Re: Padfield
Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2016 2:07 pm
Thank you for the comments. I think it makes a big difference that the sun is higher in the sky here. Today we have seen cold, snow and wind, and yet for the brief period the sun shone on my afternoon walk I saw orange tips and violet fritillaries. The radiant heat makes all the difference.
Only caterpillar photos, though.
Two of my three watched white admiral cats are now up and about. The third hasn't moved from his hibernaculum, despite the greenery all around him, and I'm not convinced he is still alive. We'll see. This one is very much alive:
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2016/camillacat26april2016b.jpg)
In that picture he is resting up by - or partly in - his hibernaculum. He has been sneaking out to eat between resting. This is his leaf damage:
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2016/camillacatfeeding26april2016a.jpg)
(the uppermost leaf is the one he has been eating)
Here is Gautama, my purple emperor caterpillar:
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2016/iriscatgautama26april2016a.jpg)
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2016/iriscatgautama26april2016d.jpg)
And here is a brown hairstreak egg. The leaves are not out on the sloe yet.
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2016/betulaeegg26april2016a.jpg)
Less sexy, but just as wonderful in their own way, hundreds of small tortoiseshell cats were muching their way through the nettles in the meadows. They were at all different stages of development:
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2016/urticaecats26april2016a.jpg)
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2016/urticaecats26april2016b.jpg)
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2016/urticaecats26april2016c.jpg)
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2016/urticaecats26april2016e.jpg)
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2016/urticaecats26april2016f.jpg)
I'm looking forward to a good summer brood of small tortoiseshells!
Guy
Only caterpillar photos, though.
Two of my three watched white admiral cats are now up and about. The third hasn't moved from his hibernaculum, despite the greenery all around him, and I'm not convinced he is still alive. We'll see. This one is very much alive:
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2016/camillacat26april2016b.jpg)
In that picture he is resting up by - or partly in - his hibernaculum. He has been sneaking out to eat between resting. This is his leaf damage:
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2016/camillacatfeeding26april2016a.jpg)
(the uppermost leaf is the one he has been eating)
Here is Gautama, my purple emperor caterpillar:
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2016/iriscatgautama26april2016a.jpg)
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2016/iriscatgautama26april2016d.jpg)
And here is a brown hairstreak egg. The leaves are not out on the sloe yet.
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2016/betulaeegg26april2016a.jpg)
Less sexy, but just as wonderful in their own way, hundreds of small tortoiseshell cats were muching their way through the nettles in the meadows. They were at all different stages of development:
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2016/urticaecats26april2016a.jpg)
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2016/urticaecats26april2016b.jpg)
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2016/urticaecats26april2016c.jpg)
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2016/urticaecats26april2016e.jpg)
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2016/urticaecats26april2016f.jpg)
I'm looking forward to a good summer brood of small tortoiseshells!
Guy