www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Near where I live there's some waste land. It was left over a few years ago when some houses had been built. We all expected more houses to be built there, nothing happened. I took a walk there with my husband late July to my delight found that the council had taken it over. The land had been very muddy before and wellington boots were always called for,imagine our suprise then when we found grassy slopes and paths made for people to walk through the tree's shrubs and meadow. We saw Small and Large Skippers, Comma's, Red Admirals, Whites, Gate Keepers, Speckled Wood.

We'd not been there for ages ( no dog to walk ) we kept to the dry land. Now wev'e found the place improved we're looking forward to Spring. It will be interesting to see if any other Butterflies make the place there own.
A stream runs along the bottom of the slope and people have seen Badgers, so it's looking good for the future For wild life as well.

This September, my garden was full of butterflies, loads of Small Tortoiseshells, I even had Holly Blues ,not seenthem before in my garden. So I'm hoping it all as some thing to do with the Waste Land, which is not so watseful any more.

October 24th
Lovely day today, we went for a long walk, on our return I spotted a Small Tortoiseshell on next doors Mahonia, I Didn't get a picture it was to quick for me. I thought all the Butterflies had found places for the Winter, so i'd not taken my camera with me, I think tomorrow is going to be nice according to the forcast so I'll be ready just incase Goldie M

They'll come out if it's sunny enough, Goldie (and assuming the temperature isn't ridiculously low). I once saw a Red Admiral the Saturday before Christmas in Abergavenny town centre. It was attracted by the hanging baskets which still had some plant life in them. Temperature was only about 10C but it was sunny and still.

When I jioned UK Butterflies last year, I wrote a blog about buying a new camera for christmas. I did this and although i feel my pics are improving I've never really quite been satisfied with the outcome.

Ifeel i'm either taking them too near or, too far away. The colour also I keep having to change. When it's very bright for instance, I know your supposed to do this, in some instances though, it can make it too dark.

My camera is fitted so I can take fast moving objects like sports etc, I suppose this could take a Butterfly in flight , I've not tried that yet . Ah well! suppose I'll have to press on regardless. I did take some nice shots last week of a Heron and a Green Finch while out for a walk, they were along way off so I'd to use my zoom. I guess what they say is right' practise makes perfect, I'll just have to keep plodding along.

Forgot my Heron

Today was a really bad day weather wise, but I still fancied trying my camera out on the sports menu,( why I didn't do this in the Summer I don't know) anyway, the Starlings helped by arriving on my bird table. I set the camera in the continuous mode, continuous H approx 11 frames per sec and put the pre shooting cache to on, low and behold I got a picture of the Starlings in flight. (Actually I got loads more than I bargained for)
I did all this while bravely looking through my window, I'm not entirely stupid, just slightly.
In the Summer I was too busy trying to film the butterflies while they were still to bother about taking ,are trying to take them flying. I wonder if everybody when starting to use a new camera for the first time does the same thing
Anyway I'm pleased with todays pic, not too bad for a first time GM

Hi Goldie,
11 frames per second is pretty impressive for any camera. I had a professional Canon SLR and the top rate was 10FPS but it was nearly 3 thousand pounds new. Out of interest which camera are you using?
Michael

p.s. There are a lot of new HD camcorders on the market now that are talking about very high FPS, which is an interesting prospect...

Hi! Michael, my camera is a Nikon Coolpix P90, It's taken me sometime to get use to it, there seems to be so many things you can do with it. It 's got a Close up on it's menu for insects and very small subjects, flowers etc, of course they have to be still!!!!!!!! My pics of butterflies have improved from the ones I used to take however, I'm still getting use to the camera so I'm still hopeful of better pics. GM

Just when I was dreaming of Spring, the snow came again on Thursday, even the birds thought Spring was on the way.
The Doves had started cooing and walking in the garden I noticed my bulbs were starting to appear, every thing had a cover of snow. Boy was it cold! I did manage to take some bird pic's yesterday,( Friday) then rain followed the snow, lovely!
A nice pic of a Gold Finch though, at least something to cheer me up.

Well I've done it, booked the caravan for a week in June in Norfolk. I've never seen a Swallow Tail. We went to Norfolk last year, we did all the places they were supposed to be, only to find we were too early, (only by a week,) but, a week made all the differance. When I read in Topics about some one going the week after and finding them I was green with envey
I also want to find some Hair Streaks, I don't care what kind has I've never seen one of those either.
In the mean time I'll keep going to the spare ground I spoke of earlier in my diary to see if any thing is there, eggs etc.
It seems we've got some White Hair streaks in Rossendale, Helmshore to be precise on the old Rail tracks so I'll try there as well. It feels like things are moving now and Spring is just around the corner, even my Snow Drops are showing their heads.Goldie

Hi Goldie, we visited Norfolk last year to the same ends, visited all the recommended sites. Found that at Hickling Broad although good spot to see them they were buzzing over the reeds at too great a distance to photograph. We tried Strumpshaw Fen and found that they could be photographed round a flower bed planted up with sweet wiilliams. nowhere seemed to have natural flowers for them to feed on at close quarters until we went to How Hill.

