Really lovely Pearls, Neil. You certainly had a good trip!
Terrific reports and photos.
Best wishes,
Lee
Neil Freeman
-
Lee Hurrell
- Stock Contributor
- Posts: 2423
- Joined: Mon May 25, 2009 7:33 pm
- Location: Hampshire
Re: nfreem
Diary entries for 2014 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
To butterfly meadows, chalk downlands and leafy glades; to summers eternal.
Re: nfreem
Great shots Neil some of those Pearls are surprisingly fresh looking 
It's great to see the 'quick stop-off' being used to such good effect! 
Have a goodun
Wurzel
It's great to see the 'quick stop-off' being used to such good effect! Have a goodun
Wurzel
Diary entries for 2014 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
-
Neil Freeman
- Posts: 4467
- Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 6:25 pm
- Location: Solihull, West Midlands
Re: nfreem
Thanks all, it definitely added a nice finish to a great few days
Sunday 1st June – Morning
The Speckled Woods in my garden usually appear around the first week of April and are then to be seen through the rest of the year until late September or early October with a couple of weeks gap usually sometime in June.
Last year they were about a month late after the long winter and cold spring which seemed to mess up the usual pattern as I saw them continuously through the rest of the year without the usual gap.
This year they seem to be back to normal again with the first ones seen in the garden in early April and then a good emergence through the rest of the month. At least a couple were seen on most days if the weather was half way reasonable and sometimes 4 or 5 at once until mid-May when they fizzled out.
After a cool and cloudy Friday and Saturday, Sunday morning was much better with some good sunny spells and a rise in temperature so I spent a bit of time in the garden. I was pleased to see a couple of nice new looking male Specklies, one at each end of the garden, basking and chasing off anything that flew near .
This falls in line with most normal years if a little earlier than usual with this years gap falling a couple of weeks earlier than most years. Weather permitting, this should have me seeing Speckled Woods in the garden from now right up until the end of the season.
Bye for now,
Neil
Sunday 1st June – Morning
The Speckled Woods in my garden usually appear around the first week of April and are then to be seen through the rest of the year until late September or early October with a couple of weeks gap usually sometime in June.
Last year they were about a month late after the long winter and cold spring which seemed to mess up the usual pattern as I saw them continuously through the rest of the year without the usual gap.
This year they seem to be back to normal again with the first ones seen in the garden in early April and then a good emergence through the rest of the month. At least a couple were seen on most days if the weather was half way reasonable and sometimes 4 or 5 at once until mid-May when they fizzled out.
After a cool and cloudy Friday and Saturday, Sunday morning was much better with some good sunny spells and a rise in temperature so I spent a bit of time in the garden. I was pleased to see a couple of nice new looking male Specklies, one at each end of the garden, basking and chasing off anything that flew near
. - Speckled Wood - Coverdale 01.06.2014
- Speckled Wood - Coverdale 01.06.2014
- Speckled Wood - Coverdale 01.06.2014
- Speckled Wood - Coverdale 01.06.2014
Bye for now,
Neil
Diary entries for 2014 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Re: nfreem
Great Specklie shots Neil 
I've seen very few Specklies this year so I'm hoping their numbers will pick up after the gap 
Have a goodun
Wurzel
I've seen very few Specklies this year so I'm hoping their numbers will pick up after the gap Have a goodun
Wurzel
Diary entries for 2014 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
-
Neil Freeman
- Posts: 4467
- Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 6:25 pm
- Location: Solihull, West Midlands
Re: nfreem
Cheers Wurzel, Speckled Wood numbers seem a bit hit and miss again this year as they did apparently last year. The 2013 Warwickshire BC annual report says that numbers were up on most grassland sites but down in a lot of woodland sites. It seems that sites that had a lot of scrub clearance to benefit other species had large drops in numbers of Specklies.
I wonder if the fact that they have been doing well in my garden reflects a certain lack of 'management' 
Sunday 1st July – Afternoon, part 1.
With Sunday turning into a nice warm day with some decent sunny spells, I decided later to check out a couple of local spots with my son Chris, this being the first time this year he has managed to come along due to him working most weekends.
First stop was at Bickenhill where we followed a public footpath to a couple of meadows by the M42 that I had visited earlier this year. I had found loads of Small Tortoiseshells and Peacocks here back in April so I was not surprised to find a number of larval webs scattered across the many patches of nettles here, some were obviously Small Torts and some were obviously Peacocks but there were some that I am not too sure of.
