www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Smashing photo's Wurzal I really am GreenStreaked Goldie

Great stuff,Wurzel!
I'm just a little envious as i'm probably not going to get the chance to see any pearls this year

Enjoy the sight and scent of the bluebells at the weekend,if you go.

Cheers Philzoid The weather might be alright for Wood Whites but here in Salisbury we get our own unique weather - basically it's bad during the weekend and then the best day of the week is generally a Wednesday or a Thursday
Cheers Goldie for your kind comment ...and also the wind-up
Cheers Essex I think Ill be in the same boat with Wood Whites and Dukes Still I'm looking forward to the Bluebells this weekend

Quick one

The weather has been steadily improving over the last few days from rain and wind earlier in the week until yesterday afternoon when the sun broke through and for the first time in a long time there was wall to wall blue sky. It was so warm I almost took my jumper off. However the weather apps reliably informed me that it isn’t going to last so yesterday became increasingly frustrating. In the end I gave up and tried to get a few shots through a crack in the window during a dull moment. I was hoping that the local Starlings would come a bit closer as they are looking pretty fantastic at the moment but they stayed a bit further away so I had to crop a fair bit. On the way home I finally gave up grinding my teeth and cursing all those retired/part-time people and pulled in along the river in the Woodford Valley. The danger of this action was incurring the wrath of my wife so I started my stopwatch so I would I could keep an eye on the time as if I was only 5 minutes and I got rumbled it wouldn’t be too bad .
I strolled into the field and immediately found a male Green-veined White shining in the lush grass of the meadow. I then scanned around a noticed a couple of Small Whites and another white that was a lot more fluttery. It would fly to a flower, land for what seemed like a second and then move to another of the flower heads. I watched this behaviour for a minute and then tried to approach and luckily it let me. I then realised that it was a female Orange-tip and it wasn’t feeding but ovipositing stretching her abdomen around underneath her while clinging to the edge of the petals. This reproduction was obviously thirsty work as she then took some nectar at her next stop and so I left her in peace.
then after 2 minutes Not bad and I was back on the road in just under 5 minutes and so far I’ve got away with it . This was a cracking little find and it’s also over the road from the Devenish Reserve which might also be worth a butchers in the next week or so...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Worth checking out the Whites just now - there are quite a few females Orange Tips in amongst them. Nice shots, Wurzel!

Dave

Nice female Orange Tip shots Wurzel.

Like Dave, I have noticed a fair number of females about and they seemed to appear along with the males this year instead of a little later, probably a consequence of the late emergence.

Cheers,

Neil F.

Cheers Dave and Neil for your kind comments I've just rediscovered the only draw back to reasonable weather and being able to get out and that's the huge amount of time spent uploading and sorting through images! I've got four sets to go through and we're heading out this afternoon To make matters worse work keeps getting in the way

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Full Fathom Friday

I was lucky enough to be asked to cover a class in the Wildlife area on Friday morning. So while the Year 10 Prefects ran their event and were supervised by my Mentee I mooched around the Nettles with my camera and took shots of anything that appeared in the cool morning. Everything was very quiet and I was trying not to shiver as it was surprisingly chilly. Luckily the sun came out and so did the wildlife. There were the usual bees ; Tawny Lawn, Bumble and Carder Bees as well as a Nomada sniffing around. However I’ve taken plenty of shots of them so I tried for some flies and Hoverflies as there seemed to be a range of those around. There were plenty of very small red eyed, black bodied flies around as well as a single monster fly. However the stars of the morning were the Hoverflies with probably 6 or so different species around. My favourite was one which looked silver in appearance but when you got closer looked like burnished bronze. However there were no butterflies not even a moth so I went in with the attitude of “seen some nice stuff, but nothing to really post about”. From then until lunch it was business as usual and then I donned my kit for the final 5-aside game of the season. The last game we played was stopped (by me) to rescue a Large White. So it was again today. This time however I passed the mini beast onto the sub and stayed on the pitch. In fact he came on for the last 15 seconds and almost scored with the Large White still in his cupped hands! Luckily his charge was still okay and I took it back to the lab, took a few shots and released it none the worse for its ordeal. In fact it was a lot better of than another female that I found on pitch, well when I say female I know this because all that was left of her was a fore wing. So I’d finally found a butterfly to photograph and I still had a free last lesson...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Well saved Wurzel! Like the pics.

