www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

just had to go into work to sort alarms out and just as well i did, my latest plant order must have turned up late on thursday. so now i have the following plugs ready to go in the garden in the spring.

Bugloss - viper's x 5
Campion - White x 3
Cranesbill - meadow x2
Daisy - ox-eye x 5
Heartsease x 5
Hyssop x 2
Hyssop - anise -x 2
Knapweed - greater x 10
Mallow - white musk x 2
Marjoram x 3
Mustard - garlic x 2
Poppy - corn x 20
Saxifrage - burnet x 2
St. John's wort - common x 3
Trefoil - birdsfoot x 5
Woad - plant x 2
Foxglove x 10

Ox eyed daisies grow like a weed here since I planted them in the garden, I have to pull them up and throw them away. Perhaps I'll pot some up for the next photographic forum meeting, as I did a couple of years ago, then if any members want any they can help themselves (with a donation to BC if they feel so inclined) although you won't need any Chris as you already have some.

i already have some here but no harm in bolstering the population. I'm a long way off it looking like my old garden Susie.

a fond reminder of my old garden

What's the plant in front of the wooden fence? Hyssop?

Hi Susie, that was teucrium chamaedrys a very good bee plant even with the lavender directly behind it. it was these that the wool carder bee used patrol and Silver-y (and the only plant i ever found the small ranunculus nectaring on by night.)
Chris

I was looking through the list of ASSI sites in NI and came across some I had not visited before (or really knew about) some I wish to visit to see what is there and if possible will go in May or early June. One is Hollymount, a alder/willow swamp in Downpatrick which has alder/willow carr swamp and an oak wood and has the rare water violets growing (a big site). There is quite a few protected wetlands in Down including damp meadows, lakes, streams etc... so this area may hold interesting butterflies/moths.

I also recently found there was a cutover bog/fen with pond and small wooded area not far from my house (about 5-6 miles), so in April may give that a visit.

Also started growing lots of willows and want to try and get a 1 acre forest beside my house cleared of the invasive laurel which has taken over 60% of the area and replace it with willows, started removing some bits already but its a tough task. When cleared I am going to seed some woodland flowers first then plant some willow when its big enough. Should benifit wildlife a lot more than it is now. Was Japanese Knotweed there but thats gone now as it was killed of.

Want to try and do something good with all the woodlands around where I live, so writing a detailed report on them for the new owner of them to see if she will let me be able to help them as they need a lot of TLC to be right for all wildlife here.

Recently got a lot of wild flower seeds (Hawkbit, Devils Bit Scabious, Yellow Marigold, Cornflower, Birds foot trefoil and dog rose) so want to get my garden looking better for wildlife.

ChrisC wrote:Hi Susie, that was teucrium chamaedrys a very good bee plant even with the lavender directly behind it. it was these that the wool carder bee used patrol and Silver-y (and the only plant i ever found the small ranunculus nectaring on by night.)
Chris

Ahh, I should have recognised it then. I have germander in the garden too. When I saw it at the garden centre it was buzzing with bees, but over the last few years here I haven't seen much on it so it may get moved next year to a better position. My wool carders prefer stachys.

Well it is now "next year" & my plans for 2011 are finalized. My friend & I both need to photograph 18 species to get up to the 58 British list (his is 2 species different to mine). 120 miles is the limit of our distance away from norfolk for a days drive & budget contraints mean accomodation has to be booked in the chains january sales for longer distances & gamble on suitable weather.
Days out when we can choose a suitable day weatherwise are :- early july Fermyn woods for PE. early/mid june Hockley wood for Heath frit. early july Crowle moor for Large heath. late jul/early aug Lindrick for Scotch argus. mid june local in Norfolk for DGF. Late jul/early aug to Aston Rowant for Silver-spotted skipper. Also want some better photos of Grizz & Dingy skipper.
The big trip is last week in May, 2 nights @ MK for Salcey forest/Wicken wood -wood white & Chilterns for small blue & perhaps DoB. Followed by 2 nights edge of Bournemouth & 2 nights Basingstoke hoping to see PBF, SPBF, GF, Marsh frit,Adonis blue + any Dragonflies, insects, orchids etc.
I have then booked 3 nights on my own up in Cumbria 29 & 30/6 + 1/7, trying to get Northern brown argus, High brown frit, Mountain ringlet, Large heath (sthn version), hope it does not rain too much!
That leaves Chequered skipper (too far, I am not doing a 900 mile round trip & too many midges as well) & Lulworth skipper, that will have to wait for a family holiday in that area.
Eric

