www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Neil, your so lucky with your garden seeing all those Butterflies, I've not seen one in my Garden this year and that's really worrying
for the more common species a round here, usually my garden see's STS, Peacocks, Whites, etc this time of year, I'm just hoping it's because the weather has been cooler than usual and not the fact they've been hit badly . Fingers crossed we'll see some in May but even when I've spotted some at HLB there's only been one or two seen, the same at other places I've been to. Goldie

Lush photos Neil, especially of the one on the dandelion clock I definite 'I wish I'd taken that'

Have a goodun

Wurzel

That female Holly Blue you've posted from 23rd April is just about perfect, Neil. You've got the ideal angle to catch it right with the way the scales reflect the light.

Thanks Bugboy, Dave, Goldie, Wurzel and David for all your comments

I have been fortunate with the Orange-tips, Holly blues and the Specklies in the garden and the cooler and cloudier weather last weekend slowed them down for me to get some photos.

Since then the cold spell this week which brought some frosty mornings has slowed things down again and I haven't seen anything else. This coming bank holiday weekend is looking like it could go either way with milder temperatures forecast but also a lot of cloud and some rain expected so I have not made any plans...will wait and see what the weather ends up doing.

Cheers,

Neil.

Sunday 30th April

The last day of April and the month has just sort of fizzled out here under a dull grey overcast. Saturday was cool and gloomy but today started off with a bit of sun this morning before the clouds gradually built to leave another grey afternoon. It felt a bit warmer today and the usual Speckled Wood were soon flying in the garden this morning closely followed by a couple of male Holly Blues which the cloudy conditions tempted to settle and open their wings to soak up some warmth.
With the cold and frosty nights last week, I didn't run the moth trap in the garden until it warmed up a bit on Friday night when I had 16 moths of 8 species including a couple of Red-green Carpets.
I also had a couple of Twenty Plume Moths. These delicate looking micros can be a pain to get a decent photo of so I was pleased with the shot below,
I wasn't going to run the trap again last night but changed my mind at the last minute and was glad I did when a Brindled Beauty turned up. I only had one of these last year and had been wondering if I would see this species this year.
Bank Holiday Monday tomorrow and heavy rain is forecast to be coming in overnight and into the morning so I will wait and see what it looks like before I decide what I am doing.

Bye for now,

Neil.

The site seems to be ok at the moment so here goes with another post...fingers crossed.

Monday 1st May – Wyre Forest

Bank Holiday Monday and the weather was looking traditionally iffy. Jane had arranged to go to our daughter Sarah's for a 'girlie' day and I was off the leash...but where to go?
Looking at the various forecasts it didn't seem to matter which direction I headed in, they were all saying cloudy with showers and maybe some sunny spells, so in other words expect anything, anywhere.
In the end I decided to drive over to The Wyre Forest which is about an hour or so away from me. I had seen Pearl-bordered Fritillaries reported here about a week ago but that was before the cold snap last week and I was unsure if this would have knocked them back a bit. Working on the principle of 'if you don't look, you won't know' I set out under grey drizzly skies and arrived mid morning at the car park at the end of Dry Mill Lane.
During the morning I slowly meandered along by Dowles Brook and found a few roosting Orange-tips on some nice patches of Cuckoo Flower in the damp meadows here but it was getting on for midday before the first breaks in the cloud allowed the sun to peep through and I saw the first butterflies flying, mostly Orange-tips and a few Green-veined Whites.
As the sunny spells increased I saw more Orange-tips and GV Whites which were all well and good, but I can see these in my garden and I was hoping to see Pearl-bordered Fritillaries, so far without success. I was thinking about last weeks cold snap but also the fact that my previous visits here have usually been later in May so I was wondering if maybe I was a little early for them here given the recent weather.

I then wandered up to the old railway line which is another 'hotspot' for PBFs, and as a good patch of blue sky opened up I saw a PBF flitting along the bank here, then another, then another, so I had three in sight at the same time. I spent an hour or so at this spot and reckon I saw maybe half a dozen all told along a stretch of a few hundred yards.
With some thick clouds interrupting the sunny spells I managed to keep sight of a couple of individuals a couple of times as they settled which enabled me to get some nice underside shots and also be on hand when the sun came out again and they opened their wings to warm up before taking off.
I then retraced my steps back to the meadows by Dowles Brook to see if maybe the sun had brought any PBFs out there but it was still just the Orange-tips and GV Whites. In one meadow I spotted a mating pair of Orange-tips and was taking a few photos when another male tried to hustle in.
By this time the cloud was increasing again so I decided to slowly wander back to the car and head for home. I took a different path back up to the old railway line and was having a last look in another clearing along here when I spotted an Adder basking on a fallen tree stump which made for a nice ending to the day.
So then, one of those days when I really wasn't sure to start with if it was going to be worth going anywhere. Just three species of butterflies seen and none of them in great numbers but all in all a really enjoyable day spent in one of the best locations in the Midlands.

Bye for now,

Neil

Looks like a wonderful day out Neil, what more could you wish for on the first day of May

What a joyous array of images after such a gloomy, barren spell, Neil?