Cheers Pauline, if only I could have gotten there for the other one And to compound my misery we lost the final game of the season
Still the unhappiness didn't last too long...

More time at work...

So having rescued a Large White during the second successive 5-aside game I thought it wise to check out the allotment next to the Sports Hall. When you can’t really get away from work during the day it’s good to have a few places on site that you can visit for a quick nature fix.

The allotment is just off site by literally a metre so as I had a free period and my endeavours during the week meant that I was almost on top of things I popped over there to see if there were any whites. Almost as soon as I got there a Small White took off from mud-puddling but was quickly replaced by a male Large White which really went wild for the Dandelions. Having only been 10 minutes or so I had a quick check of the wild area as the sun dipped in and out from the clouds. A miniscule wasp was a new find as was what I think is a Nettle Moth – Anthophila fabriciana as it was in amongst the nettles. I’ll have to check back in a month or two to see if there are any feeding signs of the caterpillars. The final shot of the day was the Nomada bee that had been around all morning but was stubbornly refusing to stay still long enough for a photo. I’d found it hiding away amongst the twigs so a few snaps and I left it in peace. So a busy day at work – although it seems like I didn’t do much I actually achieved more than I expected as the thought of getting out for a bit served as my motivation. Unfortunately the minute I got back there was another mountain of work waiting for me. Where it came from I guess I'll never know...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Hi Wurzel,

nice to see something different, your photo of the mirrored image of the Large White is brilliant.

All the best, Nick.

Cheers Nick for your kind comments

Martin Down

On Saturday I need to have some Daddy and daughter time with my younger daughter and as my older daughter had been out previously for Pearls she wanted to go somewhere so she could tick off butterflies. So after swimming, with tick pictures drawn and lunch barely finished we set out to Martin Down.
From the main car park we headed down the main track and turned off slightly into a sheltered area that was productive last year. There was an assortment of moths around, most of which escaped the lens of my camera as well as a few Beetles. As it’ Tuesday and I’m still posting about Saturday I’ll have to leave the moths for another day, particularly as I need to have a go at identifying them first. Something caught my eye at one point and a careful creep up saw me finding my first Grizzlie of the year. Luckily as I approached the sun nipped behind a cloud so he was quite content to pose for a few close-ups. However it took off all of a sudden and somehow ended up flying straight towards me before landing on my chest near my shoulder strap. I was a bit worried about moving and the strap catching its legs so I cupped my hand over it and then backtracked to show my daughter. She was entranced by this funny looking thing and giggling still she peered in while I set it down on a likely looking stone. It then showed us its wings proper almost as if to say “thank you”. We stood back and watched it for a few more minutes and then it set off about its business and my daughter ticked her first sighting box of the day. We then headed across to the Dyke and started to follow it downhill noting a few more Grizzlies on the way. There were a few more moths about – Common Carpets mostly by the look of them and then a female Orange-tip stopped in. My daughter was pretty annoyed as I hadn’t drawn one of those for the tick list but some Quavers cheered her up and allowed me to try and get a shot. It was tricky as she held her wings at a strange angle and kept moving with the breeze. Down near out stopping point (a small stand of Juniper and Hawthorns past the butts) we found more moths and some Orchids but there were no more butterflies, not even a Small Heath. So apples eaten we started to head back to the car park and when we got to the butts we stopped to watch 2 male Brimstones fly-by and they were joined by a Green hairstreak! Unfortunately it didn’t stop and I couldn’t relocate it. We then tried Sillens Lane and set off along the path hugging the hedge aiming for where it eventually crossed the Dyke. Straight away we saw another Grizzlie but as my little spotter child pointed out “we’ve already ticked that one!” However the next sighting was of Dingy and after allowing a few shots of the open wing variety it moved very graciously to a seed head and closed its wings moth style. I was dead chuffed as this was a shot that I was longing to get all last season. We the carried on along to the dip where I’ve found so many of my butterflies and we were accompanied some of the way by a Green Veined White. At the dip a Peacock briefly appeared and a few Brimstone hung around including one female ovi-positing but it was pretty quiet so we wound our way back adding a pair of male Orange-tips and a Holly Blue to the days tally. I drove home with my spotter child very quiet in the back worn out from her mammoth hike and reflected on the day. Not a bad haul compared to recent trips out – 9 species in all, but that is well down on this time last year when there were Small Coppers, Small Heaths, Common Blue and Brown Argus. And it felt like such hard work whereas previously I’ve been tripping over butterflies. Even though there were Grizzlies and Dingies today they aren’t up to the numbers seen here last year. It seems like we’re finally starting to get going even though it’s been a long time coming and just as things get up to speed I fear that the brakes are going to be out back on while another low sweeps in from the north.
On the other hand my “spotter child” had a great day chatting and ticking butterflies, marvelling at wildlife and sneaking the odd piggy back. I don’t think it could have been any better really.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Absolutely lovely shots of the Dingy Skipper, Wurzel. One I've still to see this year. They remind me of an intricately designed carpet - something to do with the texture as much as the colour and patterning.

