www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Neil Hulme wrote:I would imagine that getting the 8 wings and 4 antennae of a pair of mint condition Dukes in sharp focus, while sitting pretty on a cowslip, is an opportunity which is only likely to present itself once in about five lifetimes.

Thanks for sharing the "tale behind the photo", Neil. Like you, I'm a big believer in making your own luck. And this is, indeed, the best Duke photo I've ever seen, for all of the reasons you give, and more! Really ... well done!

Cheers,

- Pete

Thanks Pete. Duke of Burgundy is now one of only two species which I'm convinced I'll never get a better shot of - the other being Purple Hairstreak. This is one of those images which I'll always look back at with undiminishing pleasure. You know the sort of thing ... Chequered Skipper sitting next to a SPBF.
BWs, Neil

Your Duke shots as always are superb, Neil, and I understand the hard work and patience required to get these photos.
The Dartford Warbler photo is brilliant, the classic Dartford Warbler shot, and it is a favourite bird species of mine also. I shall be searching our local heathland sites this winter, hoping to see one.

Mike.

HI Neil,

Your private audience with the 'Duke and Duchess of Heyshott 'on their Sussex estate, really was rewarded with
some superb images.Stealth,patience,and skill at it's best.

TREVOR.

Thanks Trevor - and Happy New Year!
BWs, Neil

Happy New Year!
Wishing you all an exciting and fruitful 2015 butterfly season.

BWs, Neil

A Happy New Year to you to Neil, hope to meet you out in the field this year sometime, hopefully along with some Long-tail Blues

Have a goodun (2015!)

Wurzel

HNY to you Wurzel!

It would be great to meet up somewhere - our previous meeting was all-too-brief and frenetic, as there was so much going on which needed recording. If a return visit is advisable in May, I'll let you know.

If not, perhaps a march around Bentley might be in order (I didn't visit in 2014).

BWs, Neil

Happy New Year Neil, hope we bump into each other as frequently this year as we did last
Must arrange those 'cross border Duke exchange visits' this year.
Kind Regards
Mark

Happy New Year Mark. Yes, I'm still eager to get up the backside of Butser!
Catch up in May.
BWs, Neil

King Colin

It's not often that I feel compelled to post images taken by others in my Personal Diary. In fact I can only recall posting images taken by my brother, Mark, or his son, Tomas. However, I suspect that many of you will enjoy these, and they illustrate perfectly the potential rewards of dedication.

Butterfly buddy and occasional UKBer Colin Knight has been attempting to take some good images of a Kingfisher for some time now. In 2014 he spent more than 150 hours in the hides at the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust Centre in Arundel, hoping .... and hoping. There were some near misses. I remember commiserating with him when he posted a near-perfect image on his 'Postcards from Sussex' blogsite, but the Kingfisher had turned its head away just as he hit the button! Then there was the time when one landed on the desired post in front of the Sand Martin Hide, only for another occupant to thrust his pointed finger through the slat window and loudly exclaim "there he is!". Of course this poor hide etiquette can be very risky, as the hinged shutter might suddenly fall and break your arm.

I was delighted when he finally nailed the shot he was after (see top image), following a couple of 'almosts'. As is often the case with wildlife photography, once you have succeeded in a quest, further successes follow with relative ease. During a New Year break in Sheffield he came across a very obliging Kingfisher in Endcliffe Park. It was so obliging that it provided further close-up views during a couple of subsequent visits (lower three images).

I'm sure you'll agree, these are superb images of a Kingfisher, and just deserts for those many fruitless hours. Congratulations, Colin!

Breathtaking. I can't think of anything else to say.

Guy

Well done, Colin!

Stunning!

HI Neil,

Colin has certainly excelled himself this time, as he did with that beautiful shot of that Empress
in Houghton forest last summer, Certainly cloud nine material!.
All the best ,

TREVOR.

Wow - what fantastic images! Having spent tens of thousands of hours by the waterside over the last 45yrs following my other passion of freshwater fishing, I can count on one hand the number of opportunities I have to observe a Kingfisher up close and personal - and then it only been for the briefest of moments.
Well done Colin - glad your dedication paid off.
Kind Regards
Mark

What can anyone add? Beautiful photos of a beautiful bird (and one of the most widespread species in the world).

I sympathise:

another occupant to thrust his pointed finger through the slat window and loudly exclaim "there he is!"

Parallel experience with a captive bred Large Copper released on a fenland site. The butterfly settled on a convenient perch, I was ready to photograph from about 1.5 metres distance when another camera (not by a ukb member I hasten to add) was pushed in front of my camera at about 20 cms from the target. Predictably, the butterfly was spooked and flew off over the reed bed.

Mind you, fieldcraft is a learnt skill.. Neil once chided me - quite correctly - for approaching a grounded Purple Emperor too quickly.

Jack

Flutterbys On Flickr

I've finally managed to find time to start uploading some images to my Flickr site, following a very slow and faltering start. I'll be posting more here https://www.flickr.com/photos/125367544 ... 014014567/ over the next few weeks. Sieving through old images certainly helps to beat the winter blues!

South Downs National Park 'Hidden Gems' Photography Competition

I was delighted to hear that I have been awarded second place in the South Downs National Park 'Hidden Gems' Photography Competition, with an image of a cyclist taking a breather beside the Stane Street Roman road in Eartham Woods - see http://www.southdowns.gov.uk/about-us/n ... ompetition.

Eight images have now been selected for a further 'People's Choice' vote at http://www.southdowns.gov.uk/about-us/n ... ition-2014. I was even more pleased to see that a second of my images appears in this selection. The Summer Solstice sunset, in alignment with the impressive, 'Devil's Jumps' Bronze Age barrows at Treyford, provided one of my highlights of 2014; I've waited for many years to see this without cloud cover. Rather than travelling through the night to join the sunrise celebrations amongst a large crowd at Stonehenge, I find it more enjoyable to have a good pint in The Royal Oak at Hooksway, before making my way up to the barrows, where perhaps a dozen people collect to enjoy this wonderful part of Sussex at a special time of year.

These pictures from someone who claims he doesn't understand the technicalities of photography Huh.

Well done Neil.

Jack