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Re: May 2013
Posted: Thu May 02, 2013 7:36 pm
by ChrissyM
Lovely sightings from everyone. Here in Shropshire I saw my first Speckled Wood and Orange Tip yesterday. The local meadow today was then tranformed...and I saw orange Tip, male and female, Green veined, Small white, a couple of Brimstones and Sm Tortoiseshells and Peacock. In the garden, the first Holly Blue. Nothing unsual but, some nice numbers....it felt like Spring
As an aside, the Small Tortoiseshell numbers on the local patch have been much greater this year in comparison to the previous five that I have been checking it out.
Re: May 2013
Posted: Thu May 02, 2013 7:37 pm
by Buchan Boy
A lonely Duke at Noar,not for much longer I suspect.
Re: May 2013
Posted: Thu May 02, 2013 8:05 pm
by Willrow
Things are certainly improving, here at
Parc Penallta in South Wales today I saw my first
Brimstone (4no) of the year, a solitary
Speckled Wood, 10
Green-veined White, 6
Large White, 4
Small White, 2
Orange-tip, 4
Peacock, and 5
Small Tortoiseshell. All these in a two hour stroll would have been unthinkable this time last week, the vagaries of Welsh weather
Bill
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Re: May 2013
Posted: Thu May 02, 2013 8:16 pm
by Jack Harrison
2nd May
This (and other resolutions) satellite image shows how beautiful it ahs been. Here in Mull, it rained (again)
http://lance-modis.eosdis.nasa.gov/imag ... .terra.1km
Jack
Re: May 2013
Posted: Thu May 02, 2013 9:13 pm
by essexbuzzard
You had all the good weather in March,Jack!
The Orange Tips and Green-veined Whites have emerged at last in Essex. Like others around GB,i have been pleased to see good numbers of Small Torts.
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Re: May 2013
Posted: Thu May 02, 2013 9:36 pm
by MikeOxon
I made a return visit to my local nature reserve at Dry Sandford Pit, Oxon. for the first time since seeing five species there on 5th March. With hot sunshine, the butterflies were out in force: Brimstone, Peacock, Comma,and Red Admiral, as before, but now with the addition of Orange Tip, Green-veined White, Small White, and Large White.
![OrangeTip2013.jpg (72.61 KiB) Viewed 882 times Dry Sandford Pit, Oxon, 2nd May2013<br />Nikon D300s with 70-300VR zoom - 1/750s@f/5.6 ISO400](./files/thumb_11310_27af7dfda826fa328e420a714f36e2c7)
- Dry Sandford Pit, Oxon, 2nd May2013
Nikon D300s with 70-300VR zoom - 1/750s@f/5.6 ISO400
![GvWhite2013.jpg (73.58 KiB) Viewed 882 times Dry Sandford Pit, Oxon, 2nd May2013<br />Nikon D300s with 70-300VR zoom - 1/750s@f/5.6 ISO400](./files/thumb_11310_f41be53107783b64550ab340f64683ec)
- Dry Sandford Pit, Oxon, 2nd May2013
Nikon D300s with 70-300VR zoom - 1/750s@f/5.6 ISO400
I'd welcome any thoughts on the following pic. I think it's a Small White but it has clearly suffered damage to the thorax and hindwings, probably on emergence. It seemed to be flying around quite well.
![SmWhite2013.jpg (78.35 KiB) Viewed 882 times Dry Sandford Pit, Oxon, 2nd May2013<br />Nikon D300s with 70-300VR zoom - 1/750s@f/5.6 ISO400](./files/thumb_11310_1ee54cb6fa400d38d14734562e1bbbfd)
- Dry Sandford Pit, Oxon, 2nd May2013
Nikon D300s with 70-300VR zoom - 1/750s@f/5.6 ISO400
Mike
Re: May 2013
Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 9:47 am
by LauraS56
I had a male orange tip (my first of the year) near Lancaster yesterday (and a female about a week ago at Myers Allotment near Silverdale). Later on, went to Birkbank Bog to see if the green hairstreaks were out, but there was nothing (except a couple of lizards) and the bilberry not in leaf.
Re: May 2013
Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 11:34 am
by Mildheart
Mainly due to being stuck at work, I haven't seen a single living butterfly for a week now. I did see a dead one yesterday though, a female Brimstone that had got into my landlady's conservatory and presumably starved to death. A bit of a shame at a time when butterfly numbers are depleted anyway.
