April 2015

[Jack Harrison]

Neil. Please concentrate on your BC work and stop posting those irritatingly good photos

Jack

[David M]

Roughly two dozen male Orange Tips seen at Castle Meadows and Linda Vista Gardens, Abergavenny this afternoon.

Good numbers of Small Whites, along with at least 3 Green Veined and a very encouraging 4 male Large Whites.

2 Holly Blues seen (both appeared to be males) and although Vanessid numbers are diminishing, I still observed 6 Small Tortoiseshells, 5 Peacocks and 4 Commas.

[Cotswold Cockney]

I was working in the garden most of today with various tasks including mowing the lawn. I set up a table and chair and got on with soldering an old Battery Charger which I bought back in the 1960s. It has given good service since then but the slide switch has broken up partly making "iffy" contacts. Amazed I was able to source an identical slide switch on ebay for £1.47p and soldered that in and voila ... perfect like new.

I was able to keep an eye on passing and resident butterflies as I worked.

My garden has seen numerous visiting butterflies today. Several Holly Blues, not certain but behaviour suggests all males. Males feeding on the white flower clusters of Viburnam. I was about to get really close and see how far down into the minute white flowers they reached in to get at the food source. Their heads almost disappearing.. At least three Speckled Woods. Again males. Always alert and chasing off small whites passing through. Pleased to see these about the garden as extensive garden alterations and house extension the past year reduced the size of the garden but, so far no sign of drop in numbers. Other whites seen, mostly small whites of a good size now. Small whites seen a few days ago were physically smaller. Good numbers of Peacocks including a couple of what looks like gravid females. We have a few nettles in the garden but, doubt they would attract laying females. One of the best starts to Spring seen locally for many years. A really good show and a delight to this old butterfly enthusiast.. :thumbup:

[Neil Hulme]

I wasn't working today, so had a second day of freedom to enjoy this lovely weather. I started at Rewell Wood, where I saw Orange Tip (5), Green-veined White (4), Peacock (18), Small Copper (1; a rarity here), Holly Blue (1) and Speckled Wood (2). One male Orange Tip gave his presence away by flashing his wings, as another male investigated him. He never relinquished his tight grip on a Beech sapling, and squirted several droplets of meconium, indicating that he was freshly emerged.

I later joined Brian Henham at Wiston, where we waited patiently for the Orange Tips (7) and Green-veined Whites (3) to settle down to roost, in a shady area carpeted with Ramsons and Lady's Smock. Once they decided to turn in for the night they arrived one after another. At one point 4 males were fluttering around us within a couple of square metres, making it tricky to keep an eye on them all, as they landed, snapped shut their wings and disappeared. Purely by chance I then noticed a beautiful female Orange Tip at roost, which had sneaked in un-noticed.

A couple more images, especially for Jack.

[Jack Harrison]

Cheeky blighter Neil

A couple more images, especially for Jack.

But I have risen to the heights of being on BBC (somewhere on the slide show is Ben Nevis)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/32381532

Jack

[NickC]

Working from home today on the London/Essex border, due to the Central Line being broken. This meant I could spend lunch wildlife watching in the garden. The weather was sunny with a light breeze. I saw three male holly blues, two of which had a short battle before one left and the presumed victor settled on a bay tree. A peacock paid a fleeting visit to the apple blossom too.

[EricY]

Green Hairstreaks out today on Norfolk coast. On both Holme dunes NWT & saw 2 having a right scrap @ Holme NOA. Eric

[Jack Harrison]

Eric

Holme dunes

I haven't been there since 2012 but was disappointed then not to see Greenies where previously I had no problems. My [former] hotspot was about one kilometre to the west of the visitor centre. I once witnessed a wonderfully coloured scrap between a Greenie and a Small Copper.

So where have the Green Hairstreaks moved to these days?

Jack

[dave brown]

But I have risen to the heights of being on BBC (somewhere on the slide show is Ben Nevis)

Beautiful photo Jack. Well done appearing on BBC. (Bit early to search for Chequered Skipper though at Spean Bridge ).

Green Hairstreak on the wing here in Kent. We saw 5 on Monday at Wye NNR.

