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Saturday 3rd November - Last butterfly of 2012?.......

I needed to go to the Post Office this morning, but seeing as it was so sunny, I thought I'd also check out the flowering ivy in the sheltered nook at the bottom of Cwm Clydach nearby.

Although the air temperature was just 7 degrees, it felt quite pleasant in the dip by the river's edge, though I couldn't see any butterflies feeding on the ivy.

There were flies and wasps everywhere, and just as I reached the end of the stretch I disturbed a Red Admiral which promptly flew onto the bark of a tree on the other side of the river.

There it remained for a while soaking up what warmth there was in the sunshine, before decamping to the ivy flowers that belonged to the shrubs that had climbed up around the tree trunks.

Always a treat to find a butterfly in November, and I suspect that'll be the last one I'll see before March 2013.

Christmas in Abergavenny was fairly routine this year, if a little wet.

I managed to track down a haggis to cook for our 28 chickens - actually, 30 this year as we had two guests, Nosy and Shy, whose owners had housed them with us whilst they went on a cruise. Nosy and Shy are two Isa Browns who have stayed with us a few times. Their usual home is in a very small egloo so the pair of them must feel like they've been released on licence when they arrive in our huge back yard! They both got to indulge in the feast of haggis,1kg of corn and 2 tins of chopped hot dog sausages. I have to say I ate a bit of it myself too before I put it out in the garden on Christmas Day morning:
As ever, they were like a pack of velociraptors and the usual riot ensued, with the senior hens getting to feast directly from the platter and the rest having to pick their moment to zoom in for scraps before withdrawing. Even when the seniors grow full, they still stubbornly remain by the main body of food, almost daring the subservient ones to come forward. Our three biggest beasts are Lucie (Light Sussex), Maggie (Magpie) and The Queen (Speckledy). These three merely have to be there to deter those lower in the pecking order. In truth, most of the fights are between those in the middle third of the order, since the lowest ones accept their place without much complaint, and the top handful have all been around so long that they know each other's strengths and weaknesses inside out and the pecking order is therefore totally established and understood. Occasionally though, the top chickens will join in fights that have broken out amongst the unruly middle order. I think this has a positive disciplining effect, as things usually fizzle out pretty quickly as a result - I believe far more damage would be done if the unruly mob went unchecked. I suppose it's like teachers breaking up playground fights.
Thankfully, no chicken was seriously hurt as a result of this festive feast and all 30 of them had at least a little of what was on offer. For we house-dwellers, a prime fillet of beef was the selection for 2012, and it was exceedingly good!

I've had a stinking, filthy cold since prior to New Year, so given that staying indoors wasn't shifting it, I thought it'd be good to see if a spell outdoors might do so.

Scrub clearance was taking place at the Welsh High Brown site near Ewenny and it was practically T shirt weather once you'd worked up a sweat:
All the rain we've had has effectively made the road into a cul-de-sac, as the ford (which 2 years ago was barely a trickle) is now passable only by brave souls in 4x4s:
Worryingly, the Fritillary 'meadow' has also been flooded recently, so we could really do with a dryish month or two to get the water level down a bit. Last year, the vegetation had started to change as the water-loving plants were starting to encroach on the precious marsh thistles so beloved by Dark Greens and High Browns.

At last! A cloudless day with light winds.

I walked around the area at the back of my workplace early this afternoon, and could certainly detect portents of spring in the air. Some of the daffodils have their bulbous flower sheaths forming, whilst there were daisies all over the place and even a few dandelions in bloom.

I walked by the river at the far end of the pond in the image, where during April many Orange Tips and Green Veined Whites can be encountered, thinking to myself "only a few more weeks to go.."

I fancied my chances of seeing my first butterfly today, since I spent the morning helping to cut and clear encroaching hazel growth at the High Brown Fritillary site near Ewenny, south Wales.

It started off cloudy but when the sun came out it was most pleasant, and definitely T-shirt weather if you were busy lugging fallen timber away.

This is the 'meadow' at the lowest point of the site, and is probably the best single place in the whole of Wales to see High Browns:
I finished shortly after midday; it was 9c and sunny on the way back to Swansea so I thought I'd have an hour at my local patch.

Irritatingly, it suddenly went cloudy and the wind noticeably picked up. However, as is typical of this part of Wales, when you looked out to sea it was blue sky all the way! Grr.

