Pauline

[Debbie]

Hi Pauline,

I have been busy working this year to do to much with the forumn, but I am getting out and about and taking pictures too when I get the chance.

Your pictures are interesting & inspiring.

Best Wishes Debbie

[David M]

Thankfully, again today, everything that should be inside is still inside although she is still on lots of medication. In case you are interested I am posting a few pics of her with her cockerel Pickle taken earlier today.

They both look resplendent. What breed is Spice? I thought maybe a Magpie at first but her tail looks too big.

We're lucky as our chicken supplier acts as our de facto vet. She knows much more than general veterinary practitioners and can treat pretty much anything (except, sadly, latter stage egg bound hens)

[Pauline]

It's great to hear from you again Debbie and it's good to know you're getting out there with your camera. I hope all is going well for you and thank you for your kind comments.

Hi David - Spice is a Norfolk Black (rare breed). I have another pair (Welsummers) and they too are very pretty. The 2 cockerels had been abandoned and hit by a car and one of them lost an eye. I got the girls to keep them company and I really appreciate your comments on their condition.

I returned to the 'new' PBF site a couple of hours ago and the PBF's are indeed still there but photos were impossible as they were way too active. I felt the same excitement and elation as I did the first time I saw them - wouldn't it be wonderful if they became much more common and widespread and all without any assistance. It is certainly a very remote area and the birdsong was only punctuated by the mewing of the Buzzards and the harsh bark of the Muntjac. I knew they were there but they can still make me jump. I was also very pleased to see my first Common Blue of the year:

There was an abundance of Small Heath around today and I am still surprised at the difference a different background can make to a photo - at one side there were hedges but at the other dense woodland

However, the butterfly I found to be most common today at this site were the Dingy Skippers. I can honestly say I have never seen so many in one place before - there must have been dozens and dozens of them.

Sadly, I didn't find my Small Copper with blue spots but I did see my first of the season:

[David M]

Hi David - Spice is a Norfolk Black (rare breed). I have another pair (Welsummers) and they too are very pretty. The 2 cockerels had been abandoned and hit by a car and one of them lost an eye.

We don't have a Norfolk Black but we do have a Welsummer. She's not terribly friendly but she's a decent layer.

I hope Spice is back to her best before long. We all hate to see our chickens suffering (usually from mites or scaly leg, but that can be treated pretty quickly).

We'd love to have a cockerel but being in a residential area it's too risky as neighbours would doubtless complain. We DID have a bantam cockerel a couple of years ago, but even he went down like a lead balloon so we swapped him for a hen with our regular supplier.

[Wurzel]

Lovely shots of the Blues Pauline My folks keep Bantams mainly so my girls can collect the eggs when we visit

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Pauline]

Thank you David - I shall continue to keep my fingers crossed.

I appreciate your comments Wurzel - it is nice to be seeing some different species at last. Still no Glanvilles at Wrecclesham yet but checking through my photos from yesterday, I was just about to bin this one when I noticed it seems to have a lot of white markings. Is this usual or just because it is worn. In flight it looked a lot more greyish than the others.

[Pauline]

It was a very BLUE day at Wrecclesham today - for 2 reasons. The first is that there are still no Glanvilles to be found . The second was the explosion of Common Blues that have emerged . A record number of pics below which I think demonstrates just how photogenic this butterfly can be:

[David M]

Lovely shots again, pauline, but worrying that Glanvilles are still to emerge at this site.

Have they become extinct? I find it hard to believe that given the weather over the past week that they haven't yet emerged.

[Pete Eeles]

I was just about to bin this one when I noticed it seems to have a lot of white markings. Is this usual or just because it is worn. In flight it looked a lot more greyish than the others.

Definitely an aberration, Pauline, but not sure which! Perhaps it's unnamed. The band on the hindwings is striking! See:

http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/aberrati ... ies=malvae

Cheers,

- Pete

[MikeOxon]

I noticed it seems to have a lot of white markings.

It does seem very unusual for there to be so much white on the hind wings.

I looked through my books and, while they all refer to aberrations on the fore wings, none mentions the sort of pattern on your example. I also had a look at European species and saw that the Sandy Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus cinarae) has a white band on the hind wing but it belongs in the Balkans and Greece.

It looks as though yours is an aberrant that happens to show some features of this Southern form. Perhaps we could call it ab. cinaraeoides ?

