Wurzel

[millerd]

Nice variety of Small Tortoiseshells, Wurzel - and a rather good Brimstone to boot. Winding the time machine back, you were seeing more than I was three weeks ago!

Dave

[Wurzel]

Cheers Bugboy I've got a soft spot for Beeflies they do look kinda ridiculous
Cheers Goldie Brimstones are usually really hard work at this time of year so I was dead chuffed that this one just sat there
Cheers Dave There were plenty of butterflies but with a very restricted rangeof three species, still I've ticked off a couple more since

Work 24-03-2015

Today came as something of a shock for me – for the first time since January I actually had a full lunch break all to myself! That means I’ve clocked up almost 40 hours since January; if only I was paid overtime . Still as it was a nice day I I grabbed my camera, stuffed a sandwich in me gob and headed out to follow the same route that I did regularly last season.

I was hoping for a Peacock or Red Admiral but in the end it was just Small Torts that kept leaping before my lens. As if to make up for the absence of their cousins the Small Torts appeared by the bucket load and on the walk there I counted 13. On the return journey the sun had come out more strongly and I had a count of 20 (which is the number I’ll probably report).

Work 25-03-2105

What’s happening? Are lunch breaks like buses? You don’t get one for three odd months and then two come along at once? If I get one tomorrow I won’t know what to do with myself – the shock will be too much for my cardiovascular system!

Today same I followed the same routine as yesterday – grab camera, sandwich in gob and walk same route. The weather wasn’t as convivial today and the sun seemed a little shy, it kept hiding behind the clouds and only occasionally peeped out. But when it did come out so did the butterflies. Despite this I still got a good haul with 14 Small Torts today, the last of which was just outside my lab!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[trevor]

HI Wurzel,
Glad you liked the snake shot , it was a fluke, when it was spotted my camera was switched off
and it was only in view for about 10 secs. Just lucky !

Happy hunting,
TREVOR.

[Goldie M]

Hi! Wurzel, nice Tort's again your right about them I counted loads at Hall-Lee-Brook yesterday, more Peacocks as well, I did get an Holly Blue yesterday Quite pleased about that Goldie

[Wurzel]

No worries Trevor
Cheers Goldie Back then Small Torts were pretty much my staple diet...butterfly photography wise And so it continued...

Middle Street 28-03-2015

After a few trips out to five Rivers my older daughter K decided that we should try our luck at Five Rivers. The day wasn’t looking too crash hot but we set off anyway and as it was so cool, grey and windy we had the whole of the site to ourselves with not even a dog-walker in sight! We cut across the edge of the football pitch and headed towards the pond area which is more sheltered and while K watched for Minnows at the edge of the stream I checked out the dried pond right in the corner of the reserve. Nothing was about and even the most likely looking spots held nowt.

All of a sudden the cloud cleared and the sun came out. There was a noticeably increase in temperature and the wind dropped to the lightest of breezes. Where before there was nothing but old dried grass stems now there was a grounded pair of miniature orange kites. They both took off, rising it seemed with the temperature as if pulled skywards by a convection current, and headed in the direction of one of the gardens that backs onto the reserve. As these houses don’t have a back garden fence, just relying on the natural water course to demark their properties, I watched the pair land at either end of a row of Daffs. They worked their way along the row until they met roughly in the middle and then they spiralled upwards locked in a scrap.

We completed our circuit of the pond and at least a further 3 Small Torts put in an appearance but they were very flighty and edgy. As we left the pond behind the sun dived back behind the clouds and remained there for the rest of the day. We didn’t see a single butterfly after that, they disappeared with the sun. We didn’t mind too much as for once we were in the right place at the right time so we took advantage of the only 20 minutes of sunshine all day!

Have a goodun

Wurzel
p.s I'm wondering if the reason for the reports of fewer Small Torts now is because they've just got on with things almost as soon as they came out from hibernation? Are we seeing more Peacocks because they came out later once the Samll Torts started to wane?

[trevor]

HI Wurzel,
I think you are right that Small Torts. are the most uncommon of the hibernators. Around here there
are fewer STs than Commas or Peacocks . Your last ST image is superb .

Happy hunting,
TREVOR.

