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I've had mating Brimstones on my radar for quite some while, Trevor, but have never seen them.

Fabulous images and even more well earned for having gone out in conditions not conducive to buttefly activity.

UPDATE ON THE MATING BRIMSTONES...............

Still there at 3.40 this afternoon!. Is that a record?.

Given the weather at the moment, It is possible they will still be present tomorrow.
If anyone within driving distance wishes to add them to their portfolio, PM me tonight.
I can give very precise directions.

Also seen this afternoon, a very shy Red Admiral.

Trevor.

I wish I lived nearer Trevor, I'd follow your directions to the letter Goldie

I reckon that there are a couple of explanations for their long copulation Trevor - either they're frozen solid or they've evolved Tantric Copulation A few years back I found a male Brimstone sitting with it's wings open, it looked like it could have been dead but the minute the temperature rose ever so slightly and the sun came out it was off. It was as if someone had hit the 'play' button on a remote and taken it off of 'pause'. Could be a similar thing here - they were copulating and the temperature was okay and then it dropped by a degree to start with and they just went into 'lock down' where they were and whilst they were doing what they were doing.
I'd love to take you up your offer and add this species to my collection but tomorrow has already been planned for me

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Thanks Wurzel. I think it's all down to the weather of the last few days.
We have had, at best, a few glimpses of Sun, coupled with a chilly breeze.
How long had those Brimstones had been under that leaf before I found them I wonder?.

Still there at 3.40 this afternoon!. Is that a record?

Amazing, Trevor. Have they been frozen into torpor by last night’s cold weather?

It surely can’t be advantageous for such short lived creatures to be in ‘cop’ for so long.

Well done with the Brimstones Trevor, I like the shot of the RA as well.

My guess would be the weather is the reason they've not gone their separate ways too. I wonder how many others are frozen in cop out there, unseen by human eyes

Many thanks, everyone. The mating Brimstones seem an age ago now !.

I finally caught up with Spring today.
On the Butterfly front I can only describe the last week, or so, as dire.
It was Thursday last week before I spotted any Butterflies in Wiltshire at all,
then a male Brimstone and a male Orange Tip were seen flying at Lacock, and that was it until today.
After a very slow start this morning, the Sun slowly began to win over the cool breeze, and several
male Specklies came out to play. I then caught sight of a very fresh male Large White. This specimen
really made me work for a photo, by long periods of flight between brief landings on Dandelions,
then taking off just I pressed the shutter. Finally I nailed the b****r.
Next my first male Holly Blue of the season landed in an awkward spot, for one shot only.

I had a lunch appointment with Doug, so I had to reluctantly leave the old railway.
After a fabulous meal, we headed off to Waldron, where Doug remembered a large patch of
Cuckoo flower by the side of a lane. Sure enough there was a mass of flowering Cuckoo plant,
where a Comma and an OT could be seen in the distance. The OT was quite obliging for the camera,
probably as a result of less than perfect OT flying conditions.

According to the forecast, this week should get better!.
Trevor.

I have known butterflies get stuck in cop, normally its the male that wont let go, the female normally throws the male off when she is ready. I have known pairings to be 3 days, then i have made the male let go, before they both starve. If a pairing is late in the day, they normally stay overnight and seperate when it warms up the next day.

It was hard work last week in Wiltshire Trevor - it was like Spring had been put on hold and when I went out I really had to search and work for my butterflies - it's not got much better so far this week Oh well in a weeks time it will be great...just as I go back to work That 'line' of Cuckoo Flowers is a great sight to see and love the stained glass OT

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Your shots of the Holly Blue are encouraging Trevor, not seen one White or HB yet here it's been so cold and today is cloudy, I hope to have more luck in the next few days. Goldie

Good stuff Trevor, glad you were able to catch up with spring.

trevor wrote:...I finally caught up with Spring today....

Certainly seems like it, Trevor. Better late than never, I suppose.

I guess we're all going to get a taste of summer over the next few days - dust off the T-shirts and get out there!

Many thanks all. Spring really did arrive today.

The old railway performed almost at it's very best today, with nearly all ' normal ' Spring species seen.
The weather was mild with weak milky Sunshine, near perfect for bringing out the Butterflies, but
cool enough to make sure most species would frequently stop to bask.
These conditions made the likes of the Small White and Orange Tip easier prey for the camera.

Hope to have an OT fest tomorrow!.
Trevor.

Great spring selection, Trevor. I'm especially envious of your Small White, a species I haven't managed to get a photograph of so far this year.

OD'D on OT'S!!.

This afternoon I was taken to a wonderful, unimproved, meadow near Billingshurst, West Sussex.
This is a noted site for the Orange Tip, and it did not disappoint. Although a lot of patience was
required because the OT's had plenty of room to patrol.
In the late afternoon things began to quieten down, and photography became easier as the OT's
selected suitable flower heads on which to roost. Amazingly we all came to the conclusion that
there were probably no more than four males present, but I did obtain a very bad image of a female.

My thanks to Doug Neve for driving, and to our guide Nigel Symington for a wonderful afternoon.

Trevor.

Great to see you managed to fill your boots with OTs Trevor Great sequence of shots but I like the attitude of the second - he looks like he's just tucking his shirt in and straightening his tie, making himself presentable

Have a goodun

Wurzel

trevor wrote:OD'D on OT'S!!..

Sounds positively cathartic, Trevor. I must say Orange Tips were around in superb numbers on the Gower today; I've rarely seen so many. They must be close to peaking now.

Thanks, David & Wurzel.

After yesterday's success with the male Orange Tip, I decided that today would be dedicated
to tracking down some females. Over the course of the morning and late afternoon I visited three sites,
and each site provided a few females. Photography was difficult as the heat built, but as is often the case
those found at either end of the day were more co-operative.
For some reason I saw many female Brimstones today and very few males. It would seem that mating
is complete, as the few males seen were soon sent packing by the females.

Trevor.




















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