So, too cloudy and cool for any butterflies, but I did see a small flock of Bullfinches eating seed that someone had obviously put out for the wild birds. There were a couple of Nuthatches too but I only had my cheap camera with me and I couldn't get close enough for a shot. Thankfully, the Bullfinches were a little more approachable:

Dates of first UK sightings 2013:

1. Small Tortoiseshell - 2 March, Swansea Vale
2. Brimstone - 5 March, Swansea Vale
3. Comma - 5 March, Swansea Vale
4. Peacock - 6 April, Kilvey Hill, Swansea
5. Green Veined White - 20 April, Kenfig Dunes, Glamorgan
6. Large White - 20 April, South Cornelly, Glamorgan
7. Speckled Wood - 26 April, Kilvey Hill, Swansea
8. Holly Blue - 26 April, Kilvey Hill, Swansea
9. Small White - 26 April, Kilvey Hill, Swansea
10. Orange Tip - 2 May, Castle Meadows, Abergavenny
11. Small Copper - 4 May, Kilvey Hill, Swansea
12. Painted Lady - 5 May, Crymlyn Burrows, Swansea
13. Grizzled Skipper - 6 May, Merthyr Mawr, nr. Porthcawl
14. Small Blue - 6 May, Kenfig Dunes, Glamorgan
15. Dingy Skipper - 18 May, Crymlyn Burrows, Swansea
16. Green Hairstreak - 18 May, Welshmoor, Swansea
17. Common Blue - 22 May, Crymlyn Burrows, Swansea
18. Brown Argus - 22 May, Crymlyn Burrows, Swansea
19. Wall Brown - 22 May, Crymlyn Burrows, Swansea
20. Small Heath - 22 May, Crymlyn Burrows, Swansea
21. Pearl Bordered Fritillary - 25 May, Haugh Wood, nr. Hereford
22. Wood White - 25 May, Haugh Wood, nr. Hereford
23. Marsh Fritillary - 3 June, Welshmoor, Swansea
24. Adonis Blue - 4 June, Swells Hill Bank, nr. Stroud, Gloucestershire
25. Duke of Burgundy - 4 June, Rodborough Common, nr. Stroud, Gloucestershire
26. Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary - 6 June, Old Castle Down, nr. Ewenny, Glamorgan
27. Large Skipper - 10 June, Crymlyn Burrows, Swansea
28. Dark Green Fritillary - 19 June, Crymlyn Burrows, Swansea
29. Meadow Brown - 19 June, Crymlyn Burrows, Swansea
30. Red Admiral - 25 June, nr. Collard Hill, Somerset
31. Large Blue - 25 June, Collard Hill, Somerset
32. High Brown Fritillary - 25 June, Alun Valley, nr. Ewenny, Glamorgan
33. Small Skipper - 29 June, Crymlyn Burrows, Swansea
34. Ringlet - 29 June, Crymlyn Burrows, Swansea
35. Black Hairstreak - 30 June, Whitecross Green Wood, nr. Oxford
36. Large Heath - 5 July, Cors Caron, nr. Tregaron, Ceredigion
37. Lulworth Skipper - 6 July, Lulworth Cove, Dorset
38. Silver Studded Blue - 6 July, Studland Heath, Dorset
39. Marbled White - 6 July, West Yatton Down, nr. Chippenham, Wilts
40. Grayling - 11 July, Kilvey Hill, Swansea
41. Silver Washed Fritillary - 13 July, Bentley Wood, nr. Salisbury
42. White Admiral - 13 July, Bentley Wood, nr. Salisbury
43. Purple Emperor - 13 July, Bentley Wood, nr. Salisbury
44. Hedge Brown - 13 July, Bentley Wood, nr. Salisbury
45. White Letter Hairstreak - 13 July, Bentley Wood, nr. Salisbury
46. Purple Hairstreak - 17 July, Botany Bay, nr. Chiddingfold, Surrey
47. Chalkhill Blue - 24 July, West Yatton Down, nr. Chippenham, Wilts
48. Scotch Argus - 4 August, Arnside Knott, nr. Morecambe
49. Silver Spotted Skipper - 8 August, Aston Rowant, nr. Oxford
50. Essex Skipper - 8 August, Aston Rowant, nr. Oxford
51. Clouded Yellow - 11 August, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire
52. Brown Hairstreak - 22 August, West Williamston, Pembrokeshire

UK species seen in Austria but NOT seen in UK in 2013:

1. Swallowtail
2. Mountain Ringlet
3. Heath Fritillary

Non-UK species seen 20th-23rd July in Austria:

