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Re: MikeOxon
Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2015 9:48 pm
by Padfield
More fantastic stuff, Mike. I'm really enjoying these tropical pictures. I agree, it is amazing how common patterns recur even in quite unrelated butterflies.
More please!
Guy
Re: MikeOxon
Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2015 1:17 pm
by MikeOxon
Guy, I'm amazed you found time to post here, yesterday, with a Berger's on your doorstep
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Hope you have another exciting day, today.
In response to your plea for more, here's a couple continuing the chocolate & cream theme. I feel that these should be easy to identify but, so far, I'm drawing a blank in my books and on the web.
![Danum-1.jpg (119.93 KiB) Viewed 1313 times Danum Valley, Sabah - 7th October 2015<br />Olympus E-M5 with 40-150 mm lens - 1/1000s@f/10 ISO1000](./files/thumb_11310_63d132f18ab803625b10cba73d79aa99)
- Danum Valley, Sabah - 7th October 2015
Olympus E-M5 with 40-150 mm lens - 1/1000s@f/10 ISO1000
![Danum-2.jpg (104.95 KiB) Viewed 1313 times Danum Valley, Sabah - 7th October 2015<br />Olympus E-M5 with 40-150 mm lens - 1/500s@f/8 ISO1000](./files/thumb_11310_6e75cbf7b7744982f9ab4f88cdb4c0bf)
- Danum Valley, Sabah - 7th October 2015
Olympus E-M5 with 40-150 mm lens - 1/500s@f/8 ISO1000
Any suggestions for ID will be gratefully received
EDIT -
Algia fasciata see below
Mike
Re: MikeOxon
Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2015 3:53 pm
by Padfield
Hi Mike. Despite their seemingly quite different colours, I think these are both Paduca fasciata (=Algia fasciata - Algia seems to be the current name). Unless I'm wrong, it shows how deceptive photos can be, taken under different lighting conditions.
Guy
Re: MikeOxon
Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2015 5:00 pm
by MikeOxon
Thank you once more, Guy. It is interesting that this didn't appear in my, admittedly, rather simple books or from searches such as 'brown, yellow, butterfly, borneo'.
Now you have put me on track, I can see it at
http://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/#!/sp/ ... a-fasciata. From the illustrations there, I suspect my upper photo is female and the lower, male - the forewing markings are different. The underside in my photo looks much darker than in the reference but, as you say, photos can be very deceptive, especially when comparing well-lit upper surfaces with underwings in shadow.
I've also found another interesting set of books on the
Internet Archive - Frederick Moore's
Lepidopera Indica (in several volumes).
It's very tempting to send you all my remaining pics
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
but I shall continue trying to track things down, because I'm sure I learn quite a bit from doing so.
Mike
Re: MikeOxon
Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2016 6:33 pm
by MikeOxon
After a lot of head-scratching and sorting of photos, I've finally managed to post some photos from my tour of Sabah, last Autumn.
So far, I've posted selections of both butterflies and birds on my website at
http://home.btconnect.com/mike.flemming ... ah2015.htm Other groups, including mammals, etc. will follow.
As usual, I welcome any comments or corrections to my identifications.
Mike
Re: MikeOxon
Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2016 7:24 pm
by Jack Harrison
Lovely set of shots - and memories.
Some wonderful names there, for example Hairy Backed Bulbul almost seems to have been made up specially for the English speaking visitors. I wonder what it's called in the native language.
Jack
Re: MikeOxon
Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2016 9:35 pm
by MikeOxon
Glad you enjoyed them, Jack. 'Common' names can seem very strange at times; my favourite was Jerdon's Baza.
Mike
Re: MikeOxon
Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2016 10:03 pm
by jenks
That`s a great set of photos, Mike. Something for you to look back on with fond memories and for us to look at in envy.
Regarding bird names, I went on a safari to Kenya in Nov 2007. Whilst it was great seeing the mammals, I got a bit bored after 4 or 5 days seeing the same ones over and over again so spent a lot of my time searching for birds ( I had "The Birds of Kenya" Helm field guide with me ). The best bird, namewise, that I came across was the "Bare-faced Go-away-bird". It`s a member of the Turaco family. I think that name would take some beating !
Jenks.
Re: MikeOxon
Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2016 3:00 pm
by MikeOxon
Thanks Jenks. It sounds as though you've had some good trips too. Now, who can come up with some extraordinary butterfly names?
