www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

You know - I knew that too! But for the sake of the maths I ignored it!

Padfield - You've stopped the fun by giving away the answer!

I will be twice the age of my son in 34 years time and twice the age of my daughter in 38 years time. So how old are Miles and Felicity now?

Jack

To digress:

“A butterfly nut from Devizes,
Had cameras of two different sizes,
One was so small, ‘twas no use at all,
But the other won numerous prizes.”

(with apologies to Anon)

Jack

Pauline wrote: Thanks for the complement Susie - pity I didn't make more use of them on the day we got drenched at Southwater Woods! - d'you remember now?

P.

Hi Pauline
I must have met you that wet Sunday at Southwater Woods as well... I was the short, fat, grey-haired one who was trying to keep my camera dry and it was so wet I didn't even take one photo!

Polly

Hi Polly

I'm afraid I remember very little about that day apart from the weather and the hug from Susie (you might recall that there was a little eerrrm incident as I arrived which caused a little stir, not least to me!

P.

Pauline:

....there was a little eerrrm incident as I arrived....

Did you step in some of Sussex Kipper's belachan?

Jack

I can't believe that I didn't realise that you were you, if you know what I mean, Pauline! You certainly know how to make a grand entrance.

Hugs go a long way to making things better.

I hope you will be coming to Southwater this coming season.

And Polly, don't sell yourself short!

Pauline wrote:Hi Polly

I'm afraid I remember very little about that day apart from the weather and the hug from Susie (you might recall that there was a little eerrrm incident as I arrived which caused a little stir, not least to me!

P.

Yes, I remember the "incident" very well.... but I wasn't going to mention it for fear of embarrassing you

Thanks guys. It can be our little secret perhaps. I shall definitely be there next season as I have yet to get a photo and Neil made some grand promises about PE which I shall hold him to!! (Hope you're listening Neil).

P.

Susie wrote:
And Polly, don't sell yourself short!

yes, quite short but cuddly too

Jack

Just noticed your question. Actually it was Kipper - and a few others - who saved the day (or should that be me!). Anyway, a belated thanks to all who were involved that day.

P.

Jack, how about Felicity is 17 and Miles is 14. Any good?
Shirley

Hi Pauline,
Purple Emperor promise will be kept - so long as you promise to park more 'conventionally' I'm beginning to get excited about the prospect of PEs already!
Neil

Oh come on girls, Where did Pauline park her car? My mind is doing overtime here.
I am hoping to get to Southwater this year too. Kipper has kindly offered to show me around your area.
Are you all coming to the photo workshop? It would be great to meet a few more butterfly ladies.

Denise

OK Shirley, cos it's not fair to ask the others to stay schtum and who can you laugh at if not yourself, I put a hired car down a dirty great hole - mystery solved.

P.

Denise wrote:
Are you all coming to the photo workshop? It would be great to meet a few more butterfly ladies.
Denise

I am looking forward to going to the workshop - it was so good last year that I want a second helping!

Susie and I live fairly near each other so we are car-sharing

Polly

Oh good Polly. I was there last year too.
I didn't know anyone so I was pretty quiet, but I did meet a few nice people and the workshop was so brilliant that like you, I need a second helping.

Don't worry Pauline, I bet if we're honest, we've all done a daft thing or two.

See you all in April.

Denise

I backed up all my Mum's photos this Christmas and was browsing them today when I found this one of me in the field, taken last July. Given that my middle name is Lawrence, I thought I might rechristen myself 'Lawrence of Erebia'.



Guy

SHAMELESS PLUG: at that time of year (early July) the main Erebia species just there is oeme (bright-eyed ringlet) but it's a wonderful track for all sorts of other butterflies, including turquoise blue, Osiris blue, Eros blue, large blue and, a little further along, mountain alcon blue. Not forgetting a good colony of northern wall brown. I will be taking people there for the 2009 AIGLON COLLEGE SUMMER COURSE ON ALPINE FLOWERS AND BUTTERFLIES. Watch out for the flyer, which I shall post on this site when it is published. The cost will doubtless be similar to last year's course, namely, about CHF 1000 for Monday to Friday, board and lodging included.

Chilling with the Painted Ladies

An old photo from 1955. I was studying a case of moths I had been given by a friend of my father, and it seems that Garden Tigers and Red Underwings were pretty common then. I suspect there is a Goat Moth and a Leopard Moth and a few Buff Tips in there too. I remember that Eyed, Poplar, Lime and Elephant Hawk-moths were fairly common and that Privet Hawk-moths often found around the privet bushes that every house seemed to have on those post-war council estates.

I used to breed moths in those days using an old metal gauze cabinet that my grandmother used to use as a meat safe. Several hundred Cinnabar caterpillars were doing very nicely until one day I got home from school on a hot day to find that the gauze had expanded in the heat and curled away and allowed them to make a bid for freedom. I was still finding them in my bed three weeks later. Strangely, my mother irrationally and perversely decided that any future breeding should be confined to the garden.

Roger