www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Saw at least 5 White Letter Hairstreaks today, but way up high so no photos.

I thought that I had better show some photos from Nefyn, nothing exciting just a Small Tortoiseshell, a Large Skipper and a Meadow Brown, these were taken to-day 30th June with my Kodak EasyshareP712.

I went to Chew Valley Lake today with Eccles.
We found several Purple Hairstreak. I found them very hard to photograph, (using my Sigma 150m,) but here's one of my efforts.



Denise

.. and the same one from me, pretty much the only decent one I shot as they played very hard to get. I used a moderately high iso as I was hand holding a 400mm and the dark background showed some noise. Neat Image did quite a good job of fixing it. Thanks for pointing us in the right direction Denise, and thanks to Roger the butterfly man for directing us to the actual tree.

We have had a lovely warm Sunny day here in Norfolk.

I started the day at Strumpshaw Fen, no Swallowtails but lots of Meadow Browns & Ringlets.

I later took the dog for a walk on Buxton Heath. As I kicked a stick for him I got a 'cloud' of butterflies consisting of Meadow Browns, Large Skippers & Silver-studded Blues. The blues were in large numbers, I gave up trying to count.

After a lack of butterflies the numbers of SS Blue really cheeed me up

I am hoping to get to Foxley wood in Norfolk to spot a White Admiral but work keeps getting in the way!!

Angie

A bit of warmth has brought out a few more butterflies in the last few days here in Somerset.

On Saturday I found White-letter Hairstreak at Hurcot in the Poldens (ST505294), fluttering around the top of an ash tree next to a railway bridge. An interesting site which would fit in well with a day looking at the Large Blues (there were a few people out on Collard Hill when I passed it on the way back). Tried to find Purple Emperor in a potentially interesting private site nearby but was frustrated by its swampy nature and abnormally high bracken which prevented access to the area which would be likely to hold any master tree. Many Ringlets and the first Silver-washed Fritillary of the year though.

Today I caught up with Small Heath on an isolated site near Radstock - still there but only one where in 2006 there were over 50 - however the first Small Skippers of the year were there along with good numbers of Marbled White. In the quarry on Bathampton Down, there was an abundance of Ringlets, and fair numbers of Meadow Browns and Marbled Whites - also another Small Skipper too. Looks like the grassland species are properly under way here at last!

Went to Brampton Wood (Grid ref:TL184698) - a relatively local venue - on Sunday. White Admirals flying there now - tho' not in great numbers yet. Also White Letter Hairstreak (tho didn't see any) are reported in the elms at the W-NW end of the wood.
Also end of the Black Hairstreak (no, didn't see any - but it was very windy and most butterflies were in the canopy...)
Nick
PS Thanks to Brian from Northumberland whom I met and directed me round to the pond area where he had seen a WA.

if you do visit brampton wood be prepared to have your car broken into... it happened to me last week

charles

jellyang wrote:
I am hoping to get to Foxley wood in Norfolk to spot a White Admiral but work keeps getting in the way!!

Angie

I read somewhere there is a tree-top walk (at the Holkham estate, possibly) in Norfolk where it is possible to see Purple Hairstreak on their level. Holkham Woods between the bay and Wells is also a possible for White Admirals - lots of honeysuckle in the underlayer- and it's a magical wood!
Happy hunting!
Nick

Charles Nicol wrote:if you do visit brampton wood be prepared to have your car broken into... it happened to me last week

charles

Tough call Charles - sorry to hear that! (Luckily the state of my old heap seems to confirm that nothing worthwhile is in there; as I said to JackHarr..the diesel is worth more than the car!). Alternatively, I've been lucky - thanks for the warning.
N

That is a magical photo of the White Admiral, Nick.

All the pics are good, but the ones of Purple Hairstreaks are crackers too - I know what little blighters they can be to get a photo of.

I spent a miserable morning wandering around Southwater Woods in the hope of finding a Purple Emperor but I saw diddly-squat.

Thanks Rosie - too kind! (The intervening leaf was annoying....but can't nail the blighters down where you want them, can you?)
I agree with you - Purple Hairstreaks are difficult and un-cooperative, so getting those shots is an achievement indeed!
I've been to Fermyn (and Brampton) and other woods and had no success at getting a decent shot at all!

There's always tomorrow...good luck!
Nick
PS. I did do some processing of the RAW image (in CaptureNX) to enhance the shadow areas, adjust the brightness/contrast, sharpen the edges and then reduce to c 600 x800 pixels for JPEG output.

You were right, Nick, today was a better day. Still no Purple Emperor but I did get a Purple Hairstreak.

We really need to start a new thread for July.

Broxbourne Wood, Herts on 1st of month, one Purple Emperor.

Jack

Rosy Rustic wrote:. but I did get a Purple Hairstreak.

and

Rosy Rustic wrote:That is a magical photo of the White Admiral, Nick.

All the pics are good, but the ones of Purple Hairstreaks are crackers too - I know what little blighters they can be to get a photo of.

A huge thanks from me. Eccles pic leaves mine standing but I was happy to get one at all!

Cheers
Denise

My reports are in my blog ...

http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/phpBB2/b ... ?u=3&b=209

as are those of others

Cheers,

- Pete

Its july now so lets leave june alone till year 2009

sezar

Hello,

30 June 2008
In the breezy sunshine I recorded over fifty (88+) butterflies for the second day this year with nine species seen on the Adur Levels and Anchor Bottom, Upper Beeding. The fresh Comma Butterflies were the most impressive. The Ringlets were confirmed with a positive view of the ringed spots on the underwing. Meadow Browns, including courting pairs, were the commonest species with half of all the butterflies seen. I have not yet seen a Marbled White settle this year. A Cinnabar Moth fluttered rapidly on the towpath next to the River Adur halfway between Cuckoo's Corner and the Cement Works.
Adur Moths


The full report is on the following page:

Adur Butterfly & Large Moth List
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Butterfly-list2008.html

Adur Butterfly Flight Times by Month
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Butterflies1X2007.htm

Cheers

Andy Horton
glaucus@hotmail.com
Adur Valley Nature Notes
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2007.html
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2008.html
Adur Valley Nature Notes: July 2008
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/July2008.html

Adur Valley & Downs Gallery
http://www.flickr.com/groups/adur/pool/