Page 4 of 14
Re: July 2012
Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 10:04 pm
by RobS
After a weekend camping trip at sixpenny handley,we managed an hour at Martin Down before having to return to Berks for the school run.The sky was overcast and conditions didnt look favourable for my first ever DGF.Plenty of Meadow Brown,Ringlet and Marbled White flew around in Bokerley Ditch so i didnt give up hope.I just turned to my GF to say we had better be going when a large orange butterfly flew right past my head and obligingly landed on a flower near me so we were able to get a good view.Yep...my first ever DGF.Then,frustratingly it was time to go.Another did fly up and past us near the old rifle range on the way back to the car park but that was that.
The day before(sun) we had also popped into Hod Hill to see what was about and were rewarded with scores of Marbled white and a pristine pair of small tortoishell amongst the meadow browns,ringlets and skippers.
On a weekend where butterfly watching was way down the list of priorities(for us..NOT me) it was great that my girlfiend had suggested both site visits that we had done whilst we were away.I dont tend to like doing flying(
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
) visits but i was very content with what we saw,and more than happy that Caroline is getting very enthusiastic about OUR new hobby
cheers
rob
Re: July 2012
Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 10:25 pm
by Wurzel
Glad you got a first Rob
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
just sorry that we missed you when we were at Martin Down on Sunday- maybe next time?
Have a goodun
Wurzel
Re: July 2012
Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 1:40 am
by Philzoid
Re: July 2012
Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 5:35 pm
by Willrow
Pleasing couple of hours spent on my local patch this morning
Parc Cwm Darran, Caerphilly County, my visits to 'my local patch' seem to get fewer and fewer, I always seem to be chasing more exotic species, often many miles from home, so it was rather nice to refresh myself locally. The morning started with
Small Tortoiseshell and as I moved onto mature grassland the following species were disturbed;
Small Heath, Meadow Brown and Ringlet, many of the latter were newly emerged and in fine fettle. I was especially pleased to find my
Marbled White colony still producing healthy numbers, I counted at least 40, many were down in the wet grass, has anyone noticed that
Small Skipper is often very evident and happy in company with
Marbled White, it could just be coincidence, but it's something I've noticed many times.
Large Skipper were still in good numbers, but I'm still awaiting the arrival of
Essex Skipper it may already be here, sooner or later those black antennae are going to put in an appearance
Most
Silver Y (immigrant macro moth) I've seen in one outing this year, I disturbed seven during my ramble, and my morning was made all the better for seeing my first
Dark Green Fritillary of the summer, he was too active to get a photo, but this brings my total species seen this year to a very respectable 35, I doubt if I'll manage to better my last years tally of 49, but I'm always optimistic, you simply have to be when you live in the UK and have to put up with it's crazy weather
Tomorrow I hope to check out
Large Heath in Mid-Wales, and I'm hoping my morning in the grasslands has prepared me well enough for the fray, they can be very frustrating critters!!!
Bill
PS. All photo's taken with the Panasonic Lumix FZ150 bridge camera, and surprisingly I hav'nt really missed my Nikon D300 c/w 105 Macro lens
![Shocked :shock:](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)
or the weight
![Wink :wink:](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
Re: July 2012
Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 5:40 pm
by Ian Pratt
I have tried without success to photograph marbled whites which actually are often more a creamy colour than pure white. They always come out white though. Anyone with ideas why that is?
Ian
Re: July 2012
Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 5:42 pm
by Wurzel
Card forgotten or not you still got some great shots Philzoid
Have a goodun
Wurzel
Re: July 2012
Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 6:43 pm
by Neil Freeman
Hi Bill,
Some nice photos and a good tally of species considering the weather we have been having.
I know what you mean about not getting out locally, if it looks like a break in the weather I have been travelling to see butterflies that I cannot normally see.
Willrow wrote:
PS. All photo's taken with the Panasonic Lumix FZ150 bridge camera, and surprisingly I hav'nt really missed my Nikon D300 c/w 105 Macro lens
![Shocked :shock:](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)
or the weight
![Wink :wink:](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
I have bought a FZ150 this year and passed my FZ38 on to my son (Gothic_dreams) who has recently started posting on here. I am very pleased with the FZ150 and liking it even better than I liked the FZ38
Cheers,
Neil F.