1. Blind Ringlet
2. False Heath Fritillary
3. Alpine Heath
4. Mazarine Blue
5. Large Grizzled Skipper
6. Moorland Clouded Yellow
7. Sooty Copper
8. Arran Brown
9. Large Ringlet
10. Lesser Mountain Ringlet
11. Large Wall Brown
12. Olive Skipper
13. Black Veined White
14. Pearly Heath
15. Titania's Fritillary
16. Woodland Brown
17. Large Tortoiseshell
18. Shepherd's Fritillary
19. Mountain Argus
20. Bright-Eyed Ringlet
21. Mountain Clouded Yellow
22. Geranium Argus
23. Turquoise Blue
24. Map Butterfly

Last butterfly seen:

Red Admiral - 14th November, Forge Fach, Clydach, nr. Swansea

Total species seen in 2013: 79

Well done, David! The first small tortoiseshell of the year is magical, isn't it? After the long winter, suddenly to see a tortie on the wing - it brings back childhood memories, fills you with new hope ... A very special moment that I never tire of being repeated year after year.

Guy

Saturday 2nd March 2013 - uplifting moment

Thanks, Guy and Neil, for your kind comments. Yes, the first sighting of the year is always a cathartic experience. It also arrives at a time when you can take things leisurely rather than zooming around the country trying to visit places in a narrow window before the flight season for your target species is over (and having to factor in working commitments as well as unpredictable weather).

Well, I fancied there might be a butterfly or two out on the wing today in Swansea. It was only 7c but it was gloriously sunny and things just had that 'feel' about them.

I popped down to Cwm Clydach just after midday, and felt rather disappointed that no butterflies were about in this most sheltered and protected spot. I immediately moved on to Swansea Vale, as there is a double-banked river's edge where lush nettles grow in spring and celandines bloom in profusion to provide an early nectar source for any butterflies that wake up a week or two early.

Sure enough, it was here where I saw my first butterfly of 2013. I'd just spotted a bumble bee and was asking myself whether it was worth jumping down to the lower, more protected, level of the river when I became aware of a familiar flight pattern....

...a Small Tortoiseshell, doing what they always seem to do in early spring - fluttering about and coming to rest on dead growth from the previous year.

This was the stretch of riverbank where I spotted it:
I moved in slowly and got several shots, this one being the best:
The satisfaction derived from watching one's first butterfly of the year go about its business is something that is hard to explain. I could have stayed with it for an hour or more. However, after 5 minutes I moved on and within 200 yards I saw another Tortoiseshell on the opposite side of the bridge. This one, sadly, alighted in a dip which was obscured from me, but I continued on my walk imbued with a real lift in spirits.

The season is underway!

Sunday 3rd March 2013 - Former High Brown site...

Mynydd Ruthin used to have a High Brown Fritillary population...that is, until 2000 when they disappeared never to be seen subsequently (along with Dark Green Fritillary too, sadly).

The site is on the east side of Bridgend and is only about 3-4 miles from the Alun Valley site to the south of the town. It wouldn't be impossible for a natural recolonisation to occur but before that can happen, much of the site needs to be cleared of invasive scrub.

20 years ago this spot was host to colonies of High Brown, Dark Green and Small Pearl Bordered Fritillaries, along with Grizzled Skipper. However, it has become rather overgrown as no livestock currently graze on the site; indeed, it is only barely passable to dog walkers.

The purpose of this morning's work was to clear the entrance to the site of mainly hawthorn scrub, providing a more open landscape as well as allowing easier access to walkers.

The image below is AFTER the morning's work (I wish I'd taken one prior to it as it was badly overgrown). A good workout on a cold morning that made yesterday's sightings of 2 Small Tortoiseshells seem quite unbelievable!!

Tuesday 5th March 2013 - Glorious lunch hour...

I arrived at work this morning armed with my 'cheap' camera (and how I wish I'd taken along my £350 Panasonic) as the forecast had predicted clear blue skies, light winds and maximum temperatures of 12c.

Yesterday had been clear and sunny, though only 9c at best, so I didn't want to waste a rare opportunity to walk around the wild areas next to my workplace in such balmy conditions for the time of year.

I felt certain that I'd see a few Tortoiseshells at the very least given that I'd seen two on Saturday when temperatures were no better than 7c.

I took a rare extended lunch break and headed for the same stretch of riverbank that I'd visited last weekend and the first butterfly I saw was a male Brimstone, flying purposefully up and down the river's edge no doubt in search of females.