[Goldie M]

Your photos are very good of the Small Tart's Wurzel, get me, I've started calling them Small Tart's now Goldie

[Wurzel]

Cheers Trevor
Cheers Goldie They do seem to play up to the camera

Out and About 31-03-2015

Today my girls were busy getting ready for our holiday to the Outlaws. As I had a free hour I headed over to five Rivers hoping to get onto the Comma at Comma Corner and so that’s where I made for first. It would have been a wonderful piece of narrative if there was a Comma waiting for me but this is the real world and so there wasn’t. There were still plenty of Small Torts just up from Comma Corner on the Banks though but as I have taken shot after shot of Small Torts from this site I found myself concentrating on trying to photograph a different aspect of their behaviour. I was hoping for some courtship but all were being very stand-offish so I had to persevere. In the end the 12 or so Small Torts that I saw pretty much displayed the same behaviour – bask, fly up when a neighbour gets to close, which in turn sets up the neighbour from the other side and so on. So I tried for a few shots at odd angles and then got something more interesting. A Small Tort started probing the soil with it’s proboscis presumably taking up salts.

As I left and made my way back along the banks what should be bombing towards me from Comma Corner? Indeed a Comma, the wonders of narrative just a bit delayed. Unfortunately it didn’t stop. Once back home the girls had finished their tasks and so we went to the park. I took my camera just in case and was rewarded with a slightly blustered Small Tort by the riverside, and then a second one later. As these individuals were at a different site I didn’t worry about photographing something unusual.

Later that afternoon I had to pop to town to do some errands and so I took my camera and loitered down the local streets on the return journey. Some of the small front gardens are little gems for wildlife and there are a couple at the end of one cul-de-sac that are particularly good. The first is very open with low growing, dense shrubs and heathers and the other had a nice assortment of flowering plants – really good nectar sources and both gardens have a good aspect so trap the sun. As I strolled up the pavement peeking into other people’s gardens a butterfly took off from the Heather in the end garden and landed next door. I thought it must have been a Small Tort but as I peered into the garden it revealed itself to be a Comma and one that appeared quite sparse in the marking department. I wanted to get in closer but the butterfly was staying right at the back of the garden so I risked the owners wrath and took two steps into the garden and leaned as far as I could to get a closer shot.

The next day a quick trip to the local garden centre meant that I was lucky enough to tick another species and get my first shot of another

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[bugboy]

Wurzel you're a brave man, it would take something truly special (perhaps a mating pair of Scarce Tortoiseshell) for me to contemplate stepping into someones garden uninvited with my camera.... or maybe thats just the effect of living in East London has on you!

[kevling]

Wurzel,

Love the Red Ad/Painted Lady combo. Can't wait to see the latter, as 2014 turned out very lean in the East of England (or at least where I was looking )

Regards Kev

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Wurzel,

I now have a picture in my head of you sneaking into gardens whilst the mission impossible theme tune plays in the background

Great reports and photos as usual, nice one with the Red Admiral and Painted Lady. I have still not seen a RA this year but that is normal for me around here, I don't think many (if any) survive the winter in these parts.

Cheers,

Neil.

[Maximus]

You really should have photoshopped the screw heads out, Wurzel

Mike

[Wurzel]

Cheers Bugboy Most of the neighbours have seen me out with my camera and the garden was really small - literally two paces width, plus there wasn't a fence so if the owner did come out I'd act all indignant and make out that I'd tripped on their rockery and had fallen into the garden!
Cheers Neil and Kevling,I thought that might be the only chance I get of a Red Admiral this year - I've seen one (for real) and that's been it
Cheers Mike I was only being cheeky, if I'd photoshopped the screw heads out I would have been deliberately misleading Still Karma bit me in the bum, today would have been great for my Duke site but I spent pretty much the whole day hammering plaster off the walls

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Love the photo's Wurzal, a Painted Lady as well as an Admiral Great Goldie

[millerd]

Hmmm. You had me fooled for a moment there, Wurzel, but I thought I'd seen the photo before somewhere... I think it was a packet of seeds Still, by the end of the summer you might have snapped that for real somewhere! The immigrants have started arriving, so let's hope for a few more Red Admirals soon. I'm still reliant on the increasingly decrepit overwintered ones. Lovely Tortoiseshells - you have far more of those than I do!

