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Surely that female in Image 10 is an ab, Hoggers? I've never seen anything like it.

Me neither! It's quite remarkable - what a great find

Hi guys, strangely enough I have come across this before:

Here's one from 2014 And last year And here's today's for comparison Similar, but today's far more pronounced.

All are females.

Curiouser and curiouser!

Hoggers.

Hello Hoggers,
That female Copper is a stunner !! It,s odd isn't it that Dungeness turns up this type of Abberation ,but that one is more extreme than usual,can't find anything in Cockayne that
describes anything quite like that,nice find ! , I found one oddity there at the weekend 'with very orange hindwings (Auronitens ??) regards Allan W.

Something about that female small copper seemed familiar but I've looked through all my own pictures and have nothing like it. I have one or two females with a slight hint of the orange dividers but they are nowhere near that extreme. I think it looked familiar because it resembles a large copper!! She's a beauty, whatever her official name might be.

Like Allan, I have found coppers with very orange hindwings - perhaps auronitens. I wouldn't normally post pictures in someone else's diary, but as Hoggers is a bit of a small copper specialist ( ), I hope he will forgive me for posting these:





Guy

Cheers Allan, now you mention it I have seen one or two Coppers with an orange coloration to the hind wings over the years - certainly something to look out for. As you say, Dungeness does generate these "funnies"!

Guy, it's a great pleasure to host two of your stunning photos in my diary - I've now developed an acute bout of COPPER ENVY but hopefully one day I will make a full recovery...!

Hoggers

Lovely shots of the Coppers Hogger's and the Grizzled Skipper's Looking forward to seeing more Goldie

Thanks Goldie, I hope you see lots of Coppers when you visit Dungeness this year!

Gorgeous weather again today..I couldn't help thinking about all the poor people who had to go to work! ( I'll be one of them next week..)

But here I was, on my holiday and spending it with the Small Coppers of Dungeness! I didn't venture out in to The Desert today and kept to the power station fence and Obs moatbut still saw plenty of Coppers One female that I accidentally disturbed went in to the Turkey Strut with me! Perhaps it's my aftershave that set her off?

Lots of Coppers chasing Coppers And me chasing them!

My favourite today was this lovely burnished individual Very handsome indeed.

A great day out with the Coppers

Hi Hoggers

It looks like you have already seen more Small Coppers in 2016 than I have seen in the whole of the last 3 years . Keep 'em coming, they are gorgeous

Hi Jack, I'm just lucky to live so close to Dungeness, the Small Copper Capital of the UK!

I counted 48 this morning and some were real crackers One had an orange tint to the hind wings But the Star Copper of the Day for me was this gorgeously marked female What a stunner! I watched a male Stalk Dance This behaviour of the male Copper is something I could watch all day, it's fascinating.

So plenty to see today Also three Grizzlies and my first Red Admiral.

The variation amongst those Small Coppers is remarkable, Hoggers. I suppose given you're used to seeing three dozen plus in high season that it's more apparent to you than most others, but I shall be taking a much closer look at my own local specimens henceforth (when I finally get to see any that is).

Beautiful Butterflies Hogger's,what a lovely Female Copper, you seem to come up with some thing unusual each post, I never get tired of seeing them and Dungeness is a must for me in August. Goldie

Hi David and Goldie, thanks for that - the variation is a constant delight and fascination for me.

On another subject, I keep losing my draft entries - I will get part way when it's all lost and I'm asked to Log On as if I hadn't already been Logged On !

I've tried to get round this by quickly posting part way through an entry then if that works I edit it by adding the rest

Any ideas why this is happening and suggestions as to what I can do to avoid this problem?

Cheers

Hoggers

Hi Hoggers. I suspect the problem is at your end - either with an irregular internet connection or with the way your computer deals with cookies. But I'll leave that to Pete to comment decisively on. How to avoid losing drafts? I always highlight and copy (ctrl C) the whole of any post I've made before I click 'preview'. That way, it's always on the clipboard even if I lose it from the site. I've never lost anything while writing - only when strange internet things happen after I click 'preview' (or 'submit').

Guy

I fear the problem is my end, Guy. I may have to invest in a new laptop!

An old school friend visited me today. He's from Norfolk and the Orkney Isles ( he gets about! )

What better treat for him than a trip to Dungeness and a session with the Small Coppers? Boy but it was hot Tempers were fraying amongst the males It was too hot for Hoggers But we confirmed that two males were still holding their territories after 5 and 8 days respectively We saw 55 Copper today A lovely way to end my holiday!

Just home in time to beat the weather and get a photo of Mercury crossing the face of the Sun (Mercury is the tiny black dot at 10 o'clock )

I've added colour to this image And here's a close up Thick cloud and raining now!

Hoggers

Well done, Hoggers! Fantastic pictures.

The only time it was sunny for me today was while I was walking home after school. Very annoying, as I had been standing ten minutes in a queue in a shop and got home about five minutes too late ... When the sun did show through very briefly later I thought I had captured Mercury but it was just that big sunspot (that interestingly shows up less pointy on your pictures). Mercury had left the sun by then.

Guy

EDIT - no, I was wrong, there's still a little time left ...

EDIT EDIT - got it! Thanks for the inspiration!

Excellent Guy, congratulations!

Makes a change from chasing Small Coppers!

Hoggers

Those are excellent images of the transit, Hoggers. I'm interested to know how you achieved these, as on the rare occasions I have attempted to photograph celestial objects, I always make a complete hash of them.

Once again lovely Coppers Hogger's no sign of them here yet. Goldie