A Small Tortoiseshell shot up to intercept it at one point, and the Brimstone flew all the way down the river towards the bridge, but remained in a scrubby area 100 metres or so away from me.

I followed it and was delighted to see another male Brimstone join it, the pair of them jousting briefly in mid-air before they went their separate ways.

I kept taking shots as the butterflies were airborne, mindful of the fact that male Brimstones are exceedingly prone not to settle at this time of year as they go about their business of inspecting every piece of foliage that remotely resembles the colours of a female.

This was the scene where I saw the two males encounter one another:
I managed to get one in range in this shot:
Having seen 2 Brimstones and 2 Small Tortoiseshells in this area I moved on to the railway embankment half a mile away. Two more male Brimstones were spotted here along with two warring Commas. I ignored the latter for a while as I assumed, given the territorial nature of this species, that I'd probably encounter at least one of them on my way back.

So it proved - one Comma had disappeared without trace but the other was basking invitingly on the south facing cutting:
So, a wonderful hour or so had seen three different species encountered: 4 male Brimstones, 2 Small Tortoiseshells and 2 Commas.

'Firsts' are few and far between these days, but I can honestly say that I've never seen THREE different species of butterfly on the same day at this time of year. I think if a Peacock or Red Admiral had appeared as well I might have had to ask for the rest of the day off for health reasons!!

A memorable day, and a definite sign that spring is now here.

Saturday 6th April 2013 - some overdue respite....

Finally, the biting wind decided to ease. It still was no warmer than 7c today but in sunny and becalmed conditions it felt pretty pleasant.

I trekked up to the summit of Kilvey Hill before noon and the views were lovely. Looking south west over Swansea Bay:
This is looking north towards the Black Mountains beyond Ystradgynlais (some of which are still snow clad):
I saw two hill-topping Tortoiseshells whilst up at the summit, but on my way back down I spotted my first Peacock of the year on the pathway at the back of the cemetary. Sadly, it was away before I could get a photo, but there were three Small Tortoiseshells zooming up and down this little patch, no doubt interested by the nettle growth and the dandelion blooms:
I then saw another Tortoiseshell a little further on basking on dead bracken.

It seems this cold snap is set to end on Tuesday as rain sweeps in from the Atlantic. I guess it'll take a few days for things to get properly moving again. I don't expect to see a White/Orange Tip before 20th April.

Friday 19th April - still no Whites....

Needed to take my car in to have some minor repairs, so I took the opportunity to walk down Cwm Clydach, a favourite haunt for Green Veined Whites.

Sadly, there were none, nor were there any Large or Small Whites. Apart from daffodils, daisies, dandelions, celandines and wood anemone, there's practically nothing in flower either, and the cuckoo flower still looks at least a fortnight away from blooming.

Still, there WERE a few butterflies about - 7 Small Tortoiseshells, 4 Brimstones and 2 Peacocks were seen, and some interesting Brimstone behaviour observed.

The lower section of Cwm Clydach is always a popular spot for butterflies, and indeed all bar 3 of the 13 seen today were found in this area.
At one point, two male Brimstones clashed, but although one soon sped away, the other remained in the clearing and I wondered what it would do when the sun went behind the fast advancing bank of cloud above me.

I soon got my answer. Given that the air temperature was just 11c, barely had the sun gone in than the Brimstone plummeted to the ground. I quietly walked over to where I had seen it drop, and to my surprise it was lying almost horizontally on the leaf litter. For once, I was grateful that the cloud obscuring the sun was a large one, because I ended up being able to quietly kneel down next to the Brimstone and get my camera right over it without disturbing it in the least. It had clearly visited a few dandelions as its lower wings were covered in yellow pollen:
Interestingly, as the sun made its reappearance, the Brimstone started vibrating its antennae, then its upper body. Within 30 seconds it was off on its merry way once more.

I also saw my first female Brimstone of the year but she was found further down towards the entrance to the clearing, which was a shame, as I'd have loved to have witnessed what happened if the two patrolling males had spotted her.

I came out of Cwm Clydach and briefly walked around Vardre Rugby Club's ground, which was a good idea, since I spotted two different Peacocks and managed to get my first shot of this species in 2013:

Saturday 20th April 2013 - Pierids finally emerge...

What a relief! Finally, at Kenfig dunes I saw my first Green Veined White of the year. It was a male and flew right by me allowing me to see clearly that it was GV rather than Small White.

The only other butterflies I saw were 3 Small Tortoiseshells and 3 Brimstones (including another female).

