Jack Harrison

[Jack Harrison]

Great Chishill (South Cambs) village website

I have been asked to try to encourage interest in our butterflies.

http://www.greatchishill.org.uk/subpage ... flies.html

(I am not responsible for the editing!)

Jack

[Zonda]

Cracking village website, and really informative butterfly info and pics. Every village should have one.

[Jack Harrison]

Thanks Zonda. I hope the village website notes might inspire greater interest.

I actually got some direct face-to-face interest today when I met a dog walker (dog carrier might be a better word - it was a tiny nervous dog). I showed him Tortoiseshell and Comma and he seemed genuinely interested. He in return told me about his early morning badgers, the huge herd of Fallow Deer.



female Tortie and friend.

Jack

[Jack Harrison]

Just got this. It appeals to an old aviator.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKfGeLoJ ... r_embedded

Jack

[Jack Harrison]

3rd April 2011

Local 75 minute walk late morning. One particular Brimstone was interesting. When cloud covered the sun, within a few moments it stopped patrolling – no surprise there. But it chose to rest on the ground between tussocks of grass. I had not before seen them take temporary rest other than in shrubs.

No new species for year until I got back into the garden. A newly emerged Small White flopped onto a plant and could hardly fly. But after a few minutes it warmed up and then chose a delightfully scenic place to land.

Jack

[Susie]

3rd April 2011

Local 75 minute walk late morning. One particular Brimstone was interesting. When cloud covered the sun, within a few moments it stopped patrolling – no surprise there. But it chose to rest on the ground between tussocks of grass. I had not before seen them take temporary rest other than in shrubs.

It's interesting you should mention that, Jack. I was going to mention something yesterday in my diary and forgot. I watched a brimstone flying and then, as the weather had turned particularly cold, cloudy and threatened rain it settled low down in an area of dog wood scrub. I saw it go down so made my way over to the particular area of plants to get a photo but it was nowhere to be found. I searched the whole area and it was certain it hadn't flown away but no sign so I eventually gave up. The whole area is pocked with rabbit or possibly fox holes and only afterwards did I wonder if the brimstone had entered one of these to sit out the threatening rain storm.

Beautiful photo of the white too.

[Zonda]

Chasing butterflies in spring, is like chasing young women, when 50 plus. Tiring, and not too fruitful.

[Jack Harrison]

Zonda bemoaned getting old:

Chasing butterflies in spring, is like chasing young women, when 50 plus. Tiring, and not too fruitful.

Well I wasn't quite 50 when I met my present (and final) wife. I was a sprightly 45 year old, she a mere youngster of 29. Our fourth child was born when I was 53.

So sometimes it does work out.

Jack

[NickB]

The whole area is pocked with rabbit or possibly fox holes and only afterwards did I wonder if the brimstone had entered one of these to sit out the threatening rain storm.
Beautiful photo of the white too.

Yes - nice white Jack; blossom makes a much more acceptable backdrop.....

I too Susie am thinking of rabbit warrens and badger sets as places for our hibernators. Out on the Fleam Dyke it is riddled with rabbits and 2 or 3 large badger sets; the entrance to one set was 2 feet tall and lined with blocks of stone and chalk, a perfect place to hide-away. Another feature of the badger sets was a lot of nettles around the holes where they dumped their old bedding - perfect for the nettle eaters too......
Yes, where DO brimstones go when the sun isn't shining, they just melt away!
N

[NickB]

Chasing butterflies in spring, is like chasing young women, when 50 plus. Tiring, and not too fruitful.

Yes, Zonda - but only to a point; you never can stop chasing them....

Spring is when young men have that certain look in their eye; older men have that look too, only slightly more wistful....
N

[Zonda]

By the Lord Harry,,, you cut that fine, i was a dad at 21, and if i'm honest i was ill prepared. However,,, my 39 year old son still loves me dearly, and his kids are a joy. Your grandchildren are going to kick in when you are on yer deathbed, or after, and that's the reason i would advocate hitching up at a young age. Also,,, i think its about having the energy to be a great DAD, and if you are over 50, that is less likely... Summing up,,,, baby making is for young people, and having sex for pleasure may be extended into our twilight years, but this pointless occupation soon becomes obvious, and the love of nature takes over. In short, we stop procreating, and start to enjoy the world around us.

[Gibster]

Ooh 'eck Zonda...whatever happens, don't mix your words mate, will you?

