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My first long butterfly walk for some time today and there was plenty of butterfly action. On stinging nettles an ovapositing Small Tortoiseshell with 2 other Small Torts watching over the female. Other species included Brimstone, lots of Peacock, Comma and a Small White.
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Hi Bob,

Great to see that you have started a personal diary

Those Small Tortoiseshell ova are very early this year and the different colouration of the two batches indicates that they were deposited by separate females. Definitely worth adding to the Species-Specific Album please.

Many thanks,

Vince

A great start to the PD Bob - looking forward to further posts

Have a goodun

Wurzel

A great start to your PD Bob, I'm really going to enjoy looking at all of your wonderful photos & writings over this season 'and hopefully' many many more..........

Pleased to know you're out & about again after the "back incident" hope to see you sometime soon.

B'saurus

Thanks for your comments guys. Today I was pleased to see my first Holly Blue of the year as I was driving out the Close heading to Frog Firle. I was hoping to find a Wall pupa but once again I wasn't lucky. Eventually I did find a near fully grown larva. Before this I met briefly Downland Boy who found the wing of a female Emperor Moth. The moth had presumably been eaten by a bird. Several Brimstone, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock and Red Admiral also seen. Earlier I had the moth trap out for the first time and I had a few gems in there including a Herald and Twenty-plume Moth.
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Magnificent stuff, Bob.

You've got me even MORE keen to get out and about - hopefully the weather will allow me to indulge myself over the next fortnight in the same way that you have.

That 20 plume moth is a beaut Bob I had one in my bathroom last year but it wouldn't come out of the corner so I couldn't get a shot anywhere near as good as yours Good luck with the Pupae hunt.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Another day, and yes, once again the clouds gather. However, for an hour or so the sun was out and it was pretty warm. In this window I found a Slow Worm warming itself. I have also been hoping to improve my previous images of Orange Underwing moths which are a very frustrating moth as they are often on the ground, but very well camouflaged, and when disturbed they fly off zigzagging about and normally flying skywards!! Today I got lucky with the rarer Light Orange Underwing which when disturbed resettled on the ground and stayed just long enough for a quick shot, which really does show their camouflage when on the ground. Several Peacocks were also on the wing before the sun went along with a few Brimstone, Small Tortoiseshell and Comma. Later in the day 2 Speckled Wood showed up. However, the hoped for Orange-tips didn't appear today.
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Excellent Orange Underwing photo Bob, I caught a glimpse of one there the other day but it whizzed past and out of sight only giving me a brief chance to ID it. I didn't know that they often settled on the ground. I must see if I can spot one the next time I go.

I had a very limited time today but with the sun shining for a while I quickly headed to what would be described by the majority as 'wasteland' to see what I could find. Stinging nettles were everywhere and so were the butterflies with Small Tortoiseshell and Comma very active. A couple of Peacock and a Brimstone also made up the numbers. The Torts were looking for small fresh nettles for egg laying in between basking in the sun. I now have that satisfying tingle up the arm where the nettles got me!! As usual at such times I started to run a little late so I was rushing back home when I became even later as a newly emerged female Holly Blue fluttered down by me. I managed a record underside shot, but with the wind blowing she would not open up her wings for me. As I was there another Holly Blue flew over my head.
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Love the pic of the Holly Blue...hoping to get my first of the year over the next few days...weather permitting!

I also love the shot of the Holly Blue, hope they come out here soon Goldie

Thanks for the comments about the Holly Blue. I just wish it had hung around a bit longer and opened its wings. Going by how many seen in the first 3 days of their emergence it may be a pretty good year for the Holly Blue this year. Lets hope!!

Hi Bob,

Some great photos so far, really looking forward to further posts

Cheers,

Neil.

Cheers for your comments Neil. It was a poor day down here once I was able to get out. A 4 mile walk in fantastic butterfly terrain without seeing a single butterfly. The sun decided to appear at 4.15 but it was too little, too late as there was also a coolish breeze blowing. The highlight was actually finding a large flock of around 100 birds of Corn Bunting. I did check out the nettles where I had lots of Small Tortoiseshell the other day and I found some newly hatched larvae. A poor record shot in very low light was all I got!!

Dismal day here too Bob but good shot of the ST larvae - haven't seen them yet.

Today was the day that shows that whatever the weather it's always worth getting out there, because, you never know what you might find!!
With the chance of finding any butterflies today just about nil with the damp dull conditions I had yet another hunt for Wall Brown pupa. Yet again a dismal failure! However, I found a very small Wall larva as well as 2 tiny Emperor Moth larva. Once the back started aching too much I was thinking about the Emperor Moth wing from the other day and I decided to have a look around the bushes on the chance of finding my first ever Emperor Moth. Below is what I found!!
Even with the little wing damage it was a fantastic sight.

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Awesome!

Cor Bob what a cracking find! Seek and ye shall find

B'saurus

Spectacular stuff! It really is a lovely insect.