www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Thanks, Phil, but I think it unlikely. He was pathetic and spent all his time eating and drinking and then keeled over yesterday and died! The three healthy feisty females are sitting (and would be twiddling their thumbs if they had them) resigned to becoming old maids.

Susie wrote:Thanks, Phil, but I think it unlikely. He was pathetic and spent all his time eating and drinking and then keeled over yesterday and died! The three healthy feisty females are sitting (and would be twiddling their thumbs if they had them) resigned to becoming old maids.

At least this gives us an insight into the longevity of the species.

I think that normally they live much longer. I believe that there was something wrong with him from the start because he didn't exhibit what I would consider to be normal behaviour.

Lovely butterflies Susie, and I didn't know that you can get yellow buddleia! I have often fancied getting some caterpillars or chrysalis and trying this myself, but I don't think that any butterflies would get on with our cats! I did find a red admiral chrysalis the other day and I brought it home to let the kids see it emerge into a butterfly.

Eeek, one of my swallowtails just escaped! If anyone finds one in west sussex it isn't an immigrant. It's very easy to recognise as it has deformed wings and none of us thought it was able to fly properly, let alone across the kitchen and out of the door when it was opened for a second. It's off for one last hurrah I guess.

About time I posted something. Much of my time lately has been taken up with other, not butterfly related, hobbies.

After newspaper reports about the arctic winter we were going to have and ensuring that the kids had plenty of warm winter clothing it has been unseasonably mild. Many of us have seen butterflies right up to the end of November which is mad (but fabulous!).

Yesterday's forum meeting was great and I was so pleased to meet the fab UK Butterfly members who came along. I drove past Petworth yesterday on the way to the event and saw the fallow deer in the park of Petworth House, so that encouraged me to get out with the camera to my local deer park at dusk today.

I don't have the right lenses for distant shots and the light really wasn't good (can I think of any more excuses?) but it was nice to be out with the camera again. A lot of the mature oaks are starting to lose their leaves in good numbers now, especially after last night's gale, but as everyone knows young oaks tend to hang on to their leaves over the winter.
The highlight for me though was this tree stump which, with my over active imagination, seemed a veritable fairy fortress of fungi, lichens and mosses.

Just try and identify the fungi!I have about 50 I have photographed on Hambledon Common,but to identify most is almost impossible.There must be a knack,such as DNA analysis.
I am sending two action photo's from yesterday.
P.J.U.

I agree fungi are very difficult. I imagine these would be a bit easier as on oak but tbh I just enjoyed looking at them and don't have to know. There were some big field musrooms around too. If my dad had been with me we would probably have picked them but I am not brave enough to risk it without his confirmation that they are okay to eat. He's of a generation that would forage when they could to supplement their diet. Not so me.

I've been looking through my photos for the past year and I think this is my favourite

it's a lovely photo. was that the canon or the lumix? are you leading any walks next year or is it too early to say?

Chris

Thanks. That was the canon. It's lost something in being uploaded to the screen. :-/

I hope i'll do some walks next year, I was pleased with how well the ones went this year (all credit to the butterflies which performed admirably). I'll have a think.

I'm not actually sure I lead anything, I just point people in the right direction and bimble!

So, I've been thinking about new year's resolutions and plans for next year. Apart from the obvious that I do every year and then ignore (lose weight/get fit ) I'm hoping to join my local camera club and I might finally learn how to take a decent photo.

I'm also thinking about organising a walk or two again next year for anyone who may be interested.

had any thoughts where yet? hopefully you can count me in.

Me too! The two last summer were really good.

Dave

Thanks, Dave and Chris. It will be nice to have you both along.

I may do the Denbies walk again but at a different time of year. There is always good stuff to be seen there

Good idea - if you time it right, you can find Green Hairstreak, Dingy and Grizzled Skippers and spring generation blues as a minimum.

Happy New Year, Susie!

Dave

I was at Denbies last April and I tell you, Susie has eyes like a hawk — she was spotting Grizzled Skippers at distances of five light years And she know the exact spot for guaranteed Green Hairstreaks.

Doubt I'll be able to make it; it's rather a long way from northwest Norfolk. But I certainly have my own Green Hairstreaks nearby and have the two skippers within an hour's drive. And there are Graylings and Walls which I don't think are found at Denbies. But of course, no Adonis Blues.

Even so, if the opportunity arises, I would want to make at least one visit to Denbies this year. It's a great place.

Go for it Susie. Difficult to plan the best time but I would say that when the easy-to-see Orange Tips are first on the wing, that would be a good indicator to visit Denbies.

Jack

First daffs of the year

Daffodils already? That's crazy.