I'm hoping (in time!) to disagree with your last couple of remarks. 'Course that's still decades away...

Gibster.

PS- First Orange-tip today, cue a sharp intake as it flew past my face. That's how it happens for me, even after all this time.

[Vince Massimo]

3rd April 2011. Local 75 minute walk late morning. One particular Brimstone was interesting. When cloud covered the sun, within a few moments it stopped patrolling – no surprise there. But it chose to rest on the ground between tussocks of grass. I had not before seen them take temporary rest other than in shrubs.

It's interesting you should mention that, Jack. I was going to mention something yesterday in my diary and forgot. I watched a brimstone flying and then, as the weather had turned particularly cold, cloudy and threatened rain it settled low down in an area of dog wood scrub. I saw it go down so made my way over to the particular area of plants to get a photo but it was nowhere to be found. I searched the whole area and it was certain it hadn't flown away but no sign so I eventually gave up. The whole area is pocked with rabbit or possibly fox holes and only afterwards did I wonder if the brimstone had entered one of these to sit out the threatening rain storm.

Yes, where DO brimstones go when the sun isn't shining, they just melt away!

Hi Jack, Susie and Nick,

I have observed Brimstones roosting under bramble leaves when the sun goes in or the temperature drops. There is a lot of detailed information on this behaviour here:

http://www.learnaboutbutterflies.com/Br ... rhamni.htm.

Vince

[Susie]

this pointless occupation soon becomes obvious, and the love of nature takes over. In short, we stop procreating, and start to enjoy the world around us.

The wiser you are, the sooner the truth of this is realised!

Thanks for the link, Vince.

[Jack Harrison]

At last, an Orange Tip.

Also at Wood Walton Marsh (to north of Huntingdon), first GV White of year. I had to chase it the length of the marsh to wait for it to settle to confirm the i/d. Those of you familiar with Wood Walton Marsh will no doubt be impressed with my energy in managing this athletic feat.

An amazing 23°C in the Cambridge area.

Jack

[Jack Harrison]

Local patch is always late due to height above sea level of about 130 metres *(426 ft 6 1/8th inches)*

But today, two firsts for season, 3 x Holly Blue, 1 x Speckled Wood. And first Orange Tips at this locality.

*Now doesn’t that look absurd? But the BBC and many others do exactly that, convert a round number to an impossibly precise number. My 130 metres was to two significant figures, ie give-or-take five metres.

Today for example, BBC has an article about a WW2 German Bomber found off the Kent Coast that: “sank some 50 ft (15.24m) to the bottom”. So the “some 50 ft” mysteriously becomes accurate to the centimetre. I know a lot of school kids throw up their hands in horror at maths lessons and claim they don’t need to understand if they are to become journalists, writers, etc. I’m sorry, but that some of nonsense on the BBC and elsewhere is just plain ignorant.*

Jack

[Jack Harrison]

Saturday 9th April.
Arranged a Green Hairstreak hunt with Nick Ballard (NickB) at Devils Dyke Cambridgeshire where the old railway cutting crosses the Dyke near Burwell TL575652. Just to the southeast of the five-barred gate in the bottom of the dyke was fantastic for Green Hairstreaks. In a 100 metre stretch, we reckoned there were some 15 individuals. Initially, while still coolish at 0930 hours, they stayed low and liked perching on small nettles. But as it warmed, the butterflies became move active and then preferred bushes, eg hawthorn. But they remained very approachable.



Jack

[Zonda]

Gawd!!! i know its gonna be the same as 2010, when i tried my hardest. Running all over the Cerne Giant to no avail. Maybe the GH is not for me..... It maybe my NEMESIS BUTTERFLY, common ,but unattainable, like the damned Jay.
My Waxwing year was the same... NONE EVENTFUL. Sorry to burden you Jack.

[Jack Harrison]

Susie in action.



and some good camouflage. It was very easy to lose sight of it even when you knew where it was resting when the sun had gone in.



Jack

[Trev Sawyer]

Apologies for dropping into your diary Jack, but when you went to Mepal for Wall butterfly last year, which drain did you walk along? I think you told me the west bank of the Hundred Foot, or was it the Old Bedford or Counterwash which all head North East from roughly the same point? I am hoping to go for a "look-see" sometime in May. I am familiar with the area from my winter pike fishing days, but have never visited in "butterfly mode".

Trev