Dave

Cheers Dave I agree with the carpet view, I think I went from one extreme to the other - stunning Pearls to a study in subtley - once again "ain't nature great"

Moths of Martin Down

I’ve been looking through the moth shots that I got from Martin Down and using the Bird Guides “Moths of Britain” APP to try and identify them. It’s taken me about an hour and a half of searching through and I’m almost there.
The first one I think is a Common Heath (Ematurga atomaria - 1952) with an unusual hind wing – lacking the pigmentation. Next up is possibly a Small Purple-barred (Phytometra viridaria - 2470). I say possibly because it is so worn it doesn’t look purple at all – in fact it looks like a Small Pale Red-barred...Still my eyes hurt now having pored over the APP for so long . Which lead to the final species and I haven’t a clue – any help greatly received! Who knows if the weather is rubbish tomorrow I might actually get round to posting about Sunday!
Have a goodun

Wurzel

Garston Wood

On Sunday the whole family braved the weather and headed out to Garston Wood. When I say “braved the weather” what I really mean is walked in the rain. All morning the sun shone, the temperature rose and there was barely a cloud in the sky. Yet as we approached the Wood the clouds appeared and it felt noticeably cooler. Then the rain started and with it my hopes of seeing any butterflies finished . Still there would be other things to see. The wildflowers were out and resplendent and due to the cool spring everything seemed to have bloomed at once. My favourites of the day were the white Bluebells ad the Wild Garlic. A little way round something really small, only a couple of millimetres flew in front of me and somehow I managed to follow it until it landed. When I finally managed to focus my camera in close enough I realised it was a micro moth, in fact perhaps if should be renamed as a neglible moth! Another species to try and ID... As we continued through the wood Blackcap and Garden Warblers sang and were joined by Marsh Tits, Nuthatches and at one point an afternoon Tawny Owl. We’d stop every now and then to take in the wild spectacle in front of us and savour the scents and aromas. I got a little confused as we reached the edge of the Wood as from a distance it looked like it had snowed but once the Gallic odour reached my nose I realised that I’d made a mistake. The local deer population stayed just out off shot in the surrounding fields and through the trees we would catch glimpses of white, black “normal” coloured individuals and there were also some interesting Bee mimic hoverflies. As we drove along the track towards Sixpenny Handley and a nice cuppa at my folks house the sun appeared and with it the butterflies. Indeed the Rape fields seemed alive with whites and over the 3 minutes journey I saw 2 Brimstone, 2 male Orange-tips and 5 assorted whites ! Oh well the season has to start soon, it can’t keep going on like this...
Have a goodun
Wurzel

Hi Wurzel,

great shots of the Bee, Beetle, and the close up of the white flowers, beautiful. Shame about the weather,but it still looks like you had a good time. It was hot sunshine all afternoon in these parts, but i did`nt get a photo until early evening of a Wood White when it started getting cooler. So the rain spoiled your chances of a butterfly photo, and the sun spoiled mine, can`t win.

All the best, Nick.

Great pictures Wurzel. I particularly like that last beetle.

"Which lead to the final species and I haven’t a clue – any help greatly received! " it's a Tortricidae..... you did say ANY help

your other micro is one of the leafminer species take a look at Phyllonorycter

not 100% if there are more than one species or not but Violet ground beetle.

CHris

No idea what that beetle is Wurzel but I love the way you have captured the colours.