That damp field full of cuckoo flower looks absolutely lush for Orange Tips, and the fact you managed to find a coupled pair proves it!

Some fabulous shots from today, Neil. A very worthwhile day out.
Love the PBF underside images.

Wish I was there !
Trevor.

A wonderful series of images Neil. It is hard to select a favourite but mine would be the closed wing PBF ... and the adder which I have so far failed to find. You really are spoiling us. Excellent field craft btw

Every one of those PBF shots is one I wish I had taken, Neil. A mix of sun and cloud is ideal as long as your eye is good enough to follow the butterflies. It is interesting that all but one of them has the butterfly perching up on something - down at Bentley the other day, they were always on the ground or near it, even with wings closed. Lovely shots.

Dave

Stunning photos of the Pearls, Neil

Mike

Lovely set of shots Neil - especially the Pearls - they're practically jumping out of the screen they're so vivid

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Many thanks Bugboy, David, Trevor, Pauline, Dave and Wurzel...it certainly turned into a better day than anticipated

Pauline wrote:...Excellent field craft btw...

Cheers Pauline but I must admit my field craft consists of a lot of standing still and moving slowly, both things that I find easier as I get older

millerd wrote:... A mix of sun and cloud is ideal as long as your eye is good enough to follow the butterflies. It is interesting that all but one of them has the butterfly perching up on something - down at Bentley the other day, they were always on the ground or near it, even with wings closed. Lovely shots.
Dave

I did take a lot of photos of the Pearls lower down on the ground when they were more active in the sunny spells, but the angle was always 'off' or there was vegetation in the way. I was lucky with the two different individuals, that I kept in sight on separate occasions, when I saw them settle on birch saplings whilst the sun was covered by clouds for 10-15 minutes. With the second one, I was trying to shuffle into another position when my arm brushed the plant and disturbed the butterfly who flapped a few feet across to land on the dead bracken stem. I waited until he was settled and then I must admit I did a bit of 'gardening' to remove some intruding vegetation to get a better background for the photos.

Wednesday 3rd May

Back to work and with the dull cloudy conditions no further butterflies seen in the garden.

Even though there was a lot of cloud about on Monday, by the time the evening came it had melted away to leave a cold night. At least the wind had dropped a bit so I decided to run the moth trap in the garden. Just 6 moths of 6 species but that did include a nice Chocolate-tip...just a bit too late for Easter
Cheers,

Neil.

Fantastic shots Neil, I love the Pearls and the Orange Tips I just can't choose which I like best Goldie

There's a lot to be said for standing still and moving slowly Neil - makes it possible to observe so much more and avoids the trampling that can happen when folk persist in chasing after a butterfly. That's a great moth shot and one I would love to see

I agree, those closed wing pbf pictures are excellent! I would love to find a meadow full of cuckoo flowers like that, and enjoy those orange tips, very soon, they will be gone.

Pauline wrote:There's a lot to be said for standing still and moving slowly Neil - makes it possible to observe so much more and avoids the trampling that can happen when folk persist in chasing after a butterfly...

Indeed Pauline. I find that 'chasing' after butterflies to get a photo is usually counterproductive as it just spooks them more. If I put a butterfly up, I will usually move back a few paces and wait, often the butterfly will return or settle again within sight when I will then sneak up on it. If not, then it was not to be that time.

essexbuzzard wrote: I agree, those closed wing pbf pictures are excellent! I would love to find a meadow full of cuckoo flowers like that, and enjoy those orange tips, very soon, they will be gone

Thanks Mark, That is the best patch of Cuckoo Flower I have seen this year. it is much scarcer around my immediate local patch.

Goldie M wrote: Fantastic shots Neil, I love the Pearls and the Orange Tips I just can't choose which I like best Goldie

Thanks Goldie...I must admit I was pleased with the Pearl photos as I don't get to see them so often

Friday 5th May

Not much to report this week, the past couple of days have been quite cold with a chilly wind from the north-east but this afternoon brightened up a bit although it was still windy.
Whilst pottering in the garden I saw two different Speckled Wood females fluttering low down trying to keep out of the wind and a single faded male valiantly holding his territory in one corner,
A couple of Holly Blues passed through, one of each sex, and the male paused briefly on a forget-me-not. The large patch I had of this flower has largely been overgrown now by grasses and other 'stuff' and is a plant I want to increase again in the garden as I find it very good for attracting both Holly blues and Orange-tips to linger a while.
I was also pleased to find a Large Red Damselfly. I usually see plenty of these around and about at this time of year but this was a first in the garden.
Bye for now,

Neil.

Hi! Neil, there's certainly a lot of Holly Blues around this year , I never get tired of seeing them in people's post
Today I saw three chasing round a tree, no shots, one of them just escaped being eaton by a Robin. Goldie

Hi Goldie,

Yes, lots of Holly Blues here too although I haven't seen much for a few days now...Saturday was awful here, Sunday was much better but I was at my granddaughter's first birthday party so didn't manage to get out...then work again.

Cheers,

Neil