www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Thanks guy - caught up in the excitement

Hi Mark

Excellent Just goes to show, put in the effort and reward will come. Luck helps too Have seen your PM will be in touch later

padfield wrote:Great story and a great result!

Concur entirely. Moral of the story - always, always take a charged camera wherever you go.

Up in highlands this week on a general holiday but on friday before the wet day of yesterday a bit of sun was out so was lucky enough to find 10-15 scotch Argus(lifers for me) flying around the waterfall at Beinglas Farm and a couple slightly higher up the ridge when there no rain and also 1 small white

A few pictures from the last 2 weekends. From Old Winchester Hill (OWH) and Shipton Bellinger (SB) [

sa

21 species seen at the Alun Valley site, Glamorgan, between 10am and 1.30pm.

Amazingly, High Brown Fritillaries are STILL hanging on, no doubt sustained by the buddleias in the quarry:
Other species were Meadow Brown, Hedge Brown, Large, Small & Green Veined Whites, Common Blue, Brown Argus, Speckled Wood, Small Heath, Wall Brown, Grayling, Red Admiral, Silver Washed Fritillary, Painted Lady, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Comma, Small Copper, Brimstone and White Letter Hairstreak.

Managed to get out for just a couple of hours this afternoon. Nice bit of sun but there was a bit of a breeze blowing. Lots of Wall Brown flying around including 3 females with one mating pair. One female after rejecting a male posed on a bramble bush for a short while.
A couple of nights ago I had the scarce Four-spotted Footman, both male and the rarely seen female in the moth trap.
More can be seen on my newish blog http://bobsbutterflies.blogspot.com

With the weather being so good on Sunday morning I decided to go butterflying in an area just to the south of Sheffield that I'd never been to before, near a village called Ridgeway. My vague hope was of seeing a wandering Clouded Yellow or Painted Lady, but I was generally content to just be amongst hundreds of Small White, Large White, and Meadow Brown. Plus the odd Small Copper, Speckled Wood, Ringlet, Gatekeeper and Peacock.

I was most surprised however to stumble upon a lone battered Purple Hairstreak nectaring on some Thistle at grid reference SK398816. There wasn't an Oak Tree in sight. I've since gone through the Yorkshire records and there are no records of Purple Hairstreak anywhere near this location as far as back as I could go (1995), probably ever.

It also enabled me to get my best ever close up views and a good photo. So I'm pretty chuffed!

I don't know much about aberrations, only seen a couple, but I thought I'd keep an eye out among the chalkhill blues today at Therfield Heath as there are so many. Sure enough had a couple of dodgy ones, including this female. I presume these variants are not that unusual? Was there also yesterday when I had a single clouded yellow (the only British butterfly I've yet to photograph and it was just too quick for the camera!)

James

With a nice warm day I managed to have another count of Wall Brown on my circuit from home. On the 4 mile plus circuit it was a bit too late in the day for some of it with too many shady bits but in other parts the sun was in a better position. Anyway, a great result with my first ever count over 100 with at least 105 counted.
Earlier I had my 2nd Jersey Tiger in the trap, this one even left some eggs behind.

Only got home from work at 1710hrs but it was still 21c and I decamped to the cemetery opposite my house for a very pleasant 40 minute stroll.

This site must be one of the best in south Wales for Wall Browns in relation to its size. I saw about two dozen in barely half an hour, both males and females.

It was interesting how they totally ignored the many black headstones and instead only settled on the greyish coloured ones. It's as if they have some kind of instinctive knowledge that their camouflage only works if they land on paler coloured surfaces.

Just to prove there's life after death:
Female Wall just before the sunset usurped her basking spot:
By 5.45pm practically every White in the cemetery was flying high up in the trees. Is there a reason for this? Do Pierids seek high points in the trees in which to roost?

Paid a visit to Norfolk Broads on Monday, looking for Swallowtails. We only saw 2 adults, but the caterpillars seemed to be doing very well this year. Many of the Milk Parsley plants had caterpillars on and all sizes were seen, from early instar (bird-dropping camouflaged) specimens right through to final instar (even one getting ready to pupate). It never ceases to amaze me just how bright our native Swallowtail caterpillars are compared to those found in mainland Europe.
A couple of final Instar Large Elephant Hawk caterpillars were also found galloping along the boardwalk, looking for somewhere to pupate.

