www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

I've had plenty of practice using only one hand Mike - hanging onto trees with the other mostly! Glad you liked it but y'know what it's like - just being in the right place at the right time

I don't have any problems in that department Jack. After mucking out a variety of animals I dread to think what my clothes smell like - I'm just puzzled why I don't get more landing on me

Cheers Paul - anything that looks like a spider, a mite or even the hundreds of tick larva that I find on me - well, the birds are very welcome to them

Thank you Goldie and good luck for next week. I was at Browndown near Lee-on-solent - hope the weather holds for you.

That's really kind of you Jenks. I think Wurzel is the one to ask re Bentley.

Let me know how you get on David - I imagine the coastal sites you visit would be to my liking

One of the best bits of advice I was ever given was by another consultant I was working with which was to be true to yourself. I would normally save these shots for a rainy day or a quiet period but I was so excited to see this fox cub in the garden from 5.30am until 8.00am that I just have to post these shots even tho' we are in the middle of the PE season. They are not the best of shots (taken thru' glass) but I expect he will be back:
Some of the birds watched him warily ( I am trying to practice my bird photography) - a young Robin and Blue Tit
but to try to keep on topic a bit, I missed the emergence of the wild Brimstone by not very long I reckon. It surprises me how long it takes them to take their first flight as they must be very vulnerable during this period which amounts to some hours. Another Ab - the third - which makes me wonder whether it is more common than the norm:
The Common Blue seems to have tripled in size since yesterday so I assume he has shed his skin given the colour change:
Last but not least, rounded off the day by cleaning out Magnet and Hope and giving them some fresh herbs. Back to butterflies tomorrow hopefully:

Well, I promised butterflies today but the only one I can deliver, given the weather, is this dismembered Meadow Brown - a tunnel spider again!

Am I the only person who didn't know what a Ladybird pupa looked like? I have been seeing strange orange/yellow and black 'beetles' wherever I go as well as many in the garden on a variety of plants. I googled 'orange and black beetles' and a variety of bugs came up but not this one. Today I watched one emerge:
and lots of empty pupal cases all over the garden:
I still haven't managed to ID these tho'. I don't think they are shield bugs but they were quite attractive when the silver caught the light:

Interesting shots Pauline - I'd not seen Ladybirds emerging before And in the defence of the tunnel spider I like the way that it keeps it's tunnel nice and tidy

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Pauline wrote:Am I the only person who didn't know what a Ladybird pupa looked like?

Nope. I didn't either.....until I saw your post.

Love the rabbits, by the way.

Wurzel, are you kidding? The entrance is littered with butterfly wings and goodness knows what else is down there out of sight I hope you've got a good defence for THIS spider which I watched today when looking for Chalkhills:
If I ever need a good lawyer I'll give you a call Wurzel


Perhaps you and I are the only ones David! . Magnet and Hope are rescues. The little girl (foreground) was used repeatedly for breeding and had cervical cancer when she came to me which was removed just in time (we think). I should add that I believe about 80% of female rabbits get that type of cancer by the time they are 3-4 if they are not spayed. Rabbits are best kept in pairs but some folk think if the buck is castrated there is no need to have the doe spayed. Perhaps Philip or others will correct me if any of those facts are incorrect.

I was puzzled and a little annoyed when I tried to access Oxenbourne today. Locals will remember that broken old gate at the top of the steps. Well, it has been securely tied shut making entry - at least by that route - impossible without a pair of scissors. Perhaps it is a health and safety issue as the gate is literally falling apart. I did manage a few shots of the Chalkhills but could not find any females:
and this very fresh second brood mint moth:

Had to stay very local today because of various appointments but took the chance to photograph this Large White simply because it was there, because I haven't taken any shots of them this year and because there was nothing else to excite me:

"Wurzel, are you kidding? " - there really needs to be a sarcasm emoji Pauline Fantastic shimmering topside Chalkhills

Have a goodun

Wurzel

You did right to spend time with that Large White, Pauline. It's a butterfly that has been distinctly thin on the ground this year. Even when abroad I've only seen a handful.

Hi! Pauline, lovely Chalkhill's, watch out for that Fox though are you'll have no Chicken's or Rabbits that's probably why it's visiting you. Goldie

Thank you Goldie. When I had my 'tame' foxes they used to roam amongst the hens (except for Foxy who was scared of the cockerels) and the hens got used to them. That probably saved their lives as during the day a wild fox came into the garden and they were totally unconcerned. If they had made a run for it they would probably have been killed. I am now very careful.

