Goldie M

Goldie M · Post by **Goldie M** » Fri May 04, 2018 5:39 pm

Just a Quick post for me for now, I'm in the middle of making our tea but I just must post.

Today was cloudy until about 3.30pm and then the Sun arrived and so did my first GVW of this year in my back garden

So I just had to post this shots

Goldie

Pauline · Post by **Pauline** » Fri May 04, 2018 5:42 pm

That plant certainly brings them all in, doesn't it Goldie? ..... and you forgot to show me how to take cuttings!!!!

David M · Post by **David M** » Sat May 05, 2018 6:34 am

Aah! The trusty Bowles Mauve! I bought some more myself last month but I haven't recorded any visitors yet. Maybe this weekend?

Wurzel · Post by **Wurzel** » Sat May 05, 2018 8:02 am

It's great when that happens Goldie - nothing and then as soon as the sun comes out so to do the butterflies

Have a goodun

Wurzel

millerd · Post by **millerd** » Sat May 05, 2018 1:23 pm

That is a real butterfly magnet, Goldie! round here it's the dandelions that do the trick... not so attractive.

Dave

Goldie M · Post by **Goldie M** » Sat May 05, 2018 7:02 pm

Thanks everyone for your posts,
Hi! Pauline, I thought I'd told you,

just take a small shoot from the plant, get a small pot and place the shoot in the pot with compost, better to do it September, because you don't need to water it too much in Winter that's usually when I take all my cuttings, all should go well!!!!!

You should get plenty of visitors David shortly

Hi! Wurzel, your right it's it's great

I even got a Female Orange Tip today

Dandelions Dave, not in your Garden I hope!!!!!!

Today we went to Southport Butterflies were every where but not landing so when I saw this Speckie land in front of me I was well chuffed although it didn't open it's wings I managed a shot before it flew off, I can call it my 10th species now having picked up one or two whilst in Kent. I also got a shot of another Peacock which landed and opened it's wings just has I took the shot

When we got home ( it was about 3pm ) we'd set off early morning to miss the traffic and having not got shots of too many Butterflies I couldn't wait to get back to the Garden to see if any thing else had visited, that's when I spotted this small white Butterfly which turned out to be a Female OT, great, and actually in my Garden

I tried to take quick shots has the Butterfly never seemed to stop long enough on any of the Rock flowers for a truly good shot

(I usually keep a few things in pots to replenish any gaps etc.) Anyway it turned out to be a decent day after all.Goldie

trevor · Post by **trevor** » Sat May 05, 2018 7:34 pm

Love the action shots of the female OT. My camera would struggle with that one.

Best wishes,
Trevor.

Goldie M · Post by **Goldie M** » Sat May 05, 2018 7:44 pm

Thanks Trevor, I deleted quite a few has well that were unprintable

Goldie

MikeOxon · Post by **MikeOxon** » Sat May 05, 2018 7:58 pm

Good to see you're enjoying sunshine too. Our garden is full of Holly Blues and Orange Tips but I've not seen any female OTs yet. I admire your in-flight shots, especially your 3rd one showing the underside as she approaches the flower. Let's hope for more fine weather to encourage more sightings over the next few days.

Mike

Wurzel · Post by **Wurzel** » Sat May 05, 2018 10:03 pm

Great set of shots Goldie

, nicely caught flight shots my mate Ronniethepoo would be chuffed with those

Good luck with your outings this weekend

Have a goodun

Wurzel

David M · Post by **David M** » Sun May 06, 2018 1:22 pm

Goldie, I can feel your joy. Those are lovely, evocative images of the female OT going about her daily business. Let’s hope for a few more opportunities with this species before they fade away and disappear again later this month.

Neil Freeman · Post by **Neil Freeman** » Sun May 06, 2018 4:44 pm

Great sequence of shots of the female Orange-tip in flight Goldie

Cheers,

Neil

Goldie M · Post by **Goldie M** » Mon May 07, 2018 7:06 am

Many thanks everyone for your posts, they're much appreciated

Sadly my Husband has not been too well so plans for trips at present are on hold but we've got the rest of May to go yet and hope fully we'll get there eventually.

I decided yesterday to pop a cross to my local haunt, it's only two Avenues a way so not much effort needed,

I decided to go after seeing a Holly Blue fly a round the Garden and out again, ( once again I waited for it to land and it didn't, if I didn't know better I'd swear it was the same one from previous years

)
When I arrived at HLB it felt like a different place from the one I'd visited just a few days before, OT's were flying by me, LW's/,SW's,GVW, Speckies, and HB's but it seemed not one was landing , until I saw deep in the Green Leaves two GVW's mating,
these two were much smaller than the one I'd seen previously in my garden and quite out standingly Green veined

I carried on along the path hoping some thing would land but the Speckies were keeping to the tree's and the Whites were too busy looking for partners, then I rounded a corner and a speck of Blue was in in a muddy patch left by the rain , I expected it to fly a way but it stayed there and I was able to get some shots of my first Holly Blue of the year.

