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Re: Bugboys mission
Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 4:47 pm
by trevor
Thanks, Bugboy, I'll take your word for it. Thanks for your input. The gold markings were spectacular,
just like gold leaf.
Have a great season,
TREVOR.
Re: Bugboys mission
Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 6:10 pm
by bugboy
Thanks
Goldie, yes I've had a very good few days
No problem
Trever. Some of those micros are stunning if you look at them properly, it's just finding them in the first place!
Re: Bugboys mission
Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 9:24 pm
by Wurzel
Great stuff Buggy - and great news about the Glanville's - hopefully they come to fruition!
Have a goodun
Wurzel
Re: Bugboys mission
Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2015 6:09 pm
by bailey1409
Hi there
Just seen your Beautiful Carpet image, I hope that you don't mind me saying, but to me it looks like a Scorched Carpet.
Cheers
Maurice
Re: Bugboys mission
Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2015 9:49 pm
by bugboy
bailey1409 wrote:Hi there
Just seen your Beautiful Carpet image, I hope that you don't mind me saying, but to me it looks like a Scorched Carpet.
Cheers
Maurice
Thanks, all comments welcomed Maurice, and I just checked my ID guide (which I should've done properly first time round rather than just flicking through to get the scientific name
![Embarassed :oops:](./images/smilies/icon_redface.gif)
) and you're right it is a Scorched Carpet!
Re: Bugboys mission
Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2015 9:42 pm
by bugboy
Spent a few hours pootling round my local patch to end a wonderful April. Not masses going on, a couple of Peacocks, single Comma and S Tortoiseshell. Lots of whites, mostly GV as far as I could tell, getting whisked along with the brisk wind. One male Small White did settle for me though. A male Holly blue also settled near me and attempted to bask but just as I was about to get my first open winged shot of the year he was literally blown of his feet and vanished over the hedge. The only other species was a single male Orange-tip patroling.
Here's a few other inhabitants of my local patch today:
![Hoverfly (Helophilus pendulus), Walthastow Marshes #1.JPG (1.23 MiB) Viewed 7441 times Hoverfly (Helophilus pendulus)](./files/thumb_13753_93aef89d503f856951ff4eabf5825c48)
- Hoverfly (Helophilus pendulus)
![Mistle Thrush, Walthamstow Marshes #2.JPG (899.47 KiB) Viewed 7441 times Mistle Thrush](./files/thumb_13753_75bb51e1f39ff78e0dc1b15956f7f666)
- Mistle Thrush
![Hairy Shieldbug, Walthamstow Marshes '15 #3.JPG (778.72 KiB) Viewed 7441 times Hairy Shieldbug](./files/thumb_13753_837e32fbcaaddcbcec4b8334732b3bad)
- Hairy Shieldbug
April has been the month where the butterfly seaon really kicked off for me, 14 species now ticked off including 3 lifers (and 16 if we include other stages adding 2 more lifers as larvae)
I wonder what May will bring?
Re: Bugboys mission
Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2015 9:48 pm
by Wurzel
Nice Holly Blue Buggy - it's surprising how many HB's I've seen recently perched on anything but Holly or Ivy
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Digging the Shieldbug too!
Have a goodun
Wurzel
Re: Bugboys mission
Posted: Fri May 01, 2015 7:42 pm
by bugboy
Thanks Wurzel
May has started cloudy and a little chilly but I thought a little trundle around Chobham Common might bring up something interesting (secretly hoping for Green Hairstreaks). The bare sandy ground and sheltered paths running through the Gorze might just be enough to make something active. As it turned out, 4 hours walking around brought just two glimpses of Speckled Woods, not even a wind swept white! Luckily I always pack my binoculars so I filled the lack of butterflies with a bit of twitching. Wood larks, Stonechats, Whitethroats, Blackcaps, Garden Warbler (a lifer for me), various Tits, Goldcrest all showing well and a Red Kite drifted over quite low several times.
Took a whole set of him as he soared past
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
, my favourite UK bird of prey.
some other bits and pieces:
![Common Heath male, Chobham Common #3.JPG (809.11 KiB) Viewed 7425 times Male Common Heath moth](./files/thumb_13753_29b1c2070d3a9f5182a6f374226e44d6)
- Male Common Heath moth
![Longhorn Moth (Adela reaumurella) Chobham Common #1.JPG (1.19 MiB) Viewed 7425 times Female longhorn moth, Adela reaumurella I think.](./files/thumb_13753_9aa4b08e5a05e961175b78d14fbb1758)
- Female longhorn moth, Adela reaumurella I think.
