Wisley - Butterflies in the Glasshouse 2014

[Susie]

http://www.rhs.org.uk/Wisleybutterflies

A beacon of light in the gloom of winter

[Padfield]

I've made a draft page to help identify butterfly-house butterflies. It's only a first draft - I'll add common names, some very basic information (like distribution) and links to information and images on the web in due course. And some more species, I hope!

http://www.guypadfield.com/butterflyhouse.html

As I said in my diary, I'm sure Wisley will provide a guide, but Mike pointed out it was of limited use last year.

Guy

[David M]

Excellent guide, Guy. I fancy I might be paying a deep winter visit to my local butterfly house to get my 'fix' and I'll certainly take another look at your webpage when I return.

[P.J.Underwood]

For people who live within striking distance of Stratford -upon-Avon,I can recommend the butterfly house there.I have been both to Wisley and Stratford and easily prefer the latter.It is necessary to warm up the camera before entry,which can easily be done using their fan heater.
P.J.U.

[Padfield]

For those with compact cameras, I stick mine in the inside pocket of my coat, next to my chest, about ten minutes before going in - that works perfectly.

The hyperlinked version of my butterfly house guide is now up, including several corrections. There remain further corrections and IDs to do, but I think it is now quite a useful document - and should load on a smartphone for use in the 'field'.

http://www.guypadfield.com/butterflyhouse.html

Guy

[Susie]

That's very useful - thanks Guy

Mark Colvin kindly shared a useful tip to prevent your camera from steaming up for ages when entering the butterfly house which is to put your camera under the hand dryer in the toilets for a while to warm it up. It really works

[Susie]

Anyone been to wisley yet?

[Philzoid]

Anyone been to wisley yet?

Hi Susie
Yes, have made two trips already though neither without incident. Took a flexi morning off work on Friday 31st and couldn't believe how deserted it was first thing . Only problem was I'd forgotten to put the battery back in my Canon after charging overnight . Still I had my daughters Lumix compact, but for some reason it wouldn't work even after it had temperature equilibrated with the sauna conditions . So no pictures on that day .

Nevertheless there was plenty to see. First butterfly encountered was a Morpho peleides (Comon Morpho) which unfortunately was getting some unwanted attention from a Robin.
The Robins take their winter holidays in the glasshouse at Wisley for obvious reasons but up until then I'd never seen one actually eat a butterfly. And unfortunately it wasn't a quick process the Robin tackling the butterfly a bit like a kingfisher despatches a minnow but far less quickly. Eventually after around 4 - 5 minutes picking up and shaking the wings were removed the bird was able to despatch it. This all happened a couple of feet away, the Robin not perturbed in the least by people present.
As expected there were plenty of the Mormon group of Swallowtails but the next surprise was my first Myscelia ethusa (Mexican Bluewing) . Last year I encountered the similar Myscelia cyaniris and neither species were listed on the spotter guide. This year's improved guide has ethusa on the front cover .

Getting frustrated in trying to get my camera to focus I decided to head off back to work and return another day. This I did on Sunday 2nd with my Canon DSLR camera fully charged and ready to go only to find the zoom adjusting ring on my Tamron lens wouldn't work . For this lens the zoom has to be set between 180 and 300mm to use the 1:2 macro. I was able to do this by pulling on the barrel to zoom in and out and using the manual focussing ring rather than the pretty useless autofocus. In addition I put my settings on full manual (as usual) so a lot of work was required to get these shots.
Much more seen this time. As well as the mormon group Caligo memnon (pale Owl) and Morpho peleides (Common Mormon) were out in force. Also seen and new for me: Papilio nireus (Green-banded Swallowtail) Neptis hylas (Common Sailor) and Papilio helenus (Red Helen). The courting pair in the last shot were a real treat to watch.

Neptis hylas

Neptis hylas Common Sailor

Papilio nireus Green-banded Swallowtail with orchid pollinia attached to proboscis

Papilio helenus Red Helen

Papilio helenus courting pair

Other species present were Papilio thoas (King Swallowtail); Hypolimnas bolina (Great Eggfly); Parthenos sylvia (Clipper: green blue and brown forms); Idea leuconoe (Tree Nymph); Siproeta stelenes (Malachite); Heliconius hecale (Tiger Longwing); Kallima paralekta (Indian Leafwing) and Catonephele numilia (Blue-frosted Banner).

Catonephele numilia Blue-frosted Banner

As time went on the crowds and the heat built up, but that is pretty much how this event has been in previous years. All in all I think its shaping up to be another good one with a few more new surprises in store

Phil

[Wurzel]

Great shots Philzoid but I reckon you saved the best until last - it's a beaut

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Philzoid]

Great shots Philzoid but I reckon you saved the best until last - it's a beaut

Thanks Wurzel All the others were new for me but I couldn't leave out the Blue-frosted Banner.
Will be taking the girls this Saturday and keeping my fingers crossed the lens doesn't get any worse .

[Susie]

Lovely photos Phil

[Philzoid]

Lovely photos Phil

Thanks Susie

Just to let you know I think I've misidentified two of them (50% ) (makes a change from Wisley doing it ). The "Papilio helenus Red Helen" is probably Papilio nephelus ssp chaon or Yellow Helen and "Neptis hylas Common Sailor" is Athyma perius or Common Sergeant.

More butterflies to come ..... without the mistakes hopefully

[MikeOxon]

I visited 'Butterflies in the Glasshouse' at Wisley from about 11:30am today (Tuesday, 4th Feb).

In brilliant sunshine,the butterflies were very active and I found it more impressive than my visits in previous years. In particular, many Blue Morphos were basking in the sunshine, with open wings -something I had found difficult to photograph before.

