www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Just to thanks to all who contributed to the common/silver studded debate especially Adrian as it prompted some great informed comment from some very knowledgeable people and for me this is what this site is all about - everyone can put forward their suggestions without fear nor favour. My river keeper friend has subsequently been prompted to join the site and also set up a transect on the estate as a result - so good news all round.
Thanks very much for all of your expertise
Kind regards
Mark

Isle of Mull 30th

Wonders never cease. It's been a shocking season so far but today the sun has shone.
I saw seven - yes 7 - GV Whites, two Small Heaths and what presumably was a fast flying DG Fritillary.
The weather has been quite sparkling.

That's a forest road right through what last year was good Small PB Frit country. But I guess swings and roundabouts. The forestry activities have opened up new clearings that in due course will be fine habitats for a few years.

Jack

It was a hot afternoon on the last day of June and the sun was a demon
I took Red for a walk in a hot Sefton park and I found a Red Admiral
It was tatted and torn a bit battered and warn but still flying strong
I waited for it to land and with camera in hand I got some photos

Reddog - I like those 'charmed life' photos. beats my avatar, easy.

Reddog wrote:It was a hot afternoon on the last day of June and the sun was a demon
I took Red for a walk in a hot Sefton park and I found a Red Admiral
It was tatted and torn a bit battered and warn but still flying strong
I waited for it to land and with camera in hand I got some photos

Perfectly viable.

I have seen aged and battle scarred male Purple Emperors in the wild successfully fly down fresh females at the end of a vigorous courtship flight in that sort of state.

Month old tatty males in captivity still very virile and give 100% ova fertility with fairly fresh ( two-three day old ) females.

On Monday I headed back to Danesway Bank, Gloucestershire for some unfinished business with Large Blue - pleasingly it was much quieter than my last visit 12 days ago, then it was far too busy to enjoy any sense of peace and quiet, whatever, on Monday I knocked my tally for both visits up to at least 35 individuals and had the pleasure to study the process of egg-laying by several different females.
Many were photographed in full open-wing pose; taking advantage of the hot sunny conditions
The image below is in keeping with the above thread on worn butterflies, this poor Large Blue is both battered and mite infested yet continued to get on with life...poor little critter
Full details of my visit can be found on my Personal Diary

Bill

"When in doubt - venture out"

That open wing large Blue is perhaps the best picture I have seen of that species.

I saw a couple of Large Blues at Daneway some 10 years ago but I think that introduction subsequently failed. The latest re-introduction is clearly far more successful. That had been talk of the need to source from a donor stock that had a two year cycle as that might have been the life cycle of the original indigenous Large Blues in the Cotswolds. Can anyone throw light on this?

Jack

I heard the same rumour some years ago about the original Cotswold colonies consisting of 2-year cycled Large Blues. But I didn’t understand why the microclimate requirements of a subspecies from Sweden would be satisfied in Somerset but wouldn’t work in the Cotswolds.

Hi Gang
You're gonna love this (part two)
You may remember the saga regarding my Silver-studded Blue misidentification. Firstly, thank you for all the kind mails that followed.
Do you also remember the 'Daneway Blue' that I discussed? Well, having just been phoned by a butterfly specialist at BC, he totally agrees with my original identification of Silver-studded (male!!) rather than an a form of Large Blue. Of course, SSB should not be at this site but it appears there may have been an unauthorised introduction there. I 'knew' i was right in the first place but did not feel it proper to challenge the warden's 'authority'.
Let this be a lesson to us all. Stick by your guns until the ammunition runs out.
Kindest regards,
Adrian

Ps. It's good to get one right! A

Adrian Riley

knew [he] was right in the first place [about i/d of peculiar blue] but did not feel it proper to challenge the warden's 'authority'.

I have a brilliant idea that would avoid future mis-identification.

We should all carry a net with us to collect such strange butterflies. Then future generations could analyse using the successor to present day DNA techniques........

Jack

Jack Harrison wrote:That open wing large Blue is perhaps the best picture I have seen of that species

I'm really flattered Jack, thank you

Bill

"When in doubt - venture out"

Reddog wrote:It was a hot afternoon on the last day of June and the sun was a demon
I took Red for a walk in a hot Sefton park and I found a Red Admiral
It was tatted and torn a bit battered and warn but still flying strong
I waited for it to land and with camera in hand I got some photos

I think Bobby Goldsboro must have been accompanying you, or has someone already said that?

Deja Vu
and they were turning into butterflies above our forum