www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

While on my transect today I saw this Brimstone with darker markings then normal. Does anyone know if it is an ab?

I'm not sure if it is an aberrant - I've seen some with markings to make them more cryptic but never anything as 'organised' as this - if it's not an ab it should be

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Gary.N wrote:While on my transect today I saw this Brimstone with darker markings then normal. Does anyone know if it is an ab?
IH9A4606-Edit.png

Looks good for an ab. hoefnagoli

http://www.britishbutterflyaberrations. ... berrations

http://internt.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/da ... utterflies

Thanks guys.

Over the next week or so, I am going to catch up with my diary. It been a long time coming but I have found time to go through a summer's worth of photos. Most have been taken on the walk to and from my transect on Lullingdon Heath, as it takes up most of my time available for butterflies.

I will start with an Ab of a PBF taken on the 24th May 2017, I found it while releasing Small Pearls at Abbot's Wood.
3th June 2017

At the start of June I saw the emergent of the first of the summer butterflies on my way to do my transect. Common Blues, Large Skippers, Meadow Browns, Small TortoiseShells, Speckled Woods and the like. That's it for this instalment. Back soon.

Great stuff, Gary. I am sure your ab Pearl was photographed by someone else too.
On the subject of Pearls, your SPBF's are still performing in Rowland Wood, saw a nice one yesterday.
Actually they are the offspring of your Small Pearls, and that's even better !.

All the best,
Trevor.

Thanks Trevor. It's always good to here someone enjoying the Small Pearls.

17th June 2017

I started off from the Gallops on a very hot summer day and found my first Marbled White and Small Skipper of the year. Also, i saw Ringlet's, Meadow Brown's and Large Skipper's too.
I had heard of reports of White Admiral and Silver-Washed hatching, so I changed my normal route to the Heath to go down a ride where they are normally found in Friston Forest. I found them but not one came in range of my camera. But I did find a Dark Green down the ride. He stayed in one area for along time and at one point I had him on the end of my finger. I also spotted my first fresh Comma too.
18th June 2017

This was a special day, that I released the last 2 SPBF's at Rowland's. It was a hot 28C. As soon as I released the netting on the pot they were gone. I didn't even see where they went. I walked around the wood and I found a spot where there were 6 Silver-Washed flying around. There was a bank of trees that gave good shade and a cooling breeze. The Silver-Washed kept landing 6 Feet from the shady spot, so I was content to just sit their until one landed. I spent a good few hours there.

Fantastic set of shots Gary Those Silver-washed undersides are really well captured

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Nice sequence of images, Gary, and what a remarkable aberrant PBF from earlier in the year!

A tremendous set of fritillary images Gary! I'm looking forward to seeing some more.

Thankyou for your comments guys. James, here are some more images for you.

Finally made it to the 1st July 2017.

It was a cloudy Saturday, so I thought I would go to Rowlands and see if a could find a Small Pearl caterpillar. I did find a 3rd instar but it escaped into the litter before I could get a decent photo. All I got was a blurry mess. I was surprised by the amount of Butterflies I did see. I saw my first Gate Keeper and freshly hatched Brimstone of the year. 2nd July 2017
Sunday was a transect day. On the walk to the heath I look for White Admiral's but they just stayed up the the trees. That my normal luck with them. I
did have a nice walk, through the Gallops and Friston Forest.

Photos taken on the Gallops. Photos in Friston Forest.

More lush Silver-washed Gary I struggled with this species this year

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Nice array of species, Gary, my favourite being the Brimstone which is superbly camouflaged under that leaf.

Wurzel wrote:More lush Silver-washed Gary I struggled with this species this year

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Wurzel.
I have lucked into Silver-Washed this year. I have two spots that do very well, but this year has been the best I've seen them. And they have come down to lower levels.

David M wrote:Nice array of species, Gary, my favourite being the Brimstone which is superbly camouflaged under that leaf.

David.
I am lucky were I live. I have three sites within 5miles that have about 40 species when combined and a further 5 within an hour and half drive. Yep, I am lucky, very lucky.

Now for my 4 day weekend in July.

Friday 7th July 2017 was a bust it was sunny but lots to catch up on.

Saturday 8th July 2017
It was my transect day. It started cloudy but improved as the day went on. I found Copper Ab.(I going to leave you guys hanging. I have quiet a few copper Abs this year and I will list them together).On my way back I took a different route has I tried to find the copper ab again, but didn't. That was when the second good moment of the day happened. I saw a Silver-washed laying an egg. I had a very lucky day. I was carry all my lens and equipment for taking egg shots. I don't normally on a transect day as it is a 10 mile hike and it is heavy. So I took some shots of the egg. Then carried on my way. Half a mile later and a few Peacock and comma shots. I saw a White Admiral flying low. Not quiet stopping. Then it stopped and lay an egg. So two eggs and a copper ab that I had never seen before. A very good day and a good start to my weekend.
Sunday 9th July 2017
I started the day by taking some Photos of an egg of a Red Admiral that Theresa saw being laid in the garden a few days previous.(It hatched the next day). Then it was then up to Over and High looking for Silver-Spotted Skippers and found some, amoung other things. Another good day.
The black lines that you see are the hairs on the caterpillar.

Monday 10th July 2017
It had been a good weekend so far, so I went back to High and Over to see if I could get some more Skippers. I found NONE. But something fluttered past me. A female Wall Brown. I chase her for about 5 minutes and she would stop for instances. Just long enough to catch up. Then she stop. I caught up and found she was laying an egg. Just as I had her in the camera frame she disappeared on he. But I had another egg.

A bit further on I had a nice little surprise. One I hadn't seen in ages. A fresh Small Blue and he stay in one small area. I watched and photographed for at least a hour before going home.
All in all, a VERY GOOD WEEKEND

Another set of great images there Gary, I particularly like your egg photos as well. Excellent stuff.

James

Really fantastic set of images Gary especially the egg shots brilliant level of detail

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Totally agree - nice egg shots, Gary!

Cheers,

- Pete

A great summery of your season Gary, and like others have said, those eggs are superb

Amazing shots of those eggs, Gary.

Dave

Thankyou all for your comments. Egg Shots are not the easiest of things to take and then process. The egg images were made up of three or four images stacked together. I have to take 200 to 300 shots just to get them right. A nightmare but worth it.

To continue with my summer.

22th July 2017

The forecast was not good for the day. Sunnyish start but clouding over. Transect was going to be a wasted trip, so I went to Abbot's. All I got there was about 2 hours of sun, but I found a good selection of Butterflies there. I had my first Clouded Yellow of the year and a second brood Small Pearl.
23th July 2017

Sunday was a transect day and there wasn't much worth photographing, but did get a nice Brown Argus. I also I found two Copper abs and like the last one I'll post them later.
29th July 2017

The weekend starting the 29th July was a cloudy affair. Didn't get chance for a transect but I did find 2 couple of hour sun to go to Rowland wood. There was lots there from Common Blue to Peacock,red Admiral to Small Pearls. I even got a shot of a Small Heath not sitting on grass or mud.