www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Don't worry Susie,
Although the next few nights nights are going to be chilly, the days will be bright and sunny, so I think we may yet be lucky. There are Grizzled Skippers and Green Hairstreaks out a bit further North than Danebury already, so the weekend quest is to prove Gary wrong and find one there.
We want the butterflies to be as fresh as a daisy when we arrive to photograph them, so I'm sure they are all waiting until just prior to our arrival before they rub the sleep from their antennae and put their glad rags on for us.
I've been to Specsavers already and am all kitted out ready for the challenge...


Trev

Trev Sawyer wrote: There are Grizzled Skippers and Green Hairstreaks out a bit further North than Danebury already, so the weekend quest is to prove Gary wrong and find one there.
I've been to Specsavers already and am all kitted out ready for the challenge...
Trev

..The gauntlet is down....
....no doubt Gary will say it is just an extra encouragement for the troops....
...and will be only too delighted to be proved wrong

Let's hope so....
N
Edit: (This weekend is the usual date of Fleam Dyke GH here....)

Too late, got the first Grizzled today, still no Green Hairstreak though.

Regards Gruditch

That's because they're waiting for me

No Green Hairstreaks? No Green Hairstreaks! I'm not leaving till I find one!
Neil

Thanks Pete and team for organising a great workshop. Looking forward to next year already.

G

Thanks from me too, it was great.

I got to see grizzled and dingy skipper.

Am looking forward to next year too.

Sussex Kipper:

No Green Hairstreaks? No Green Hairstreaks! I'm not leaving till I find one!

You'll have to come to Cambridgeshire. Plenty today but well camouflaged.

Next week when I'm in in Sussex I'll show you what to look for Neil:)

Jack

Yes - really good to meet everyone and great event Pete, Gary and Lisa. Thanks!
How much more kit will Roger have next year, do you think...?
And perhaps the best butterfly classics lesson from Mr Oates that I've ever had ....
....come to think of it...the ONLY butterfly classics lesson...... fantastic.
That Green Hairstreak...missed the Dingies, Susie; where were they ....? (apart from hiding from me ?) N

I too would like to thank Pete et al for organising the event and allowing me to put some faces to names (even though some were much uglier than others ). We were blessed with good weather and the little hatchlings were very kind to us. Lets hope that trend continues for us all this season. Happy snapping!

Trev

From now on editing anything in photoshop will be called doing a Bogle in my household.

Thanks to all concerned with the photography day. I was a little bemused to see so many people in camouflage with guns at the Village Hall at first- shooting butterflies takes on a new meaning.
Great day with good company and I learnt some good things. Thanks John for the lift.
See you all next year.

Twas a good day, glad you all enjoyed yourselves. The venue /hall was good, and Danebury luckily came alive just in time, 11 species at this time of year ain't bad. I really liked the light atmosphere provided by the various speakers this year, made it a bit more fun. That said we had a bit of a panicky start, I think it was only when Pete was looking at a cup of steaming hot water, that he realised he had forgot the tea, and coffee. So it was a mad dash to the Stockbridge Co op for Pete. In his mad dash back in the car, he may of noticed me, sticking resolutely to the speed limit, going in the opposite direction to get a reserve PC, as mine had picked a pretty crap time to crash.

The guys in the camo gear that Ian refers to, were taking a deer management corse using the other room in the hall. They were also helping themselves to our tea and biscuits.

Well I'm off out to see if I can find some butterflies to move about, then perhaps if I get a decent image, I'll do some Bogling.

Thanks for the book Pete.

Regards Gruditch

Many thanks to all concerned for organising the day - had a thoroughly interesting and enjoyable time - the weather turned out perfectly - some has contacts in higher place
As you can see it has encouraged me to join the forum.
I will certainly be interested in attending next year if it is run again.
Well done

And my thanks to all the speakers also - this was definitely the best workshop to date; we're presumably learning year to year. And, again, a big thanks to Gary and Lisa for helping with the organisation.

And great to meet so many UKB and BC members - although thoroughly exhausting, I really enjoyed the day too! We also raised some dosh for Hants BC and I'll provide a figure once I've done the accounting!

Gary and Lisa were also the deserving winners of the first "UK Butterflies Outstanding Contribution Award" - an autographed copy of Richard Tratt's "Butterfly Landscapes". This award was judged by a panel of 3 - me, myself and yours truly But to reiterate for those that were unable to attend, Gary and Lisa undertake the 1.5km transect at Danebury Hill each year, organise the annual photography workshop, organise the UK Butterflies / BC calendar, and attend several events (such as the AES Exhibition and BC AGM) where UKB has a stand and sell their selection of greetings cards and prints. Of the £1709.46 donated to BC last year, over £1500 of that was down to their efforts. All in all - extremely dedicated to fostering our community and thoroughly-deserving winners. And this award will, of course, be posted on the home page and I'll be crafting a note to BC regarding the workshop and this award for inclusion in the next edition of BC's Butterfly magazine.

Cheers,

- Pete

Hi Pete,
Lucky for butterflies that there are such dedicated people around, and I imagine that the award committee was unanimous in its decision . Many thanks to you also for organising such a great day
Neil

Sussex Kipper wrote:Hi Pete,
Lucky for butterflies that there are such dedicated people around, and I imagine that the award committee was unanimous in its decision . Many thanks to you also for organising such a great day
Neil

Thanks Neil - glad you got your Green Hairstreak - nice photos indeed!

Cheers,

- Pete

Yes, thanks to Pete, Gary and Lisa especially for organising such a great event. My first chance to attend one of these and see what I've been missing the last 2 years.

Good to put some faces to some nicknames, explore a new butterfly location and to learn a few things allong the way as well

Glad that the Green Hairstreaks read this Forum too and a couple came out as promised. I saw some cracking shots Neil had that I'm sure one of which will be appearing in the competition any day now

To clarify I think there was just one image I showed with a significant amount of 'bogling' The majority were untouched but I guess nobody will believe that now. I guess I could have shown a common blue I spent 2 nights joining the in focus wings from one shot to the in focus body of another

FISHiEE wrote:To clarify I think there was just one image I showed with a significant amount of 'bogling' The majority were untouched but I guess nobody will believe that now. I guess I could have shown a common blue I spent 2 nights joining the in focus wings from one shot to the in focus body of another

Hi John - and thanks for an excellent, honest and informative presentation! Aside from your obvious skills behind the camera, it was good to hear what's possible in Photoshop and the like. Of course, the subject of digital manipulation is always going to be emotive, but we all do it (even if it's removing a dust spot!).

Cheers,

- Pete

Congratulations from Pat & I also to Pete, Lisa and Gary for organising another great event. A really excellent line-up of presenters and for once the weather was kind to us. Only managed a couple of butterfly photos and my luckiest shot of the day didn't even have wings: I got an even more blurred shot of it running away and the black tail identified it as a stoat. If you look carefully the the right of its head you can see the ear of the rabbit that it was trying to drag off. It eventually abandoned the rabbit and bounded off across the hill.
Best wished to all,
Robin