Trev

Shipton Bellinger, Hants. I've promised myself a visit to this Brown Hairstreak location for a few years now and yesterday I finally got around to actually doing it, in the pre-arranged company of Phil Bromley (PhiliB) who gave me a grand tour of SB - a place he's been visiting for the last ten years or so. We were 'on-site' at 8.45 prompt and within five minutes of reaching one of Phil's BH hot-spots he pointed out a nice specimen low down in the still dew laden foliage, cracking start I thought as I managed a couple of record shots before it flew out of site. At least 15 individuals were spotted as we searched along the hedgerows during the morning session and when Phil traipsed back to his car for his forgotten cigarette lighter I spied a mating pair of Brown Hairstreak about twelve feet or so above me on an Ash tree, my efforts to get a photograph of any quality were thwarted by both the awkward angle the insects were on and the harsh directional light and I had to content myself with a simple record shot...but hey...this is my fiftieth species of the year and I was well chuffed A short while later I heard Phil shout Holly Blue from another part of the hedgerow and this little b***er proved to be one of many seen during the day, and so the species that had for some reason evaded me up to now this year was finally 'ticked'...and I know why Holly Blue has evaded me...its because they're sneaky hideaway critters that have gone out of their way to avoid me...but, they wasn't expecting me to bring out a Holly Blue hunting specialist - Phil, so I finally 'out-sneaked' them (is 'out-sneaked' a word?).

So with species number 51 on my 2013 record list we started our afternoon session along another hedgerow with a backdrop of mature trees, Phil mentioned that this particular hedgerow actually formed the county line between Hampshire and Wiltshire, we stayed firmly in Hants and were rewarded with super views of another three Brown Hairstreak courtesy of Phil's sharp eyes...I knew where they were all along really but wanted Phil to feel good Highlight of our day was a lovely fresh female who very obligingly sat tight on a blackberry head while several visiting butterfly enthusiasts took photo's from all angles, super views of a super little butterfly. Just after enjoying this spectacle a Clouded Yellow whisked past us, the first I've seen for two or three years, another was seen in the village car park as we were getting ready to depart. I doubt I can see any further species this year, but what a way to end my '2013 list' it doesn't get a lot better than 'winged-sunshine'

Twenty species seen during our visit as follows; Clouded Yellow, Brimstone (many dozens!), Large, Small & Green-veined White, Brown Hairstreak, Holly Blue, Common Blue, Chalkhill Blue, Small Copper, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Comma, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Ringlet and Small Heath.

Very big thank you to Phil, once again he proved what a good all round butterfly bloke he is, born of an interest that goes back to his boyhood and unselfishly shared with others, I thoroughly enjoyed my day...cheers mate

Bill

courtesy of Phil's sharp eyes...

Phil eyesight is quite incredible. I was with him in Bedford Purlieus a few years ago. He was spotting WL Hairstreaks left, right and centre that required a lot of his patience pointing them out to me before I could finally locate them. Then on the Ouse Washes, a mere flash of brown: "That was a Wall".

Jack

I have been looking out for your report Bill. Phil did say you had something 'special' but he wouldn't let on. Sounds like you had a fab day very nice female BH picture, As for Phil's eyesight, he has great peripheral vision, if you stick your tongue out at him from behind he knows!!!

Jack better not say anymore or Phil will be suffering from modesty withdrawal symptoms

Rosalyn wrote:I have been looking out for your report Bill. Phil did say you had something 'special' but he wouldn't let on. Sounds like you had a fab day very nice female BH picture, As for Phil's eyesight, he has great peripheral vision, if you stick your tongue out at him from behind he knows!!!

Thanks Ros...nice one

Best Wishes,

Bill

Now, although this would be appropriate for an April Fools’ Spoof, it is actually meant to be serious.

My camera flashes up those parts of the photo that are over-exposed. Now would it be possible to have software that flashed up certain colour/shape combinations? So if, for example, the software drew attention to a contrast between say black and white combined with a certain shape, it would draw attention to a potential White Admiral in the frame. This would outdo human eyes (except Phil B’s )

Thus a camera (or other device) could identify and point to say Brown Hairstreaks within the frame if appropriately programmed. Often elusive insects (and also for example birds) are not seen until then MOVE. “My” software idea would find them down before they move.

Well, something along these lines. Suggestions?

Jack

Willrow wrote:Twenty species seen during our visit as follows; Clouded Yellow, Brimstone (many dozens!), Large, Small & Green-veined White, Brown Hairstreak, Holly Blue, Common Blue, Chalkhill Blue, Small Copper, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Comma, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Ringlet and Small Heath.

I'm not sure if this is an eyesight or memory issue Bill, but I think you saw at least one Brown Argus as well (probably more)!
If it's a memory issue then I'll try and jog it for you - a little brown butterfly sitting on a white tissue as we walked back to the village.
I think you commented that 'It was a photo opportunity that was not to be sniffed at'

It was great to meet up with you and look forward to seeing you again next spring, if not before.

Willrow wrote:I doubt I can see any further species this year

If you want to go for species no. 53 this year, Neil Hulme has assured me today that there will be a worthwhile emergence of Long-tailed Blue in Kent during October. Must be worth the effort, as Neil said 'It's a once in a lifetime occurrence'. I'll be there when it happens.

Chambers - Painted Lady and Clouded Yellow plus - Brimstone, Large and Small Whites, Peacock, Meadow Brown, Small Tortoiseshell. Small Copper, Comma, Essex Skipper, Speckled Wood and Brimstone.

Brown Hairstreaks about but didn't have time to go for them.

Hugh