www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

I'd go High Brown for both of those, Goldie. And I'm very envious of the Northern Brown Argus, which I've never seen. I'm hoping to visit Arnside sometime over the next week, so fingers crossed I'll see one there...

Five year ticks in one day - can't be bad...

Dave

Hi! Dave, thanks very much that's two of you now going for High Brown so hope fully thats what I'll record.

If you go to Arnside Knot I hope you see the Northern B Dave, at Gait Barrow their always near the Barn, either side of the road that goes down to the main road. I also took shots of them at Warton Craig on the same day. The High Brown were in the Duke's sites if you know where that is at GB, you may even see the Scotch Argus at ASK, the weathers been good up here lately , best of luck Goldie

I personally have no experience with HBF but the picture showing the underside is definately a HBF, you can see the extra row of diagnostic spots on the hindwing

Thanks Buggie, the butterfly is some thing else to watch, it seems to swoop every where (now you see me, now you don't) I was lucky that it landed just once near me but I'd to be quick to get any shot. The rest of the shots were from a distance.

A man there had a tripod with his camera , he arrived just as we were leaving so I told him about the Butterfly, I didn't know then that it was an HBF, I hope he got some shots but I don't think he'd get many, if any with the tripod, the BF didn't stop long on any thing. Goldie

The weather is very blustery today, at least it will get the washing dry but too many dark clouds for Butterflies I think, any way I need a rest

I thought I'd put a few more shots of the Northern Brown and the High Brown Frit in my post today, I took the NBA in my other post at Warton Craig, it seems to have the White Spot if not very distinctive, but the photos I took at Gait Barrow ( included in this post)I don't see the white spot on the Butterfly, so suppose it's the subspecies Salmacis .

I also saw Grayling at Warton Craig I've included that shot in this post also.

The Small Skippers in this post were also taken at Warton Craig , they couldn't make their minds up who got the lady Quite different to the ones at GB Goldie

I love the trio of Skippers - they look duskier than their southern cousins. I'm envious of all those northern species you've been photographing

Mike

Well Goldie, this is the 3rd time I've tried to post to you and each time it has disappeared! Hope I haven't sent it to someone else by mistake The gist of the message was to say well done, both with the complaint and the lovely butterflies you have been seeing (and now those 3 Skippers ). I have several neighbours who have lovely front lawns, covered in Birds Foot Trefoil, daisies, self heal etc but as soon as it gets to more than an inch high it is cut down to the ground leaving what I can only describe as scorched grey grass Why do they do it? Is it convention? Do they prefer to look at dead grass rather than coloured wild flowers? I just can't understand their mindset

Thanks Mike glad you like the photos, I know it sounds sad but I can't wait to come South next week to see( hope fully) the Adonis, Chalkhill's, maybe once again I'll catch a glimpse of the Sliver Spotted Skipper and we're stopping on the way down and calling at Fermyn Wood, you never know I might get a glimpse of the Emperor yet, we should be in Kent for two weeks I hope the weather stays nice for us, all that and seeing our family too should be great Goldie

Your a Wildfower Meadow Champ now in my eyes Goldie...good on you Most of us here on UKB's feel the same way about this type of environmental vandalism and we actually have to pay our local authorities to do it ... rant over...lovely pics and recent reports from you, much enjoyed

Bill

"When in doubt - venture out"

Thanks very much, Pauline and Bill for your posts, It's great to know people feel the same way has I do.

You got your post on Pauline ,eventually My garden Pauline is about the only one with flowers in it, most of the others have stones every where with pots UGH!! I had to smile the other day though when this lorry arrived and knocked some pots over
I was very concerned I must admit I like my neighbours we get on well, I keep telling them they'll have to get educated They'd never heard of the Holly Blue until I pointed one out to them in their garden early in the Spring

Your right about us paying the corporation Bill, that's what annoys me the most, also the fact it 's not just wild flower meadows it's a Nature Reserve they've vandalised . The best bit is Butterfly Conservation asking us to download for the Butterfly count, I got in touch with them about what had happened and was told how busy they were and to go on Face Book or Twitter neither of which I can be bothered with any way,( that's just me of course) any way when I took my latest pics it gave me a boost I'll go back there and see if the gate Keeper has arrived there yet, nothing I can do now there really, the damage as been done Goldie

Hi Goldie,

Sorry to hear about your meadow being cut but well done for standing up to it, there is far too much of this wanton 'tidying up' of the countryside going on.

Your Fritillary is definitely a male High Brown, you can make out the raised sex brands on the forewing veins that differentiate it from a male Dark green Frit.

Cheers,

Neil.