Mike

[Pauline]

Morning David and thank you for the compliment. I am seriously concerned about the future of the Glanvilles at Wrecclesham and if they are not seen this weekend my rapidly fading hopes will be dashed. What I can't explain is their rapid decline which I am not sure can be totally explained by the weather. Yes, we had a rubbish summer last year but the year before that there were hundreds and I don't recall too many climatic extremes in that period. However, the following year, numbers were down to a few handfuls

Wow! An unnamed aberration. Should I be excited? It's a pity the photo isn't better but I honestly couldn't get anywhere near this butterfly. I took off the close-up lens, had to use full zoom and even then the photo has been tightly cropped. Perhaps I shall try to find it again today. Thank you for the information Pete and Mike. What is the protocol for naming a butterfly? I seem to remember Adrian Hoskins finding an unnamed aberration in Stanstead Forest a couple of years ago and had it named after him! More from Wrecclesham later.

[Pete Eeles]

What is the protocol for naming a butterfly?

You publish your finding somewhere (e.g. a journal, although Adrian Hoskins used his website) and suggest a name. Of course, having done your homework to ensure that it really is unique!

I seem to remember Adrian Hoskins finding an unnamed aberration in Stanstead Forest a couple of years ago and had it named after him!

Look at Sunday 1th July here: http://www.learnaboutbutterflies.com/Bu ... 20July.htm. The location is Crab Wood, and he named the Dark Green Fritillary aberration obsoleta, not after himself!

Cheers,

- Pete

[Pauline]

Cheers Pete - you've got a better memory than me. I really think I'd like to explore this further but if it comes to names I don't really think ab.Paulinus has the right ring to it However, I think Mike's suggested name was splendid based on research, reason and rational. The photo is small but reasonably clear so who knows?

[MikeOxon]

I had another look at the Cockayne database this morning. See http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/ ... ecLimit=20

There is one called ab. fasciata Tutt 1896 that has some features like yours (especially allowing for over-exposure of your pic) - white band on hindwing - but I don't know how to find the full description. perhaps one of our professional entomologists could help

I think ab Paulinus sounds splendid

Mike

[Pete Eeles]

ab. fasciata it is - well done Mike! I misread the description, which can be found at:

http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/aberrati ... ies=malvae

Cheers,

- Pete

[Pauline]

Thank you so much Mike/Pete. That has certainly saved me some ground work and it is good to know what aberration the butterfly is. As Mike rightly pointed out the photo was over exposed (in fact I have just realised I have had my camera on the 'wrong' settings for days ). I did nothing but crop the original version but just to round off this little episode I am enclosing an adjusted photo of how I remember the butterfly to be purely for my own pleasure:

Thank you again for your interest and help.

[Neil Freeman]

That is a cracking Grizzled Skipper ab. Pauline, well done for finding it.

Just been catching up on your diary, some lovely photos, I particularly like the Common Blue topside looking down

I hope Spice the Hen is getting better.

Cheers,

Neil F.

[MikeOxon]

I have just realised I have had my camera on the 'wrong' settings for days

If this foray into abs. got your camera settings sorted, then it was well worthwhile I think your corrected photo is a candidate for the Species album - it's a beautiful specimen.

You've been taking lots of splendid pics recently. I liked that Small Heath on the dark background, which would make a fine framed print on the wall.

I would not be too worried about Glanvilles at Wrecclesham yet, as the first sighting at Sand Point was as recent as 6th June. On the other hand, introductions do have a habit of failing suddenly after seeming to have 'taken'.

Mike

[Pauline]

Thank you Mike for your help and kind words. I shall keep an eye on the Glanvilles and report any progress.

I am getting a bit behind with my postings - lots of images I want to record, but never enough time. Today I got the opportunity to have a few hours off so I was determined to make the most of it. I set off for Bentley to look for Small Pearls and although it was quite windy, conditions were otherwise perfect - a mixture of sun and cloud. It was good to meet up with Wurzel again (your girls are a credit to you Rich) and lots of butterflies kept me very happy for an hour or two. A few images below but more to follow:

[Maximus]

Hi Pauline, all your latest images are lovely, the Small Pearls in particular. Will try to visit Wrecclesham during the week, to see if any Glanvilles have energed yet!

Mike