Re: July 2012
Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 6:57 pm
by Bill S
Ian Pratt wrote:Today is one of those rare days when the sun is shining and the butterflies think it is summer!
When walking the dog I saw 5 species:1 marbled white, 3 large skippers, 2 red admirals, 1 small tortoiseshell, and 5 meadow browns.
I managed to photograph four of the species too!
Amazing as it will probably be raining soon!
Ian
Hi Ian
What's going on in that Marbled White image Ian there is a bit of ghosting across the left hand side of the image - is it a stack?
Bill
Re: July 2012
Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 7:33 pm
by Mildheart
A belated report from Sunday.
Another disappointing day spent dodging the rain and wind. First stop was Burton Mill Pond for Scarce Chaser, but all I saw was a lot of rain. Not a single dragonfly seen, and as far as butterflies went, there was a patch with quite a few Meadow Browns and a single territorial Red Admiral, and that was it.
Next, Cissbury Ring to try to finally get some decent Dark Green Fritillary shots. Maybe four DGFs (if I'm generous) seen in several hours of searching and, as seems to be typical for the species, completely hyperactive and unapproachable, even in cool, cloudy spells. Eventually, in rapidly deteriorating conditions I found one at rest, which after several minutes of patient stalking, I flushed again. But it didn't go too far and at the second attempt I got a few shots, before it was flushed again (this time by a dog walker). I got into butterflies because of a Dark Green Fritillary, but it is rapidly becoming one of my least favourite species.
Marbled White was also in short supply, three or four seen on the fields near the car park but only one at the ramparts themselves. On the plus side, there were loads of Meadow Browns (first time this year I could describe a butterfly as common!), good numbers of Small Heath and a few Ringlets. Speckled Wood and Red Admiral also seen.
Final stop was Hollingbury Park for White-letter Hairstreak (a species I've never seen). Maybe it was the weather (by now distinctly cool and windy) or the relative lack of flowering thistles, but no WLHs were seen. Red Admiral and Comma were the only species present.
Re: July 2012
Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 8:46 pm
by Willrow
nfreem wrote:I am very pleased with the FZ150 and liking it even better than I liked the FZ38
Thanks Neil for the kind words, I've been surprised and impressed with the results from the FZ150, could never have imagined it 'replacing' my DSLR, I find the iA mode (Intelligent Autofocus) is excellent for taking macro shots from a distance and the great benefit of the articulated screen that saves wear and tear on the knees (and if
Jack Harrison is reading this, you have my deepest sympathy with your knee problem, hope it's sorted for you pronto!).
By the way Neil, some great images on your Personal Diary, I do take a look now and then
![Wink :wink:](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
keep up the good work.
Best Wishes,
Bill
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Re: July 2012
Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 9:16 pm
by NickB
Several Ringlets and Meadow Brown in the Cemetery, plus this Small Skipper...
Re: July 2012
Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 10:53 pm
by Ian Pratt
Bill S wrote:Ian Pratt wrote:Today is one of those rare days when the sun is shining and the butterflies think it is summer!
When walking the dog I saw 5 species:1 marbled white, 3 large skippers, 2 red admirals, 1 small tortoiseshell, and 5 meadow browns.
I managed to photograph four of the species too!
Amazing as it will probably be raining soon!
Ian
Hi Ian
What's going on in that Marbled White image Ian there is a bit of ghosting across the left hand side of the image - is it a stack?
Bill
Not quite sure what you mean. I tried to clone out some grass highlights but no stacking.
Regards
Ian
Re: July 2012
Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 12:30 pm
by Philzoid
Ian Pratt wrote:I have tried without success to photograph marbled whites which actually are often more a creamy colour than pure white. They always come out white though. Anyone with ideas why that is?
Ian
Had a look at your MW photo Ian and it looks OK to me but I'm no expert. Perhaps the colour balance is slightly out,.. take it a couple of notches back on the green with your editing software, and that might improve it. Don't know which camera you are using but I have a Canon DSLR and a Lumix G3 and much prefer the colour of the Canon to the Lumix .... which to my eyes, overdoes the greens.
