Lee Hurrell

Lee Hurrell · Post by **Lee Hurrell** » Tue Jul 16, 2013 10:13 pm

Photos added above

Nick Broomer · Post by **Nick Broomer** » Tue Jul 16, 2013 10:30 pm

Lovely to have met up with you again Lee. Good to see you posting some photos at last, beautiful dark Small Tortoiseshell.

All the best, Nick.

Lee Hurrell · Post by **Lee Hurrell** » Wed Jul 17, 2013 9:24 am

Sunday 14th July - Part 1

With some free time today I decided to catch up a little. Being only one junction away, this morning I nipped along to Fairmile Common to see some Silver Studded Blues. The males were mostly past their best but females were still fresh and admirable. They were approx. 3:1 male to female and could be seen reasonable numbers.

Sightings: 40+ Silver Studded Blue, 4 Gatekeeper, 1 Ringlet, 4 Meadow Brown (including a mating pair), 1 Comma, 5 Small Skipper, 1 Essex Skipper.

: Silver Studded Blue, male, Fairmile Common, Surrey, 14th July 2013

: Silver Studded Blue, female, Fairmile Common, Surrey, 14th July 2013

: Silver Studded Blue, female, Fairmile Common, Surrey, 14th July 2013

Lee Hurrell · Post by **Lee Hurrell** » Wed Jul 17, 2013 10:16 am

Sunday 14th July 2013 - Part 2

Later, what with it being Iris season...I drove to Botany Bay, Oaken Wood. I spent a lovely couple of hours there, also bumping into Neil and Nick. Several Emperors were seen flying.

Sightings: 2 Purple Emperor, 8 White Admiral, 12 Silver Washed Fritillary, 4 Comma, 10 Large Skipper, 25+ Small Skipper, 40+ Meadow Brown, 10 Speckled Wood, 10 Ringlet, 1 Large White, 1 Green Veined White.

: White Admiral, Oaken Wood, Surrey, 14th July 2013

I even got a lucky in-flight shot!

: White Admiral, Oaken Wood, Surrey, 14th July 2013

: Interestingly marked Ringlet, Oaken Wood, Surrey, 14th July 2013

: Large Skipper, male, Oaken Wood, Surrey, 14th July 2013

Lee Hurrell · Post by **Lee Hurrell** » Fri Jan 10, 2014 1:22 pm

Taking a break from 2013, which I will return to, please sign and share these petitions!

Sussex Kipper wrote:Save Our Woodlands Again!

The latest madcap government proposal concerning the environment is to allow offsetting of ancient woodland. This would mean developments could potentially go ahead on ancient woodland sites if enough trees were planted elsewhere in mitigation. I won't insult your intelligence by explaining how that couldn't possibly work. It is probably the single most ridiculous and flawed scheme I have ever heard of. Bearing in mind the complexity of some of the issues back then, I personally consider this proposal a much greater threat to our wildlife than the proposed state-owned forest sell-off a few years back. Please sign and share.
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/ ... 1388957757

Here's another petition for the same outcome, from The Woodland Trust. With this one you email the Prime Minister directly.

http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/campaig ... er_jan2014

Thanks

Lee

Lee Hurrell · Post by **Lee Hurrell** » Sun Mar 30, 2014 10:26 pm

Bit out of season, but am now getting there, finally.

Sunday 28th July 2013

An enjoyable hour or so at Denbies.

150 Chalkhill Blue, including 5 female and a few abs.

: Chalkhill Blue, male, Denbies, Surrey, 28th July 2013

: Chalkhill Blue, male, Denbies, Surrey, 28th July 2013

: Chalkhill Blue, male, Denbies, Surrey, 28th July 2013

: Chalkhill Blue, female, Denbies, Surrey, 28th July 2013

: Chalkhill Blue, male, Denbies, Surrey, 28th July 2013

: Chalkhill Blue, male, Denbies, Surrey, 28th July 2013 (Left side).

: Chalkhill Blue, male, Denbies, Surrey, 28th July 2013 (Right side).

: Chalkhill Blue, male, Denbies, Surrey, 28th July 2013 (He was normal on the upperside).

