www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Hi Wurzel,

Just catching up on your diary. Glad you found some patient Green Hairstreaks. Those photos are great, especially the first one on the bluebells. I was fortunate to have a close encounter with one on my local patch last week. It was so friendly it stayed in front of me on and off for over 30 minutes
I also enjoyed those fresh PBF at Bentley Wood. They look stunning.

Regards Kev

That's a nice PBF from Bentley, Wurzel, and as you mentioned, it is not the same as either of the two I saw a few days later. Yours has much heavier markings. I may well be up a certain Hill tomorrow since the forecast looks good...

Dave

Cheers Goldie I hope you get well soon and get your Pearl
Cheers Kev I don't know why the Greenstreaks were so well behaved, I think they were getting near their bedtime as I tend to visit later in the day
Cheers Dave Glad there was at least one Marshie but more importantly a Wall, see I did say they were there

Things have been hectic this week as OfSTED have been in the last two days - but on the plus side I got a Larkhill Marshie yesterday

Have a goodun

Wurzel

I'm a bit behind with the diaries Wurzel (too much time spent watching pupa and the last still hasn't emerged!) but you've got some smashing Hairstreak shots there which clearly demonstrates their variability. Wonderful when you can see a fair few together

Cheers Pauline It seems that my Duke site is coming more of a Greenstreak site as they were all over the hill that day and on subsequent visits I better get my map put so I can send you that PM...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Garston Wood 01-05-2017
I woke on Bank Holiday Monday feeling great. The sun wasn’t yet shining but I was hopeful. I’d done all the chores, seen butterflies, painted like a demon and now I had the day ahead of me. Then my dad called, my Grandad had passed away in the night. I’d seen him the day before at my Gran’s 90th Birthday Party and today he was gone. I wandered around the house dazed and upset so my wife suggested that we headed out as planned.

We drove over to Garston Wood through Broadchalke, the village where he’d lived for 70 odd years and as we did the memories, long thought forgotten, came flooding back. There was the Cleeve ahead, the field where I’d steered the Combine while Grandad worked the pedals, the forge where I watched him work, the see-saw tree right at the far end of the Cleeve before finally driving past ‘Homelea’ where I could just see that the apple tree that my Grandad had grafted from his fathers’ apple tree was in full blossom.

Once parked we set off to take in the spectacle of Spring – Wood Anemones, Ransoms, Bluebells and the occasional Purple Orchid. It wasn’t until we’d wandered about half way round, and rather ironically left the ‘butterfly’ enclosure, that we encountered our first butterfly. The sun broke from the cloud and drove towards us down the track when little L let out a cry ‘white butterfly dad!’ It was a Green-veined White but it wanted to roost up high. I tried a few record shots but gave up, instead letting little L try out her wildlife filming. The highlight of it for her was when a male Orange-tip bustled in and there was a bit of argy between it and the GVW. She had the presentation down pat, even doing the Attenborough-esque narration! A little further on a Peacock stopped on an old branch. I don’t know if it was unusual behaviour or because the cloud had momentarily hidden behind the cloud but rather than flying off at my approach it walked away along the branch. I halted and let it settle and backed off after a couple of shots. The walk continued a Greater Spotted Woodpecker drummed, a Marsh Tit ‘pit-chooed’ and a Cuckoo called. Little L found me a strange larva and chattered away. By the end of the walk I felt not anger or upset, no real morose sadness but a calm feeling of gladness, glad for having known him and learned from him, thank you Grandad.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

So sorry to hear about your Grandad Wurzel but Happy you found some piece, it's the unexpected that upsets the most it's like a shock wave, my Husbands brother passed a way in December they were very close and he went through the same emotional's remembering what they did when boy's, plus the fact it was so near Christmas, which by the way is the worst time so I hope when that time of year comes round you'll think of all the Happy times you had together and not get too upset. Goldie

HI Wurzel,

Grand Parents are special, and the loss of one does evoke memories of ones childhood and
happy days, in my case playing in the corn fields in a remote part of Bedfordshire.

Sorry for your loss,
Trevor.

PS. No Marshies at the hill today, I was the only one there.

My deepest sympathies, Wurzel. I'm glad you were able to find some solace in nature.

Guy

Sorry to learn of your loss Wurzel and my condolences to you. Your account is a very moving tribute to the legacy that your Granddad left you, a country upbringing and a love of nature. You cant beat it !

Jenks.

Sorry to hear your news, Wurzel. He'll live forever in that landscape.
BWs, Neil

Sorry for your loss, Wurzel. Getting out into the countryside is the best thing you could have done.

Vince

Very sorry to here of your loss Wurzel. I can only add to what others have said, we all live on in the memories of our loved ones.

Sorry to hear of your loss Wurzel...it sounds like that walk was just what you needed.

Your strange larva looks like a glow worm but I haven't really seen them side on like that before.

Neil.

My condolences and very best wishes to you Wurzel.

James

Thank you all for your very kind comments and thoughts. I found that one of the hardest posts I've written and I was unsure whether I should have posted it but I'm glad that I did now as your responses have helped me immensely, thank you all again.

Wurzel

Your post was very moving, Wurzel. It evoked all kinds of pictures of peaceful countryside scenes and pursuits, and of a world that seems to be disappearing. My sympathy for your loss, Wurzel. With memories like those you will never truly lose him.

Dave

Thank you Dave - your kind comments meant a lot.

Wurzel

Sorry to hear of your loss, Wurzel.

Mike

Thank you Mike, the kind thoughts from UKB, like yours, have greatly helped.

Duke Site 02-05-2017

Back at work and with there being plenty of butterflies about and a reasonable weather forecast I was finally in a position to take advantage of my early finish on a Tuesday, possibly the first time in this academic year plus I still needed soem respite. So instead of cutting directly across the Plain I took a more circuitous route home, via my Duke site. As I arrived the sun was still shining and it looked like the forecast ‘sunny intervals’ was going to be slightly pessimistic but there wasn’t a single butterfly all the way down the main track nor through past the Cypress tree. It was only whilst I was crossing the field to the favoured Duke spot that a silver bullet caught my eye, my first (and county) Brown Argus of 2017. I stayed with it a while reacquainting myself with one of my favourite species – diminutive but boisterous and equally as contrasting in livery as nature. I carried on up across the field to check out the main Duke spot which was still lacking in a Duke despite the fact that the first record for Wiltshire had come in from this site the previous day. However to keep my company there were still two Small Coppers one of which was a Blue Badger but it played very hard to get. I then carried on my rambling reaching the tiny valley and so I set up camp here and had a snack while waiting to see what would turn up. There were a few Grizzlies and a Dingy to watch as well as a male Brimstone and Orange-tip both of which patrolled by. A small orangey butterfly went up from my footfall as I started to make my way back to the Duke spot. I followed it as it weakly flew a zig zag pattern and it plonked down on a bare patch of soil, my first Small Heath of the year and another first for the County. I main my way back to Duke spot and walked up and down the little track there finding the Blue Badge hanging around and also getting onto a bit of Grizzlie action - a few squabbles and different individuals hanging about but by now the sun had gone in, had taken it’s ball with it and wasn’t coming out to play again! Still this meant that I was able to try for some closed wing/roosting shots and I managed to find a willing Grizzlie volunteer. Have a goodun

Wurzel