Janet Turnbull

[essexbuzzard]

One of the advantages of pollarding over coppicing is that it leaves the regrowth higher up, beyond the reach of browsing deer. Maybe this is the reason in your case, Janet?

[Janet Turnbull]

One of the advantages of pollarding over coppicing is that it leaves the regrowth higher up, beyond the reach of browsing deer. Maybe this is the reason in your case, Janet?

I don't think so in this case, essexbuzzard - there are no deer around here, it's far too urban. But if there were deer, they could easily reach this regrowth as they are only about 4 feet high!

[Janet Turnbull]

Discovered too late that there was a butterfly walk at Llanymynech Rocks on Sunday but had planned to anyway with Gren - and it had to be yesterday on account of the weather threarening rain as from today. So we did the trip hoping to see PBFs but it seems we were just a tad too early. Our other target species were Small Copper, Grizzled Skipper and Green Hairstreak and we found them all within a 100 square yards near the quarry, at a spot where we had decided to have our sandwiches. The Coppers were very active and would not let us get near them, but I noticed there was a particular strawberry flower that one of them seemed fond of so I knelt there until it came and settled . The GH were much more amenable and let me get up close, posing and turning to catch the light and present their best side . The Grizzlies were hard to track, visually, but did present good photo opportunities which failed when the camera focused on a blade of grass I hadn't seen
We met several people from BC out butterflying and it was great to chat with them.
At one point we tried to take the path that led over Asterley Rock (couldn't help thinking of Game of Thrones!) but discovered the way was blocked by a fence. As we turned back I saw a pair of large orangey butterflies gliding higher up the hillside and looking through the binos at one which settled I felt sure they were PBFs... No photo possible, though, so I'll never know for certain.
The day was so warm I feared we were in for sunstroke and it was a relief to go down into the valley where the paths led through dappled woodland. Here I was pleased to see my first Speckled Woods of the year and it must have been their day as they were everywhere.
We called it a day a 5pm and set off for home - in spite of the M56 crawling at 20mph for 15 minutes the journey was blessedly free from major holdups which can be the curse of Bank Holiday travelling.

A not-very-good one but my best effort of the Grizzled Skipper

And an intriguing fly

[Goldie M]

Great shots Janet, I wouldn't bother if I'd got a shot of a Grizzle what it looked like I've yet to see one, sounds like you went to Wales, is that right Goldie

[David M]

Delighted to see you got your quarry, Janet....by visiting a quarry! Nice to see some Small Coppers away from Dungeness!

[Janet Turnbull]

Great shots Janet, I wouldn't bother if I'd got a shot of a Grizzle what it looked like I've yet to see one, sounds like you went to Wales, is that right Goldie

Yes Goldie - Lanymynech Rocks is on the border of Shropshire and Montgomeryshire. I really was hoping to see PBFs but maybe if it's not too cold in Scotland next week I'll see them there!

Thanks David - even though I didn't see the PBFs I was thrilled with the Small coppers and Grizzlies!

Tuesday 8th May
Today's shot was taken whilst on my transect walk along the Bridgewater Canal in Sale. I saw several Holly Blues and a couple of Whites which didn't stop but I'm fairly sure they were Large.
Just as well I went when I did - it turned to rain, just as forecast, this afternoon! Had some retail therapy instead and bought a couple of Bowles Mauve wallflowers that Goldie mentioned in her diary.

[Wurzel]

Lovely Coppers Janet One of my butterflying tricks that you've independently hit upon is to stop, pour a coffee or eat lunch and then that's when the butterflies arrive

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Hi! Janet, thanks for that info, I wondered if you knew PBF's have been seen at Warton Craig in the Lakes, if you've not been there it's worth a visit but much too steep for me Lovely shot of the HB Goldie

[Andrew555]

Very nice shots Janet, sounds and looks like a great day.
Good tactics for the Small Copper, and we have all cursed those stray blades of grass!
Your fly is a Scorpion Fly I believe.

[David M]

That female Holly Blue image has escaped me this spring, Janet! I’ve seen plenty of males but haven’t yet had the privilege of a female descending for me. Probably not much time for that to change now, so it’s good to see such delights in other people’s diaries.

[Janet Turnbull]

After 3 weeks of being away from the laptop I'm just catching up with everyone!

Hi! Janet, thanks for that info, I wondered if you knew PBF's have been seen at Warton Craig in the Lakes, if you've not been there it's worth a visit but much too steep for me Lovely shot of the HB Goldie

I wonder if it's too late to see them now, Goldie. Although I see BC Lancs are arranging a field trip to Whitbarrow in June.

That female Holly Blue image has escaped me this spring, Janet! I’ve seen plenty of males but haven’t yet had the privilege of a female descending for me. Probably not much time for that to change now, so it’s good to see such delights in other people’s diaries.

And I hadn't even realised it was a female, David - I was just so pleased to have got a nice shot! I hope you've managed to see one by now. In London last week I counted 23 HBs on a walk round the marshes.

Your fly is a Scorpion Fly I believe.

Thank you Andrew - I looked it up and was relieved to see they don't sting, but I see how it got its name!