There were also a few worn and tired looking adults of both species still hanging on.
There were loads of Burnet Companion Moths along with a few Mother Shipton and Silver-ground Carpet Moths in the areas of long grass. I took photos of a couple of Mother Shiptons that looked quite different to each other, not sure if this is down to age or male/female or just natural variation in the species. The photos were taken in different light but the difference in colour was just as pronounced in the actual moths.
I am always on the lookout for Common Blues and Small Coppers at my local spots and was pleased to find a couple of each here .
Also seen was a Broad-bodied Chaser that posed nicely for a few shots.
At one point we were watched by a Fox that allowed us to sneak quite close before shooting off into the bushes.
We spent about an hour here before heading to Shadowbrook Meadows which is just down the road from here.
Bye for now,
Neil.
I wonder if the fact that they have been doing well in my garden reflects a certain lack of 'management'
Sunday 1st July – Afternoon, part 1.
With Sunday turning into a nice warm day with some decent sunny spells, I decided later to check out a couple of local spots with my son Chris, this being the first time this year he has managed to come along due to him working most weekends.
First stop was at Bickenhill where we followed a public footpath to a couple of meadows by the M42 that I had visited earlier this year. I had found loads of Small Tortoiseshells and Peacocks here back in April so I was not surprised to find a number of larval webs scattered across the many patches of nettles here, some were obviously Small Torts and some were obviously Peacocks but there were some that I am not too sure of.
There were also a few worn and tired looking adults of both species still hanging on.
There were loads of Burnet Companion Moths along with a few Mother Shipton and Silver-ground Carpet Moths in the areas of long grass. I took photos of a couple of Mother Shiptons that looked quite different to each other, not sure if this is down to age or male/female or just natural variation in the species. The photos were taken in different light but the difference in colour was just as pronounced in the actual moths.
. Bye for now,
Neil.
Diary entries for 2014 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Re: nfreem
Just love the last photo - as you knew I would . Very handsome chap; looks like he's moulting out his winter coat and the summer one is just coming through. Unusual to be able to get so close but he seems alert enough so probably fine - just off to feed mine now and will post a few shots later.
. Very handsome chap; looks like he's moulting out his winter coat and the summer one is just coming through. Unusual to be able to get so close but he seems alert enough so probably fine - just off to feed mine now and will post a few shots later.Diary entries for 2014 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Re: nfreem
Very interesting Mother Shipton differences Neil...well spotted and photographed and I also like your foxy friend too
Bill
"When in doubt...venture out"
Bill
"When in doubt...venture out"
Diary entries for 2014 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Why not visit my website at http://www.dragonfly-days.co.uk
Re: nfreem
Agreed. I've never 'clocked' those differences before.Willrow wrote:Very interesting Mother Shipton differences Neil...
Diary entries for 2014 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
-
Neil Freeman
- Posts: 4467
- Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 6:25 pm
- Location: Solihull, West Midlands
Re: nfreem
Hi David and Bill, I have never noticed the variation in Mother Shiptons before either, probably because I don't usually see 2 close together.
Cheers Pauline, yes, I thought you would like that shot. We were watching a Small Copper when we looked up and saw him watching us. He let us slowly sneak up to about 30 feet away (the distance the photo was taken with full zoom) before turning round and legging it into the bushes.
Sunday 1st June – Afternoon, part 2.
Moving on to Shadowbrook Meadows, within the first few yards we began to see Common Blues and Burnet Companion Moths, about a dozen of each plus Green-veined and Small Whites.
The Common Blues have been out here for a couple of weeks now and I was pleased to see that they are obviously getting back to the kind of numbers that there used to be here before the wet summer of 2012 when I only found a couple of individuals.
As well as some nice fresh looking males there were some nice females…
Including this example which looked a bit unusual because as well as being very blue she also had a lack of orange markings,
Small Coppers have also recovered well here after a poor showing in 2012 with a good half a dozen or so seen. Some of these were looking a bit tired now but some were in not too bad condition still.
Pauline, my apologies in advance for any blue spots on these
Also seen were a few nice fresh looking Small Tortoiseshells,
Plus a Black-tailed Skimmer which was the first of this species of Dragonfly that I have seen around Solihull,
Bye for now,
Neil.
