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Hi! Wurzel , your getting some great shots lately and I envy your Grizzly

Probably the best Grizzlie images so far this season !. Even a certain Butterfly book author will
be gnashing his teeth if he sees those.
At the moment the hill is not looking good, no sign of the Orchids, which the Marshies like to perch on.
Everything else seems to be present, including hoards of Brown Argus .
Going back next week, so we'll see then.

Trevor.

Yes, excellent Grizzly images, Wurzel, and once again I have to look enviously at your glowing Small Copper. I've still to see one this year...

Dave

Cheers Goldie That Grizzlie was well behaved which made it much easier getting the shot, one of the few benefits of cloud cover
Cheers Trevor High praise indeed, I just hope I can live up to it Hopefully the Hill will start producing properly this weekend, fingers crossed...
Cheers Dave I'm sure you'll have a 'Hoggers' moment soon

Have a goodun

Wurzel

I agree with Trevor. Opinions expressed on many shots are frequently subjective but nothing subjective about those GS images. Smashing shots

First Big Trip Out! Part 1 07-05-2017

The weekend had finally come and it was time for the first BIG TRIP of the season. Philzoid was due to come over on Sunday the idea being that we would go for Pearls at Bentley Wood and then make our way over to my Duke Site, hopefully to finally find a Duke. I spent the Saturday doing all the chores, even fitting in a trip to the Yellow and Blue Hell and then sitting down on the new sofa on Saturday night disaster struck. The BBC weather forecast had radically changed – from sunny intervals through to the early evening when the sun would shine unhindered it went to Black cloud and single figure temperatures all day!

The next morning it seemed like they were going to be proved right (typical I thought they only seem to get it right when the weather is atrocious ) but Philzoid and I had waited too long for this day and so we headed out from opposite directions to meet up. As I made my way through Salisbury it was getting noticeably brighter, as I pulled off the Southampton road it was definitely brighter so much so I had to reach for the shades. By the time we were at West Dean Farm there were patches of blue sky visible through the white-not-black clouds and as the girls and I strolled through the trees and out into the clearing the sun was shining. It made the most of its fleeting presence and scanned around but it was to prove futile. When it broke through a second time however the other visitor to the EC found a Pearl and kindly shared it. We then headed off in different areas – me checking out the bottom, tussocky area and him back by the notice board. I almost trod on a Red Admiral basking in the thin sun on the path and then found a second Pearl. I was getting my shots when Philzoid arrived and he followed my voice to find my crouched over a Pearl. We then settled back into our usual rhythm. Wandering round chatting, heads down and stopping every now and again when we think we’ve spotted something. It was hard going but another Pearl turned up the and the other visitor located a fourth Pearl – this one looked to me to be a female (larger abdomen and more rounded hind wings?) and it posed nicely wrapping it wings round a spurge. The sun came out some more and so we made our way down towards the bottom end again stopping for a basking Lizard and the odd Brimstone. A male OT patrolled by and several Pearls were very active at in the sun in this area. We also came across the something of a rarity a Green-veined White and it posed nicely for us as did a really fresh Pearl. Happy with the haul, possibly 8 Pearls in one small part of the Clearing we made our way back to the cars and then onto my Duke site with a Specklie waving us farewell in the Car Park. Only we didn’t go directly to my Duke Site instead with gave the north facing slope of Down near West Dean Farm a try for Duke. From the road it looks yellow there are so many Primulas but despite a different carpet, a fly-by Peacock, Brimstones and OTs and a giant Grass Snake we couldn’t locate a Duke. I was starting to feel like I might miss the species in 2017…


Have a goodun

Wurzel

Fantastic Pearl's Wurzel, now it's my turn to be envious Goldie

Those are some lovely Pearls Wurzel, looks like you got perfect light conditions for them as well

It looks as though the Bentley Pearls emerged later that those at Abbots Wood,
going by the date of your visit. Abbots Pearls were a little worn by then.
You've captured their ginger/brown colouring to perfection.

Catch you soon,
Trevor.

Ahh I've been waiting to see your PBF's Wurzel, lovely images and they all look very fresh. Very nice open wing Grizzled Skipper there photo too.

ATB

James

Beautiful Pearls, Wurzel, every one. They really glow, don't they? You're right about that being a female - slightly different wing shape and not quite so "glowing" in colour as well as the egg-laden abdomen. I think I may have to stray back down there soon, especially as the latest weather forecast looks good for about ten days!

Dave

millerd wrote:Beautiful Pearls, Wurzel, every one. They really glow, don't they? You're right about that being a female - slightly different wing shape and not quite so "glowing" in colour as well as the egg-laden abdomen. I think I may have to stray back down there soon, especially as the latest weather forecast looks good for about ten days!

Dave

and also the SPBF are out there now as well!

Lovely Pearls Wurzel and those Grizzly shots from your previous post are stunners

Cheers,

Neil.

