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Lovely photos, Nick. You can see the light catching the bottom of the wings on the male shot - lovely.

I was thinking about spring emergences this week; I wonder if some have been put off by the cold, rain and lack of sunshine and when it finally does stop raining we will get a mass emergence, of sorts?

Best wishes,

Lee

Hi Lee,

Thankyou for your kind comments on my O.T. photos, much appreciated.

As for a mass emergence, one never really knows Lee, and i am quite sure that one area of the country will be totally different to that of another.

What i do know is that on my local patch, Chiddingfold Wood, is that Wood Whites, Grizzled and Dingy Skippers plus the Green Hairstreaks are still on schedule to emerge like any other year, the last week of April to early May in any numbers, I have known Green Hairstreaks to emerge in numbers around 22nd May.This photo was taken on 22nd May. [I also saw 13 females that day, no more than a few days old to just emerged, and all oviparousing] and its not uncommon to see Grizzled Skippers still flying towards the end of June here.

I visited Chiddingfold Wood on Sunday, and there is no real evidence of the larval `s food plant for all four species mentioned, except Dyers Greenweed, one of the larval food plants of the Green Hairstreak. So cold, wet or shine the Pupa`s instincts are to stay put until it knows that there is an abundence of its food plant for itself and the next generation before emerging as a Butterfly. I have witnessed a male Marbled White emerging on a cold, windy afternoon at about 5pm. [It took to my warm hand readily, and opened its wings fully. What a beautiful experience to a complete novice, at the time, or to anyone for that matter].

The Cuckoo Flower emerged earlier than normal this year, and so the Orange-Tips emerged early as well. I know Wood Whites have been seen by P.J. Underwood on two occasions, but only a single Butterfly both times. I also saw a single female W.W. on Sunday. I also know that a single Grizzled Skipper has been seen here, but you always get the odd early Butterfly of any given species no matter what area you live in.

So i would say the weather is a big factor on both counts. [1] It is warm enough for the Butterfly to emerge, [even thats not always the case] and [2] The butterfly`s and its larva`s food plant is in good supply, which is a must for the survival of any Butterfly.

So if the Butterfly`s and its offspring`s food is in good supply in one area of the country early, the Butterflies are more likely to emerge earlier than other parts where the food plant is a few days or a couple of weeks behind in growth.

Thanks again Lee,

All the best,

Nick.

As one or two of you good folk have said, " you have to make the most of this beautiful insect, the Orange-Tip as it has such a small flying period".
Well i agree, so i am.Male Orange-Tip roosting on Cuckoo Flower.
Photographed on 21st April 2012, down by the river.

Sat. 21st April 2012
I like the contrasting colours of the background of this photo depicting this male
Orange-tip on Cuckoo Flower, going from a light green, to a reddish-brown then to black.This beautiful female Orange-Tip had just emerged, and still drying out, showing that lovely
orange streak down the side of the thorax.

Both photos were taken down by the river again, a ten minute walk from my home.

Hi Nick,

Very nice ...

I have to agree that the contrasting colours in the background certainly make for a super picture.

Keep up the good work.

Good hunting.

Kind regards. Mark

This afternoon i went for a short walk down by the river where i have been photographing the Orange-Tips, which i have posted on my personal diary. I found this area when i used to go bird-watching, when there were just a handful of Cuckoo Flowers, and over the last few years watched the area flourish as the Cuckoo Flowers spread over four small areas. Apart from C.F.s the ground is mainly covered by Common Nettle, plus various other plants in small quantities.

As well as the Orange-Tip, a number of other butterflies breed here, including, Red Admiral, Comma, Small Tortoiseshell, Green-Veined White, Peacock and possibly Speckled Wood.

I was expecting to see some rain water laying on the ground, maybe 4-5cm. But what greeted me on my arrival was complete devastation, all four areas where i found this lovely little insect were under water, in some places 2ft [60cm] deep.All the lower laying ground where the Cuckoo Flower grows is completely under water, also nearly all of the Nettles.This picture is just to the right of the first photo, the water being 2ft. deep here. Just to the left of this picture is where i found most of the roosting O.T.s i photographed, finding at least one or more individuals on every visit between the Sallow and Blackthorn, an area 8ft. by 8ft.Area four is just through these trees to the right, and as you can see, all vegetation has been swallowed up by the rising water, and is where i photographed the Red Admiral ovipositing. The other two areas were inaccessible.