Cheers Pauline, yes, I thought you would like that shot. We were watching a Small Copper when we looked up and saw him watching us. He let us slowly sneak up to about 30 feet away (the distance the photo was taken with full zoom) before turning round and legging it into the bushes.
Sunday 1st June – Afternoon, part 2.
Moving on to Shadowbrook Meadows, within the first few yards we began to see Common Blues and Burnet Companion Moths, about a dozen of each plus Green-veined and Small Whites.
- Burnet Companion - Shadowbrook 01.06.2014
The Common Blues have been out here for a couple of weeks now and I was pleased to see that they are obviously getting back to the kind of numbers that there used to be here before the wet summer of 2012 when I only found a couple of individuals.
As well as some nice fresh looking males there were some nice females…
- Common Blue - Shadowbrook 01.06.2014
- Common Blue - Shadowbrook 01.06.2014
- Common Blue - Shadowbrook 01.06.2014
- Common Blue - Shadowbrook 01.06.2014
- Common Blue - Shadowbrook 01.06.2014
Pauline, my apologies in advance for any blue spots on these
- Small Copper - Shadowbrook 01.06.2014
- Small Copper - Shadowbrook 01.06.2014
- Small Copper - Shadowbrook 01.06.2014
- Small Copper - Shadowbrook 01.06.2014
- Small Copper - Shadowbrook 01.06.2014
- Small Copper - Shadowbrook 01.06.2014
- Small Copper - Shadowbrook 01.06.2014
- Small Tortoiseshell - Shadowbrook 01.06.2014
- Black-tailed Skimmer - Shadowbrook 01.06.2014
Neil.
Diary entries for 2014 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Re: nfreem
That female Common Blue is amazing Neil, great photos too 
BWs
William
BWs
William
Diary entries for 2014 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Re: nfreem
I agree, I've never seen anything like it. It must surely be an aberration?
Love the Small Tortoiseshell too. It's positively radiant.
Love the Small Tortoiseshell too. It's positively radiant.
Diary entries for 2014 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Re: nfreem
That female Common Blue is a stunner Neil, I agree with David, it must be an ab.! Lovely Small Coppers too, something I've not seen too much of, so far this year!
Mike
Mike
Diary entries for 2014 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Re: nfreem
I agree with the others Neil. There are some very blue females around but that just has to be an ab. I accept your apology but can you please send a few SC in this direction - even ones without blue spots will do as I've hardly seen any 
. Some lovely shots btw but a few almost certainly fall into the category of studio
but can you please send a few SC in this direction - even ones without blue spots will do as I've hardly seen any . Some lovely shots btw but a few almost certainly fall into the category of studio Diary entries for 2014 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Re: nfreem
It almost has the look of a hybrid. It's certainly highly noteworthy.Pauline wrote:I agree with the others Neil. There are some very blue females around but that just has to be an ab.
Diary entries for 2014 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Re: nfreem
Agreed with others that female Common Blue is a stunner and definitely not 'normal' I would go for a named aberrant (or possibly, and this is just a wild idea an hermaphrodite ).
As for the Specklies - I would correct you slightly - the good numbers in your garden show not a 'lack of' but more like 'the appropriate and successful' management
Have a goodun
Wurzel
I would go for a named aberrant (or possibly, and this is just a wild idea an hermaphrodite ). As for the Specklies - I would correct you slightly - the good numbers in your garden show not a 'lack of' but more like 'the appropriate and successful' management
Have a goodun
Wurzel
Diary entries for 2014 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
-
Neil Freeman
- Posts: 4467
- Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 6:25 pm
- Location: Solihull, West Midlands
Re: nfreem
Thanks all for the great comments William, Mike, Pauline, David and Wurzel
David, there are no other species of Blues around my patch for it to be a hybrid of anything, beautiful butterfly though whatever we decide to call her.
,
All photos were taken with my FZ150 on my usual settings ('P' on the dial, -2/3 exposure, max ISO to 400, all else set to auto), various degrees of optical zoom (digital zoom disabled) and no close up lens fitted. The 'studio' type shots are with full (x24) zoom from about 4 feet away against the natural meadow background. I find that this working distance gives me good results without having to get too close to the butterfly, especially at times when they are active.