Dave

[MrSp0ck]

Three Grizzled Skippers today at Hutchinson's Bank Nature Reserve Surrey/Kent/London borders, until the sun went in, 2 male and a female along the cutting, around the Small Blue scrapes. No Dingys seen yet. 22.4.15

Green Hairstreak, Dingy Skippers today 23.4.15

[bugboy]

More Dingy Skippers than you can point a camera at on Denbies Hillside today, into double figures almost certainly. Grizzled and Green Hairsteaks also seen. Details and pictures in my PD when I get a chance. Big thanks to Millerd for the spot on info

[Philzoid]

With the glorious sunny weather still going I took the opportunity after work to briefly check out my local area along the Basingstoke canal towpath. It was well worth it as I saw 5 species (all singletons) in under half an hour: Brimstone; Orange-tip; Speckeld Wood; Holly Blue and Peacock . The Orange-tip was the first I've seen this year and unusually a female for a first sighting. Unfortunately I've come to the full realisation that my stealth and photography are going to need a lot practice when using the Macro lens.

resting on sprouting Garlic Mustard

The Holly Blue I saw eventually landed to nectar on Laurel flower. Being too high up and shooting into the sun I've had to crop and slightly over-expose to get this.

The Peacock was a fly-by; the Speckled Wood was far too alert to get near to and the Brimstone did what patrolling male Brimstones do and kept on flying.

Phil

[Matsukaze]

White-letter Hairstreak larva found today whilst collecting fallen wych elm seeds for a habitat creation project.

[downland boy]

White Admiral larva active on the Kent and East Sussex border. I found it resting near its hibernaculum and later found it feeding.

[Cotswold Cockney]

Matsukaze and downland boy.

Two good spots of the small earlier stages there. Well done.

[Mike Robinson]

Earlier today I took a picture of some Horse Chestnut Flowers up above me.

Imagine my surprise when checking through the Pictures at home I came across a Butterfly paying a visit:

[Testudo Man]

Great pics...and must be unusual to catch Adder and Slow Worm in the same shot?

Cheers about the pics, Ive just got the Panasonic FZ150, so Im testing this camera for awhile to see how it shapes up!
Ive seen/photographed Adder/Slow Worm/Common Lizard in the same shot, but its not that often i come across such a scene.

Heres a Comma image i took recently with the FZ150, at 1st i didnt think much of this camera, but after using it for over a month now, Im liking it more than i did!!

This last week I have sighted all the usual suspects, Peacock, Comma, Small Tortoiseshell, Brimstone, Orange Tip(male and female) Speckled Wood, Small White, Large White, Green-veined White, Holly Blue...and today, just the 1 Green Hairstreak, and 1 Dingy Skipper.........I havent seen a Red Admiral for awhile now though.

All photos shot with a Panasonic FZ150...Location- Kent, cheers Paul.

Holly Blue.

Pair of "Dancing" Brimstones.

Green Hairstreak (uncropped)...Raynox 150 used.

Dingy Skipper...Raynox 150 used.

[Neil Hulme]

A few images from today: Duke of Burgundy, Grizzled Skipper and Orange Tip at Heyshott Escarpment, and Pearl-bordered Fritillary at Rewell Wood. I will be leading walks at both venues over the next couple of weekends, in my new role as Butterfly Conservation's Fritillaries for the Future Project Officer (see my Personal Diary here viewtopic.php?f=29&t=4065&start=2040)

Also, a retrospective look at the awesome Scarce Tortoiseshell found at RSPB Pulborough by Jan-Paul Charteris earlier this month.

[Testudo Man]

Took my 8 year old Grandson out on his 1st "real" wildlife trek on Saturday 25/4/15...By real, I mean a 5 hour session, and plenty of walking!!
Since he now has my old FZ38 camera, i thought he should practice his field skills/photography, with some interesting subjects.

Highlights of the day were- Plenty of Common Lizards, Slow Worms, Nightingales, Whitethroats and even a Peregrine Falcon!
Butterflies were- Peacock, Comma, Small Tortoiseshell, Brimstone, Large White, Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Speckled Wood...and at least a solid hour+ of searching, to locate just the 1 Grizzled Skipper!!!

Needless to say, we both had a really great time...I didnt scorn him too much even if he almost trod on my camera...and nearly dropped his camera!...I bet he slept well last night too

Several shots of that solitary Grizzled Skipper. Location- Kent, cheers Paul.

Panasonic FZ150 plus a Raynox 250 used.

This last image is not cropped, and i used my FZ28 with a Raynox 150. We thought the Grizzled Skipper was looking to roost here, but the sun came out once again, and the butterfly opened its wings, then took off fast, back out of sight.

[David M]

Nine different species seen today in the Swansea area:

Orange Tip 30-50
Small White 10-20
Speckled Wood 10-20
Green Veined White 5-10
Holly Blue 7
Peacock 6
Large White 5
Small Copper 4
Brimstone 2

Torties seem to have died a death here now, sadly.