www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Hi Mark,

Superb Silver-spotted Skipper photos

I am hoping to get down to Aston Rowant this week to see some, probably Friday now.

All the best,

Neil F.

Thanks, Neil.

Good luck on Friday ...

Pirbright Common, 30 July 2013

Close encounters ...

How I didn't get bitten I'll never know ...

Great image, Mark.

That critter sure looks mean.

Beautiful photo. I had no idea they had those evil deep orange eyes!

Dave

Thanks for your kind comments.

Appreciated ...

I must say, despite her beauty, she did look rather evil when I was lying down face to face with her; it's definitely the eyes and that grin. To be honest though, it was her two friends I was worried about as they had slithered off into the undergrowth close to where I was lying down ...

Surrey Downland, 30-31 July 2013

Simply wonderful …

Although I am born and bred in West Sussex, I live very close to both the Surrey and Hampshire county borders; so the occasional venture into foreign territory is often inevitable.

The natives seem quite friendly ...

I recently spent two days searching several areas of chalk grassland on the beautiful Surrey downland, with good friend Nick Broomer; our targets, the beautiful Silver-spotted Skipper and the enchanting Chalkhill Blue. We were not to be disappointed on either count. Although Tuesday was accompanied by persistent rain for much of the day, an early morning arrival provided ideal conditions for searching the grassland for roosting butterflies and photographic opportunities; we were not disappointed and found many hundreds, probably thousands, of roosting Chalkhill Blues over much of the hill. This included a number of nice aberrant specimens including those pictured in the first two images below, referable to ab. postcaeca, Bright & Leeds (1938). The third image shows a particularly well-marked male which we observed from shortly after emergence until its first flight. Wednesday started warm, and by midday large numbers of insects were on the wing. As the sun pushed through the clouds the numbers of Chalkhill Blues increased and we were privileged to witness a magnificent display as the air and ground around us turned blue as if cover in tiny sapphires. It is difficult to estimate actual numbers, though if I were pressed to do so, there were certainly many thousands and probably many tens of thousands on the wing; possibly many more. Although I didn’t witness the peak of the Sussex Chalkhill Blue explosion last year, Wednesday’s display was an event to remember ...

A privilege to have shared with a good friend …

Hi Mark, thats a superb study of an Adder you have there. I tried to get a photo of one recently but missed it due to a clumsy approach, and the snake slipped quickly away into some gorse! The Chalkhill Blues are very nice too.

Regards,

Mike

Thanks, Mike.

I'm particularly pleased you like the Adder; I've been after a shot like that for a while ...

Good hunting.

Kind regards. Mark

Surrey Downland, 31 July 2013

Lady in waiting …

Before the heat of the day ...

Hi Mark

Those Chalkhill Blue images are stunning, as is the Adder!

Just seen the Silver Spotted Skipper, you must have uploaded it whilst i was typing, what a cracker!

Your photos are alway excellent Mark but I particularly enjoyed looking at the chalkhills

I was going to say how good I thought the first set of Silver Spot shots were and then I scrolled down to the last posting and it's even better - brill

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Some more great images there Mark but I really like that Adder portrait. There is real character in its expression, almost Disneyesque in its evil leer

All the best,

Neil F.

Thank you.

All of your kind comments are genuinely much appreciated

Good hunting.

Kindest regards. Mark

4 August 2013

Chasing clouds …

A female Clouded Yellow takes rest ...

Nice colour contrast Mark, a very nice photo indeed, super stuff.

Best Regards,

Mike

Hi Mark,

It must be two years now since you took up photographing butterflies. Well you have certainly come a long way in that time, and have an excellent eye for a great photo. All the photos on this page are super but, that Clouded Yellow is out of this world, great composition.

All the best, Nick.

Hi Mark

I am wondering why the EXIF data on your photos seems to have been removed as us novices can learn a lot from stuff like that? Perhaps I am doing something wrong at this end.

Stunning shot Mark I'm in West Wales and it's been raining all day and seeing that particular shot isn't making it any easier or less frustrating

Have a goodun

Wurzel