www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

I usually find that when I reduce image sizes for the web, some additional 'sharpening' is needed. If the originals look good, it's not actually sharpness but something that was called 'acutance' back in film days - some software packages have a control for 'local contrast', which is what it's really about. An extra touch of 'unsharp mask' with a small radius of around 0.5px is what I tend to use in Photoshop.

Mike

Hi Mike (Maximus) - yes, the second image was taken after I made some adjustments in the software when reducing the size of the image.

Hi Mike - thank you for that information. I had tried Photoshop, Irfan View and Paint, all with similar results. I used Paint last season but downloaded the software onto a new laptop so perhaps some changes had been made. At last I found a place on IrfanView where I could resharpen after resizing. I have used that with the following images so hope they look acceptable. I shall also try what you have suggested.

I thought some folk might be interested in an update on the Dukes I started to rear last season. I think they are still OK. I wish it were all over to be honest as having come this far it would be dreadful to lose them now:

Interesting looking pupae Pauline The markings on them - the stripes and whorls a quite beautiful - they must almost be about a month away?

Have a goodun and stay safe


Wurzel

You have a sharp eye for detail Wurzel so I'm wondering what it is about these images that suggest they are 'about a month away'? Although it is the first time I have seen a Duke pupa, my guess would have been about a week! As you might remember the first Duke was seen at Noar Hill last year on 1 April. This prompted me to take a quick look back at my images from previous years which were by no means the earliest recorded. Here are a few - hope you like them:

12 April 2011:
14 April 2014:
16 April 2015:
14 April 2016:
10 April 2017:

Hi Pauline -

Thanks for the Duke update - very interested to follow their development. In the first image the pupa appears to have started colouring up so a little warmth and you would expect emergence within a few days. I have never reared them personally though - so not speaking from experience.

BTW your images seem excellent to me, but then I realise contributors set themselves very high standards on here!

Pauline wrote: ↑Thu Apr 08, 2021 5:01 pm..I thought some folk might be interested in an update on the Dukes I started to rear last season. I think they are still OK. I wish it were all over to be honest as having come this far it would be dreadful to lose them now

Very interested indeed, Pauline (I know how precious these pupae are to you).

I sincerely hope they will emerge soon and you will then be able to afford us some life-cycle shots.

Fingers crossed!

Hi Ben - good to hear from you and many thanks for your kind words.

Morning David - Let's hope so eh! As you know, it took me 3 years to get permission to remove the eggs from Noar Hill. It is just as difficult to obtain Brown Hairstreak. For years now I have been trying to find a wild Duke pupa on Noar Hill but without success. Now that I have been able to see what I am actually looking for I thought I would give it another go before they start to emerge. I was not prepared for the devastation that was evident across much of the site - though I should have been as this happens time and again. I appreciate that the site needs to be maintained and in fairness it is an improvement in some areas. However, many prime BH egg-laying sites have been flattened and all the blackthorn has been burned. I am sure this is done on a rotational basis but these are Blackthorn bushes where many BH eggs are laid each year. Over the last few years I am sure the number of BH adults has greatly decreased and last season I heard several visitors bemoaning the lack of BH sightings. There has to be a better way. In the past I have been informed that a search for BH eggs is done prior to this 'destruction' but I am not sure that I believe that. The first branch that I picked up on the edge of the bonfire had 10 eggs on it!!:
I have also been told that there is plenty of other Blackthorn and the BH will 'soon bounce back' but that doesn't seem to be happening either.

The next half dozen branches I picked up (all within 2 square metres) also had eggs on them. I could look no further and returned home extremely disappointed. I am sure when the flowers start to emerge the site will look splendid but at the moment much of it looks like a lawnmower has been over it! It will be interesting to note numbers of BH this year.

I was guessing about a month as that's when I usually start seeing them; last year my first came on Star Wars Day but I forgot that the Noar Hill Dukes are (possibly) the earliest risers - over my way they prefer a lie-in

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Hi Wurzel - yes, indeed Noar Hill is an early site for Dukes. My estimate was based on that together with the fact that the wing colour is now visible. I suppose the weather/temp should be taken into account too, but as Ben says, once it begins to warm a little I am hoping they will emerge.

I have recently had another PH emerge so below are a few shots, together with the first larva which must be about 10 days old now - the first time I have seen him since he disappeared into the bud:

Great shots Pauline, I'm looking forward to seeing the out come
Things are very slow here, I've checked the Lanc's Branch and Cumbria Branch and nothing much being seen yet and we'd Snow this morning so don't expect to see much for a couple of days.
We should be able to get out more after today, Roll On Goldie

Disappointing news regarding the blackthorn at Noar, Pauline. Given the amount of ova you found on the branches you inspected, I, like you, am extremely doubtful that much (if any) checking was done prior to burning. They'd probably have been better cutting this growth prior to BH emerging to prevent eggs being laid on it and burning it afterwards.