5 Brown Argus, 10 Marbled White, 50 Meadow Brown, 30 Gatekeeper, 2 Small Heath, 4 Large White, 15 Small Skipper and 4 Silver Y also seen.

: Brown Argus, male, Denbies, Surrey, 28th July 2013

: Brown Argus, male, Denbies, Surrey, 28th July 2013

: Brown Argus, male, Denbies, Surrey, 28th July 2013

: Marbled White, male, Denbies, Surrey, 28th July 2013

Lee Hurrell · Post by **Lee Hurrell** » Tue Apr 01, 2014 10:08 pm

17th August 2013

After a two week convalescence following an operation, during which I was not really allowed to go out (during high summer!), I was understandably ready for some butterflies. A return to Denbies was what the doctor ordered. I won't comment on self-medication.

Silver Spotted Skippers were about in good numbers, although not stopping for long.

: Silver Spotted Skipper, Denbies, Surrey, 17th August 2013

There were many female Chalkhill Blues.

: Chalkhill Blue, female, Denbies, Surrey, 17th August 2013

: Chalkhill Blue, female, Denbies, Surrey, 17th August 2013

: Chalkhill Blue, female, Denbies, Surrey, 17th August 2013

Males too of course, some with some lovely undersides. I just love Chalkhill Blues.

: Chalkhill Blue, male, Denbies, Surrey, 17th August 2013

: Chalkhill Blue, male, Denbies, Surrey, 17th August 2013

: Chalkhill Blue, male, Denbies, Surrey, 17th August 2013

: Chalkhill Blue, male, Denbies, Surrey, 17th August 2013

Common Blue seemed common once more but I saw just the one male Adonis.

: Common Blue, male, Denbies, Surrey, 17th August 2013

What a lovely return to the field.

Sightings: 10 Silver Spotted Skipper, 1 Small Skipper, 200 Chalkhill Blue, 20 Common Blue, 1 Adonis Blue, 10 Brown Argus, 50 Meadow Brown, 1 Ringlet and 1 Gatekeeper.

Wurzel · Post by **Wurzel** » Tue Apr 01, 2014 10:19 pm

Good to see you're posting once more and catching up. Fantastic shots well worth the wait

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Lee Hurrell · Post by **Lee Hurrell** » Wed Apr 02, 2014 10:02 pm

Thanks Wurzel

Hope you're having a goodun.

Best wishes,

Lee

Lee Hurrell · Post by **Lee Hurrell** » Mon Apr 07, 2014 10:17 pm

August Bank Holiday Weekend 2013 - Isle of Wight

Our first ever trip to the Isle of Wight just happened to coincide with around 7000 mods and scooters - we had no idea this was the annual scooter ride. We saw them at Ryde, on their annual procession across the island and then again at Shanklin. There were some brilliant scooters. However, we stayed at a lovely farm at Chale Bay on the south coast, with views all along the coast to the Needles. This is the view looking inland though. Note the dinosaur; here was a Wall flitting around the feet of this fearsome predator!

: Chale Bay, Isle of Wight, 25th August 2013

Seen at Chale Bay: 5 Small Tortoiseshell, 3 Wall, 1 Clouded Yellow, 10 Small White, 5 Large White.

The next morning outside the room, I saw a what I thought at first was a odd looking Painted Lady. It turned out to be a Jersey Tiger - very striking.

: Jersey Tiger, Chale Bay, Isle of Wight, 26th August 2013

A wonderful pre-breakfast walk along the cliff tops at Chale gave us even more; 1 Painted Lady (a real one this time), 3 Small Tortoiseshell, 5 Wall, 3 Meadow Brown, 4 Clouded Yellow, 20 Small White, 6 male Common Blue, 1 Small Copper. The views were stunning.

: View from Chale Bay, Isle of Wight, 25th August 2013

A short drive along the coast we stopped at Hanover Point for another walk along the coastline. Here we saw 5 Small Tortoiseshell, 3 Wall, 5 Meadow Brown, 1 Small Heath, 10 Chalkhill Blue, 25 Common Blue, 3 Large White, 50 Small White and 1 Silver Y.

: Common Blue, female, Hanover Point, Isle of Wight, 26th August 2013

: Common Blue, male, Hanover Point, Isle of Wight, 26th August 2013

Again, the views were beautiful.