![St. Marks Fly, Chobham Common #4.JPG (588.96 KiB) Viewed 7425 times St. Marks Fly](./files/thumb_13753_bc4cf63a74f5ab34a4c9f4a712b696d7)
- St. Marks Fly
![Orb Spider(Agalenatea redii), Chobham Common #5.JPG (875.23 KiB) Viewed 7425 times Orb Spider (Agalenatea redii)](./files/thumb_13753_2cc1de121e292c8fd517c41d4ac6f04d)
- Orb Spider (Agalenatea redii)
and I few things I can't name, suggestions welcomed from you intelligent bunch
Spider egg sac?
Thought the leaves would make this easy but can't find anything in my books
Thanks for browsing
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Re: Bugboys mission
Posted: Fri May 01, 2015 7:45 pm
by Butterflysaurus rex
Just catching up with your diary Bugboy, I particlarly enjoyed your Glanville Fritillary larvae sequence.
Best Wishes
James
Re: Bugboys mission
Posted: Fri May 01, 2015 8:56 pm
by peterc
bugboy wrote:Thanks Wurzel
May has started cloudy and a little chilly but I thought a little trundle around Chobham Common might bring up something interesting (secretly hoping for Green Hairstreaks). The bare sandy ground and sheltered paths running through the Gorze might just be enough to make something active. As it turned out, 4 hours walking around brought just two glimpses of Speckled Woods, not even a wind swept white! Luckily I always pack my binoculars so I filled the lack of butterflies with a bit of twitching. Wood larks, Stonechats, Whitethroats, Blackcaps, Garden Warbler (a lifer for me), various Tits, Goldcrest all showing well and a Red Kite drifted over quite low several times.
Red Kite, Chobham Common #1.JPG
Red Kite, Chobham Common #2.JPG
Red Kite, Chobham Common #13.JPG
Red Kite, Chobham Common #14.JPG
Took a whole set of him as he soared past
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
, my favourite UK bird of prey.
some other bits and pieces:
Common Heath male, Chobham Common #3.JPG
Longhorn Moth (Adela reaumurella) Chobham Common #1.JPG
St. Marks Fly, Chobham Common #4.JPG
St. Marks Fly, Chobham Common #6.JPG
Orb Spider(Agalenatea redii), Chobham Common #5.JPG
and I few things I can't name, suggestions welcomed from you intelligent bunch
IMG_6372.JPG
Spider egg sac?
IMG_6307.JPG
IMG_6308.JPG
Thought the leaves would make this easy but can't find anything in my books
IMG_6368.JPG
Thanks for browsing
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Buggy, I think the pink flower is Lousewort
Pedicularis sylvatica. I happened to come across a few of these plants just a mile from home on Wednesday and scarce in Hertfordshire
Peter
Re: Bugboys mission
Posted: Fri May 01, 2015 9:07 pm
by Wurzel
Great set of shots of Buggy, I too have seen the first plant that you feature and don't have a clue what it is, so hopefully someone else will be able to help us both out
Have a goodun
Wurzel
Re: Bugboys mission
Posted: Sat May 02, 2015 11:37 am
by bugboy
peterc wrote:Buggy, I think the pink flower is Lousewort
Pedicularis sylvatica. I happened to come across a few of these plants just a mile from home on Wednesday and scarce in Hertfordshire
Peter
Thanks Peter, it does match up in my Guides
Also found out that the funny white lantern thing is indeed a spider egg sac,
Agroeca sp. Commonly called Fairy-lamp spiders
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Re: Bugboys mission
Posted: Sun May 03, 2015 8:40 pm
by bugboy
In search of Duke's
So May is already wetter than April, not the best start but since I'm getting massively jealous of all the Duke Of Burgundy pictures I took a chance this afternoon when the weather seemed to be clearing up a bit. One of the sites I'd singled out over the winter, near Tring, was my target. It seemed relatively easy to get to. As it turned out it was easier than I thought, half an hour on the train and a 10 minute walk
Getting there the weather was still unable to make up it's mind what to do, April and May seem to have swapped this year. Not entirely sure exactly where the Dukes supposedly hang out here but there is a lot of Cowslip everywhere. A little wandering around as the clouds thickened produced nothing much and then the cloud thickened a lot and for 20 minutes I sheltered under a beech tree as the heavens opened.
Wasn't looking too good but venturing out I did find a female Orange-tip who had taken shelter on some Cowslips, probably not as camouflaged as she was hoping for but it was my first chance this year to get up close to a female and she did look very pretty surrounded by the yellow flowers:) The sun tried to come out a couple of times, each time she was tempted to fly off only for it to vanish again until eventually she took off and vanished half way up a Beech tree!
As it turned out she was the Only butterfly I was to see. I did spend a bit of time looking at cowslip leaves....just in case, but no. Lots and lots of Garlic Mustard around and I did find a fair few Orange-tip eggs though, my first of the year.
So I remain jealous of everyone elses pictures for now. Not entirely sure if it is still an active site for Dukes but to my untrained eye's it looks perfect, a mosiac of sheltered rough chalk grassland, open woodland and riddled with Cowslips.
And to finish here's a couple of other inhabitants:
![Cardinal Beetle, Aldbury Nowers Nature Reserve #12.JPG (613.78 KiB) Viewed 7383 times Cardinal Beetle](./files/thumb_13753_ff8905aa113ebfbcc01f23cdeaa3a3a3)
- Cardinal Beetle
![Orange Ladybird, Aldbury Nowers Nature Reserve #3.JPG (749.77 KiB) Viewed 7383 times Orange Ladybird](./files/thumb_13753_41754891230efa5988f232d53f027906)
- Orange Ladybird
Re: Bugboys mission
Posted: Sun May 03, 2015 8:53 pm
by Wurzel
I too didn't have any success with Dukes today Buggy but I hoping that it's because they haven't emerged over this way yet (no reports in Wiltshire still)
![Confused :?](./images/smilies/icon_confused.gif)
Great shot of the Orange Ladybird - Philzoid was telling me about those today, I'd like to see one
Have a goodun
Wurzel
Re: Bugboys mission
Posted: Mon May 04, 2015 5:52 am
by Pauline
Those Kite shots are great Buggy
![Mr. Green :mrgreen:](./images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif)
I haven't seen too many Kites so still get excited by them - especially when 3 were above my garden recently for the first time
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Re: Bugboys mission
Posted: Mon May 04, 2015 8:47 am
by kevling
Buggy,
Nice find with the Orange tip egg. I'm struggling to the butterfly itself this spring, let alone an egg
Regards Kev
Re: Bugboys mission
Posted: Mon May 04, 2015 9:34 am
by peterc
Buggy,
Sorry you didn't find the Duke yesterday. Was the place you visited Duchie's Piece in Aldbury Nowers NR? Although one of the best butterfly sites in Hertfordshire the Duke, unfortunately, is no longer found there but I could be wrong
ATB
Peter
Re: Bugboys mission
Posted: Mon May 04, 2015 7:30 pm
by bugboy
Thanks
Wurzel, Orange Ladybirds are quite widespread so you have every chance of stumbling across one in your travels, I see them quite often
Thanks
Pauline, I don't get Kites near me so whenever I go outside London I always keep an eye out for them. I'm quite chuffed they came out since they were taken with my 105mm Macro lense!
I've been quite lucky with them this year
Kevling. Try Box hill if you can, lots of Cuckoo Flower there and seen a few there already.
Indeed
Peter, that was the site. If thats true it's a shame since it's so easy for me to get to and on the face of it it seems perfect for them. The signage there claims 30 species are seen there though so it wont be my last visit.
A good friend in Hemel Hempstead is putting me up over a weekend in a couple of weeks and since he is a keen birder, persuading him to go to the Whipsnade Duke sites didn't take much effort at all, fingers crossed the weather sorts itself out by then and I catch the flight time!
Re: Bugboys mission
Posted: Wed May 06, 2015 8:58 pm
by bugboy
Re: Bugboys mission
Posted: Sun May 10, 2015 7:48 pm
by bugboy
Well it's been a quite week for me on the butterfly front, work and then rain on my days off. On the plus side I work outside a lot so I do occasionally see bits and pieces flitting around. Holly blues seem to be having a very good spring brood in London and today I managed to stop long enough to snap a female Brimstone on my phone. In the bright sunshine I couldn't tell where the camera was focusing until I looked at it later, as you can see it was focusing on everything except the butterfly, even though it was set to 'macro' mode.........
![Embarassed :oops:](./images/smilies/icon_redface.gif)
oh well.
The weather is looking better next week, certainly in the south east anyway, so I may have a few trips and get a few more species ticked off on my 2015 list
I can see there's been lots going on in other diaries so I may have to put an hour aside later to go through them all. I do try and keep up with everyone even if I don't always comment
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)