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RHS Wisley, 20 February 2012 – Part 16

Butterflies in the Glasshouse (14 January – 26 February 2012)

Continued …

The Clipper ...

RHS Wisley, 21 February 2012 – Part 17

Butterflies in the Glasshouse (14 January – 26 February 2012)

Continued …

The Orange-banded Shoemaker ...

Heyshott Escarpment, 22 February 2012

Blood, sweat but no tears …

Late as usual, it was good to see Neil return to Heyshott from his tropical hideaway. Having spent the last couple of weeks obviously lying under a sun lamp perfecting his ‘Dickinson's Real Deal’ tan whilst sipping cheap booze by the pool, he was soon back into conservation overdrive …

In addition to Neil, Colin Knight and four members of the Murray Downland Trust joined me for another session of bramble and hazel removal, made somewhat more difficult by previous scrub ‘clearance’ found rotting on the hill. It was a positive sight to see evidence of early primrose growth.

After another slow start we made good progress.

Roll on next week …

Hi Mark,

just caught up with your post, Butterflies in the glasshouse.

Some more lovely pictures, that Orange-Banded Shoemaker is a stunning butterfly.

All the best,

Nick.

hideandseek wrote:that Orange-Banded Shoemaker is a stunning butterfly.

Isn't it just? I wonder what it looks like in flight. Must be quite a spectacle.

Dear Nick and David,

Thank you for your messages.

David M wrote:I wonder what it looks like in flight. Must be quite a spectacle.

Spectacle is probably a little grand.

I deliberately made a point of watching a female in flight earlier today. If I was pushed to compare its flight pattern to a British butterfly the Small Tortoiseshell immediately comes to mind. I suppose this is not that surprising as the Orange-banded Shoemaker is also a Nymphalid. The male didn't show today, though I doubt its beautiful dorsal side would be that visible in flight. I'll keep a look out ...

Good hunting.

Kind regards. Mark

RHS Wisley, 23 February 2012 – Part 18

Butterflies in the Glasshouse (14 January – 26 February 2012)

Continued …

The Malachite (revisited) …

Bl**dy hell. Love that! Perfect

Lovely shot. I've never noticed the white lower wing pouches before.

The background definitely complements the butterfly Mark, a gorgeous photo.

All the best.

Nick.

Dear Susie, David and Nick,

Thank you for your very generous comments.

Susie wrote:Bl**dy hell. Love that! Perfect.

Thanks Susie. I'll make the assumption you liked it then!

David M wrote:Lovely shot. I've never noticed the white lower wing pouches before.

Glad you like the shot. I can't honestly say I've ever noticed the white lower wing pouches before.

hideandseek wrote:The background definitely complements the butterfly Mark, a gorgeous photo.

Thanks Nick.

Good hunting.

Kindest regards. Mark

RHS Wisley, 23 February 2012 – Part 19

Butterflies in the Glasshouse (14 January – 26 February 2012)

Aberrant Morpho …

I was rather pleased to receive an email yesterday from Nigel Kemp regarding an aberrant form of the Peleides Blue Morpho (Morpho peleides). The eye-spots on the hind wing have blurred and are virtually non-existent on the forewing.

Nigel kindly supplied the following image and I have also posted a picture of a typical underside for comparison.

One I missed … and there weren’t many!

Blenheim Palace, 26 February 2012

In search of leviathans …

Home to the 11th Duke and Duchess of Marlborough, Blenheim Palace is the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965) and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Palace was a gift from Queen Anne and a grateful nation to John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough following his famous victory at the Battle of Blenheim in 1704. Situated in Woodstock, just 8 miles from Oxford, Blenheim Palace is surrounded by over 2,000 acres of Capability Brown landscaped parkland, the great lake (formed by damming the River Glyme) and beautiful formal gardens. Today my eyes were set firmly on the lake and its predatory inhabitants …

The journey ahead of us required an early start. My fishing partner, Dave Wilkins, arrived at 4.15am and by 4.20am we were loaded and driving. By 7am, boat launched, we had cast our first line and were waiting in anticipation. Unlike the early morning Kingfisher, which had flown fast and low over the water whilst rewarding us with the beauty of its iridescent plumage, our day had been without capture.

After a long and pleasurable session we arrived back at the boathouse, tired though enriched.

Our day will come …

A bit of useless information; the title Duke of Marlborough was recycled by Queen Anne. It was held previously by some of my ancestors for a short while until we ran out of male heirs!

Edit: My mistake, my lot were Earls and not Dukes! lol

Does this mean we have to call you Ma'am?

Susie wrote:A bit of useless information; the title Duke of Marlborough was recycled by Queen Anne. It was held previously by some of my ancestors for a short while until we ran out of male heirs!

I'd never of guessed!

Sadly no fish hugging pictures today.

Kind regards. Mark

Blenheim Palace

Blenheim also has a small butterfly house at the South end of the miniature railway near the palace. It makes a pleasant warm retreat in Winter, when looking for Hawfinches, which frequent the trees around the formal gardens! The collection contains the usual selection for this type of place:
When I was there, there weren't many species to be seen, although there were several colourful finches - which may account for the shortage of butterflies!
Mike

Hi Mike,

MikeOxon wrote:Blenheim also has a small butterfly house at the South end of the miniature railway near the palace.

Already noted ...

Thanks.

Kind regards. Mark

my old man used to tell me many a story about "woodstock" the clear water and indeed tales of uncaptured leviathans. Bought back good memories. ANd it's one place i'd like to go to see the work of capability brown.

Chris

Hi Chris,

Thanks for your message.

ChrisC wrote:tales of uncaptured leviathans

Nothings changed there then ...

Good hunting.

Kind regards. Mark

Pagham Harbour, 28 February 2012

A bird in the bush (or in this case a reed bed) …

The Paddyfield Warbler (Acrocephalus agricola) breeds in temperate central Asia. It is a migratory species, typically wintering in Pakistan east to Assam, in southern Nepal and India. It is a rare vagrant to Western Europe, although there are small breeding populations along the western shores of the Black Sea around the border between Bulgaria and Romania. There have been less than 100 records in the UK since 1925, when a male was recorded from Fair Isle, Shetland on the 26th September. The Pagham Harbour bird is the first known record for West Sussex.

Early this morning, joined by Colin Knight, I headed down to the North Wall at Pagham Harbour in West Sussex in the hope of connecting with the long staying bird that has been showing well over several weeks. We arrived at 9.30am. The weather was overcast with a cool westerly breeze blowing gently across the mudflats. As we walked along the sea wall from Church Lane, Water Rail and Cetti’s Warbler were heard calling. On reaching the second bend we met up with other birders, some of whom had seen the bird earlier. We waited and watched …

At around 11.45 I located our target as it perched, albeit briefly, on a tall Phragmites stem. For the next hour we watched as it occasionally flew up out of the reeds to catch an insect and drop back down and out of sight once more. It eventually showed quite well and at one point it even moved through the reeds no more than a few metres away, though it rarely stayed still and kept moving into cover.

For those who drool and get excited over such things, Canon 7Ds and 600mm lenses attached to Gitzo tripods was the ‘big gun’ weaponry of the day. Not wanting to show anyone up, I kept my Lumix discreetly out of sight …

http://www.pbase.com/dophoto/cannaiolajerdon