Dave

[Wurzel]

Cheers Goldie I feel slightly embarrassed that my little bit of fun has been taken so seriously - check out the screws in the Admiral/Lady shot
Cheers Dave You are indeed correct the shot was of a seed advert display board. Everything else is kosher though

Welsh Trip 04-04-2015

Despite driving up to the Outlaws on the Thursday it was two days before I could get out with my camera. Our first day in Wales was spent visiting various parts of the local area – the town centre of Aberaeron and also the swimming pool as surprise, surprise it was grey, cold and occasionally raining.

The weather was starting to cheer a little by the Saturday and so we headed to Dolaucothi (is that the correct spelling)to The only remaining Romano-Welsh gold mine. It was great fun donning hard hats and lanterns, touring the mines and climbing out via the Indiana Jones route in the Victorian mine. Up at the Roman mine it was a different kettle of fish with huge workings and a tunnel entrance wide enough to fit a carriage through. There were also some strange Roman numerals, an upside down number 8 written as ‘IIX’ and probably the work of some humorous Manchester Uni students as well as a few web balls from a Cave spider.

Despite the sun and rising temperatures there was a definite dearth of butterflies here and so on our return home I grabbed my camera and headed up the Lane. The cottage on the corner has been renovated and the angry dog gone so I was free to admire the rockery which formed a combination of bank, wall and boundary. It threw up many different sorts of bees including representatives from Andrena and Nomada as well as Tawny Mining Bees, Red Mason Bees and the odd bumble bee too.

Further up the Lane I was hoping to pick up some butterflies and the first turn off on my left hand side looked like the best bet. It offered me shots of Green-veined White last season so I was hoping for something this time round. In fact I was hoping for anything to be honest as although it had only really been a couple of days it felt like and age since my last butterfly sighting. Just as I rounded the corner a butterfly flew across from one side of the road to the other.
“Why did the butterfly cross the road?”
“To cheer up Wurzel!”
It turned out to be a Small Tort but I really didn’t mind in the least it just felt good to get my lens onto a butterfly again.

On the walk back I stopped at the Rockery again and the bees put on a good show again possibly as a dessert after the main course of Small Tort?

Tomorrow is Llanachaeron and the weather seems to be set to improve slightly, here’s hoping!

Have a goodun
Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Easter Sunday – Llanachaeron

As the weather had finally turned we took the girls to Llanachaeron once we’d checked that the Easter Bunny had made a visit, luckily he had. While we waited for the Outlaws I checked out the boundary of the car park and there was a cracking Comma that finally posed long enough for me to get a few shots. In fact it really hung around as it was engrossed with taking fluid from a small puddle on a tree stump. I remember when I was a little lad watching the Small Torts and Wall Browns around my Granny’s rockery and then using the Ladybird book of butterflies to identify them. The one species I always wanted to see was the Comma, but alas for me back then the Comma was only to be found in Wales. Therefore seeing a Comma in Wales is always more special to me than an English one, I guess part of me thinks of it as a ‘proper’ Comma.

While we were completing the Eggsplorer Egg Hunt I kept my eyes peeled not just for eggs and clues but also for butterflies but it was quite quiet with only a single Small Tort. Once the eggs had been won and the lambs had been fed we entered the Walled garden and suddenly there were butterflies. My first red Admiral for the year didn’t stop for long, just long enough to see the epaulets. One of the Daffs housed a Small Tort and by the wrecked greenhouse there was my first Peacock of 2015. This was quite distant but I took a few shots for ‘proof’. Walking backward and forwards between the two walled areas meant I saw up to 8 Small Torts in this little area as well as a couple of other Peacocks and fluttering round by the lake was a Small White which was in full on patrol mode. All in all it was wonderfully restful to amble about and have butterflies almost on tap.

Once back I took a quick stroll around the garden and up the Lane. The garden held a single Comma whilst I connected with the miniature green bee again as well as seeing 2 Small Torts and 2 Peacocks up the Lane. The first three were all hanging around the farmers track where I saw my first GVW last year and the last of the Peacocks was basking on the road almost back at the house.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[trevor]

HI Wurzel,

Yes that patch of Cuckoo Flower is large . my image only shows about half of it. Thats why it
usually performs so well. The OT's settle on it even in the heat of the day.

All the best,
TREVOR.

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Wurzel,

More great reports and Photos

You know you had me checking that Peacock photo on the purple flowers (Aubretia ?) for screw heads

Cheers,

Neil

[Pauline]

I'm loving your sense of humour Wurzel - some great shots recently