My problem with MW is that they come out too white (bleached) and getting that right which is about using the exposure compensation properly
Phil
Re: July 2012
Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 1:39 pm
by MikeOxon
Philzoid wrote:which is about using the exposure compensation properly
I agree that many cameras tend to 'blow out' whites, which is possibly what's troubling Ian. It's worth trying an exposure compensation of -0.7. In fact I tend to use that setting all the time on my Canon and Lumix conpacts.
Mike
Re: July 2012
Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 3:18 pm
by Hoggers
My fourth stake out at Warehorn produced only one White letter Hairstreak and two Purple Hairstreaks. I also saw my first Gatekeeper of the year, a Comma,Red Admiral,Small Tortoiseshell, Small and Large Skipper and lots of Meadow Browns.
Re: July 2012 - At last some Norfolk butterflies
Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 6:33 pm
by EricY
Sunny periods today & fairly warm on the coast. Holme village marsh produced 12 meadow brown, 6 Ringley, 1 Red Ad, 1 Comma & 6/7 lge Skipper.
Holme NWT had 16 meadow brown 12 Ringlet, 4 lge Skipper & 3 Spec wood.
In the afternoon the forecast heavy shwrs never arrived & our local wood @ Snettisham had the star species of 5/6 White Admiral, 2 Red Ad, 2 Comma, 2 Ringlet & 2 lge Skipper. Altogether more butterflies than I have seen all year in Norfolk! Eric
![P1030711 White Admiral.jpg (149.67 KiB) Viewed 564 times White Admiral](./files/thumb_10319_8ae746c8ea453e3be0d749d2752c1cce)
- White Admiral
![P1030714 White Admiral underside.jpg (144.28 KiB) Viewed 564 times Underside White admiral](./files/thumb_10319_0ee7fb317b01c85bda8df76d5d4b0619)
- Underside White admiral
Re: July 2012
Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 8:12 pm
by NickB
Found this RA sunning itself and defending territory against all-comers, including me!
Fortunately, once I sat down it finally settled nearby for me...
Re: July 2012
Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 8:41 pm
by Bill S
Ian Pratt wrote:Bill S wrote:Ian Pratt wrote:Today is one of those rare days when the sun is shining and the butterflies think it is summer!
When walking the dog I saw 5 species:1 marbled white, 3 large skippers, 2 red admirals, 1 small tortoiseshell, and 5 meadow browns.
I managed to photograph four of the species too!
Amazing as it will probably be raining soon!
Ian
Hi Ian
What's going on in that Marbled White image Ian there is a bit of ghosting across the left hand side of the image - is it a stack?
Bill
Not quite sure what you mean. I tried to clone out some grass highlights but no stacking.
Regards
Ian
Arh that would explain it. Go back to page three your post is second the top photo. The left hand edge of the forewing is ghosted as is the thistle further down.
Bill
Re: July 2012
Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 9:00 pm
by Ian Pratt
Well-spotted.The photograph is now amended and reposted. Thanks so much.
Ian
Re: July 2012
Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 10:47 pm
by Paul Harfield
My dreary day at work was brightened this morning with my first Marbled Whites of the year
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Three of them bobbing around on the verge next to the A339 Oakridge, Basingstoke.
This afternoon when I pulled over to make a phone call in the layby near the West Meon Hut at the junction of the A32 and A272 I spotted at least 6 more Marbled Whites, 4 Meadow Brown, loads of Five Spot Burnets and my first ever Ringlet
![DSCN5717 - Copy.JPG (240.86 KiB) Viewed 502 times Ringlet West Meon 11/7/2012](./files/thumb_11661_6d38f796fabf49ba4e3f9dd7bc073e8a)
- Ringlet West Meon 11/7/2012
![DSCN5705 - Copy.JPG (251.58 KiB) Viewed 502 times Five Spot Burnet West Meon 11/7/2012](./files/thumb_11661_3aef7226492a0b153ec26a0f6377401f)
- Five Spot Burnet West Meon 11/7/2012
![DSCN5697 - Copy.JPG (282.58 KiB) Viewed 502 times Marbled White West Meon 11/7/2012](./files/thumb_11661_da34d44c2961ef490f8268a2103064f5)
- Marbled White West Meon 11/7/2012
Today has certainly lifted my spirits with a little sun between the thunder storms, after the constant rain we seem to have had for the last 10 days.