Cheers Nick We should have swapped the weather
Cheers Nick for your kind comment
Cheers Chris for the ID help - when it's raining next week and I'm stuck in the caravan I'll look though that group, hopefully my eyes will last that long:?
Cheers Pauline I put it down to getting lucky with the light

Wednesday (I’m catching up again)

I’d finally had enough by Wednesday so I headed out at lunchtime to do a quick walk of my “local patch” namely my place of work! I checked the area by the allotments first and a couple of Large Whites flew up from the path on the way there and one then landed on some netting. It seemed slightly annoyed that the butterfly proof net was turning out to actually be that! Round in the wildlife area there were the usual bees and flies and I managed to find the silvery looking hoverfly from one of my previous visits as well as a weird looking tiny fly that hovered with what looked like its massive legs hanging down. It was really hard to get it in focus as it was constantly adjusting its position and was very small but a fair whack of sharpening produced an image that hopefully will enable identification. That was enough and I headed in feeling slightly chilled. Once at home the sun came out strong and I decided to risk it a try an evening visit to the Woodford Valley. The area I’d previously visited held a Small White and down amongst the water meadow there were numerous moths of which I managed to get shots of a couple. However it had clouded over and both the light and the temperature notably dropped so I soon called it a day. On the way back I checked the flowers on the verge and managed to find what I think is an Orange-tip egg? It seems fitting, almost Zen, that I end the day with the first stages of a butterfly’s lifecycle What isn't Zen is this crazy weather, we’re almost into June and the season still doesn’t seem to have kicked off . I know that more and more species are emerging but they seem to be coming in dribs and drabs and numbering few. Is there no end to this dire weather? I’m visiting the Isle of Wight next week and back when we booked the holiday I though “Ace, Glanvilles by the bucket load!” but I don’t think a single specimen has been recorded yet!

I wrote this on Friday night but I take it back as today was a cracker! I moved a few species from my "seen" to "got shots of" list including the dreaded Green Hairstreak and added 4 more species to the tally (though sadly 3 of them are on the "seen only" list). The one draw back of such a great day is that I've now got to look though 400 odd shots

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Martin Down
I managed to get out on Saturday despite my older daughter being fully booked. She went straight from her swimming lesson to a party and then I picked her up and dropped all of my girls (wife included) in town for the Arts afternoon. While they were making stuff and bouncing down bouncy slides I pulled into the car park at Sillens Lane Martin Down. I must be a glutton for punishment but I was here to check for my nemesis.

Glumly I set off down the path and worked my way along the hedge peering at the leaves and willing them to turn into a Green Hairstreak but no joy alas. Still I was soon cheered up by a Grizzlie that was just off the path. I pressed on and the path splits with one branch heading on to meet Borkerley and the other branch follows the hedge and turns into a kind of tunnel with a high Hawthorn Hedge on either side. Just before I headed down the tunnel a male Orange-tip caught my eye and for once it stopped long enough for me to make an approach. Luckily the sun nipped behind a cloud so it stayed for some time allowing me to get a few shots but with its wings tightly shut. Then the sun reappeared and it set off but only as far as the entrance of the tunnel where it took a liking to some of the flowers and spent a good 10 minutes refueling. I love watching Orange-tips, the bright orange is stunning when the sun catches it. This bit of the tunnel was jam packed with butterflies with 3 Holly Blues, a Peacock, an almost endless stream of Brimstone, some Green-veined Whites and a couple of Speckled Wood but none stopped for long enough. As I wandered down the length I listened out for the Lesser Whitethroat and sure enough he was still there and his dulcet tones were overshadowed briefly by the gronking of a Raven overhead, a slightly discordant harmony!
Coming out at the end of the tunnel there was a Peacock to meet me, basking on the path and as I checked the small area of slightly longer grasses a miniscule butterfly appeared, followed by another and another – my first Small Blues of the year! Two were males with their blue scaling. As I was getting my shots another nature enthusiast arrived and as I was chatting he informed me that he’d seen Green Hairstreaks along the tunnel. So I backtracked and waited roughly two thirds of the way along. I scanned the hedge and peered at all the leaves and what with the Lesser Whitethroat and then Turtle Doves calling and the balmy heat I went into a bit of a daze, my eyes unfocused and I could feel all my tension slipping away . As I came back and refocused on the hedge right there in front of me was a Green Hairstreak! How long it had been there I couldn’t say it must have just popped up from somewhere. The curse was broken and I took my fill of shots! Hopefully I’ll be able to post part two on BT Wifi from the Isle of Black tomorrow but for now I can’t stare at a screen for long enough to sort any more shots tonight...

Have a goodun

Wurzel