Mike
Re: MikeOxon
Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2016 3:12 pm
by Jack Harrison
Now, who can come up with some extraordinary butterfly names?
Peter Marren in "Rainbow Dust" touches on this. For example Duke of Burgundy
Jack
Re: MikeOxon
Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2016 11:07 pm
by MikeOxon
I much prefer these cold but bright days, to the the rain of the past few weeks, even though it's definitely not butterfly weather!
One local sign of the mild winter has been unusually large numbers of birds that used to be considered 'summer visitors'. The local sewage works are a magnet for over-wintering Chiffchaffs - about 20 were present when I visited over the weekend, including 1 or 2 of the
tristis race, known to birders as 'Sibes', because Britain is at the southern end of their range and they will return to Siberia for the summer.
![Chiffchaff2016.jpg (119.67 KiB) Viewed 1111 times Chiffchaff, Abingdon SW - 15th January 2016<br />Olympus E-M1 with 40-150mm lens - 1/320s@f/5.6 ISO800](./files/thumb_11310_21af30edc9c5c49ff43c1806bc1a3501)
- Chiffchaff, Abingdon SW - 15th January 2016
Olympus E-M1 with 40-150mm lens - 1/320s@f/5.6 ISO800
![ChiffchaffTristis2016.JPG (95.18 KiB) Viewed 1111 times Chiffchaff 'tristis', Abingdon SW - 15th January 2016<br />Olympus E-M1 with 40-150mm lens - 1/640@f/5.6 ISO800](./files/thumb_11310_e6e9a50120c7bc8edea0bf0f06698510)
- Chiffchaff 'tristis', Abingdon SW - 15th January 2016
Olympus E-M1 with 40-150mm lens - 1/640@f/5.6 ISO800
Another sign of a mild winter was the large number of Goldcrests - these tiny birds are very vulnerable in a prolonged cold spell.
![Goldcrest2016-1].jpg (122.03 KiB) Viewed 1111 times Goldcrest, Abingdon SW - 15th January 2016<br />Olympus E-M1 with 40-150mm lens - 1/200s@f/5.6 ISO800](./files/thumb_11310_18465857db5464bdf4a705d1232a8545)
- Goldcrest, Abingdon SW - 15th January 2016
Olympus E-M1 with 40-150mm lens - 1/200s@f/5.6 ISO800
The annual 'Butterflies in the Glasshouse' event at RHS Wisley has now started, so I intend to visit soon for my mid-winter 'fix' of tropical species. After my travels last year, I have a better chance of recognising some of the species, this year.
Mike
Re: MikeOxon
Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 6:58 pm
by Goldie M
Lovely shots Mike, I think I got some shots of a Tree Creeper today, sadly I only had my small lens with me. Goldie
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Re: MikeOxon
Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 11:47 pm
by MikeOxon
On Monday (
25th January) I made my, now annual, visit to the 'Butterflies in the Glasshouse' event in The RHS garden at Wisley. My impression is that this event improves year on year, with a good range of species flying freely in an environment within which they seem to behave quite naturally.
This time, I went with the experience of having seen some of these butterflies in their home environment. It was, therefore, an opportunity to catch up with some of the species I had seen in Borneo and to see them alongside a range of their 'New World' cousins. The latter group seemed to be in the majority, led by the spectacular Blue Morphos, which seemed to be particularly active, with much courtship activity and groups of, sometimes 4 or 5, chasing each other around the glasshouse!
![Morpho_peleides.jpg (114.71 KiB) Viewed 1040 times Morpho peleides, RHS Wisley - 25th January 2016<br />Olympus E-M1 with 40-150mm lens - 1/250s@f/5.6 ISO400 (with flash)](./files/thumb_11310_44311e780dd3cc719590efa1b87ea81a)
- Morpho peleides, RHS Wisley - 25th January 2016
Olympus E-M1 with 40-150mm lens - 1/250s@f/5.6 ISO400 (with flash)
It was also my first time in the field with my Olympus E-M1 camera (I had used the E-M5 model in Borneo) The results have given me considerable confidence in the capabilities of this camera, which provides DSLR-like image quality from small, lightweight equipment. Most of the time, I used the 40-150mm lens, which had proved very capable in Borneo, but I also tried my new 60mm macro lens for the first time.
The following two sets of photos show a selection of the species that I photographed. As in previous years, I found that the 'Spotter Guide' provided was far from complete and also has several typos in the species names. I've managed to put names to most of the photos but, as usual, welcome corrections and additions!
