www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

I have two main ambitions for 2022.
The first one is to photograph a male Purple Hairstreak displaying full purple.
The image below is my best effort to date.
And secondly a male Brown Hairstreak, in pristine condition, with wings fully open.

Wishing all a great Christmas, and Covid permitting a happy, healthy new year.

Trevor.

Cheers Trevor I hope that you have a great Yule too! With regards to the Brostreak I think you've got a plan but the Purple Hairstreak may be slightly more down to luck? There is a site on the coast - Brown Down or some such(?) - where they sit on dwarf Oaks so you might have more luck there?

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Cheers Wurzel. I've heard of Brown Down, and it's reputation.
But Abbots is a mere 3 miles from home and the Purples generally behave there.
It's question of finding one and getting the sun just right, it's worked for the females.

On my wishlist too, Trevor. However, both of your PH images are already much better than any I've yet achieved... (They don't seem to understand the things I say to Holly Blues - must be a different dialect or something. )

Cheers,

Dave

Cheers Dave. It's the challenge such as mine that will send us out next season,
to do it all over again!. Coupled with the hope of finding something rare and exciting.
On that theme Doug and myself have pencilled in a trip down to Devon for the High Brown Fritillary.

Wising you success in 2022, stay well.
Trevor.

I've shared that ambition for many years, Trevor! In fact, just getting a Purple Hairstreak posing below head height would be more than satisfactory.

I wish you luck!

Wishing all on here a Merry Christmas and a much better 2022.
Will we see and even better, photograph some special butterfly next season ?.

Below is reminder of seasons past, and what I consider to be my best ever image.

Stay safe and well all,
Trevor.

Hope you had an enjoyable Christmas, Trevor, and all the best for the New Year.

That image is indeed an extraordinarily good one. Just the tonic for a drab winter's day.

Excellent targets for next year Trevor, and some lovely previous efforts in your diary of late. It’s always great to bump into you in the field and I very much look forward to doing so in 2022 - I think it might be a good PE year….

Many thanks David & Ben.

Hope you both ( and everyone else ) had a great Christmas.

I am sure we will bump into each other again next season Ben.
It's always amazing when, even on long distant trips out of my area, a familiar face turns up.
At Cotley Hill, on different occasions, I have met or seen Susie, Essex Buzzard, Katrina, and Dave ( millerd ).
It is almost certain that a solo trip out will turn into a social occasion again next season!.

Happy, healthy New Year to all,
Trevor.

Hope you had a great Christmas Trevor That shot is, as they used to say, Fab

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Cheers Wurzel. Yes had a great Christmas with family, and on the way
there on Christmas morning I drove through a very quiet Salisbury!.

Daylight is on the mend!. Happy New Year,
Trevor.

Today was a wonderful day!.

My Cat has been very ill with a kidney problem, but with a special diet and lots of lap time,
a return visit to the vet this morning showed a vast improvement in his condition, phew!.

A lunch appointment had also been arranged for today with Doug Neve, and very civilised
and enjoyable it was. The other plan for this afternoon was a visit to a tropical butterfly
house near Ditchling. I had never heard of this place so was prepared to be surprised.
We first met the owner who as it turned out was a true enthusiast. After a conversation
the owner kindly gave us a private viewing of four hibernating Camberwell Beauties.
On entering the heated poly tunnel, an ideal place to spent a cold afternoon, we were treated
to a wonderful display of some very fine tropical species, many of which posed ideally for the camera.
This establishment is well worth the £6 entrance fee and is thoroughly recommended.

A further visit to a garden centre for tea, on the way home, finished off a relieving and very enjoyable day!.

Stay well all,
Trevor.

Some very familiar, and beautiful species there Trevor.

I’ve nearly popped in on several occasions but haven’t quite managed it. The opportunity to discuss hibernating camberwells would certainly tip the scales though - perhaps I’ll give it a go and see if I can drop some subtle hints (I’ll keep the ‘I love antiopa’ t-shirt for a 2nd trip if my hints fail to land first time around!).

Oh - and good news about your cat! Sorry - forgot to mention that

Thanks Ben. Do pop along to the butterfly house, especially good on freezing afternoon.
Interestingly the Camberwell Beauties are hibernating in 25c warmth, as apparently they
do every year there will no ill effects.

Finally below is an image of an Asian Moon Moth, a truly huge insect, much larger than my open hand!.

Great news about your cat Trevor - I don't know about them losing a life when they visit the Vets it feels more like I do Great set of shots of the exotics too and very interesting to read "Beauties are hibernating in 25c warmth" as one of the reasons put forward for why they can't thrive over here is that our winters aren't cold enough

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Thanks Wurzel. My Cat is recovering, and so is my wallet!. I'm sure they add the time
it takes to say good morning, to the bill. I too was startled to hear of Camberwell's
hibernating in that heat.

A foretaste of Spring.
Snowdrops and Cyclamen Coum in flower this afternoon in the front garden.

That was a good idea to visit the butterfly house, Trevor. It gives you a lift when all is cold and gloomy outside. Nice to see Monarchs in there, not to mention the sleeping Camberwells.

Great to see your snowdrops and cyclamen too. The daffs and crocuses won't be far away if this mild spell continues. I came across my first celandine in flower yesterday so things seem to be waking up.

Those early flowers are a welcome sight Trevor, it's almost time to start the countdown
"My Cat is recovering, and so is my wallet!."...we're really lucky with our vet in that respect and as an added bonus he's on UKB.

Have a goodun

Wurzel