Rather irritatingly, as I was driving along the narrow lane that links Kenfig to the nearby A4229, I saw three different Whites fluttering along the roadside hedges. Two could have been either Small OR Green Veined, as they were medium sized, but the other was a definite Large White, as it briefly settled on a leaf just before my car passed it. Had it not been a single track lane, I'd have parked my car, opened my boot and taken my camera out.

Incredible to think that today was the first day fit for wearing a T shirt. It was about 13c (although my car thermometer did touch the balmy heights of 14c for a couple of minutes near Pyle on the way home!!)

I also saw what I think was a Blackcap. It was making a lovely noise in one of the trees nearby and actually remained there long enough for me to get an image:

Thursday 2nd May 2013 - Butterfly bonanza...

Although vanessids have all but disappeared in Swansea, they're still going strong further inland at Abergavenny. They have now been joined by Pierids, making today easily the most enjoyable one yet in 2013.

The entrance to Castle Meadows is probably the best spot to see Orange Tips, as the water table is quite high here, so the vegetation is lush and the area well sheltered from the elements:
After a brief appearance from a Holly Blue, along came my first of a dozen or so Orange Tips seen:
The nettles grow densely here which is what makes it a hotspot for vanessids - Small Tortoiseshells were all over the place, with a few still engaging in courtship activities:
Peacocks were pretty common too, their aerial jousts with both their own and other species making addictive viewing. It's rare to see so many in spring (I reckon about 2 dozen in total), so the bad winter certainly doesn't seem to have had an impact on numbers:
There were plenty of Whites on the wing too - I positively identified 4 Large and 3 Green Veined, but as usual, few actually came to rest, even in nearby Linda Vista Gardens which has a rich array of nectar sources. It was here I saw a second Holly Blue as well as a Comma feeding from grape hyacinth:
Given that it was the first time I've seen Orange Tips in 2013, I wasn't expecting to see a female, yet here she is:
Odd though that there were no Speckled Woods observed; still, given the atrocious conditions thus far in 2013 it was highly encouraging to see a decent range of species with many flying in considerable numbers. Hopefully the same will be true for Small Coppers and Common Blues which should be emerging soon. With a reasonably dry and benign weather forecast for the next week, things look promising!

Saturday 4th May 2013 - Small Coppers have survived.....

I felt sorry for all butterflies last year, but Small Coppers were possibly worst hit by the appallingly wet and cool conditions that prevailed throughout April and into early May.

It was therefore a great delight to see TWO of this tenacious species this afternoon, and on a day not really conducive to butterfly activity - 12c at best and blustery throughout.

The first was encountered patrolling by the cemetary wall on the lowest of the three paths along the south side of Kilvey Hill:
A couple of hundred yards further down, a second was seen nectaring on a dandelion in a clearing:
Apart from that, not much to report except that Speckled Wood numbers continue to swell with about 30 seen in an hour and a half:
The only other butterflies seen were 2 Small Whites and 6 Large Whites, this beautifully marked female obliging me by settling to have her photo taken:
Now, I figure if Small Coppers are out, then Common Blues could well be about very soon. Bank Holiday Monday is set fair weatherwise, so a trip to the local dunes should test that theory!

Monday 6th May 2013 - Day in the dunes...

After the excitement of seeing 4 Painted Ladies yesterday on Crymlyn Burrows, I was eager to see if there would be any more today in almost perfect conditions at Merthyr Mawr dunes, near Porthcawl.

Of course, this is a cast-iron site for Grizzled Skippers, and I'm pleased to say that I saw 17 of them, buzzing around as they do in the more sheltered areas such as this:
That far bank is probably the best hotspot for them on this vast site, and I duly found several there:
Not much else was flying, however - 2 Peacocks, 2 Orange Tips, 2 Speckled Woods and a male Brimstone isn't a great return on such a glorious May morning.

I decided to head for Kenfig which is on the way home to see if there were any Common Blues about. There weren't, but I did see a solitary SMALL Blue, again in the precise area I deem the best spot for them on this site:
I hung around here for about 20 minutes, trying to see if there were any more on the wing. Sadly, I drew a blank so the little critter looks to have the whole place to himself right now!

I had hoped maybe to see Small Copper and Small Heath here too, but alas the only other butterflies were a few Whites, a Peacock, a Small Tortoiseshell..........oh yes, and ANOTHER Painted Lady, which like the 4 yesterday at Crymlyn simply zoomed right on by without stopping

Still, it was lovely to go butterflying in a T shirt for a change; the highs of 17c were most welcome

millerd wrote:Well done with that Small Blue - could be the first UK sighting this year. It's worth letting Butterfly Conservation know; here's the e-mail address in case you don't have it:

rfox@butterfly-conservation.org

You had rather a good day!