Nice to see (just) the tiny PH larva. Good luck with those going forward.

Pauline wrote: ↑Thu Apr 08, 2021 5:01 pm I thought some folk might be interested in an update on the Dukes I started to rear last season. I think they are still OK. I wish it were all over to be honest as having come this far it would be dreadful to lose them now.

Hi Pauline - these need to be kept out of the sun, as they would be in nature; they really do not like direct sunlight. Thought I should mention this! Good luck!

Cheers,

- Pete

Cheers Goldie - we, too, had really heavy snow here on Monday morning. Looked so lovely I took some photos but haven't had time to download them yet.

Thanks David - I think you're right about the timing. I have a couple of small Blackthorn in the garden so I have just tied them on and hope for the best. If I go back to NH I might just take string and scissors so if I find any more I can just tie them on up there.

It's very thoughtful of you Pete to give me such timely advice. I appreciate it. I have been keeping them in the shade and all still looks well. However, I am concerned about the low temperatures here. I am reminded of a conversation I had with Matthew O. many years ago at the Straits. The weather had been really dreadful for quite some time - rainy and overcast. There were no signs of PE but it was well past their usual emergence date. Matthew told me that there was no way they would emerge in such conditions. I asked him what would happen if the weather didn't change. He replied that once the butterfly was ready to emerge it could 'hang on' for a little while but would eventually just die and rot in the pupa. I am praying that doesn't happen to my Dukes - but I wonder how often that happens in the wild!

Hi! Pauline, hope fully your Dukes will be okay, the ones at GaitBarrow really stand the cold wInters and heavy rain, so fingers crossed yours will be okay Goldie

Thanks Goldie - each time I do this and get into this situation I ask myself why am I doing it!!! I have sat for 3 days now unwilling to take my eyes off this pupa in case it emerges. I am focusing on the one that looks most advanced but I am not experienced enough to judge when it is likely to emerge with any degree of accuracy. It had coloured up at least 7 days before I posted the first image so (especially with the warmer weather) I was convinced emergence was imminent. Not so! (I may have to eat my words Wurzel!!). I do hope it is OK. I recall that the larva took forever to shed their skins and the weird colour changes had me convinced they had died more than once!! A couple of shots from today at different angles:
In the meantime I have had to make do with whatever comes into the garden. The Bluetits are fledging now and the parents look a bit worse for wear!
and the plum tree is always very popular:

Lovely Peacock Pauline, hope the pupa sorts it's self out soon for you Love the little bird on look out Goldie

Cheers Goldie - no luck yet

I'm really beginning to wonder if I'm watching a dead pupa - it wouldn't be the first time. I once watched a Glanville for days until Martin emailed me and said 'it's dead'! If it's not, then I'm really wondering how many days I'm going to have to devote to it. It is 3 weeks now since I've been able to see the wing colour. Y'see, the thing is, I need a haircut! A couple of years ago I had it cut really, really short and now it is half way down my back again! But wouldn't it just be the worst thing if I were to leave it and it emerged? Any ideas?
7 species in the garden now - not including Magnet and Hope, who, like me, were enjoying the sun today:

Lovely looking Large White and Peacock Pauline I don't know how long it takes for it to emerge even though I referred to my copy of 'Eeles' I have seen reports from Noar that they're out now so it should be any day now?

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Pauline wrote: ↑Tue Apr 20, 2021 3:01 pmI'm really beginning to wonder if I'm watching a dead pupa - it wouldn't be the first time. I once watched a Glanville for days until Martin emailed me and said 'it's dead'! If it's not, then I'm really wondering how many days I'm going to have to devote to it. It is 3 weeks now since I've been able to see the wing colour. Y'see, the thing is, I need a haircut! A couple of years ago I had it cut really, really short and now it is half way down my back again! But wouldn't it just be the worst thing if I were to leave it and it emerged? Any ideas?

I sincerely hope not, Pauline, but 3 weeks is a long time to be able to see the wing colours. I was under the impression that pupae often twitch and move slightly. Has this happened when you have been observing it or has it remained totally still throughout?

Pauline wrote: ↑Tue Apr 20, 2021 3:01 pm I'm really beginning to wonder if I'm watching a dead pupa - it wouldn't be the first time. I once watched a Glanville for days until Martin emailed me and said 'it's dead'! If it's not, then I'm really wondering how many days I'm going to have to devote to it. It is 3 weeks now since I've been able to see the wing colour. Y'see, the thing is, I need a haircut! A couple of years ago I had it cut really, really short and now it is half way down my back again! But wouldn't it just be the worst thing if I were to leave it and it emerged? Any ideas?

Hi Pauline - one of the reasons I commented recently was that the colour didn't look quite right to me and I thought it may have perished, but kept my fingers crossed. Unfortunately, I think this critter has met its demise I hope to be proven wrong but to stay 'coloured up' for this long is not a good sign.

Cheers,

- Pete