www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

David, Wurzel and Bugboy, many thanks for looking and your kind words. Two pictures of these were selected as Flickr pictures of the day as I slept. I seem to be lucky with that. Not my personal favourite picture (which is the same as David's), but the Flickr admin probably look for different things.

I am not sure what will still be about in France as we are not travelling till mid August. Usually I go a month earlier and even then I feel it is late. having just read David's report I am going to the wrong place at the wrong time...I may come with you next time!

But I may get lucky.

Full credit to Trevor. His most recent diary posting was educational. He posted an ab Red Admiral which made me look at one of my own. And it too was similar. So if they are really commonplace, I would ask your indulgence as I repeat this picture. I was pleased and will try and look more carefully in future.


Red Admiral - Vanessa atalanta ab bialbata

On the Aberrations site there were others with white spots (ie ocellata) so it may not be bialbata. Anyone?

Art Frames wrote:Full credit to Trevor. His most recent diary posting was educational. He posted an ab Red Admiral which made me look at one of my own. And it too was similar. So if they are really commonplace, I would ask your indulgence as I repeat this picture. I was pleased and will try and look more carefully in future.


Red Admiral - Vanessa atalanta ab bialbata

On the Aberrations site there were others with white spots (ie ocellata) so it may not be bialbata. Anyone?

Well done and a lovely shot of the Red Admiral, Peter. I take it you mean the British Butterfly Aberrations website? If you do, then you will know that it depends on the sex of the RA so if it is a female it is ab. ocellata but I don't know if this is really correct.

ATB

Peter

Some years ago, I found one of these white-spotted variants in Fermyn wood and wrote about it on here. While investigating, I found and translated the original description of bialbata

Guy Padfield pointed me to a comprehensive monograph about Vanessids, which describes various aberrations and also states : "Specimens ...... showing any slight difference from the "normal" have received names ad infinitum. These names serve no useful purpose and all are excluded from our formal nomenclature or synonymized.....".

Collecting aberrations was something of a Victorian obsession. The name 'Tutt' often arises in this context and he wrote a massive series of books on lepidoptera, which I find extremely heavy going. Tutt seems to have been a rather 'difficult' person; a schoolmaster who enjoyed stating his own ideas in great detail while being very reluctant to listen to those of others. He did, however, produce some interesting early photographs of butterflies.

peterc wrote: Well done and a lovely shot of the Red Admiral, Peter. I take it you mean the British Butterfly Aberrations website? If you do, then you will know that it depends on the sex of the RA so if it is a female it is ab. ocellata but I don't know if this is really correct.

ATB

Peter

Peter, thank you. yes - http://www.britishbutterflyaberrations. ... berrations - I thought it was a male, but I have trouble with some humans let alone Red Admirals

MikeOxon wrote:Some years ago, I found one of these white-spotted variants in Fermyn wood and wrote about it on here. While investigating, I found and translated the original description of bialbata

Guy Padfield pointed me to a comprehensive monograph about Vanessids, which describes various aberrations and also states : "Specimens ...... showing any slight difference from the "normal" have received names ad infinitum. These names serve no useful purpose and all are excluded from our formal nomenclature or synonymized.....".

Collecting aberrations was something of a Victorian obsession. The name 'Tutt' often arises in this context and he wrote a massive series of books on lepidoptera, which I find extremely heavy going. Tutt seems to have been a rather 'difficult' person; a schoolmaster who enjoyed stating his own ideas in great detail while being very reluctant to listen to those of others. He did, however, produce some interesting early photographs of butterflies.

Thanks Mike. I found all of that very interesting and informative. There is a huge body of expertise here.

Thank you for bringing it all together in that thoughtful way.

Spent some time during the thunderstorm dipping into your Flickr shots Peter. I'd forgotten how impressed I was the first time I looked. That Red Kite (Bucks) flying directly at you is awesome - really shows the size of the wings. I could go on, and on, and on ................ some very competent photography and a joy to view.

Just catching up on the posts Peter, I love your Chalkhill Blues Goldie

Pauline wrote:Spent some time during the thunderstorm dipping into your Flickr shots Peter. I'd forgotten how impressed I was the first time I looked. That Red Kite (Bucks) flying directly at you is awesome - really shows the size of the wings. I could go on, and on, and on ................ some very competent photography and a joy to view.

Thank you for doing that and for telling me, Pauline. I am sure there are times when we all wonder why we spend so long fiddling with photos and then putting them out for others to 'enjoy'. Comments like this help.

Goldie M wrote:Just catching up on the posts Peter, I love your Chalkhill Blues Goldie

Thank you Goldie.

It is a bit of a trip to go to Ivinghoe. I tend to go a couple of times each year, definitely for Chalkhills but also earlier for Dukes and green hairstreaks. I visit with my good friend who in younger days went regularly with his best friend, Gordon Benningfield. So I always hear reminiscences as we walk. I did meet Gordon a few times myself mainly in and around his home but would have loved to have experienced the walks with them.

So certain species are about the ritual and memory as well as the pictures. This year our timing could not have been improved. They were emerging all around us and taking maiden flights. Glorious sight.

Because it has been wet and miserable I started to look at some old pictures.

This chalkhill is from 2009 and a time when I obviously took longer and tried harder



If you click through to a larger size then you can see it has fluffy hairs on it's eyes. I cannot remember if this was just emerged as it was 8 years ago, but I do remember it was windy and a difficult shot. It was also an Olympus e500 8 mp DSLR. It was so much simpler then...3 focus points but I only ever used the centre one.

Wurzel will be pleased to see I also have some catching up to do!

"Wurzel will be pleased to see I also have some catching up to do! " - you are a kindred spirit indeed Peter

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Continuing my look into the sunnier past. This is a reminder of the sun and heat of the Aude, France last year and a happy 20 minutes in the company of this Swallowtail. The markings look a little faint for a fairly fresh specimen.

Swallowtail - Papilio machaon by Peter Willmott, on Flickr

good times....

Lovely shot of the Swallow Tail Peter, it brings back fantastic memories of the time I spent in Norfolk a couple of years or so ago. Goldie

Goldie M wrote:Lovely shot of the Swallow Tail Peter, it brings back fantastic memories of the time I spent in Norfolk a couple of years or so ago. Goldie

Hi Goldie never seen the britannicus version. Would love to, but the European version brings back similar memories, usually of holidays and places.

What a wonderful shot of that Swallowtail, Peter. We saw several in the Pyrenees and Doug
managed several shots of one, but i'm afraid I came away empty Handed.
Looking forward to some more of your stunning photography.

Trevor.

Stunning Swallowtail Peter. I love how you've captured the texture and the way it's reflecting the sunlight. You really do need to see britannicus though, it knocks the spots of these continental types

It's often hard to get these huge insects all in focus with a close up, Peter, but you've managed it. Lovely specimen and a great image.

Art Frames wrote:It was so much simpler then...3 focus points but I only ever used the centre one.

I still just use the centre focus point - never got used to these multiple points that always seem to choose the wrong one. Most of my photos were taken on film, back in the days when one spent ages on each frame and then waited weeks to see if any had come out. Now, it's 'smash and grab' raids with a long lens

Mike

Hi Peter, I was interested to read your comment re GB as I have several books by him, including Vanishing Songbirds ( which I seem to remember was 'finished' by others and the farmyard one - just because I enjoy looking at the sketches in particular. I imagine he would have been a very interesting individual. You were very lucky to have made his acquaintance.