When I returned home and relaxed in the Garden I was treated to bird song and the sight of my Cherry tree heavy with Blossom,
May! what a fantastic month

Goldie

Pauline · Post by **Pauline** » Mon May 07, 2018 7:19 am

Brilliant shot of the GVW mating Goldie

Re OT in garden - I have one of those plants in my garden and OT's have laid eggs on it in the past so keep your eyes open. Naturally, I don't know what it is

but doesn't it look similar to the cuckoo flower which they frequently lay eggs on? Thanks for tip on cuttings - it was the seed collecting we talked about last time. I doubt you'll make a gardener out of me but I'll give it a try! Get well soon to Jim.

Goldie M · Post by **Goldie M** » Mon May 07, 2018 7:34 am

Thank's Pauline, you should do okay with the plants, it's pretty easy really , soil in pot, put your finger in the soil, make an hole, stick the cutting in, water it, bingo

I'll keep my eye's on that plant from now on but that FOT was not settling for too long on the plant but buzzing a round it all the time, ( sounds more like a Bee doesn't it

) Goldie

millerd · Post by **millerd** » Mon May 07, 2018 9:07 pm

A very nice little Holly Blue, Goldie.

Once they are down on a patch of damp ground like that, they keep coming back - except for the odd bit of perching nearby for a rest. If you're lucky and the weather is cooler than it was today, they then open up to warm up. They are attracted to white things as well, like the first shot of yours sitting on a pebble. I hope you see many more.

Good shot of the GVW too!

Dave

Wurzel · Post by **Wurzel** » Mon May 07, 2018 9:50 pm

Greta shots of the Green-veined Whites in cop Goldie

And a mud puddling Holly Blue too

I hope your husband gets well soon...so you can get out butterflying

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Goldie M · Post by **Goldie M** » Tue May 08, 2018 7:32 am

Thanks Dave and Wurzel, I waited ages with that Holly Blue to see if it would open it's wings but it just wouldn't

I was pleased to see the GVW's though after seeing nothing at HLB for such a long time.

Well Wurzel, I got a real surprise yesterday morning, I was up and about at 6.30am looking at the Sunshine and thinking there'll be other days to go out and about, when my Husband got up a couple of hour's later saying he felt much better and was ready to go out if I wanted to.

We set off for the Lakes an hour later heading for Foulshaw Moss, picnic basket on hand

We picked the Moss because the Ospreys are nesting there and once you've parked your car there's a boardwalk which means very little walking except in a circle a round the Moss. ( It's the same place I went to last year for the Large Heath) and with Jim not having been too well, Ideal!!

I was looking for Green Hair Streaks and any thing else interesting. I must mention the traffic, we set off fairly early and we still hit traffic, not too bad we kept moving but I believe it was backed up nearly all morning on the M6 later.
I got my next surprise when I saw the Hair Streaks , we passed the tree's where I thought they'd be and went onto the open Moss to see the Osprey and there amongst the Moss's mud and water were loads of Hair Streaks, flying from the Mud to small tree sprigs and back again

they were also on the board walk

We walked round and saw lots of OT's, Peacock, and White's and a little Moth I took some shots of, also an Adder which there was quite a lot of but we just saw the one ( that was enough for me)

and a tiny Lizard. When I returned home it was to find a Large White in the Back Garden

So my day turned out to be great after all Goldie

Wurzel · Post by **Wurzel** » Tue May 08, 2018 7:50 am

Nice one Goldie

Your husband sounds like a proper Trooper

Great shots of the Adder and Greenstreaks, your last two show the aberration 'punctata' as the white spots carry on over the forewings

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Goldie M · Post by **Goldie M** » Tue May 08, 2018 8:08 am

Thanks for that Wurzel, the last two shots are of the same Butterfly, the Sun caught the wings has the Butterfly moved, they were hard to get shots because you can't leave the Board walk and this one just landed but people were passing all the time and I'd to ask them to wait while I took it, most had come to see the Ospreys through the telescope there. most of the other HS's were well into the Moss. I don't like having to ask them to wait but needs must some times

At least I saw an ab and Jim is much better and ready to go into is garage working again, ( it's his man cave)

Goldie

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