www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Thanks David, Found him at 9 am, obviously freshly emerged and was very willing to climb onto my finger when he discovered I was a bit sweaty. Spent a good 30 mins taking various pics of him.

Another species I added to my photographic list last summer on box hill was the Dark Green Fritillary, like the Adonis I last saw these on the Isle of Wight as a kid. I missed the beginning of the flight season so they were mostly a bit worn.

My first one here was seen in Burfield Meadow on the western side of Box Hill. I'd had a late start that morning, only getting there about 10 so they were already full of beans and busy doing Fritillary things, which mainly consisted of keeping their distance from me!
On the other side of box hill is another flower rich meadow where several were flying around, males looking for and harrassing females and females doing their best to avoid males and lay eggs, both sexes again keeping their distance from me!
So after chasing them around trying to get close for a decent pic I wandered off to see what else was around. Taking a break from butterflies thought I'd take some flower pics. As I focused on this orchid a fritillary settled long enough to get two pics of, shame it didn't settle at a better angle but it was the closest I had got to one the whole day. Next year a proper early start earlier in the season beckons.

Box Hill is a great place for spring and summer species, Bugboy. There are a range of habitats if you include the woodland as well, and I rely on it every year for my best shots of Dark Green Fritillaries and Marbled Whites. While you're there, if you can drag yourself away, Denbies Hillside is only ten or fifteen minutes away and very well worth visiting too. However, I think you visit parts of Box Hill I haven't been to, so I need to explore more...

Keep coming with those photos!

Dave

millerd wrote:Box Hill is a great place for spring and summer species, Bugboy. There are a range of habitats if you include the woodland as well, and I rely on it every year for my best shots of Dark Green Fritillaries and Marbled Whites. While you're there, if you can drag yourself away, Denbies Hillside is only ten or fifteen minutes away and very well worth visiting too. However, I think you visit parts of Box Hill I haven't been to, so I need to explore more...

Keep coming with those photos!

Dave

I did explore the area quite a bit on my trips last summer, getting there 9 or 10 am and leaving a good 7 or 8 hours later. I don't drive so get there via train from Westhumble. I did walk along the north Downs way so I was probably on Denbies hillside as well. Also spent quite a bit of time along the river Mole getting pics of Banded Demoiselles. Never been there before and missed all the springtime fun so it will be visited a few times this year for sure. Maybe I'll bump into you there this year!

So today this arrived today And what does any normal man do when he gets a new toy, he plays with it obviously! So I focused on the closest butterflies I could find and I'm rather pleased with the results.....
Very much looking forward to taking it out for a proper test drive on my next day off that isn't raining!

Hi Buggy,

That looks like some sort of time-machine to me (a bridge camera user). Make sure you come back with some good images of Mazarine Blue and Black-veined White!

BWs, Neil

Neil Hulme wrote:Hi Buggy,

That looks like some sort of time-machine to me (a bridge camera user). Make sure you come back with some good images of Mazarine Blue and Black-veined White!

BWs, Neil

Hahahahaha, if I get them in the UK (no overseas holidays planned) then they will be all over this website I promise!

HI Bugboy,

Glad you liked some of my images. Good luck with your quest,who knows what 2015 will bring.
A year like 2013 would not go amiss.

All the best for 2015,
TREVOR.

So my Box Hill trips brought me a hatrick of butterflies I had last seen on the Isle of wight many years ago, the last one I managed to get pics of last year was the Chalkhill Blue:

Thanks for the comments of the Silver Spotted Skippers at Box Hill Bugboy.
Yes the skippers were located by the zig zag road, with the Chalkhill blues emerging just a few metres further up from them.
I think the moth you are referring to may be the Straw Belle Moth.
Will certainly look forward to returning there, it was a top location.

Regards Kev

Some Silver Spotted Skippers from Box Hill tonight, possibly the same ones Kevling got! So how many eggs can you see? I count 10...... edit, seen another one, 11 now.

Those skipper eggs were a good find, nice photos. I really got an interest in early stages in 2014 and I'm determined to extned that to more species this year. These photos and reports are just the info I need. Thanks

Regards Kev

Great Chalkhills Bugboy - it's a species I need to spend some more time with next year. Nice Silver Spots to - I can see 10 eggs so I need a bit mroe practice

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Some gentle hints for you wurzel. The last one I saw, mostly hidden behind grass blades near the bottom, I only noticed when I supersized the pic.

Yep that was the one I couldn't see

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Marbled Whites today: A familiar species from my family holidays to the Isle of wight (went there seven or eight years in a row as a kid I think) but not so common in London. last year I discovered what seemed to be a small, isolated population in north london. Further trips this year to see how big this population is, and to get lots of lovely pictures of course.
I do seem to get pics like these from Marbled Whites more than any other species, but they do have a certain asthetic appeal:

Good luck with the London Marbled Whites Bugboy If you can visit early in the morning then you can get less 'asthetic' shots more easily - plus you might be able to get some still covered in dew

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Thats the same with most butterflies Wurzel but sadly, I'm really not a morning person and with my job starting early I do have to really fight the urge to have a lay in on my days off! I do have plans for lots of early starts this year though.

Tonight we have one of my 2014 firsts, Silver Studded Blues photographed on Chobham Common, late in their season hence the rather faded appearance.

Another day, another butterfly. Back to Chobham Common I may have missed the Silver Studded Blues by a few weeks but right on time for the Graylings. Another species I saw regularly on my childhood holidays but not seen since, I'd forgotten how tricksy they are are to approach but I had all day so managed to get close to a few: