www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Great Woodland Duke Pauline I'm losing 2:1 to the Ticks already this year Normally they don't go for me so it must be switching to Imperial Leather soap

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Lovely Dukes there, and after my encounter yesterday I'm no longer as jealous Your little green beetle is Cryptocephalus sp. probably C.hypochaeridis, a type of Leaf Beetle. I got a near identicle picture of one yesterday, apparently they are particulalry attracted to yellow flowers

Thank you Wurzel - I am still picking ticks off me 3 days later

Thank you too Buggy. I appreciate the id - they seem to be everywhere at the moment but they are very attractive.

I have to post a couple of shots of my noisy, destructive, funny, intelligent, sociable, talkative, mischievous, vibrant, loyal and much-loved parrot, whom I have had the privilege of caring for, for over 20 years, after he was found on the roof of the building where I then worked. Pepper is a fairly rare Slender-billed Conure from Southern Chile and following a series of recent small strokes and subsequent extensive diagnostic tests, this weekend he had to be put to sleep .
I managed to get out into the local countryside late yesterday but my mind really wasn't on the job. I am posting a few snapshots to record my first Brown Argus of the season and a lovely dark female Common Blue who looked almost black in flight. The sight of the many lovely fresh blues provided only a slight and brief distraction.
Brown Argus
Several ragged looking Peacocks were taking advantage of the late afternoon sun. I felt how they looked:

Sorry to hear about Pepper, Pauline, time's a good healer as they say.
Nice to see more Brown Argus and Common Blues are out and about. That female Blue is lovely, will it be another year of the 'blue' female Blues?

Take care,

Mike

Pepper was a lucky parrot. It's good that we outlive the animals we look after but it always hurts when they leave us.

Guy

HI Pauline,
Sorry to read of your loss, i've always had Cats, since the age of four,and it's only when they've gone
that you realise how much they are missed.
Your images of the Blues are superb in the circumstances.

Best wishes.
TREVOR.

Hi! Pauline, sorry to hear about Pepper but think of all the pleasure you gave to him and how he enjoyed your company after you rescued him all those years ago and may be this will help.
I've had three dogs all wonderful in their own way, two of them I had to put to sleep, that was a real killer, the worse experiance for me was when Rusty my first dog got run over and killed that was turbulent, I was abroad at the time, at least you know Pepper was peaceful in passing.
On a lighter note your butterfly photos are fantastic and I really like the blues especially the nearly black one it's unusual,(I'm sat here watching the rain Ugh!) Goldie

PS how's the Fox doing

Thank you Mike. D'you know, it's almost a year to the day since I lost my dear cat Stanleigh and I still think about her every day.

Thank you Guy. I think I was the lucky, one but you are so right - I would not wish to leave my animals in the care of anyone else. I apologise for recently mis-spelling Asha's name.

I'm glad you like the Blue shots Trevor - as has been the case so many times recently, the strong wind made taking any photos very difficult. Thank you for the comment - wise words indeed. I feel guilty for taking such a special bird a little for granted and the words of an old song come to mind 'you don't know what you've got til it's gone'

Thank you for your comforting comment Goldie - that must have been horrendous with Rusty. I continue to struggle with the 2 old foxes, Chance and Foxy but their quality of life is quite possibly better than mine at the moment I wish I could have managed a better shot of that dark female as the photo doesn't really do her justice.

First off, thank you for your earlier comment Goldie which kinda got overlooked as it slipped off the end of the page but I won't be swapping my fox encounter for your Heron However, if you are ever in my area (I am 30 mins away from the Wood Whites) it would be lovely to see you and I could provide you with an up close and personal meet and greet with a fox

What is happening with this weather???!!! Today we have had several episodes of hail, lots of wind and the temperature is really quite chilly. It is nearly June and I am still wearing jumpers I wanted to check on the eggs at Noar Hill - since I found the first batch of Dukes I have found several other batches - and then there's the Brimstones, and the BH. I did my personal 'transect', photos being very difficult because of that strong breeze, but first stop was the Brimstones which have now hatched and a quick look revealed half a dozen 'little'uns' and a lot of feeding damage. Getting 'evidence' was to prove a little more difficult but this is the best I could do:
Next stop was the Blackthorn where feeding damage is very apparent but larva? ....... well, even with a hand lens I couldn't see any. I thought I would be the only one daft enough to be on a hill in these conditions, but no, a walk, birders I think, wrapped up in waterproof clothing with binoculars, were surveying the surroundings. How wise they were! The heavens opened and hailstones the size of golf balls were pelted down, soaking the back of my jumper as I bent over to take a shot of various Duke eggs. The first lot I discovered had not changed:
but the next pair had definitely changed, with one becoming very transparent:
There were some brief periods of sun and it was during these periods that the Dukes came out to play. There were not as many as I expected and most of them were looking very worn. With the conditions in my facour I decided to try to get a few 'stained glass' shots for Wurzel but certainly didn't reach his standard, my excuse (again ) being the wind
Just trying to take my mind off stuff really.

