www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Hi Nick,

Just seen your beautiful Wood White on the yellow broom. Lovely composition and beautiful colour.

Keep up the good work.

Kind regards. Mark

Hi Mark,

Thankyou for your kind remarks on my W.W. photo, your comments are always appreciated.

All the best,

Nick.

Chiddingfold Wood, 21 May 2012
I found these two fresh Grizzled Skippers copulating, and thought wow as this was only the second time that i had witnessed this. I took a record shot as i aways do before setting my camera up the way i want it, but as soon as i had done this, they parted and flew off. So i thought i would stay late to photograph them roosting, if i could find them that is. But i did`nt, but i did come across these two sharing a Hardhead.Which is something i have never seen before. So it paid off staying late on this occasion, and as you all know it does`nt always work out like that.

Heyshott, 22 May 2012

I visited Heyshott Escarpment with Mark [Colvin] today where i saw my first ever Duke of Burgundys. Mark showed me around, and a lot of hard graft has gone on here. Mark, Neil Hulme, The Murray downland Trust and all the other volunteers are to be congratulated on their marvellous efforts here, paving the way for a better future for the D.OF B. butterfly.

The weather conditions were not ideal for the butterfly nor the photographer, and i struggled to get a picture at all. But i was pleased to get this shot of a female. And also this record shot of this male aberration,which i can tell you was`nt easy, and the best i could do under the circumstances. He just would not rest up with its wings open, and when he did the wind would blow them all over the place. But all in all a most enjoyable day, thanks Mark.

I disagree with you Nick that is a cracking shot of the aberration as it allows a comparison of the hind and fore wing - it looks almost bleached out on the hind wing. I'm sure Piers or Guy will be able to produce a name for it unless it's some form of heat shock during development?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

This resembles one I saw at Totternhoe - wasn't sure if it was just normal variation or not.
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Dave

Well Wurzel, this has got to be the first time i`m really happy that someone disagrees with me, thankyou. Much appreciated.

Dave the hindwing that you see in the photo is the only one affected by the discolouration, the other hindwing being perfectly normal. I think Wurzel could be right, that it is some form of heat shock during development, which has caused the discolouration. But who knows? Where as your D.of B. has two dark hindwings which is also abnormal, which i can`t explain either.

All the best to you both,

Nick.

Kithurst Hill, 25 May 2012

Late evening, roosting time for the Small Blues..

26 May 2012

I returned to Kithurst Hill early morning, 7.30, hoping to find the Small Blues still roosting, but i could only find the one.Also i found a small snail about 10mm in size. but what i found to be interesting and unusual with this particular snail is that it had a disc attached to the rear of its body,i have never seen anything like it before. My only explanation is that it is used to close the entrance to the shell once the snail had retreated within. Its very own door.Other butterflies seen, Orange-Tip, Dingy and Grizzled Skippers, male and female Common Blue, Speckled Wood, Large White, and a very tatty Duke of Burgundy.

26 May 2012 continued

After leaving Kithurst Hill i popped in at Chiddingfold Wood on my way home to see if i could find a Green Haistreak. After a lot of searching a female appeared, flying around she eventually landed. I watched her through the lens of my camera trying to lay an egg, i say trying because she seemed to be going through the motions of copulating without actually depositing an egg, i watched her do this over a dozen times until she at last produced an egg. Most peculiar behaviour i thought.Other butterflies seen. Dingy and Grizzled skippers, 20 + Wood Whites, Brimstone, Speckled Wood.
On my way back to the car i came across a male Broad-Bodied Chaser flying up and down a water filled ditch [with one or two Newts showing themselves every now and again]. As soon as a female B.B.Chaser appeared the male would pounce, copulating in mid-air. While i was standing there watching this amazing spectacle he managed to mate with three seperate females all whilst in flight,it was just wonderful to witness.

1st June 2012

I was in my garden photographing a newly emerged Large Red Damselfly by my pond when this male Grey Squirrel came bounding towards me, so i turned the camera on him, and took a couple of shots before he decided he and humans do not mix and made a run for it.How do i now its a male...

Hi Nick,
I think your unusual snail is a round mouthed snail (Pomatias elegans) - which has a very characteristic shell and a hard operculum (which means "little lid") with which it covers the opening in the shell.
This keeps predators out and moisture in. Good find
They move along in an unusual way compared to the more common snails we find in the UK... Because of their hard operculum, they slide one half of their foot in front of the other and are therefore also called "shuffler snails".

Trev

Hi Trev,

You`re quite right about it being a round-mouthed snail. I had a look on google, its rather uncommon, but how rare i could`nt find out. Made an interesting read. You`re a mind of information. Thankyou for the ID much appreciated.

All the best,

Nick.

1st June 2012 continued

A couple of posts back i submitted a photo of a male Grey Squirrel, ending the post by saying, "how do i know its a male"...2nd shot,same Squirrel.

Chiddingfold Wood, 1st June 2012 continued
I was fortunate to come across this Wood White ovipositing on this particular trip to C.W., i watched her lay this egg,and decided to watch her to see if she laid any more. She infact laid another two. But just like the Green Hairstreak i reported on five days before, this female Wood White also made three dummy runs inbetween laying each egg,going through the motions of ovipositing without actually depositing an egg, which i have no idea why. Each egg was laid on the same type of plant, Bird`s-Foot-Trefoil, and on all six occasions [including the dummy runs] the plant she picked out for her egg was small and isolated, never once choosing a large clump of Bird`s-Foot-Trefoil to deposit an egg, even though she did look at larger patches of this plant.

Chiddingfold Wood, 1st June 2012 continued

A few weeks ago i posted some pictures of the Spider Agalenatea Redii,well i believe this following photo depicts the egg sac of this particular species.The egg sac is a beautiful structure which totally depicts the skills of not just this particular spider, but spiders in general.

Chiddingfold Wood 1st June continued
I found this female Adder on the side of the track heading towards the triangle, she moved off before i could get a photo the first time ,so i went back later, and got this picture before she slithered away for the second time.

Great shot, I found one about on April 28 on the south side of the triangle, just over the ditch.

Cracking shot there Nick! I was at Botany Bay with Philzoid yesterday and half expected to run into you there- maybe next time?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Hi Colin and Wurzel,

Thankyou both for your kind comments on my female Adder photo.

Colin where you saw your Adder is close to where i saw the female black Adder.

Wurzel i`m sorry i missed you yesterday, it would have been nice to meet you at last, but the wife pinched my car for the day.

All the best to you both,

Nick.