Hi! Neil, Thanks for your post and confirmation that the Butterfly is a Male and High Brown Fritillary, it was a real privilege to see them and when this one came swooping down I couldn't believe my luck I'm convinced they'd not been out too long because their colour was so out standing, really bright Orange, plus the fact they didn't settle on any thing long before flying high turning and coming back again , looking for mates I thought

I received a response today by e-mail from Lancaster(Butterfly Conservation) they are concerned they said but they can't do any thing about it really and it's basically up to people like me to keep at the Counsel , this I can understand, but what can I do on my own. I'll send them a list (the Counsel) I think with the Butterflies on that the've just mowed up, ( The Butterflies may have escaped) but the eggs etc, could have been destroyed.

They did the very same thing last year at this time in another field belonging to the Nature reserve and this Spring I was shocked at the lack of Orange Tip Females. In Spring of last year the field was full of May flowers, Buttercups, Dandelions etc, also full of Orange Tip Females and Males, this year the males were there but not in such numbers as the year before but I saw no Females so I'm worried the same thing could happen with the Meadow Brown's. The sad thing is this was the best year the MB's have had at Hall-Lee-Brook since it was made into a reserve.
I'll keep going to Hall-Lee-Brook because it was a waste land when I came to live here, I took my dogs there and we all enjoyed the walk round even if it was rough in those days,(incidentally I always cleaned any mess up my dogs made) I started my diary with the Waste Land and I've watched it grow into this nature avon (I thought the BF were safe there) That's what really upset me. I'd better Finnish off now or I'll keep going on about itGoldie

Your mention of Hall-Lee-Brook sent me back to re-read the beginning of your diary. What a transformation! I was also looking back at all your old bird photos and thinking of the difficulties of identification. So much is down to remembering certain key features and, as I get older, that seems to become more difficult!

I was glad that Neil reminded us about the male scent brands on the High Brown Fritillary, as it enabled me to confirm a few more photos from my recent trip to South Wales! I'm glad you found them successfully at Gait Barrows - I must visit again sometime, as it's years since my last visit. Good luck with your trip to the South

Mike

Hi! Mike, it seems another good spot to see the High Browns is Eave's Wood (my spelling could be wrong) plus quite a few other species, this place is easier to find but the car park is nearly always full, so an early start would be better.
The wood is just on the outskirts of Silverdale traveling towards Arnside, I thought I would mention this because it seems very popular, I'm going to try it myself next year

You mention my Diary and the Birds, I mean to add to that list shortly, I don't think it will be until I get back from Kent but I hope to go back to Witherslack which is opposite to Meathop Moss to see the Osprey , I'm sorry I didn't go whilst at Meathop, but the weather got to me and I'd to go home early. They say their fantastic to watch has they fish.

Yesterday I went back to HLB, I did see MB's but in another field , the field they had cut was like Cruft's dog show, also the paths were fouled not only by the Dogs but also by Horses which are supposed to be banned from the Nature Reserve, Ah! well it takes all sorts, the people want some where to play but don't want it clean, ( can't understand that)

Back to the Butterflies, I also saw Red Admiral's, Comma's, one of which I think is of the species Hutchinson and plenty of Small Torts
one of which I'm not sure if it's weathered are just different from the other's , I'v put both in to see what others think Goldie

Great stuff Goldie That first Small Tort looks a little unusual with white markings instead of the usual yellow

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Hi! Wurzel, I thought the Small Tortoiseshell with the White markings looked different as well but I don't know if it's an ab or not

I went to Southport yesterday, the weather was very blustery and cloudy at times but when the Sun came out it wasn't too bad.
We went walking in the Dunes, I didn't expect to see much but did find Small Skipper's that were hiding in the bushes together with my second Gate Keeper of the year ( none at HLB SAT) Also saw Meadow Brown's and these Colourful Caterpillars which I think are Cinnabar Cat's.

I've included a couple of shots of the beech to show where you can drive directly onto the beech if you want to, some people do, then venture into the Dunes to look for Butterflies, or just to Sunbathe and go in the Sea ( they charge £5 for a car, not bad if your there all day with your Family but for short visits best on road or car park

My other shot is one I took from the Dunes, it shows how rough the sea was on Saturday Goldie

That does look like a rough sea Goldie! Your cats are Cinnabar Moth cats

Hi! Buggie, shows how much I know about Cat's I'll see if I can change their Name Goldie
PS Buggie it worked

When I lived in Southport, it was considered remarkable to see the sea at all I first drove a car on the sands!

We always used to call those caterpillars 'rugby jerseys'.

I missed (somehow - I really can't work out how ) the Small Skippers - I didn't know that they did the Conga

Have a goodun

Wurzel