www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Good work with the Red Admirals Trevor - I've only seen one this year and it shot off like a bullet I hope your PC woes get sorted soon Good news about the jab

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

trevor wrote: ↑Tue Mar 02, 2021 11:48 amCheers all, been for one jab 21-2-21. PC fail, few keys work

Great that you've had your vaccination, Trevor. I'm hoping mine won't be too far away.

Quite surprising that you are seeing Red Admirals. I was convinced the couple of cold snaps this year would have accounted for virtually all of them, but apparently not from the evidence.

Time for a new computer if your keyboard has packed up. Just make sure you save your images to an external hard drive first!!

Trevor Comes Up Trumps

Despite Trevor being silenced by a quirky keyboard, I'm pleased to report on his behalf that he saw a Large Tortoiseshell at the BC Rowland Wood reserve today. This was immediately north of Rushy Meadow where, after an initial flypast, it settled on the trunk of a conifer on the edge of the adjacent plantation at c.2 pm. It's a male, so should hold territory here.

Neil (excited on behalf of Trevor)

Excellent, Trevor, a fantastic sighting

Absolutely cracking news Trevor

(Continue to ) Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Congratulations! What a great find!

Well Done Trevor

I would swap that for all my Small Tortoiseshells

Cheers,

Neil

Brilliant find Trevor! Really pleased for you (and a bit jealous!).

Many thanks to Neil for posting my Large Tortoiseshell image, and to you all
for forming such an orderly queue with the mrgreens!.

After a pretty poor early/mid March on the butterfly front things went mad
this last weekend. On Saturday I saw a Brimstone and my first Comma of the year.
Sunday saw several male Brimstones, and more Commas and Peacocks.

THEN came that sighting. A large butterfly, pale in colour, about the size of a
Peacock/Red Admiral, flew in from behind me. Quickly processing what I had seen
I was convinced that it must have been a Painted Lady, that was until a little later
when I saw the ' Painted Lady' basking on the trunk of a Pine quite a distance away.
Unable to get close because of brambles, I used full zoom, only two shots were obtained
before it was off. It was then that I realised it was in fact it was A Large Tortoiseshell
on my camera screen!.

Many thanks all,
Trevor.

PS. To the above.
I now have a shiny new Lap Top, but it does not take SD cards.
So until I can get a separate card reader, no images!.

The joys of buying online rather than being able to inspect in store!.

i forgot to add that the Large Tort. was seen again yesterday, at about the same time.
Firstly a very brief glimpse flying among the Pines, then a better sighting of it being
chased by a Peacock. It was not seen again, and was not seen today 23/3 either.

Good to be back,
Trevor.

Here are some images from 20th to 22nd March. All from Rowland Wood.
I have included the original zoomed image of that Large Tortoiseshell to
illustrate just how distant it was from me.

Stay safe and well'
Trevor.

Great stuff Trevor - that Large Tort is worth another couple of But here's another one for the Brimstone in the hand I don't think I've got one of those in my collection

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Cheers Wurzel. Finding a Large Tort close to home has saved me from another trip to Portland.
As for the Brimstone, it was nice and calm during a cool cloudy spell so I offered my finger!.

Stay well,
Trevor.

trevor wrote: ↑Tue Mar 23, 2021 6:26 pm..A large butterfly, pale in colour, about the size of a
Peacock/Red Admiral, flew in from behind me. Quickly processing what I had seen
I was convinced that it must have been a Painted Lady, that was until a little later
when I saw the ' Painted Lady' basking on the trunk of a Pine quite a distance away.
Unable to get close because of brambles, I used full zoom, only two shots were obtained
before it was off. It was then that I realised it was in fact it was A Large Tortoiseshell
on my camera screen!

I can't even imagine how you must have felt when you looked at your image and realised what you'd just seen, Trevor. Must have been an incredible moment. It's yet another sign that this species is gradually returning to the UK, and long may that continue!

Nice selection of other species too. I'm impressed you were able to coax a Brimstone onto your finger. There are plenty of species that are happy to settle on human beings but this isn't one of them so well done.

Thanks David. I think that Large Tortoiseshell was just compensation for my abortive
trip to Portland last year, then to find out that two were seen that day elsewhere on Portland!.

They are certainly not extinct in the UK as some books would have us believe.
Every year, about this time, a few are seen. Indeed a Lady BC member, Andrea,
photographed one several years ago at the same location as mine, Rowland Wood.

It makes me question how many go unseen each year.

Stay safe and well,
Trevor.

Today was a day of typical early Spring butterfly sightings.
The temperature didn't quite get to that mentioned by the forecasters, with a max of about 13c.
Despite a chilly breeze, the old railway in Hailsham came up with two Peacocks, two Commas,
and my first Small White of the new season.

After lunch I drove over to Rowland Wood, and here it was more of the same, with the addition
of three patrolling male Brimstones, and my first Bee fly.

It was a pleasure to meet some Large Tort hopefuls in the form of Neil Hulme, Tim and
Dr Dan Danahar and his son Indi. The least I could do was to show them the exact spot where the LT landed!.

Stay safe and well,
Trevor.

Just catching up with your sightings, Trevor - many congratulations on seeing that Large Tortoiseshell. It does make you wonder how many may be lurking out there!

Cheers,

Dave

Thanks Dave. Although Large Tort sightings are few and far between they do turn up usually in March.
Speaking to Neil Hulme he thinks the one I saw could be an overwintering migrant.
There have been some excellent sightings of LT's in Portland recently.

Once again today I paid a visit to the old railway in Hailsham, and found two new species for the year.
Firstly an immaculate, large, Large White, but it refused to settle anywhere for a decent image.
Two more Small Whites were seen, and one was very obliging.
The biggest surprise (shock) was finding a Small Tortoiseshell at that location, only the second one I've found there.
I also found one Comma, and two Peacocks, and was half expecting the odd Specklie, but none seen.

Wish this weather would last!.
Trevor.