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Love the dandelion stairway to heaven, Wurzel

Hi! Wurzel, love your stairway to heaven I've only manage to catch one shot of a Small White this year and none have arrived in the Garden this year which seems strange, I wonder if there going to be scarce a round here. Goldie

Excellent GVW's and OT's there Wurzel.
Stairway to Heaven..

Cheers Andrew, Goldie and Ernie I was mighty chuffed with that shot not least because it gave me the perfect opportunity to use another song title in one of my posts, I try and weave them in now and again Better go and get the next one written as I'm still in April

Have a goodun

Wurzel
I wonder how long it will be tonight?
8

Wurzel: You mentioned in answer to someone else's post that the PBF's are out at Stockbridge Down. Its a long hike for me to get to Bentley Wood from Alton but Stockbridge is just about do-able. Can you point me roughly to where they might be on the Down? Thanks.

Cheers Ernie I was mentioned on the Hampshire Butterfly Group on Facebook but not on the main Butterfly Conservation latest sightings page unfortunately. Also unfortunately they didn't give any details about where it was on the site but I reckon it will be in the little wooded area at the eastern most tip of the reserve where I believe there is a second, smaller car park. I seem to recall hearing this a few years back...Your best bet though is Bentley and if you cut through Broughton and West Tytherley it's only another 10-15 minutes on from Stockbridge Down. Good luck whichever way you venture!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Vera Jones’s Mill 26-04-2018

After a lunchtime of whites an extra hour out butterflying was a very welcome bonus. Check me out butterflying on a school night what a rebel There was really only one place to go and that was Vera Jones’s Mill. So after a 4 minute drive I was parked up, booted and raring to go. As if sensing my anticipation a Small Tort greeted me as soon as I entered the site but knowing that I was here for OTs it did a number so I didn’t waste any time stalking it, all the more for OT finding. It was slightly cooler than on my previous visit a week ago but even so as I walked along the hedge, down the hill and over the gate I didn’t see a single butterfly. It carried on this way right the way down the hill through the gate and as I followed the board walk round to the right. Nothing, nada, zilch?

As the path left the wood to head out across the fen I spied two male OTs off to my right. I watched them for a while and they didn’t venture far, always returning to roughly the same spot until they felt the need to go and hassle the other, or were hassled themselves. It seemed like this was going to be a really good spot as it was right on the edge of the fen on a muddy track so no trampling to concern myself with, there was a good scattering of both Garlic Mustard and Cuckoo flower, nice big dock leaves and other foliage for them to sun bathe on and the dappled shade offered shelter form the wind and calmed them down. All in all a pretty nice little set up and so I settled down to wait for them to come to me, which they did. I then made my way out onto the central path and took the boardwalk to the left right the way across the fen. For a while I stood in the sun and watched the whites flying around me. I could make out the more obvious male Orange-tips, of which there were two and a Green-veined White which flew close enough and settled for just long enough for me to make out the markings but there were two other whites that I couldn’t identify. I carried on through the more wooded area to the recently mown field where there were another two male OT’s but all were still in full-on patrol mode seeming to fly incessantly so I retraced my steps back the way I’d come making for the initial spot. On the way a Roe Deer gave me more of a shock than I gave it as it launched itself away. As I caught my breath a Green-veined White stopped for me. Back at my initial stopping point there were still male OTs flying this way and that. I clocked 4 males and a female at one point, found a nicely marked male which instead of the usual black forewing spots seemed have little eyes and a second male with slightly less obvious ‘eyes’. Occasionally now the sun would go in for a few moments and then they would slow down and eventually stop. During one of the longer shady spells one male shut up shop as it were on a Cuckoo Flower whilst another was lower down in the vegetation. It was interesting to see it open up, its antennae still pointing directly forward as one unit. Eventually my time came to an end and not wanting to get home too late I said my goodbyes and departed. Through the first gate at the end of the boardwalk I passed, a Peacock waving me off, before a Green-veined White also wished me adieu on my way up the hill. All too soon I was back at the car but what a thoroughly cracking hour!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Great Orange Tips, soon be time to say goodbye for another year.
Only one female for me this year.
I'm going to my Daughters late next week to give them time to get going.

Fingers crossed,
Trevor.

Wurzel, What a lovely story. I really appreciate all of the details and atmosphere you put into your diary. I know it all takes time and you are busy enough anyway. But heres a genuine thank you for the joy you bring. Thank you.

Art Frames wrote:... I really appreciate all of the details and atmosphere you put into your diary...

Seconded, it really makes your reports a joy to read

Cracking Orange-tip photos too

Cheers,

Neil.

I can only repeat what has already been said Wurzel - smashing OT shots

Cheers Trevor I was at the Hill today and the numbers are building nicely - there was also Adonis, Small and Common Blues, Wall, Greenstreaks and a giant Orange-tip
Cheers Peter, Neil and Pauline I'm a little lost for words now so thank you for your very kind comments

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Great Orange-tip shots, Wurzel and like others I always look forward to reading your reports It's also nice to know that numbers are building on the hill

Mike

A great little selection of sunny Orange Tips, Wurzel! Good to see them on cuckoo flower, as there is so little of it round here and all my shots are on garlic mustard.

It was a terrific day up on the Hill today - I've whittled the photos down substantially but there are still loads. Did anyone lay a camera on the mega-Orange Tip? It was the largest I've ever seen. Great to see you, and Phil and Lee - almost exactly six months on from the Social. Time flies - should be planning for the next one...

Dave

Thoroughly good stuff Wurzel, great shots.

Lovely shots of the Orange Tips Wurzel, it's always great to see them, they're the heralds of Spring for me Goldie

Cheers Mike for you kind comment The numbers are building but two hills over at Battlesbury which started producing earlier the numbers are booming - they're all over it apparently which is good news for the Hill
Cheers Dave I remember a few years back you giving me some tips for photographing OT's number one of which was find a good roosting site - advice which I took on board
Cheers Andrew I was glad to get a proper OT fix
Cheers Goldie Me too, but by the time I get round to posting they're more like the Heralds of Summer

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Work 01-05-2018

After the highs of last week and the scorching weather normal service was resumed over the weekend with rain and wind in abundance and the showers continued on into the start of the next week. It was cool and damp still when I set out on Tuesday lunchtime but having been cooped up for what felt like an age I really needed to get out. So reasoning that the back path would offer the quickest ‘fix’ I made my way through the housing estate straight there.

Things didn’t look good and all the usual little haunts and hollows along the bank were bereft of butterflies. At the end of the path a White took off from a Dandelion before I could get a proper look at it and then I made my back to banks. Once here I scanned a bit deeper searching for butterflies lower down among the grasses seeking shelter form the breeze. As I did this I noticed a dead leaf that seemed out of place so I looked a little more closely. My first Specklie of the year. After a few shots I watched it try to fly but the sun had gone in again and it could only manage a tiny flutter. I offered it my finger and it climbed on board to warm up a bit and cupping my palm sheltered it from the strengthening breeze. Shortly it opened up and seeing that it was alright I placed on a grass stem at the edge of the path. As the sun came out off it went. Finally a Specklie!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Cracking series of Specklie shots Wurzel

Cheers,

Neil.

A lovely new specimen, Wurzel, with that hint of purple at the edge of the hindwing. Good to see it went on its way rejoicing after your helping hand!

Dave