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A beautiful day today, I crossed the A66 to Cumbria for two of my favorite butterflies, and some good results... early, fresh Marsh Frits and very blue Small Blues...

Hi Paul,
Those Small Blues are stunning. I have never seen any so blue. And I am so green.Is this a localised trait for this particular Small Blue colony. I have not seen it before. The Small Blues in South East Scotland emerged in ones and twos on the 18th of the month....very early.There are maybe a dozen or so now.
Simply inspiring photos Paul. Well done.

IAC.

That upperside of a Marsh is lovely and remarkably reminiscent of a North America Checkerspot:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bay_C ... pot_f1.JPG

Jack

Hi, and thanks chaps.....

The blues varied enormously just like everywhere else, but there were quite a lot of blue ones .... I don't think I've seen one that blue before, and the lighting/ angle helped lots - and I didn't mess the photos around much... some were fresh, some not so.... I guess they emerged at similar times to their Scottish cousins

Jack, I totally agree, though I haven't actually seen a Checkerspot of any sort yet, some are in the euphrodryas family ... don't know if they have similar habits, but as Guy said earlier in this diary, it IS fascinating to compare what are obviously some way related species from different continents. Anyhow, they're all precious.

Seen Wall butterflies around for last few days... this was the best shot I managed this lunchtime...

and later, this GVW...

A weekend on the north east coast of Scotland, and the Bullars of Buchan, no other butterflies, but a ? thomsoni subspecies GVW...



Probably my best sight of the weekend, as I've never seen them before, tho' my camera isn't equiped for zoom shots (sigh).... were...

Back home, and good counts of Small Copper on the local moors, as well as x10 Green Hairstreaks, all tatty now, but including x3 mating pairs!

A rather nice caerulopunctata female....





and a Wall, at home....

another lovely day, a snatched lunchtime walk round the garden and a tiny gem of a moth in my wildflower patch.... never seen small yellow underwing before, said to be a "local" dayflying species fond of flowery meadows.... Yessssss!! ( do you want one on the moth gallery Pete?).still doesn't attract butterflies much though - Large, Small, GVW whites, OTs, Wall and an aged Peacock were around.



This is said wildflower patch today... BFTrefoil, Kidney vetch, thrift, forget-me-not, self-heal, mallow, harebells, wild strawberry, marjoram, fescues & others all jostling for position.

That’s your wildflower garden Paul? It’s stunning and better than anything I have seen a Wisley and other “professional” gardens.

You must write something about how you have achieved such a superb result.

Incidentally Paul, your butterfly photos with their great depth of field shows that an expensive DSLR isn’t necessarily always best. Size isn’t everything!

Jack

Thanks Jack

I think I wrote before in the "your gardens" thread - but it's very simple... weedproof membrane over the grass, covered with 2-3 inches of the poorest quality sandy stoney subsoil you can find, not so easy if you have clay though!.... one afternoons co-incident seed collection on a Cotswold hillside whilst photographing chalkhills, stuck in a seed tray and left to the elements for one winter provided some starter plants, and studious eradication of dandelion seedlings etc has resulted in what you see. Now they produce massive amounts of seed for me.... and your sanfoin are still going, tho' rabbits razed them to the ground last autumn. In fact, I have to have chicken wire round it to stop them having parties on it!

Well, another beautiful day not to be working!.. a visit to the Scottish Borders produced a few fine and fresh artaxerxes, the best photos I obtained were these..



and a second individual...




and another thank you to IAC, for his help last year!

no butterflies today, just leaden skies and rain.... but didn't prevent these two magnificent beasts turning up to light last night...
Elephant Hawk...



and Poplar Hawk...


I know they're not butterflies, but their beauty is undeniable

Hi Paul,
Well done on the Artaxexes NBA....I have just seen your photos this morning! And I can tell you that it has rained constantly since Sunday and I have not had the chance to visit the site. I had a chance to visit on the Saturday, but opted instead to venture inland to a Small Pearl site. I was very lucky seeing 6 beautifully fresh Small Pearls flitting around constantly over the grass heads.
I was though still anxious to know if more NBA had emerged at the other side of the county....I clean ran out of time on the Saturday...and since then....well rain and more rain. I can also tell you as I sit here with rain hitting the window that these pictures have put my mind at rest...you really have made my day.

Cheers mate!!

IAC.

believe me, the pleasure was all mine mind you, I haven't seen any SPBFs yet
the S. E. Scotland SBs were a bit worn, but I reckon there were approx 15, and virtually every suitable flowerhead exhibited at least one egg, including some hatched ones

My only opportunity this year to see Black Hairstreaks came today with a long trip down to Glapthorn, where, although coy, we saw at least 4 different individuals, two of which presented themselves very sportingly for photos....




At the same place, there was a very blue female Common Blue..



On the way back we decided to have a look at Crowle in North Lincolnshire for the Large Heath. Again, some present but they were not so sporting with photo opportunities..

Hi Paul
I wasn't expecting the Large Heath's to be out yet at Crowle. I take it that they must just have emerged? How long do you think they'll be around for?
Paul

I don't know, there were enough there to suggest it wasn't day 1.... so around for 3 weeks or so?

Yesterday decided to make day of it, always wanted to see the Great Orme subspecies Silver Studded Blue.... so early start and some great results, including the Grayling subspecies ( unless the normal one flies there as well)... one fresh male emergee has it's attendant ant still fauning over it.... and the blue females are very blue!!










Decided to wander back towards home via the Lake District and my Mountain Ringlet location.... 3 mile uppish hike into the fells, rewarded with lots of butterflies which are still very difficult to photograph!! They always seem to sit with grass across them... but eventually...






one of those days that keeps you going through the winter!!

Great ant picture, Paul!! And isn't that a very early grayling?

Guy