www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Great shot Roger and very evocative...
I too remember getting interested in butterflies and moths (during the late 1960's) due to a similar collection held by a man who used to live across the road to me. In the days before digital cameras, getting the chance to see set specimens seemed the only real way to discover how beautiful they really were. Fortunately things have changed now, but it did give me a lifelong interest in insects of all kinds. I spent much of the next couple of years popping over the road with a new-found insect for him to identify and must have really got on his nerves. He gave me various books, one of which he inscribed "to a budding entomoligist" and they really fired my enthusiasm.
We also used to go looking for Privet hawk moth caterpillars on the bushes on our estate in Cambridge and the knack of finding "the squishiest black barrel under the bush" (their faeces) and looking directly above that on a privet bush to discover the caterpillar something I am still quite good at today .
Thanks for posting the pic - it really takes me back to those innocent days of youth.



Trev

Trevor:

.....collection held by a man who used to live across the road to me. In the days before digital cameras, getting the chance to see set specimens.....

Of course today, no adult would dare invite a youngster to look at his insect collection. It is so sad how much the younger generation has lost as a result of media paranoia, media paranoia that has instilled in the public conscience that every adult is a paedophile.

Jack

Yes - I too remember collecting Elephant Hawk moths caterpillars (both kinds) from a local disused railway track which was full of Willowherb. Me and my friend got the "knack", as Trev says, of looking up from below a patch and seeing those tell-tale shapes on the plants. It was an eye-opener to see just how many were victims of paracites too; and the reward of seeing the full-grown moths emerge was fantastic. However, it was also noticeable that our skills had an effect on the populations that we took the caterpillars from; the next couple of years produced very few caterpillars in our favourite patch. It made me realise that the number of caterpillars was finite and that we HAD made a big difference on that one patch.
Aged 9, I decided that it was not such a good idea to take so many caterpillars from one place; in fact it made me stop taking them all together. Since I did not know how many were out there, I did not want the responsibility of taking the LAST one of anything....I guess this Damascene moment has informed my views ever since...
N

jackharr wrote:Trevor:

.....collection held by a man who used to live across the road to me. In the days before digital cameras, getting the chance to see set specimens.....

Of course today, no adult would dare invite a youngster to look at his insect collection. Jack

Indeed. Where I go locally to get my butterfly fix backs onto a pub. Whilst I am stalking I regularly get interested kids, bored with the pub garden, asking me what I am doing. Of course I am delighted that they show an interest and they always want to look at the photos I have taken. As kids, they also want to follow me round and ask questions about the butterflies I am chasing. However, as Jack pointed out, these days, any action that could be misconstrued must be carefully considered. I know that firing their enthusiasm would be a good thing, especially at a young age; however, I find myself asking them if their parents know where they are and suggesting it would be a good idea if they went to let them know they are OK.
What a shame it has come to this! I don't really know what IS the best course of action in these cases....
N

I used to have a paper round and one day after delivering the paper, I was stood watching Tortoiseshells by the front door of this big house when a gentleman opened the door and asked what I was doing. I told him about the butterflies.

This was perhaps late 1980's I think and I was probably just about teenager, so had been interested for a couple of years.

Anyway, he said I should have a look at his cabinet (which was just inside the front door, otherwise I probably wouldn't have ventured in) in which he a had a collection of set specimens in a big cabinet with lots of drawers.

I would maybe think twice about going into any stranger's house now though but even 20 years ago some things seemed more innocent. Maybe it was just me, dunno. However, not everyone is evil, some people are just nice.

I have a friends three year old twins to share my love of butterflies with now though and it's great to see thier faces light up when they see one.

Cheers

Lee

Well,,we all fantasise about things Lee. The thing is,,,not to let our fantasies enter into your real life. As Bob Dylan said,, "If my thought dreams could be seen,,,,they'd probably put my head in a guillotine."

That's a lovely photo, Roger.

Hmmm, what are you saying Zonda, even nice people have evil thoughts but normal people keep them as just thoughts?

I'm not going to argue with Saint Bob though

Lee

As Bob Dylan said,, "If my thought dreams could be seen,,,,they'd probably put my head in a guillotine."

In most cases, not the guillotine but the Divorce Courts

Jack

Jack said

In most cases, not the guillotine but the Divorce Courts

Sadly, this is where a lot of us end up these days. It happens when your fantasies run over, and spill onto your marriage like a cup of tea onto a nice clean table cloth. Or when you have more money than you can hope to spend in a lifetime. I think we all have them, we cant help it. Sorry Lee i wasn't inferring anything,,,honest. Gosh,,gotta watch what you say on here.

Lee said

Hmmm, what are you saying Zonda, even nice people have evil thoughts but normal people keep them as just thoughts?

It's called being civilised. It's what separates us from all other mammals. This is something we are learning to our cost at the moment. We aren't born civilised, it has to be taught to us by our parents. If parents don't do this, we end up with generations of offspring that have no moral code at all. This has nothing to do with religion by the way, because if you base all of your morality on what is basically a myth, when the myth is exploded, morality is lost. This is one of the problems our modern society faces, and so far its beating us. Have i wandered off subject again?

Hey Zonda,

Very profound, and quite true. Society certianly isn't what it was, even when I was a lad not that long ago. And I think a lot of it is down to parenting (in my opinion).

No worries and no offence taken earlier, I just had my debating head on that's all!

Cheers

Lee

I know,,,it has to be done eh? I like a good debate.

It's one of the things that makes us a democracy!

You seen anything today Lee?

Not a sausage. I went to my local cemetery this afternoon as the sun was out but not a single Lep to be seen.

Any luck for you Zonda?

My sightings today were in the garden, i posted them in Oct. sightings.

Jack said: In most cases, not the guillotine but the Divorce Courts

Zonda:

Sadly, this is where a lot of us end up these days.

It's my Silver Wedding next spring, my best effort so far

Jack

Nice one Jack. You'll be in with a chance if you can get her tipsy.

Not quite a Rogues Gallery mugshot but fame for me at last

Idle surfing unearthed a "Jack Harrison Park" in Oz. Not so impressed though with the stress on some of its facilities nor the extremely Non-PC blurb on the website banner

http://www.toiletmap.gov.au/toilet.aspx ... 3952e28ca7

Jack