www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Thanks Mark and Susie, your comments are always appreciated.
And it was lovely to meet up with you again Susie, a great day. I had a lovely evening thanks and i Still watched the Olympics
All the best to you both, Nick.

Denbies 4 August 2012, continued

Denbies 4 August 2012, continued

Denbies 4 August 2012, continued

hideandseek wrote:Denbies 4 August 2012, continued

4.8.2012 denbies 106 chalkhill blue, female aberration.jpg

That's a corker, Nick!

Hi Susie, thank you for your very generous comment . This is the same female, photographed from the other side, the wing pattern being totally different.All the best, Nick.

Denbies 4 August 2012, continued

some lovely shots Nick.

Chris

Thanks Chris , it was lovely meeting you the other day. Glad you like the photos.
All the best, Nick.

Going back to the 30th July, my first visit to Denbies this year. I arrived early and was amazed at the huge numbers of Chalkhill Blues on the wing. Every where you looked, up hill, down hill, left or right you were greeted by a cloud of blue. Copulating couples were seen in large numbers, and even finding and photographing two mating pairs on the same flower, which is hardly surprising considering the thousands flying in such a small area of the North Downs. The females taking a breather after copulation had taken place, before taking flight and again being relentlessly pestered by amorous males. Here are two pictures of females taking such a rest, clearly showing the signs of having just mated.

Lovely to catch up with your diary and super pictures - Debbie

Thank you Debbie, thats really very kind of you
All the best, Nick.

Denbies 30th July 2012, continued

Denbies 30th July 2012, continued
While female Chalkhill blues take a breather, and rest up for a moment after mating, the males have to replenish their energy levels by taking in salts as mating saps most of their energy during copulation, so as in most cases dog poo is the closest source for the males on chalk downland. I`m just glad you can`t see it in the photo below.

Denbies 12th August 2012
My aim on this visit to Denbies was to hopefully find and photograph a fresh female Silver-Spotted Skipper. I arrived just before 1pm, the sun was shining, and it was certainly hot, so the conditions were far from perfect, as the butterflies would be flying none stop, celebrating an overdue hot summers day. Within a couple of minutes i spotted a male SSS in the grass a few centimetres from a female. So i sat, watched and waited. The male eventually made his move, flying the very short distance and landed up close, but he was in to much of a hurry, and with his first attempt at copulating, bending his abdomen towards hers to quickly, she was off in a flash, with him in hot pursuit, i don`t know if he ever managed to catch and mate with her, as they left me sitting on my behind wondering were the hell they went. About an hour later i got my first opportunity of a photo, albeit a male SSS and not my goal a female. Another hour had passed when i spotted something in the grass partially hidden, it was a female SSS ovipositing, and had laid two eggs, which is a first for me, so i was well pleased.Around 4 o`clock i had decided to give it a rest for an hour, and see if any Adonis Blues had emerged further along the hill, and try again later for the one photo i was after. After searching for A.B. and coming up with nothing i went back to the hot spot for SSS for one last go of photographing a female, before heading home...

Denbies 12th August 2012. continued
.......after arriving back, i began my search for a female SSS, and nearly half an hour later, with the sun hidden by cloud i was given my opportunity. A female was resting on a yellow flower. I looked up at the sky, thinking i won`t have long before the sun reappears. I took a few shots before the heat of the sun shone through the weakening clouds, warming her wings, and giving her a new lease of life as she flew off across the hillside....So after 4hours, 40mins. i finally got my picture

and a lovely one at that, i admire the dedication

Chris

Hi Nick,

Lovely SSS shot

Well worth the wait ...

Kind regards. Mark

Thanks Chris and Mark, your comments are always appreciated the weather forecast for that particular afternoon was cloudy with with a little sun, not sunny with no cloud until 4.30pm. Why do i bother watching the weather forecast when they are very rarely correct anyway? If the weather forecast had been right it might not have taken me so long, oh well !
All the best, Nick.

Spider in the sky