Cheers Goldie This is when you find another 'pallida' Pearl Fingers crossed for you!
Cheers Bugboy The lighting was down to luck of the draw, we turned up and the lighting was laid on for us
Cheers Trevor Even taking into account my tardiness of posting there is a bout a 1-2 week difference in emergence times between the East and West of the country
Cheers Rex I think I need to start putting an information notice at the end of each of my postings "There may now be a short interlude prior to the posting of the Small Pearls, your patience is appreciated"
Cheers Dave If you can get back this was the Small Pearls are just emerging Philzoid and I saw one there on Sunday and one was reported there today. Also the Hill has started yielding Marshies
Cheers for you kind comments Neil, I was pretty chuffed with the Grizzlie shots

Have a goodun

Wurzel

First Big Trip Out Part 2 07-05-2017

By now there sun was pretty much out all of the time only occasionally hiding behind the smallest of clouds and we’d made good time to my Duke Site despite my SatNav trying to take me across MOD property and land owned by Porton Down, I could really do without contracting Anthrax! Once on site we were practically greeted on the main track by Small Heaths and Dinghies and we quickly made our way across the field to the Duke spot. Straight away things started to happen. Butterflying is like this sometimes and these are moments to cherish, when everything clicks into place and you can go from one sighting to another, to another. At the little scallop where the Dukes like to hang out there was a Small Copper ( a blue badger as well) then a Greenstreak put in an afternoon appearance making as if to oviposit. I was calling out species that just kept appearing in this little area; another Small Copper, Greenstreak, Grizzlie, Dingy, Brimstone flying past, Duke…wait what was that? Duke!! At last it was fourth time lucky and in the very same spot that I’ve found them for the past three years, a cracking looking little fella. It put on a bit of a show for me; perched wings three quarters open, then a bit of a clamber over a twig pulling a stained glass pose before finishing up open winged from above looking like it was hovering in mid-air. Smashing! We then made our way along the little path stopping for the odd Dingy or Grizzlie and made out way to the little valley. Almost the first butterfly we encountered here was a Brown Argus and a first for the year for Philzoid. After spending some time with it we slowly started making our way back across the spongy turfed hillside and then across the field towards the main track where the girls had set up camp. It was slow going as we kept getting distracted on the route. There was another Brown Argus, a Green Carpet and then several Small Coppers as we walked the field. An absolutely cracking array of species. It was an awesome day with some delectable species but there were some drawbacks; it whetted my and Philzoids appetite and it could be a week or two until we can get out again properly plus I didn’t want to leave!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

A cracking post with some cracking butterflies, that's not a Green Hairstreak, its a GREEN Hairstreak!

A brilliant selection, Wurzel! No wonder you struggled to drag yourself away.

Dave

Cheers Bugboy Sometimes they just glow don't they
Cheers Dave It was very tricky and to be honest I'm still not sure how I managed it

Larkhill 10-05-2017

The weather had been great all day, the best day often week, nay the month! And in typical fashion as is the way of the Law of Sod OfSTED had been in and were due in again on the following day. Plus even if I’d wanted to make an evening trip I couldn’t of as my wife has Yoga on Wednesday nights . Added to this was the sure knowledge that certain UKBers had been to a certain Hill where they would have been lapping up lots of lovely Lepidoptera .

To console myself and get 5 minutes of respite I made my first stop-off of the year at Larkhill. I started at the half way point, crossed over and started to make my way Eastwards up the track. A few Small Heaths fluttered about my feet trying to distract me. I’d go to stalk them and they’d be gone. Something was bombing down the path towards me, bigger and darker than the Small Heaths. “It couldn’t be could it?” I asked myself. I followed it with my eyes and watched it land and there was a pristine, beautiful Marshie. It was my first for the season and even better my first ever from Larkhill! It settled a further three times and then I left it to its own devices. Very chuffed I popped back in the car and pulled in at the main car park. This seemed really quiet and despite a few Burnet Companions I didn’t think I’d see anything else…that is until a little grey blur stopped long enough for me to confirm it as a Grizzlie. I headed homewards restored, chuffed and also ready for the further onslaught of OfSTED.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Lavender Farm 31-05-2017

A few people had suggested that we made a visit to the Lavender Farm near Landford. After a very busy Saturday morning my wife wanted to head out somewhere. A certain hellish Warehouse like space with blue and yellow livery popped into my mind so I blurted out “Let’s get a cream tea at that Lavender place, my treat”. And so I escaped a trip to Ikea and all the evil it entailed! So I chivvied the girls along, grabbed my camera purely out of habit and away we went.
The Farm itself is viewable from behind a rickety fence but apparently you can’t walk up and down the rows due to ‘Elf and Safety’ but there were other rows amongst parts of the gardens and they looked like they’d offer a reasonable return in terms of butterflies. I eyed them as we awaited out cream tea and the House Sparrows kept us company. I quickly discovered the draw back and that was after the monster cream tea had arrived and been consumed I didn’t really fancy walking, in fact I didn’t think I would be able to! Finally rousing myself I set off for a little explore. A Brimstone was the first butterfly I spied and I manged to follow it with my eyes until it landed. Luckily the sun hid behind a cloud and so I could get in really close. I went for a wander round and it was still in the same place. As the sun came out again it slowly tilted it’s body from upright through 90 degrees to horizontal so it was lying flat on the leaf. After a few seconds it must have gathered sufficient warmth and it took off again. A lovely bit of behaviour to witness. The next butterfly was a Large White and then a Red Admiral but it kept buzzing forward and back but never stopping until I eventually tracked it down where it was contrasting nicely with the white flowers in the background. I spent a bit of time with the bees feeding on the Alium as the sun went in and out. The Large White actually stopped again so I got a few shots and it started to open up, the single black tips and totally white wings revealing it to be a male. The Red Admiral was back basking on a stone bench, immovable for some time and it was just great to amble about enjoying everything I was seeing and hearing. A cracking little place which by the end of June will be in full flower and peaking in butterflies…best to leave the cream tea until later in the visit next time though! Have a goodun

Wurzel

Lovely shots Wurzel , love the Marshie shot also the Brimstone Goldie