The pleasure that visitors were getting from watching the activity was obvious and several in wheelchairs were able to experience something that would be very difficult in the 'real' butterfly environment.

I decided to 'travel light' and just used my Lumix TZ25 compact, which handled the extremes of light and shade very successfully. I simply let the 'iAuto' setting make all the decisions and there were few failures - these being mainly when the camera was not quick enough to focus and fire. A few examples follow:

Mike

[Philzoid]

Looks like the Mormons are now starting to pair up (didn't see any pairings on my previous visit)

Some nice pictures there Mike, particularly like the two open wing Common Morphos side by side . Using a compact has some advantages in that situation. With my set-up I have to shoot from a metre away and often get the backs of peoples hands and mobile phones as they're thrust under the proboscis of the butterfly in question . It can be a bit of a free for all in there .

[MikeOxon]

Using a compact has some advantages in that situation.

Thanks Philzoid. I found it a lot easier with the compact than with the DSLR I used in previous years.

Last year, I didn't want to change lenses in the very humid atmosphere, so found myself with a macro on the camera when I wanted a tele and vice versa. The compact handled every situation with ease and had the advantages of negligible size and weight.

I confess that I amused myself by taking grab shots over the shoulders of people with SLRs on tripods, as they patiently waited for an opportunity

The (real) Morpho in this pic was keen to know where it had come from :

Mike

[Philzoid]

The (real) Morpho in this pic was keen to know where it had come from :

The heliconids are getting big around here

[MikeOxon]

The heliconids are getting big around here

I think the Morpho was suffering delusions of grandeur

[Padfield]

You seem to enjoy shots of butterflies trying to get their heads round our distorted, human view of things, Mike!

So I think you'll like this one (which has nothing to do with Wisley) of a female Pyrgus cacaliae trying to find her portrait in Tolman:



The picture also shows how incredibly true to life Richard Lewington's illustrations are!

Guy

[MikeOxon]

The picture also shows how incredibly true to life Richard Lewington's illustrations are! Guy

Thank you Guy, and I agree entirely about Richard's illustrations.

Another Morpho took a liking to my shirt

iPad photo © 2014 R Flemming

Mike

[Philzoid]

08/02/14
Saturday morning didn't look as wet as I'd expected from the previous day's weather forecast. However getting the kids ready on time for our pre-booked trip to Wisley was typically arduous to say the least . By the time I got out of the house, my plan to get there via the 'safe' long route through Send and Ripley (Newark road closed for over 6 months) was scuppered, so I gambled on the quicker but narrow back road route though Pyrford and Wisley with the potential of road 'lakes' and its oncoming drenching 4 X 4's. Thankfully the roads were passable and we arrived on time . With two kids, two camera's and lenses (kept warm for the journey by a hot water bottle), spotter guide, and a non printer-friendly booking form in four pieces I hastily hurried to the glasshouse as a heavy shower cloud gathered.
The bit piece booking form was accepted no quibble which thankfully saved me from scrolling through 'thousands' of Amazon and Groupon e-mails to find the mobile version. Inside was cooler than expected and not that many people for 10:15 on a weekend . Two laps of the 'circuit' and I could hear mutterings from other people about the many Owls but not much else . Then the shower came and there was a 15 minute wait before the the sun eventually peeped through. However when it did the place came alive . Blue Morphos; Mormons; Clippers; Helens. Groups of Pale Owls, big butterflies but weaving precisely through the musa and bamboo uprights on a chase to find a mate (or just stretching their wings for he fun of it) . However, the most noticable species for me was the large numbers of King Swallowtails. Normally I see these in ones and twos. Today there was easily over a dozen. During the cloudy spells, this species is one which often rests in a good vantage point for viewing (basically any place where the butterfly can catch the warming rays of the sun as don't seem to be bothered by people being up close). Once the sauna conditions kick-in around mid-morning/mid-day the butterfly is well on the move with other gangs of swallowtails, or nectaring at the bottle brush trees (have not seem this species mud-puddle unlike male Mormons and Papilio nireus)
Many seemed to be minus one or both tails but otherwise in good condition. Perhaps this happens when they emerge from the pupal case

No tail Swallowtail

One tail Swallowtail

two tail Swallowtail

Nectaring on Bottlebrush

With only my Panasonic to share between the kids it was inevitable that they would squabble so I gave them some money and sent them off to the cafe for an ice cream . An hour later and suitably refreshed the girls were back and getting into it with gusto. Izzy took this nice picture of a mating pair with the Panasonic G3

King Swallowtails mating pair (taken by Izzy)

Pale Owl Butterflies at the fruit bar (taken by Izzy)

Throughout the morning and early afternoon the alternating weather did affect the amount seen and photo'ed. For me this trip didn't quite reach the heights of some of my trips last year, perhaps because I didn't encounter any new species which was a regular occurrence on my visits in 2013. Good numbers of Giant Orange-tips the Odd Postman/Small Postman and the small citrus plants with larvae from the Yellow Mormons (Asian Swallowtail) made it very worthwhile though, as did the lower numbers of visitors (offset to some degree by more mobile phone snappers barging-in blocking your shots or setting off your quarry) . Everyone is entitled to get their pictures but some haven't a clue about how to do it with tact and consideration

It may have been just a blip or it may be that the novelty of the Wisley event (perhaps butterfly houses in general) has plateaued or may be its way down . Certainly on exiting I noticed the queues were far less extensive than 2012 and definitely 2013 .
I will be going again (of course) and there are plenty on the list, including year on year regulars still left for me to tick off .

Phil