: View from Hanover Point, Isle of Wight, 26th August 2013

We drove on toward the Needles and parked up. After a mooch about the shops we started the long walk up to the summit, the cold war relics and the views. Of course there were plenty of butterflies too. Here we saw, 1 Painted Lady, 1 Small Tortoiseshell, 2 Gatekeeper, 10 Meadow Brown, 10 Wall, 3 Small Heath, 30 Chalkhill Blue, 50 Common Blue, 10 Brown Argus, 1 Small Copper, 10 Clouded Yellow, 10 Large White and 50 Small White.

: Common Blue, male (and I think, female), Needles Headland, Isle of Wight, 26th August 2013

We also heard the unmistakable call of a Raven.

: Raven, Needles Headland, Isle of Wight, 26th August 2013

The walk up was beautiful.

: View from the Needles Headland, looking toward the mainland, Isle of Wight, 26th August 2013

: View from the Needles Headland, looking toward the mainland, Isle of Wight, 26th August 2013

Here they are!

: The Needles, Isle of Wight, 26th August 2013

A fantastic two days spent on the Isle of Wight. I will be back and of course, would like to see some Glanville Fritillaries too. And a Red Squirrel next time!

On the return ferry, the sun and the clouds over The Solent were really pretty.

: The Solent, 26th August 2013

William · Post by **William** » Tue Apr 08, 2014 6:52 am

Some lovely shots there Lee, and not just the Butterflies

Chris Jackson · Post by **Chris Jackson** » Tue Apr 08, 2014 8:30 am

Thanks for your Bank Holiday photos Lee. I've never been to the Isle of Wight but it looks good for walking and nature. Some stunning views, if you've got a head for heights!
Cheers, Chris

Lee Hurrell · Post by **Lee Hurrell** » Tue Apr 08, 2014 12:24 pm

Thank you William and Chris.

I would go back any time, it is a lovely place. Yes, those cliffs are quite high...

Best wishes,

Lee

Lee Hurrell · Post by **Lee Hurrell** » Wed Apr 09, 2014 9:35 pm

September 1st 2013

A walk from Juniper Bottom in the Surrey hills through to Box Hill for a picnic gave a late Dark Green Fritillary, 1 Speckled Wood and 1 Meadow Brown whilst on Box Hill itself 1 Small Heath, 20 Meadow Brown and 1 female Chalkhill Blue were seen.

: Chalkhill Blue, female, Box Hill, Surrey, 1st September 2013

Wurzel · Post by **Wurzel** » Thu Apr 10, 2014 6:54 pm

Lovely shot of the female Chalkhill

I was wondering if it was an aberrant but then I realized that she has a little chunk out of the hind wing

Looking at the date I reckon you're almost there catching up wise.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Maximus · Post by **Maximus** » Fri Apr 11, 2014 7:54 pm

Fantastic photos in your recent posts Lee and the Isle of Wight remains a favourite of mine, especially at Glanville time

Mike

Neil Freeman · Post by **Neil Freeman** » Fri Apr 11, 2014 8:04 pm

Nice photos Lee

Enjoyed looking at the Isle of Wight ones, especially as I will be heading there for a few days end of May for the first time

Cheers,

Neil.

Lee Hurrell · Post by **Lee Hurrell** » Mon Apr 14, 2014 12:30 pm

Wurzel wrote:Lovely shot of the female Chalkhill

Maximus wrote:Fantastic photos in your recent posts Lee and the Isle of Wight remains a favourite of mine, especially at Glanville time

nfreem wrote:Nice photos Lee Enjoyed looking at the Isle of Wight ones, especially as I will be heading there for a few days end of May for the first time :wink

Thanks chaps. I will be definitely be going back. Have a lovely time Neil, look forward to your sightings - keep an eye out for Clouded Yellows!

Wurzel wrote:Looking at the date I reckon you're almost there catching up wise.