I wonder why there are so few of them David? Hope you had a lovely time

That wasn't me being sarcastic Wurzel - that was me being totally astonished that you could try to find a redeeming feature for a spider! The only one I can think of is as bird food. For me, they're down there with rats and ticks and flies Glad you liked the Chalkhills

I've been to a few local sites in the last few days so I'll just roll them all into one and pick out the most interesting bits. I've seen several PE but the closest I got was this:
Worryingly I have had reports of a guy with 2 nets in the Alice Holt complex, hanging around Sallow where females have been seen. The only description I have is chubby and in his 50's! Perhaps some discreet photos if anyone sees him?

Quite a few PH still at all sites and I was pleased to show these to Chris C whilst we waited for the PE:
Fresh Brown Argus are now also about locally:
On the home front the Puss moth has indeed pupated. I thought he was about to as he turned an olive shade of green and then I found him constructing his pupa:
I have a patch of nettles which has been regularly visited over recent weeks by both Comma and Red Admiral. I have checked the nettles frequently for eggs without any success but today I noticed some feeding damage. On checking I was pleased to see a tiny RA larva:
Don't know how I missed it!

Today I had my new car back by lunch time - my new used car that is. I was having some gloopy stuff put underneath it to stop it from rusting which the other car had started to do. Some of you already know what it is Anyway, that meant I could nip over to Bramshott which is my nearest site. I was surprised to see how many SSB were still around and not in bad nick either given that this is an early site for them:
There were loads of Skippers around and although many were looking worse for wear, for me they have lost none of their charm:
However, the most numerous by far were the gatekeepers and Meadow Browns:
I watched several of the female Meadow Brown egg-laying and I was pleased to get this shot of one of the eggs given that my little camera was hand held in poor light:
Can you tell I'm just marking time until the last 2 make an appearance?

No I was being sarcastic Pauline - there were so many wings and things the web was far from being tidy I have been racking my brain and have come up with a redeeming feature of Spiders - they eat flies, flies which can parasitize butterfly caterpillars, mind you then they go and ruin their hard work by munching through the adult butterflies
Nice shots of the hidey-hole Purp

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Yep! I'd agree with that Wurzel I think the PH was looking for somewhere to egg-lay but she was on the wrong sort of tree so I was waiting to see what would happen. Unfortunately my companion accidentally spooked her when trying to get a few shots.

It has been suggested that the RA larva may be a Painted Lady but it now looks a little more like a Comma? I hope it is a PL as that would be exciting and keep me occupied until the BH emerge
I was thinking about getting rid of those nettles but they may just have earned themselves a permanent place in the garden

Hi! Pauline, I've saved some Nettles in my Garden, nothing to see yet though, those SSB's bring back some happy memories Pauline!!!. Goldie

Trying to catch up a bit again Pauline, an interesting variety of stuff in your diary lately accompanied by great photos

Pauline wrote:...Worryingly I have had reports of a guy with 2 nets in the Alice Holt complex, hanging around Sallow where females have been seen. The only description I have is chubby and in his 50's!...!

Well, that's narrowed it down a bit

Of course, he may have a good reason for carrying a net in which case he will not mind being approached but in this case it does sound a bit suspicious.

Cheers,

Neil.

Keep the nettles M - they're worth hanging onto

Neil Freeman wrote:Well, that's narrowed it down a bit

Well, got to start somewhere Neil Actually I now know that this guy is a regular and catches females every year. I know the car he drives and I know part of the reg is YOR! Just call me Morse from now on

The jury is still out on that tiny larva tho Comma seems to be favourite at the moment. I shall post some more images as and when. Couldn't get far today but managed to catch this Large White ovi-posing on one of my plants (I know not what). If it hadn't been for the stiff breeze ........
I have been bemoaning the fact that I have had neither SWF or WA in my garden this year. Well that was 50% rectified today by the appearance of 2 SWF (males) taking advantage of the buddhlia:

Cracking views of the SWFs Pauline - oh to have them as a garden 'tick' , mind you for me it's a case of 'oh to have a garden'

Have a goodun

Wurzel