Pay a visit to the Marshmans cottage and take a walk alongside the river Ant past the two skeleton windmills, there are lots of thistles growing there that they regularly visit and you get up close and personal with them. Dont worry if its not wall to wall sunshine, it was overcast and warm saw around half a dozen . The wardens were surprised they were flying, take a look round the nature walk there for a small charge and you will see many Dragonflies too including Norfolk Hawker for photo opportunities.

We were there 8th of June camping.

Best wishes for a successful foray


Dave C

GoldieM:

I also want to find some Hair Streaks, I don't care what kind has I've never seen one of those either.

Not sure where you live but it shouldn't be too difficult unless you live on a remote Scottish island Green H will be the easiest to find and indeed, the first to be on the wing.

Jack

Thanks Grumpy, I've taken notes of what you said, and we'll follow your advice. Thanks again for your help, I'll let you know when we get back if we were successful. We go on the 5th till the 12th Goldie M

It might be easy for you Jack to find Hair Streaks, I've only really been interested in Butterflies for about 2 years, I've been all over the country and still I've not seen any. Maybe they are few and far between in Bolton Jack, whatever the reason I'm on the trail again this year. When you say they are first on the wing, we only seem to get early Peacocks and Tortoise-Shell round here. I took pics of both in my garden in March last year. The others don't arrive in our gardens until Sept.

So, it's a fact we've to go out and look for them, so it's not for the want of trying. If you know any places near Bolton they may be hiding please let me know Goldie M

Goldie M:

It might be easy for you Jack to find Hair Streaks

I can assure you it's never easy to find hairstreaks but Green is probably the easiest species to find. Apart from any other reason, I would argue that it is the prettiest of our five hairstreaks.

I would think that you might have to go to the coast for you nearest GH sites. Perhaps North Wales or Lancashire from Southport northwards. I am not familiar with your area but these are the sort of localities I would search.

Have you looked up the Green Hairstreak species account? This has maps and localities.

http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species.php?species=rubi

Jack

Thanks Jack, we live about 1hr from the Lakes and travel up there alot in the Summer, not so much in Spring though.
We go up to see the High Brown Frit, Dark Green, Pearl Bord etc . Anyway according to what I've read and the Map , it looks like we'll have to go up much sooner. Seems there are Green Hairstreaks at Warton Craig, also White LHS. Arnside Knot has Purple HS. From the the top of the Knot you get a fantastic view of Morcambe Bay and the Lake District , of course you need really nice weather, lets hope we get some in Spring .I'll let you know if we do and if we see HS.
Sothport dunes are great for Graylings and Common Blues, plus alot of others even the fritilaries, sometimes the Wall, but
the latter two are few and far between, I've not heard of anyone seeing Hairstreaks there. If they have I'd like to know as thats much nearer to where I live. Thanks again for help Goldie M

One major consideration today is that the flight seasons are now earlier than they used to be. Modern publications get it right but the older ones can be a couple of weeks out. So spring, especially late April and May, has become a much bigger butterfly season than it might have been in the past.

The first new emergences of the year – eg Orange Tips – occur mid-April, give-or-take a week or so. From then until early July, there is a rapid succession of species. But nowadays after mid-July, there is only a handful of new species – Silver Spotted Skipper, Brown Hairstreak and immigrant Clouded Yellows. Sadly in your location, you won’t get S S Skippers or Brown Hairstreaks.

At Arnside and those other delightful localities, while summer is certainly good (and I plan a visit this year for High Brown), don’t miss out on the goodies to be found much earlier in the season.

Good hunting.

Jack

Hi Goldie

I've never seen Purple Hairstreak at Arnside Knott but have seen White-leter hairstreak there. I found one on Bramble last year in one of the clearings close to the path that goes through the small wood near the top of the Knott. It's the wood towards the car park where there is a gate in the wall, if that makes any sense.

If you walk up the north face of the Knott from the car park you enter the wood through a gate and the first small glade to the left of the path was where I found the WLH.

Hi Goldie,

I saw White Letter Hairstreak at Arnside Knott in exactly the same place as Paul. My report dated 10th July 2009 gives exact details of the location. You can find it here:-

viewtopic.php?f=21&t=3322

There are a couple of elms on this part of the site on the edge of the clearing. I reported at the time that I saw a White Letter Hairstreak at different times of the day but, reviewing my photos later, I determined that they were two different individuals.

Vince

Thanks Jack for your Information, last year I followed what the book said about Swallow T, I ended up missing them. So it taught me a lesson. Now I tend to go on how cold the weather is in Spring etc more so where I live.
April 2009 I saw loads of Orange Tips in the woods near where I live, last year it was May before they got there in any numbers, so the conditions around here dictate alot . I was up in Gaits Barrow NP last July around the 21st and it was like a wonderland. We followed the slate trail until we reached a meadow fence, instead of going through the gate there we cut up this quiet slope between the woods, on the slopes thistles were there in large numbers and so were the Butterflies.
Dark Green Frits, High Brown, Pearl Bordered Frits, Pearl Bord, we were amazed. even my husband stood with his mouth openHa! Ha! I hope your has lucky as we were.Goldie