[Janet Turnbull]

I have never seen Pearl Bordered Fritillaries and had great plans to find them this year. A surprise holiday in Scotland was set up by our son and his wife to include the two sets of parents, at a lovely place overlooking Urquart Castle on Loch Ness. Eagerly anticipating the possibility of seeing PBFs I contacted BC Highlands and got some excellent information - but of the two places I had earmarked, one had been cleared by the Forestry Commission and the second I just missed an email inviting me to join a hunt . On a woodland walk near the cottage we found some colonies of Speckled Woods and we were visited by one which came to the garden.

A very long shot of a white butterfly turned out to be a female Orange tip but the photo was only good enough for ID purposes.
The day before leaving for home we were all up at dawn to watch the sunrise - quite magical, and the first time I have heard the dawn chorus from the beginning! A delightful walk around Inverness (love those windows in the cathedral!) followed by a visit to the nature reserve at Nairn provided a nice Mayfly but no butterflies.

The weather was glorious for the whole stay, so we decided to drive home via Fort William in the hope of seeing Chequered Skippers and PBFs in that wonderful place Bugboy and I found last year. But... it was cloudy with a hint of rain - and three weeks too early. By way of a consolation prize I did get a Large Red Damselfly munching a terrified-looking Cranefly:

and a Greater Spotted Woodpecker pecked happily up and down a dead tree trunk just across the river from where I stood - just far enough away for a poor photo

[Janet Turnbull]

So there was one day at home in which to tidy the garden. Cutting the privet hedge disturbed this big moth which Maurice Bailey identified as an Angle Shades. (Thanks Maurice!) It looks like I shaved some of his hair too

[bailey1409]

Hi Janet

Your moth is an Angle Shades.

Cheers

Maurice

[Janet Turnbull]

Disappointed at not managing to get tickets for the Manchester performance of The Armed Man last autumn, as soon as I saw it advertised I booked tickets for the RAH on Sunday. There was an amazing 1500-strong choir who nearly outnumbered the audience and it was a fabulous performance.
Being in London with wonderful weather just had to produce some butterflies so I texted Bugboy for advice. He very charitably didn't tell me I should have been following his PD to find out where to go! He suggested Walthamstow Wetlands and it was a truly lovely day we spent wandering round it. We counted 23 Holly Blues, two pairs of Brimstones, a number of Orange tips, a Comma, and several Whites which were reluctant to settle. And not a single photo to show for them!
Next day I found Railway Fields, a small but lovely reserve in Harringay and although there were dozens of primary school children pond dipping, I did manage to get photos of a Speckled Wood and a Blackcap.

Further along in Finsbury Park I was enchanted by Canada Goose chicks stepping out and cocking a snoot at their frantic parents who couldn't get past the railings, and a family of Greylag Geese auditioning for Swan Lake.

while back at our son's house, a tiny moth caught my attention

[Janet Turnbull]

Our 'Midweek Meander' - designed for older members of the rambling club and basically a long walk to a pub for lunch - was at Longdendale. Gren and I have managed to enthuse several fellow walkers about butterflies but I can see we might have to be carefull about making everyone wait for ages while we take pictures..
However I could not contain my excitement at spotting an Orange-tip egg beneath a ladysmock flower and my husband informed the others that I had reached 4th Dan in Lepidoptery
The top photo was taken on a Canon 600D with a macro lens; the second with just my phone.

There did not seem to be many Orange-tips about but Green-veined Whites were putting on a good show.

[Janet Turnbull]

With the weather about to change, fellow lepi Gren and I decided to go to Llanymynech NR to try our luck with the PBFs. Setting off under perfectly blue skies with the wind at a mere 7kph we were full of optimism until about 10 miles short of Llanymynech when light clouds started to appear, and grew denser as we neared our destination. The sun failed to show and we struggled to find any butterflies - no PBFs visible but we managed to disturb a fresh-looking but disgruntled male Common Blue which woke up a flew away after being handled for a few minutes, and several similarly sleepy Small Heaths. Both firsts for this year.

Several Speckled Yellow moths were in evidence, and a solitary Cinnabar moth.

We also spotted a Mint moth but Gren scared it off before I could take a photo, so this is his picture:

Calling it a day we were about to turn for home, when a man out with his dog told us, 'You should have been here yesterday, it was alive with butterflies! Common Blues, Pearl Bordered, Wall Browns...'

[bugboy]

You've been a busy lady recently. Shame you couldn't get your pearls and were too early for the Chequered Skippers, still give it a few years and you may not have to go all the way to Scotland to see them!

[Janet Turnbull]

... give it a few years and you may not have to go all the way to Scotland to see them!

Yes - it's exciting news, Bugboy!

[Janet Turnbull]

I took the tram to St Werbergh's which is two stops towards Manchester from Sale Water Park, and examined the bank along the station platform. There were dozens of Burnet moth pupae on the grass stalks and two Common Blues came to life as the sun broke through. I found one dead CB which had either not managed to get out of its pupa case,or had gone straight into a web. Further along I was delighted to see my first Large Skipper of the year.
Burnet pupae

Burnet moth caterpillar beginning to pupate

Common Blues

Caught in a web

Large Skipper

This afternoon I needed to check out a route near Edale for next Saturday's ramble. Started from Nether Booth in the Hope Valley and made my way up to Ringing Roger. There were a lot of bilberry bushes and I kept an eye out for Green Hairstreaks, but I didn't see any. When the bilberries gave way to heather I began to see small brown moths flitting low over the heather, which turned out to be (I think) Common Heath.

On the lower slopes there were several Orange-tips and a very battered Peacock which still managed to fly strongly despite her shredded wings