www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Glad to be of service Pauline and some cracking shots

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Hi Pauline,
How lovely to be able to catch up with your diary again and some beautiful shots - Debbie x

You really don't need to be envious Susie cos you have taken some smashing photos of BH in the past - including beautiful females too which I shall be lucky to see this year. Thank you for your comment tho' - it is very kind of you to say so.

Thank you Wurzel - have you got any more hot tips for me for tomorrow??

Nice to hear from you again Debbie - thank you for your kind words.

Yesterday afternoon I could not face the long drive to Lymington in the heat - which having seen Alan's photos and report I am now slightly regretting - but determined to make the most of a rare day out, I stopped off on the way back at Oxenbourne to check out the SSS. I had expected more to have emerged by now, especially the odd female, but disappointingly I saw a total of only 3 males (ranging from fresh to slightly worn) and on this visit no females at all. The males were incredibly active and quarrelsome and it was hard to follow them with the eye let alone get a decent photo. I grabbed a few shots shown below, but the numbers so far match the total I saw last season which is slightly worrying. No Graylings at Ludshott, no Brown Hairstreak (at least not yet) at Noar Hill and now only a few SSS at Oxenbourne . I had been informed that the SSS were originally introduced to Oxenbourne by Matthew O. (with appropriate approval) but I don't know when this was. Perhaps an injection of new blood is needed before they disappear from this site completely.
I just had to include this lovely fresh little chap in his natural surroundings before he disappeared to ..... somewhere else!

Lovely pictures Pauline

Hi Pauline
Looks like you were more successful with Silver Spotted Skipper than me. After an unsuccessful search for Silver Spotted Skipper at Beacon Hill last weekend, I took your recommendation and headed for Oxenbourne Down this afternoon. However, I think I should have paid more attention to the map beforehand as I realised on returning to the car that I had missed Oxenbourne entirely and been on Butser Hill . I will know for next time. Nevertheless I did manage to find one solitary Silver Spotted Skipper (my first) on Butser despite the breezy conditions. Are they normally found on Butser or is this one likely to blown across from Oxenbourne Is there any particular spot at Oxenbourne for them

It's very kind of you to say so Debbie

Hi Paul - I am replying quite quickly just in case you want to pop over there today. I shall pm you with directions.

Today I wanted to see Wall Browns and so I had a choice - Steyning or Lymington???? Steyning is closer but Lymington is prettier (IMO). Lymington is by the sea but at Steyning there was a chance I might see a female BH. In the end I chose Steyning as I didn't have a lot of time (do I ever ) and the area where the Walls are to be found is much smaller and requires less walking. The butterflies ranged from quite fresh to fairly tatty and as might be expected it was the fresher versions which were more active - very active! In addition, their habit of settling on the ground or in vegetation makes for a very busy background to the shot. I really think that they must be one of the MOST difficult butterflies to photograph (OK, I know I say that about every species but as I mentioned earlier they all present their own unique challenges). I was very lucky to get a photo of one individual nectaring on thistle for about 5 seconds! BTW, during the time I was there, no female BH's were seen but a couple of males were spotted flying about. That makes it 2 down, I to go - as well as the Small Tort which I have almost given up on

Glad to have offered some assistance Pauline Cracking shots of Wall and they are the hardest butterfly to photograph I totally agree!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Nice shots, Pauline.

Lovely pictures, Pauline. My experience yesterday with the species and its restlessness makes me very envious. Still, you have to have challenges left over for next year, don't you?

Dave

Hi Pauline,

Just catching up and seen your Wall Browns, smashing photos

All the best,

Neil F.

Thank you all for your kind words and encouragement. I am well acquainted with that envious feeling Dave as I have seen some lovely photos on the site this season but as you say ... there is always next year. I have many challenges yet to meet - the Small Copper with blue spots (been looking for 3 years now!!!), White Admiral with wings closed and other modest targets but that is what makes this so enjoyable and interesting - always something to aim for

During the last few days of lovely sunshine I have spent too much time (and money) at the vet so I was determined to get out today whatever the weather. I decided to visit Denbies, my third ever visit, and just like the other visits it was not long before it was bucketing down. I tried (unsuccessfully) to shelter under a bush and found myself chuckling as I remembered a thread on this site about ladies worried that someone might 'jump out of the bushes'. The place was deserted and I was soaked to the skin - I can't imagine anyone else daft enough to be out in those conditions. Thankfully, it wasn't long before there was some respite and I managed to take the following photos:
I now have only 2 weeks before my diary concludes for this season so the pressure is on a bit to see as much as I can - and I still haven't seen a Small Tortoiseshell!

worth getting a soaking if you ask me. lovely.

Chris

Great shots of Adonis Blue Pauline If you're still after Caeruleo-punctata I saw one at Stockbridge Down on Friday so you could give there a try - it was on the shorter turf at the western end of the site?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

PS Is there any correlation between the quality of your shots and how soaked you have to get prior to getting them?

It's very kind of you to say so Chris - much appreciated.

D'you know Wurzel, you could be on to something there, but until I manage to get some shots in dry weather by way of comparison, we shall never know Thank you for your comment and for the tip off. I have only ever been to Stockbridge once - looking for WLH but found Black-veined White! - but if time allows I might just pay it another visit (tho' I wouldn't have a clue which way is west ).

The Adonis were lovely yesterday even tho' I couldn't get many open winged shots - the respite in the rain was brief - but I am enclosing more pics as, although some are similar to previous, I want them to form part of this permanent record. It also gives me the opportunity to compare like with like, examining the effect of different backgrounds, crops, butterfly position etc. I have deliberately close cropped one to show a little of the amazingly delicate blue of the thorax. For several of the shots I was lying in the (wet) grass (but by then it didn't make much difference anyway) and the background colour is actually the sky which was a very strange hue - quite thundery
Next season I shall try to be more selective in what I post - rather than documenting my learning curve I shall post only what I consider to be the best of what I have achieved on each outing.

Your shots just keep getting better, Pauline.

I do like 1100656d, with the blue abdomen contrasting so well with the flowers and, as you say, 1100792d has a fascinating sky background well worth getting wet for.

As you will know by now, I do like to fiddle about with Photoshop. I would be inclined to crop a smidgin more off the left and top of 792d, so that the diagonal branch points into the top left corner - see what you think. These things are highly subjective and others will think differently. More radically, I would be very tempted to darken out the green leaf across the top of 1100752d as I find that it distracts from your superb Adonis topside.

Mike

Always a joy to see your wonderful pictures.

Debbie

Yes, beautiful pictures Pauline. I'll swap you a Small Tortoiseshell for a Chalkhill Blue, or an Adonis Blue, or a Gatekeeper, or a Marbled White, or any of those skippers or any other butterfly you get down there that doesn't occur up here!!!

Pauline your photos are sensation and the way you've improved over the last two years is amazing.

I do hope that you continue to post as many photos as always though and not just what you consider to be the best. I like to see all of them.

Hi Pauline,

I totally agree with Susie, I like to see the different backgrounds that you manage to take your photos against.

Cheers,

Neil F.