On my mission to be a bit braver this year and step outside of my comfort zone I'm leading a couple of butterfly walks to do with another forum. The first is at Southwater, West Sussex, during the first weekend of July and the second is at Denbies Hillside, Surrey, during the first weekend of August. Eeek, regretting it already!

EricY wrote:I have then booked 3 nights on my own up in Cumbria 29 & 30/6 + 1/7, trying to get Northern brown argus, High brown frit, Mountain ringlet, Large heath (sthn version), hope it does not rain too much!

Hi there Eric, Sami and I'll be up in Cumbria at much the same time on the trail of Mountain Ringlets. Be good to meet up if feasible. Maybe Paul Wetton can lead us by the nose to his secret locality for them?

Susie wrote:the second is at Denbies Hillside, Surrey, during the first weekend of August.

Ho-hum, we definitely won't be going to that walk. Somehow we've talked ourselves into walking Land's End to John o' Groats starting in mid July. Somehow I don't think we'll be back in time for Denbies!!!

There was banter between Pete, Felix and a few others about getting together for a beer early in the New Year. First round on me, if I recall. Susie was gonna drag everybody out on a Brown Hairstreak egg-hunting expedition. Was the plan shelved or still going ahead?

Gibster

Hey, if anyone wants to meet me at the Sussex Oak and go on a brown hairstreak hunt after then just say when.

Regards Mountain Ringlets in Cumbria, have a shufty at this -

http://www.cumbria-butterflies.org.uk/d ... umbria.pdf

Hiya Susie, is that a really huge ol' tree or the name of a pub?

Off to my own local now, catch you chaps later.

lol. A pub, and one which does an awfully good glass of vino.

Gibster wrote:Regards Mountain Ringlets in Cumbria, have a shufty at this -

http://www.cumbria-butterflies.org.uk/d ... umbria.pdf

Hiya Susie, is that a really huge ol' tree or the name of a pub?

Off to my own local now, catch you chaps later.

Superb document that, Gibster. Thanks.

Gibster wrote:Hiya Susie, is that a really huge ol' tree or the name of a pub?

Felix, HOW do you do the tumbleweed thing! AWESOMO!!!
Lucky I'm so thick skinned huh (I would usually include a winking smiley at this point, but feel it's too lame now)

Gibster xxx

Thanks Gibster for the link, I think I had seen the website before & made a note to re-visit before my trip. now I have printed out the relevent pages to make sure, some very usefull info. I am staying o/nite 28th at my daughters in Sheffield & hoping to get away early (7ish) on 29th & thought of going straight to Honister area using M18/A1/A66 route from Sheffield, depending on weather forecast of course. Be good to see you if you are there, I did follow your adventures last year on your blog. Eric

Hey Gibster

How about this one



Get the beers in.

I'll take that as a no then.

Susie wrote:Hey, if anyone wants to meet me at the Sussex Oak and go on a brown hairstreak hunt after then just say when.

Susie wrote:I'll take that as a no then.

Hiya Susie, don't count me out just yet! I'm off hunting WLH eggs tomorrow (which will be the first I've ever found, if successful.) Liz Goodyear gave a couple of really good links for hints and tips, see 'White-letter Hairstreak" under the Species forum. I'm quietly optimistic. But be great to meet up with a few more UKB folk. Absolutely whenever (work rota permitting!)