The amount of eggs and larva of the butterflies that breed here that have been lost, is unthinkable, and very sad, which i find quite upsetting.I photographed this male O.T. last Sunday, what i did`nt relize at the time was that a female O.T. had layed an egg on this particular Cuckoo Flower, pure luck on my part, but luck that ran out for the little fellow in this egg, as it is now completely submerged.

But, weather permitting, i will be back next week hoping that there is a brighter future for the insects of this little corner of British nature.

[quote="Mark Colvin"]Hi Nick,

Very nice ...

I have to agree that the contrasting colours in the background certainly make for a super picture.

Thanks Mark, appreciated.

All the best,

Nick.

Chiddingfold Wood, 22.4.2012
Male Holly Blue
This was the first time i had come face to face with a fresh Holly Blue, and was very happy to photograph him. I was enjoying the company of this butterfly until one of the many wallkers i encounted nearly trod on it, and it flew away up over the tree tops.This female Wood White was my first of the year. I photographed it taking shelter from the now quite strong wind on this cross section of a wooden fence, wrapping my tripod and camera around the post in order to get the shot.

Cracking shots, the Wood White in particular I've never seen one so hopefully this year...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Hi Wurzel,

Thankyou for your very kind comments on my photos, much appreciated.

If you ever come up to Chiddingfold Wood for Wood Whites, i would be happy to show you around.

All the best,

Nick.

Chiddingfold Wood, 22.4.2012

I stopped at this very small pond to look for Palmate Newts to see if i could get a couple of photos, the water was so brown and murky it hardly seemed possible, but try i did. Male Palmate NewtFemale Palmate Newt
This heavily pregnant female seems to be laying an egg, [not 100% sure] if the effort is worth it time will tell, on what sort of summer we have as the pond normally dries out. Heres fingers crossed that the young make it, and all the hard work of the adults are not in vain.Brimstone egg
This photo shows just how far behind the Buckthorn is, the leaves are still in bud, or were the Brimstones, enjoying the early summer of March and mated to early. The egg should have been layed on a leaf, but with no leaves available decided to place it on this very small branch. Which will emerge first, the leaves or the caterpillar? Or will the efforts of the Butterfly also be in vain.

Nature is very kind most of the time, but it can also be very cruel, so which of its two faces will we see over the coming summer months?

I have seen in previous years Brimstones lay eggs on terminal buds scarcely further forward than the one photographed here - how well they survive I do not know.

Hi Matsukaze,

So it seems, it is common practise for female Brimstones to lay their eggs on either the leaf bud or a twig, as in the case of the egg i photographed, if the leaves of the larval food plant, Buckthorn and Alder Buckthorn have yet to open. So there must be a high success rate. The caterpillar will normally hatch after 10 days.This photo was taken on Tues. 1.5.2012 nine days later. As you can see the leaf buds have died away, 95% of the plant having already perished. But there is hope yet for the caterpillar which should of hatched yesterday, or today, as there are some new shoots with leaves towards the base of the plant, some 2-3ft. below the position of the egg. I will, weather permitting,check up on him/her at the weekend, and hope to find the caterpillar happily feeding on the young fleshy leaves.

All the best,

Nick.

Chiddingfold Wood, Sunday, 22.4.2012
Female Orange-Tip
I took this picture just as the sun was coming out. I particularly like the Autumn gold effect of the background.Female Orange-Tip
I had just changed the camera angle to get this shot, as the sun`s rays beat down, warming this females fully out-stretched wings, before she took flight.

Cracking shots. There is great beauty in subtlety

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Hi Wurzel,

Thankyou for your kind comment on my photos once again, much appreciated.

All the best,

Nick.

Chiddingfold Wood, 1.5.2012

Saw my first Dingy Skippers today, and they sat nicely for me to get a couple of rather pleasing photos.
Also this Ladybird on this Silverbirch leaf.

Chiddingfold Wood, 1.5.2012
Male BrimstoneMale Wood White.
He just sat there with his wings slightly open, and his proboscis stayed put on the dead Bramble leaf, but am i complaining, how often in your lifetime will a Wood White sit like that for you.And another Ladybird.

I really like that last Ladybird photo.

Cheers,

Neil F.

Nuff said

Have a goodun

Wurzel