www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Thanks a lot Neil , I'm glad to have some things of interest to an experienced moth trapper.

Thanks Essex , happily it refrained from any darting behavior long enough for me to get a shot.

Hi Goldie, thank you. I see lots when I'm out and about, and try to get a shot & id for them all.

Cheers

Great sequence of mainly moth images, Andrew, especially that second one of the Mother Shipton, which shows very clearly the rationale behind its name!

Andrew555 wrote:...Thanks a lot Neil , I'm glad to have some things of interest to an experienced moth trapper. ...

I would hardly call myself 'experienced' Andrew, only been trapping for a couple of years now and last year was my first full season of running the moth trap in the garden. I have the benefit of being a member of a couple of facebook moth groups which have been invaluable with advice and help with IDs.

Cheers,

Neil.

Thanks David , indeed!

Fair enough Neil.

Cheers

June 2017

A selection from some visits around Exmoor.

I had a Heath Fritillary site in mind, but not here, so I was very happy to see some on hills south of Minehead.
The swivel screen came in handy to capture this camera shy Common White Wave moth.
I saw something flutter behind a tree trunk but not emerge from the other side, must have landed I thought.
It had, but with it's impressive camouflage it took me a while to locate!
A close up, Mottled Beauty moth I think.
From the Butterfly Conservation Haddon Moor reserve, located on the south east edge of Exmoor.
Ragged Robin.
A Broad-bodied Chaser dragonfly.
Climbing up to the morning sunlight, Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary.
A Large Skipper on Heath Spotted-orchid.
Heath Fritillary where I'd hoped to find them, a site near Porlock Hill. They loved these English Stonecrop flowers.
Nearby I saw this nice Light Emerald moth.
Only one butterfly encounter on this walk through an area of moorland known as The Chains.
The male was persistant, but the female was having none of it! Green-veined White.
A dragonfly I'd not seen before, Keeled Skimmer.
Last but not least, a butterfly we will be seeing soon(ish!), Small Tortoiseshell near Culbone.
Cheers

Some lovely shots from North West Somerset, Andrew. I lived for a while in that part of the world (many years ago!) and had no idea that those two Fritillaries were there. We did get Silver-washed in the garden fairly regularly though.

Dave

Absolutely cracking set of shots Andrew, they made me even more impatient for the season I get started Loved the Heaths - are they easy to find on Exmoor? I've only ever seen them at East Blean.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Marvellous sequence, Andrew. I really like how you present such a range of subjects matter.

Hard to pick a favourite, but your Green Veined Whites brought a smile to my face.

Thanks Dave , Silver Washed in the garden ? Wow, lovely.

Cheers Wurzel. If you go to the right places you have a good chance of seeing them. But in my more general wanderings I have very rarely encountered them.

Thanks a lot David , I do like to take a variety of snaps.

Cheers for the info Andrew - I'll have to have a closer look though the 'sites' section on here and do some internet trawling

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Sent you a pm Wurzel.

Cheers Andrew - off to read it now!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

July 2017

A selection from Lullington Heath in Sussex. I wanted to more fully explore this area that I'd only walked through before.

On the way to the Heath, coming up the footpath from Litlington there was a patch of flowers with some Dark Green Fritillaries busy feeding, going round and round on the flowers.
Some grey cloud and light rain passed overhead which calmed them down.
More encounters further along the path, Marbled White and Small Skipper.
On the reserve now, there were a good number of Small Coppers.
A White Admiral came down close to me on the border of the Heath and Friston Forest. There were more along the rides of the forest.
Darker antennae on this Skipper than the previous, still a Small I think.
This Small Tortoiseshell gave me a nice underwing view.
Up on the main hump of the Heath there were Silver-spotted Skippers.
Migrant Hawker Dragonflies drifted in a group above the path next to and into Friston Forest.
I found it well worth going down some paths of the nearby forest, where I found these Red Admirals.
There was more, this post could have been twice as long. A great place that's for sure.

Cheers

Hi Andrew.
Just catching up on your diary. Lovely selection of shots . I particularly like your Broad Bodied Chaser

Fantastic set of shots Andrew Especially like the Migrant Hawker and Silver Spots - just brill

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Mouth-watering stuff, Andrew. I'm looking forward to what you can present to us during the course of the 2018 season.

Time to dust the camera down as I'm confident that butterflies are back amongst us!

Hi Paul, thanks a lot.

Appreciate it Wurzel.

Thanks David, I'm ready! Hoping to get out even more this year.

Cheers

Wow! Andrew, that was great walk Lovely shots of the Butterflies, Goldie

Thanks Goldie! There was lots to see for sure.

Just catching up on your last couple of reports Andrew. A great selection of cracking photos and I love the Mottled Beauty on the tree trunk, brilliant camouflage

Cheers,

Neil.