www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Thanks Dave, Wurzel & Katrina. We must take the rough with the smooth I suppose.
Cheers Mike. Pleased you enjoyed my recent efforts.

Appropriate for his stage in May, these two images popped up on my ' facebook ' memories.
Both taken on 5.5.2021 at Park Corner.

Cracking shots Trevor - be nice if we could start seeing the real thing - I thought they were supposed to be the April Fritillary?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Some great butterflies (and flowers) lately, Trevor. I can't blame the PBFs for being reluctant to emerge this year. Hopefully when the flight season is in full swing things will be warmer.

Thanks Wurzel & David. Apparently some East Sussex PBF were seen today.

The results of a very early start this morning. Some reasonably relaxed Wall Browns
at High and Over. Back home at 9.45 !

Trev

Nice set of Greenstreak shots, especially that one on a Cowslip.

trevor wrote: ↑Sun May 05, 2024 7:50 pm I spent 3 hours at Park Corner and Rowland Wood this morning in perfect weather.
I could not believe how quiet both areas were. The final tally was 2 Red Admirals,
5 Peacocks and a fresh Green Veined White. A female Brimstone provided a quick flyby.
Yellow Speckle moths however were everywhere.

I had a very similar experience at Stansted Forest on Tuesday morning. Very few butterflies but Speckled Yellow moths everywhere.

Great Dukes and Wall Browns in your other recent posts

Cheers,

Neil.

Thanks Ernie & Neil. Speckle Yellow moths are everywhere here too,
they are excellent at distracting the eye when tracking a butterfly.

It was a relief to learn that the first Pearl Bordered Fritillaries had been seen in Rowland Wood yesterday.
I went along to see for myself early this morning. They seem to have emerged in a fairly small area, but
no doubt they will spread out as more emerge. The early hour certainly helped with photography as they
frequently paused to bask and later started to seek out the Bugle. I would rather count low rather than high
but I would estimate that a good three were seen.
As I wandered the various rides I saw one more near the rush meadow, well away from the others.
Finally I saw a Green Veined White also indulging on Bugle.

Brilliant Walls Trevor And finally Pearls , I thought they were supposed to be the April Fritillary?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

A commitment this morning meant an evening visit to see the Pearls.
Possibly a few more were flying than yesterday, including a lovely female.
She was not seen yesterday while I was there. As I was photographing her,
she was ' noticed ' by a passing male, and after much wing flapping they both
took off at high speed It was good to meet Gary Norman once again.
Gary has more of a reason to enjoy the Pearls than the rest of us!

That early start paid dividends with the Wall Browns, Trevor. Great thinking!

Nice to see a few PBFs too.

Thanks David. The best time of day given good weather.

Yesterday 11th May I arrived at Rowland Wood about 7.40am in perfect weather.
Katrina had a similar idea and came along about 20 mins later. For the first hour or so
things were quiet but during the morning we were privileged to witness the behaviour
of presumably two mated female PBF's.
The first female was found nectaring on bugle, when a male flew in, after much wing
flapping the male was sent packing. The female was followed as she flew frequently
in short hops to bask, eventually settling and closing up. The first closed wing shot
was in the bag.
In Park Corner, Katrina spotted another Pearl very near ' Peters seat '. We assumed
this was another mated female, as this one too closed up on landing allowing a
second closed wing shot. An interesting morning in good company.

Great under-wing shots Trevor In the warm weather they're hard to photograph the topsides of let alone the stunning undersides Drew a blank at the Hill but they've started to emerge from Battlesbury so won't be long now...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Always nice when they present their closed wings, Trevor.

The females are usually more reliable for this than the hyperactive males.

Thanks Wurzel & David. Things were even better this afternoon.
Talk about easy, gift wrapped and handed on a plate!

When the sun appeared this afternoon I headed off to Abbots Wood.
On the way in I saw my first Painted Lady of the year ( the first of two ), then a fresh GVW.
At the triangle I could see two people in the distance, when I got closer I could see it was
Peter Farrant and his good Lady. Peter was kind enough to show me a mating pair of
Pearl Bordered Fritillaries that had taken up residence on some birch scrub. They stayed
undisturbed for nearly an hour while I was there, and many shots were taken.
Things then got even better when not one but two Green Hairstreaks visited bluebells
right where I was kneeling! One of the two was reasonably fresh.

I said things today were handed to me on a plate, mating Pearls already found and two GH that found me!

Cheers Peter!

A great selection of butterflies, Trevor. I envy you having not just one but two good PBF sites within easy reach! And after some cracking shots of that species, you manage Green Hairstreaks on bluebells (I reckon that beats buttercups hands down... ).

Interesting that you saw a couple of Painted Ladies: I saw one locally today, and I believe Paul spotted one to the south of Croydon too. It looks as if the warm southeasterly airstream has brought a few immigrants with it.

Cheers,

Dave

Cheers Dave. As for Painted Ladies several have been reported in Sussex,
and elsewhere on facebook. The start of an invasion? Good to see them.

I will have to award you for the mating Pearls and the GHs. Well done for being in the right place at the right time

Thanks Katrina. I don't think I've ever had so easy. If it was always that easy
it would take the fun out of our hobby. I've been after GH on bluebell, then two together!

Must be a recent influx of Painted Ladies, I saw my first one this afternoon in south London and I have it on good authority another was seen over by Heathrow.