy dilettante

Bill

[Ian Pratt]

Looking again at my two underside Glanville fritillary photos on 21 May and 23 May, is the first one an aberration as there are no black marks on the underside of the upper wing? It looks like the three photos in the species- specific album by Wurzel. Ian

[Testudo Man]

A good six hour session this Saturday (30/5/15) target species being Small Blue and Adonis Blue.

Other species on the wing were - Green Hairstreak, Brimstone, Large White, Common Blue, just the one Brown Argus...and once again, a quick flash sighting of a Red Admiral.

Location - Darland Banks, Gillingham, Kent.

Several photos, cheers Paul.

This image is not cropped, unusual to see the Brimstone with open wings!

This Adonis Blue appears to have a damaged/deformed wing.

[David M]

Such a shame that, TM. A perfect specimen on that last image would have been stunning. Never seen Adonis Blues on Ox-Eye Daisies before.

A lovely contrast.

[lee3764]

Butterfly seen on Mull

Saturday 30th one tiny (Tortoiseshell size) tatty Peacock. Calgary Bay at edge of small wood - typical spring habitat as it kept pace with me along the path.

Peacock-habitat-Calgary..jpg

Jack

Ahh....Calgary Bay, Mull! Visited there in 1996 and found the Transparent Burnet Moth on R/Hand side of bay as you look out to sea! Lovely place indeed!
Cheers,

Lee Slaughter (Cornwall).

[Testudo Man]

Such a shame that, TM. A perfect specimen on that last image would have been stunning. Never seen Adonis Blues on Ox-Eye Daisies before.

A lovely contrast.

Sorry for the late reply on this David(just got back from the Isle Of White!)...and yes, after that Adonis Blue had spent some time feeding on my salts/sweat off my hand, i did place the butterfly down onto the Ox-eye Daisy.

However, not long after this, Im pretty sure i shot several images of a worn female Adonis blue, perched on an Ox-eye Daisy. If not an Adonis Blue, then a female Common Blue...I will have to check over those photos to be sure of the species.

Cheers Paul.

[Ian Pratt]

just got back from the Isle Of White!

Where is that?!

[Jack Harrison]

...just got back from the Isle Of White!

Where is that?!

Living on the Isle of Mull I am forever being asked if that is the place that Paul McCartney sang about

Jack

[Testudo Man]

just got back from the Isle Of White!

Where is that?!

Where is that you ask?!...well, its in a "Parallel Universe", right next to the real "Isle of Wight".

All joking aside, i should thank you Ian, because without you pointing out the exact location for these beauties, when you posted your IOW Glanville photos, then Im sure i wouldnt have been able to find them so easy, so thanks very much for that.

Cheers Paul.