www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Encouraged by the success of my evening with the Adonis Blues at Anchor Bottom, I thought I'd try more of the same but at a local site this time. Lullingstone Park it was, in mid June, where the Marbled Whites were in fine form.

Arriving just before 7:00pm I headed straight to the hotspot, an area of long grass and wild flowers. One of the first spots was this lovely female.
It looks like this female had a close call with a bird.
Catching the last rays.
The shadows creep on.
Nearly the last shot of the evening, 9:08pm. That worked well, a great couple of hours.
From a local-ish site, Dene Park. Morning shots this time, of Ringlet, Gatekeeper and Small White.
More early morning/evening tactics this year methinks.

Cheers

Hi! Andrew, I love your shots of the Marble white especially the ones in the Meadow on the daisies , they make me feel like I'm back in Summer time The two MW's on the Daisy Head is lovely Goldie

Beautiful set of shots Andrew I especially love the way that you've captured the way the last rays turn the normally jet black of the markings a reddy brown colour Just reading this post has made me feel warmer

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Beautiful Marbled White images, Andrew, a species I paid lip service to in 2018.

Thanks Goldie! I thought of you as I was putting the shots together, remembering that you liked MW's.

Cheers Wurzel, much needed right now! Glad to be of service.

Thank you David.

Lovely series of Marbled Whites Andrew, I particularly like the 6th one down with the blurry meadow in the background

Cheers,

Neil

Hi Neil, thanks a lot.

30th March 2019 - Billingshurst

My first proper outing of 2019 took me to Billingshurst in Sussex in search of Orange-tips, and whatever else might be around. It really couldn't have gone any better.

I had a good long wander around the lanes and meadows.
Bee Fly, one of many.
My first Speckled Wood and Green-veined White of the year, along with Comma and Brimstone.
I found my Orange-tips, only two male and one female. But they did let me get a good look at them and I have no complaints!
A definate 'nope'.
A thoroughly uplifting day.

Cheers.

Great Orange Tip images, Andrew. I'm surprised anything flew today in that cool wind,
but I had an excellent day too. No OT's yet though .

Trevor.

Lovely sequence of shots Andrew - I managed to see my first OTs yesterday as well but only got a grab shot and nothing anywhere near as decent as those I love that the male looks like he's got little eyes peeking out of the orange Things might slow down a little now though

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Andrew555 wrote:30th March 2019 - Billingshurst

My first proper outing of 2019 took me to Billingshurst in Sussex in search of Orange-tips

Hi Andrew,

I went to the Billingshurst lanes on Saturday too. I arrived at about 1.15, and mainly stuck to the meadows on the east side of Rowner Road, shortly before the T-junction with Okehurst Lane/Road. I was wondering if you would be there too, but didn't see you, maybe you'd gone by that point? Well done for seeing a female Orange Tip, I only saw 2 or 3 males. They became quite co-operative in the periods when the sun went in! Also I think I saw the same female Green-veined White as you.
Hopefully will bump into you at some point! Maybe at Mill Hill for the Grizzlies..

Cheers
John

Cheers Trevor, it was Saturday though. I see you did, good stuff.

Hi Wurzel, thanks m8. You may be right. I was very grateful for that lovely day.

Hi John, yes I wondered exactly the same about you! I arrived early and left early afternoon, must have just missed you!
The female was there for while. She got harassed by a male and shortly afterwards crossed the road, went up the bank and I didn't see her again. I saw your excellent shots on the BC Sussex website, has to be the same GVW. I will definitely be back, and quite possibly do the Billingshurst / Mill Hill combo!

Hope to see you out there.

Cheers

Andrew555 wrote:30th March 2019 - Billingshurst

My first proper outing of 2019 took me to Billingshurst in Sussex in search of Orange-tips, and whatever else might be around. It really couldn't have gone any better

You summed it up well, Andrew.

Those Orange Tip images give Neil Hulme's a run for their money.

Good that you managed to see a female Green Veined White too; it's usually only males for the first few days of their flight period.

Lovely OT shots Andrew we can say Springs here now Goldie

I may have been gallivanting around southern Spain for a week but I'm still a tiny bit about all these Orange-tips everyone is seeing

High praise indeed! Thank you David.

Thanks Goldie. Lets hope this bout of nasty weather doesn't last too long!

Hi BB, hope you get to see some soon!

Some very nice Orange Tips, Andrew. That hopeful male rebuffed by the female (I assume the next shot of a male is the same individual) has unusually small dark spots in the orange areas. Interestingly, the object of his attention has contrastingly large spots! Endless variation...

Cheers,

Dave

Cheers Dave. Thanks for the observation, the rejected male is one individual and all the others are another.

6th & 8th April 2019 - Billingshurst

Orange-tips and other butterflies seemed to be in very short supply on this particular look around Billingshurst, and I consider myself lucky to have seen the single one that I did.

I arrived early enough to hopefully find some OT's before they became active, and almost straight away found this male on a wooded bank next to the road. On a Bluebell as well, nice!
A bit of morning sunlight broke through the trees and after basking for no more than a minute he took to the air and flew off down the road.
And that was the first and last bit of sunshine! I searched the meadows and lanes thoroughly but nothing more was to be found. There were supposed to be sunny spells but it just got more cloudy and grey and later began to drizzle. Another top notch forecast!

I had a little wander down the nearby river Arun and when I got back to the meadow I saw Neil Hulme. Not even he had been able to find any OT's, he reckoned they had gone into the wooded area's.
The way the weather turned out was a bit of a bummer, but I still had that great sighting. My glass was definately half full!

A couple of days later I returned, straight after work for an hour or so. I found a male OT, active but in a sort of 'winding down' kinda way, and a female.
Cheers.

You may have only found a few OTs Andrew but the shots are definitely a case of quality over quantity The first one on the Bluebell wouldn't look out of place on the cover of butterfly magazine

Have a goodun

Wurzel