Dave

Thanks, Dave.

Yes, I notice that there isn't an entry for Small Blue on the BC website so I have done what you suggested.

I suspect that this coastal site is early this year simply because it was unaffected by the snowfall and subsequent cold nights in March.

By day, it is cooler than the majority of southern England, but the micro-climate in 2013 may well have seen this species emerge earlier than elsewhere.

Saturday 18th May - Small is beautiful....

Today just goes to show how weather forecasters, even 48 hours ahead, can get things wrong.

All week Saturday had been predicted to be cool and cloudy, and only last night did it change to suggest a sunny morning. Well, it's now half past five and the sun has barely been behind a cloud all day! What's more, it's been about 3 degrees warmer than anticipated too.

I was out by 9.45am to visit Crymlyn Burrows again, to see if there were any Common Blues out yet. Although the bird's foot trefoil is now starting to flower, the butterfly itself is yet to show itself, although I was delighted by the presence of 3 other small butterfly species; namely Small Copper, Dingy Skipper and Small Blue (the latter of which I didn't know could be found here).

This image is taken from Crymlyn Burrows looking towards Kilvey Hill (at the foot of which I live):
I saw SEVEN Small Coppers (which is, I think, more than I saw in the whole of 2012!!):
Whilst searching for Common Blue didn't produce a result, scrutinising their larval foodplant threw up another species which shares it - my first Dingy Skipper of the year:
Whilst standing on the crest of the dune, I noticed heaps of kidney vetch sprouting along the steep face, and was just saying to myself how much Small Blues would feel at home when I spotted one:
There was another seen about 150 yards further down the dune so one could conclude that there is more than a single colony here.

Apart from all that, it was wonderful to see the hedgerows alive with Pierids. Orange Tips were everywhere, with Green Veined Whites not far behind. I saw plenty of female OTs too.
Other species seen were 3 Brimstones (2 of which were females), 2 Peacocks, 2 Speckled Woods and a solitary Large White.

Saturday 18th May - Grrrrrr.....een Hairstreaks

I left Crymlyn Burrows at 12.30pm, and feeling rather short changed at having not seen any Common Blues, I decided to decamp 10 miles to Welshmoor, on the Gower peninsula, to check out the substantial Green Hairstreak populations there.

Thankfully, there were plenty about (2 dozen or so).

Welshmoor is also a strong Marsh Fritillary site, but this species is yet to emerge, which wasn't a bad thing, as concentrating on Green Hairstreaks is rather difficult when you have Marsh Frits interfering with your photographs!!

I've always found Green Hairstreaks difficult to photograph for much the same reason as Whites. Their reflective scales seem to make the image you've taken far removed from what your eyes see when you kneel down to 'snap' the specimen.

Others on this site have provided wonderful snapshots of Greenstreaks lately, and although my photography skills are Championship 2 compared to the many 'Premier League' members on here, I had the perfect opportunity to try to at least improve my own images of this highly entertaining butterfly.

The shrub line in the distance is where they can be easily found:
This one was irresistible simply due to its array of white underside spots:
Bright conditions interfere with the 'greenness' of this species, so when I found a docile specimen I tried to gently cast my shadow over it before taking a pic:
Finally, I attempted to get the sunlight BEHIND the butterfly so as not to over-expose:
Although an improvement on the images I've taken previously, I'm still light years behind many of the images other members are producing. So, what are people doing when they photograph Green Hairstreaks that I am not?

As an aside, other than the 20-25 GH's I saw here, there were also a dozen or so Orange Tips, half a dozen Green Veined Whites, a Large White and a Small Copper (I daresay this time next week there'll be a Marsh Fritillary or two as well).

Hi David,

Unfortunatly the forecast yesterday for me was bang on, a cool cloudy day all day with no hint of sun or warmth
Your emergences are well ahead of our in the midlands, just a couple of Grizzled and Dingy Skippers and Green Hairstreaks reported last week before the heavy rain and hail we had.

I may be trying to teach my granny to suck eggs but I always use exposure of at least -2/3 for whites even on a dull day, sometimes -1 in sun. In fact I use -2/3 most of the time, going to -1/3 for darker butterflies sometimes.

Cheers,

Neil F.