![Wisley2016-1.jpg (149.63 KiB) Viewed 1040 times Click on group to enlarge](./files/thumb_11310_a5f9750a15cdb9fe80ad99a3394215df)
- Click on group to enlarge
![Wisley2016-2.jpg (168.57 KiB) Viewed 989 times Click on group to enlarge](./files/thumb_11310_1802776f12df9b8a20684892ea20470d)
- Click on group to enlarge
One rather spectacular species that I had not seen at Wisley before was the 'Automedon Giant Owl', with remarkable patterns on the undersides of the wings.
![Eryphanis_automedon.jpg (143.15 KiB) Viewed 1040 times Eryphanis automedon, RHS Wisley - 25th January 2016<br />Olympus E-M1 with 40-150mm lens - 1/200s@f/5.6](./files/thumb_11310_de1f5919b91db8fb2142d6da1e9b9615)
- Eryphanis automedon, RHS Wisley - 25th January 2016
Olympus E-M1 with 40-150mm lens - 1/200s@f/5.6
Finally, I used my macro lens to take some close-up views of one of the 'Pale Owls' feeding at one of the sugar stations. Conditions were far from ideal for macro photography and this shot was hand held, while amongst several other visitors. I particularly like the detail of the tiny claws on the ends of the legs!
![Caligo_memnon.jpg (183.61 KiB) Viewed 1040 times Caligo memnon, RHS Wisley - 25th January 2016<br />Olympus E-M1 with 60mm macro lens - 1/125s@f/8 (with flash)](./files/thumb_11310_a31cbc14db2e0e49539d56bd9b40440f)
- Caligo memnon, RHS Wisley - 25th January 2016
Olympus E-M1 with 60mm macro lens - 1/125s@f/8 (with flash)
I rather enjoyed my brief return to the heat and humidity of the tropics.
EDIT with additions/corrections by Guy Padfield
Mike
Re: MikeOxon
Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2016 9:14 am
by Mark Tutton
Is that the head of a Gecko i can see on the underside of the Eryphanis automedon?
Remarkable!
Mark
Re: MikeOxon
Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2016 10:49 am
by MikeOxon
Thank you, Mark, for pointing that out! It's one of the most remarkable undersides that I've ever seen.
Mike
Re: MikeOxon
Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2016 3:28 pm
by Padfield
Hi Mike. So, you've got the tropical bug!!
The unnamed species in your second frame are female
Hypolimnas bolina (mimicking
Euploea sp.), female
Papilio dardanus, and probably a hybrid of
Heliconius melpomene (see
http://www.heliconius.co.uk/photo-pages ... ini-01.htm, for example). I think your
Papilio memnon is more likely to be
Papilio lowi.
Guy
Re: MikeOxon
Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2016 5:45 pm
by MikeOxon
Many thanks, Guy - I've added captions to the relevant figures. I should have known the female
Hypolimnas, since I saw both sexes of
Hypolimnas misippus in India many years ago and read up about the combined Batesian mimicry and polymorphism.
From reading the RHS leaflet, I saw that the pupae come from a farm in Belize, which explains the preponderance of 'New World' species. It's hard to convey the brilliance of the large 'Morphos' but I made a short animation, from a series of photos, to show the 'shine' when the wing angle is just right:
![MorphosWisley2016.gif (707.85 KiB) Viewed 989 times Morpho peleides - Wisley 2016](./files/thumb_11310_2d19aa7c7b06a84c559a348abad796e9)
- Morpho peleides - Wisley 2016
Mike
Re: MikeOxon
Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2016 7:01 pm
by Jack Harrison
....short animation, from a series of photos....
Please do that for Purple Emperor next summer. You would probably need to make your animation from a series of still photos as you moved position around the butterfly : from a fixed viewpoint, they don't readily show the changing purple iridescence.
Jack
Re: MikeOxon
Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2016 10:45 am
by MikeOxon
Thank you, Jack, I'll see what I can do! I managed to miss seeing any PE at all during 2015, so you have provided additional stimulus for me to try harden this year
Mike
Re: MikeOxon
Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2016 12:10 pm
by Padfield
I made a tiny purple emperor gif back in 2001, when I hadn't worked out how to put video on my site:
It doesn't do quite what Jack wants - so I'll wait for Mike to come up with the goods!
Guy