Ah...but I still have Turkey to do (plus this year)

Best wishes,

Lee

Lee Hurrell · Post by **Lee Hurrell** » Fri Apr 18, 2014 10:18 pm

Kalkan, Turkey, September 2013 - Part One

For the middle two weeks in September 2013, we stayed in Kalkan in the south west of Turkey. Sitting between Fethiye and Kas on the coast, it has a natural harbour and was originally a Greek fishing village but in the 1920s the Greeks left after the war with Turkey. It remains untouched by mass tourism and is all the better for it. The local people pride themselves on being very friendly, welcoming and especially non-pushy when it comes to trying to get you into their restaurants or buy their goods. This is lovely after the hassle you get in other places!

Kalkan is famous for having many restaurants, many with wonderful night views over the harbour. We ate in a different authentic restaurant every night and all were fantastic. Everything about it was wonderful - I would thoroughly recommend a visit.

This is taken from above the town. The two islands in the distance are known as Snake Island and Mouse Island.

: Kalkan, Turkey, September 2013

This is from our balcony nearing sunset. You can just make out a "Turkish Moon".

: Kalkan, Turkey, September 2013

As for the wildlife...It was hot and dry, similar to when I've been in southern Spain at this time of year and indeed, I saw many of the same plants. Nectar sources were limited, but of course there were butterflies

I'd go for a daily walk around mid morning and come back after an hour or two and jump straight in the pool to cool down.

One of the first species I found was this Scarce Swallowtail. It just sat there for ages and eventually floated around for a bit and then went back to its perch.

: Scarce Swallowtail, Kalkan, Turkey, 9th September 2013

: Scarce Swallowtail, Kalkan, Turkey, 9th September 2013

: Scarce Swallowtail, Kalkan, Turkey, 9th September 2013

This next picture was taken with my mobile phone (which has more mega pixels than my Canon!) and I was pretty impressed with it. To this day it remains saved as the background image on my phone screen.

: Scarce Swallowtail, Kalkan, Turkey, 9th September 2013

I saw more European Swallowtail (machaon) than Scarce Swallowtail (podalirius) during the holiday but none were feeling photogenic.

Whenever I go away, I always go through books and resources to see what I may see. So it was a surprise to see a Southern White Admiral, which should have been over by August according to Tolman.

: Southern White Admiral, Kalkan, Turkey, 17th September 2013

: Southern White Admiral, Kalkan, Turkey, 17th September 2013

Another surprise was the Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus) although I had overlooked that this species was a possibility and I saw several.

Lee Hurrell · Post by **Lee Hurrell** » Sat Apr 19, 2014 10:36 pm

Kalkan, Turkey, September 2013 - Part Two

Browns were few and far between although Great Banded Graylings would sometimes hove into view, like some huge aircraft shadowing out the sun. They really are that big

A single Small Heath was seen near the sea and two Meadow Browns made me run around after them, securing only a record shot. However, I can confirm Freyer's Grayling (Neohipparchia fatua) as I saw the upperside. I saw a few Graylings but this was the only one that stopped long enough for me to identify.

: Freyer's Grayling, Kalkan, Turkey, 16th September 2013

: Freyer's Grayling, Kalkan, Turkey, 16th September 2013

Whites were represented by Small, Large and Green Veined.

Blues were particularly thin on the ground with only one Brown Argus, three Holly Blue and a handful of Long Tailed Blue seen. The males were busy defending and fighting but this female was busy and didn't mind me watching.

: Long Tailed Blue, female, Kalkan, Turkey, 16th September 2013

: Long Tailed Blue, female, Kalkan, Turkey, 16th September 2013

There were loads of skippers: Sage Skipper, Millet Skipper, Pygmy Skipper, Mallow Skipper and possibly one or two others.

The Sage Skipper was a lovely orangey brown colour.

: Sage Skipper, Kalkan, Turkey, 14th September 2013

: Sage Skipper, Kalkan, Turkey, 13th September 2013

: Sage Skipper, Kalkan, Turkey, 13th September 2013

: Sage Skipper, Kalkan, Turkey, 13th September 2013

: Sage Skipper, Kalkan, Turkey, 14th September 2013

: Sage Skipper, Kalkan, Turkey, 14th September 2013

: Sage Skipper, Kalkan, Turkey, 14th September 2013

Despite looking similar, the Millet Skipper and the Pygmy Skipper behaved completely differently. The Millet Skipper is slightly larger and was only ever seen nectaring, although I think I only have pictures of females.