Friday 6th June
The usual Friday afternoon visit to my Mom today and I had a quick look around the park by her house. Half a dozen Speckled Woods were seen including a couple of nice fresh looking females, no photos from here as I didn't have my camera with me.
Back home later I spent some time In the garden and was accompanied for most of the time by at least 3 male Specklies, all holding their own favourite spots.
I also had a visit from a Red Admiral that looked like it had seen better days with the end of one antenna missing. I had seen a couple in the IOW last week but this was the first one that I have seen locally this year.
Bye for now,
Neil
David, there are no other species of Blues around my patch for it to be a hybrid of anything, beautiful butterfly though whatever we decide to call her.
Cheers, Wurzel, I think in the case of Specklies they are pretty much the same thingWurzel wrote:..the good numbers in your garden show not a 'lack of' but more like 'the appropriate and successful' management
TouchéPauline wrote: ... Some lovely shots btw but a few almost certainly fall into the category of studio
, All photos were taken with my FZ150 on my usual settings ('P' on the dial, -2/3 exposure, max ISO to 400, all else set to auto), various degrees of optical zoom (digital zoom disabled) and no close up lens fitted. The 'studio' type shots are with full (x24) zoom from about 4 feet away against the natural meadow background. I find that this working distance gives me good results without having to get too close to the butterfly, especially at times when they are active.
Friday 6th June
The usual Friday afternoon visit to my Mom today and I had a quick look around the park by her house. Half a dozen Speckled Woods were seen including a couple of nice fresh looking females, no photos from here as I didn't have my camera with me.
Back home later I spent some time In the garden and was accompanied for most of the time by at least 3 male Specklies, all holding their own favourite spots.
- Speckled Wood - Coverdale 06.06.2014
- Speckled Wood - Coverdale 06.06.2014
- Red Admiral - Coverdale 06.06.2014
Neil
Diary entries for 2014 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Re: nfreem
Yes, I concur that a hybrid is unrealistic, but that individual is SO bizarrely marked that I'm tempted to say it's unique.nfreem wrote: David, there are no other species of Blues around my patch for it to be a hybrid of anything, beautiful butterfly though whatever we decide to call her.
Diary entries for 2014 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Re: nfreem
Suberb images Neil, lots of interesting details to ponder and your becoming pretty nifty with that FZ150 of yours
Bill
"When in doubt...venture out"
Bill
"When in doubt...venture out"
Diary entries for 2014 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Why not visit my website at http://www.dragonfly-days.co.uk
-
Neil Freeman
- Posts: 4467
- Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 6:25 pm
- Location: Solihull, West Midlands
Re: nfreem
Thanks Bill . I like the FZ150 because it lets me take various styles of photo without messing about too much.
Saturday 7th June
Yesterday (Saturday) I was woken up by a thunderstorm just after 05.00am which lasted a couple of hours on and off, and then we had loads of rain through the morning as I went out and about on some domestic errands. By mid-afternoon it had cleared up a bit and there were some nice sunny spells so I had a look in my very soggy garden.
The Specklies were soon out as usual and I took a few photos to try and identify different individuals which is how I keep tabs on the numbers in the garden through the year.
There was also a Mint Moth, Pyrausta aurata I think, that was settled on my kitchen window. The photo below was taken with the reflection of the garden in the window providing the background, you can also see a secondary reflection of the moth in the second pane of glass in the double glazing.
Bye for now,
Neil
. I like the FZ150 because it lets me take various styles of photo without messing about too much.Saturday 7th June
Yesterday (Saturday) I was woken up by a thunderstorm just after 05.00am which lasted a couple of hours on and off, and then we had loads of rain through the morning as I went out and about on some domestic errands. By mid-afternoon it had cleared up a bit and there were some nice sunny spells so I had a look in my very soggy garden.
The Specklies were soon out as usual and I took a few photos to try and identify different individuals which is how I keep tabs on the numbers in the garden through the year.
- Speckled Wood - Coverdale 07.06.2014
- Pyrausta aurata - Coverdale 07.06.2014
Neil
Diary entries for 2014 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Re: nfreem
Ditto Neil, we sometimes simply don't have time to fiddle about with settingsnfreem wrote: Thanks Bill
love your 'ghostly' micro moth shot...bit different Bill
"When in doubt...venture out"
Diary entries for 2014 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Why not visit my website at http://www.dragonfly-days.co.uk