Re: May 2013
Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 4:20 pm
by sahikmet
Today at Colne valley Orange tips male (2), female (3), very active. Brimstone, and Speckled Wood. Holly Blue (female). Cheers Sezar
Re: May 2013
Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 5:07 pm
by RobS
The Duke of Burgundy emergence at Noar Hill continued to gather pace today as i managed to see 2 lovely specimens sunning themselves in the windless hollows of the reserve.I got there fairly early at 1000 but didnt have to wait too long before the first one showed itself.The far pit revealed the second one at about midday and it was quite content to pose for photos on a long grass stem,keeping still for about 10 mins before flying off.I was on site till about 3 and had no other sightings.Other people i had met had had either fleeting glimpses in the Triangle or no luck at all in some cases.Hopefully the weekend will see the pace of the emergence gather and the bank holiday Duke spotters will have reward for their endeavors.
Other species today: Peacock ,Orange tip (both sexes), Holly Blue and Brimstone.
Cheers
Rob
Re: May 2013
Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 6:35 pm
by RobS
Duke of Burgundy at Noar Hill
cheers
Rob
Re: May 2013
Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 6:43 pm
by David M
Lovely image that, Rob.
Re: May 2013
Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 8:25 pm
by Buchan Boy
Green Hairstreaks are cool.
Until the wind gets in the way.
![03052013 CrRZ (98).jpg (198 KiB) Viewed 749 times Devils Dyke](./files/thumb_12157_c4c0f4b62ed8161289edb27f7f371610)
- Devils Dyke
![03052013 CrRZ (130).jpg (198.62 KiB) Viewed 749 times Devils Dyke](./files/thumb_12157_ddefd4f8fc50d91aa92c45840260a5de)
- Devils Dyke
Re: May 2013
Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 8:49 pm
by RobS
Buchan Boy wrote:Green Hairstreaks are cool.
....And elusive where i was today.Which Devils Dyke were these shots taken at ?
cheers
rob
Re: May 2013
Posted: Sat May 04, 2013 10:28 am
by Buchan Boy
[/quote]
....And elusive where i was today.Which Devils Dyke were these shots taken at ?
cheers
rob[/quote]
This one is Sussex.There is another in Cambridgeshire........................and Hertfordshire.........wikpidia says so.
![03052013 G10RZ (16).jpg (342.44 KiB) Viewed 709 times Devils Dyke](./files/thumb_12157_fa14ee5f5f7ee6262febfe8fd20acc72)
- Devils Dyke
All that scrub at the bottom on the Northern side,that also follows round the dog-leg,contains the Hairstreaks,probably 30-40 all told.
There must be Grizzleds and Dingys there as well,looks perfect.
Is this your Devils Dyke
![Question :?:](./images/smilies/icon_question.gif)
Re: May 2013
Posted: Sat May 04, 2013 4:11 pm
by David M
An hour and a half on the lower slopes of Kilvey Hill in Swansea this afternoon saw good numbers of Speckled Woods and, to my surprise, TWO Small Coppers.
How glad I am to see this butterfly again after the battering they took during the worst of last year's abnormally cold April and early May.
No vanessids (again) and not even an Orange Tip (though Kilvey Hill's vegetation is quite dry on the southern side).
Species and numbers seen:
Speckled Wood 25-35
Large White 6
Small White 2
Small Copper 2
![Image](http://i1175.photobucket.com/albums/r623/DM1067/April%20and%20May%202013/3771954b-d858-4706-bee4-6a2e1046cd87_zps3923f9a5.jpg)
Re: May 2013
Posted: Sat May 04, 2013 6:31 pm
by NickB
A Green Hairstreak from our Branch walk today on the Fleam Dyke. A good day with 7 people, 5 of whom had not seen GH before - they have now
We saw at least 10 GH, with at least 3 sparing pairs of males, along with Brimstones, Orange-tip, GV White, Small White, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma and Holly Blue. The rain held off just long enough to catch me all the way home on my bike.......and then it stopped!
Re: May 2013
Posted: Sat May 04, 2013 6:41 pm
by Rosalyn
A single Grizzled Skipper. Monks Wood fields Cambs. Rain, hail and lots more rain
![Mad :x](./images/smilies/icon_mad.gif)
Re: May 2013
Posted: Sat May 04, 2013 8:09 pm
by David M
Rosalyn wrote:A single Grizzled Skipper. Monks Wood fields Cambs. Rain, hail and lots more rain
![Mad :x](./images/smilies/icon_mad.gif)
That GS looks positively minuscule against that dandelion!
Re: May 2013
Posted: Sat May 04, 2013 8:28 pm
by NickB
Rosalyn wrote:A single Grizzled Skipper. Monks Wood fields Cambs. Rain, hail and lots more rain
![Mad :x](./images/smilies/icon_mad.gif)
Nice one - good to see them out.......
(I'm going to miss tomorrow - but will go to Over on Monday.....)
Have fun