A few more Duke shots whilst I had the chance:
With the hailstones pelting down again I made my way off the site, stumbling over this Small Heath as he made a dive for cover:
I was Just approaching the car when I almost stepped on this chap:
I was concerned for his safety on such a track and also wanted to ID him so I have brought him home. I originally thought it was some type of moth but he seems to want to pupate and looking at the info on this site I am inclined to think it is a DGF. I cannot recall seeing one in this area so it is very possible I am wrong. Any ID would be appreciated.

Hi Pauline,

Looks good for DGF to me, great find

Andy

Hi Pauline,

Just catching up on your diary again, sorry to hear about your Parrot. I know what you mean about the weather, I drove through a nasty hailstorm on my way home from work this afternoon

Great Duke photos and I love that nice fresh female Common Blue in the previous report

All the best,

Neil.

Thanks for the confirmation A. - it's a lovely cat

I appreciate the comment Neil. I actually like the Duke shot with the old, yellow moss/lichen in the background but trying to get a nice composition with the wind buffeting the butterflies around is nigh impossible

Today started in quite a bizarre way with a young Starling sitting on top of my Gouldian Finch cage, waiting to greet me as I arrived with their breakfasts!!! Having had a walk around the coffee table and a look out of the window he was ready to make his exit. How he got in I have no idea!!
As I fed Chance, Foxy started to fit so after giving him some valium and settling him down, I resumed the morning feeds. I glanced up to see a local cat pestering my Blue Tit who is recuperating in an aviary from a cat attack which created another interruption. It was therefore rather late when I got round to checking my cats - something I do at least once a day and quite often many more times than that. I am fascinated by their development and take daily photos as a record of any changes. I am therefore very concerned that one of the cats seems to have disappeared (the little one). These cats have not moved very far from the leaf they are currently eating, gradually working their way down the stem of the plant. I am finding it hard to understand how a predator could have got into their cage after they have been in there for so long. I am wondering if it is possible that WA cats are predatory (given the difference in their size) - there is plenty of the food plant available but the larger one seems to have recently developed a voracious appetite. I hope it has just 'fallen off' the plant or something similar as I was really looking forward to seeing them emerge. Photos from the last few days enclosed:
I really hope the other one isn't at risk whatever the cause.

Another wonderful set of images on your recent posts...so unfortunate about that lovely little conure, we get so attached to the pets we share our lives with, Pepper will remain in your memories Pauline (happy ones!).

Kindest Regards,

Bill

"When in doubt - venture out"

Thank you Bill on both counts. I certainly have many memories of Pepper, mostly funny ones. For example, I have a very expensive leather swivel chair which he liked to sit under - Conure's like to get into little cubby holes! It took me a couple of months to realise he had stripped the bottom off it, pulled the stuffing out and was sitting INSIDE of it as I swivelled it round . I expect one of these days I shall sit on that chair and go straight down onto the floor!!!!!

It is so sad that a patch of local nettles can provide me with so much interest and entertainment I really need to get out more Lots of different insects on them - a few below:
I got back from shopping to find my first Large White of the season egg-laying on the greens I have planted for the rabbits!!!! I can see I shall have to check the leaves before I offer them up as rabbit food. I could not get close to her but managed a few shots, all fairly similar:

Some great photos Pauline, love the cats. Hope the little one turns up
I tried to rescue a Wood Pigeon that had been attacked by a bird of Prey in our garden, to no avail, the bird got away and we tried to capture it to take it to a wild bird Hospital, we had a box and every thing ready but when we went out to capture it with a towel it flew away this was Monday, today we saw it in the garden it came and took some bird seed, it was still rather slow with it's wing rather trailing slightly but it's flying okay and eating, also it's got a mate who seems to be watching over it and it's female which we didn't know I hope it comes back to the garden so I can keep an eye on it.

Thank's for your invite Pauline, we'd love to come your way but I think this year it's going to be FW in North Hampton looking for Purple E, Lakes, in June for Large H and in August Sussex for Brown H in between I've promised to visit my daughter in Kent. Hope fully I'll see some WW's in Sussex . Now I'm out of Breath Goldie

Some great reports and shots recently Pauline I reckon your third stained glass Duke is a gem, and one that I'd like in my collection Look out for the Nettle Moth in a few weeks time, they're a great little moth

Have a goodun

Wurzel

I have replied to your diary Goldie re bird. It sounds like you've got a really busy time lined up, phew!

Thank you Wurzel - you are very kind but you are much better than me at those type of shots. I was just trying to take advantage of the weather and use it in my favour. Reckon I need a bit more practice tho

It has been raining (drizzling) here for most of the day but nothing new there. It certainly was not going to stop me having a quick trip out to look for Small Blues at Paulsgrove but it was the first time I have been accompanied by a pink umbrella
The pink umbrella found the most beautiful female Common Blue, but as usual the weather (wind and rain) got in the way of the photos.
Roosting Blues were plentiful and easy to find and there were several females with upper sides that were more blue than brown tho' catching them with wings open was a challenge.
Whilst searching my companion found a nest of Lackey moth caterpillars – quite a sight.
However, my main target was the Small Blue and eventually we found what I was looking for. They seemed content to pose amongst the raindrops.

Loving the first small blue photo with the raindrops!

Agreed, that first Small Blue is a beautiful image

All the best,

Neil.

Lovely photos once again Pauline, whenI track out in the rain I never find a thing tell me your secret Goldie