www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Hello world !

Welcome, sonomoha.

Thank you David (-:

March 26th 2017 - Stockwood open space, BS4

A short visit on this Sunday and I get to see these
small tortoiseshell (+12)
peacock (2)
comma (2)

no brimstone at all, the one i really long to see.
fortunately, it was hot warm enough for those above to be active in numbers. on the other hand, conditions were not good for macro because of the wind and also because for now they all still go to rest in their hideouts, under the spines, as sun goes down
with more flowers coming out, i hope to have some of these staying out at sunset.

Welcome from me too, Sonomoha. Looking forward to more of your photos. Brimstones are morning butterflies and can often disappear in the middle of the afternoon when everything else is still flying. Not easy to approach either.

Dave

And a welcome from me too...looking forward to seeing your posts through the coming season.

Cheers,

Neil.

You'll get your Brimstone eventually, sonomoha...they fly well into May and are one of the most conspicuous UK species.

That Peacock wasn't bad compensation!

A couple of days ago I watched a Brimstone Butterfly hurtling towards me. It settled on some Red Dead-Nettles just in front of me! That sort of thing seems to happen quite often.

You were lucky with that Comma, I reckon another day and it would have been an ex-Comma The Brimstones should be fairly easy to get and if the Spring brood prove difficult the summer brood are often more approachable

Have a goodun

Wurzel

millerd wrote:Welcome from me too, Sonomoha. Looking forward to more of your photos. Brimstones are morning butterflies and can often disappear in the middle of the afternoon when everything else is still flying. Not easy to approach either.

Dave

thank you Dave (-: I will try harder next week early morning.

Neil Freeman wrote:And a welcome from me too...looking forward to seeing your posts through the coming season.
Cheers,
Neil.

Thank you Neil (-: really impressive diary, from first entry

David M wrote:You'll get your Brimstone eventually, sonomoha...they fly well into May and are one of the most conspicuous UK species.
That Peacock wasn't bad compensation!

Thank you David (-: they are conspicuous and shy. none again this morning.

Mike Robinson wrote:A couple of days ago I watched a Brimstone Butterfly hurtling towards me. It settled on some Red Dead-Nettles just in front of me! That sort of thing seems to happen quite often.

I wish they could settle for two minutes, even very low... I need to make use of this new tripod now

Wurzel wrote:You were lucky with that Comma, I reckon another day and it would have been an ex-Comma The Brimstones should be fairly easy to get and if the Spring brood prove difficult the summer brood are often more approachable
Have a goodun
Wurzel

Hej Wurzel (-:
most commas I see in Stockwood are quite on the ex-comma side yes same for peacocks, but I had fresh little commas yesterday in another place that is not really looked after. cheers.

April 1st 2017 - Nightingale Valley, BS4
with a brighter sun, the winter people are out.
- comma (+10)
- peacock (3)
lots of commas but much less than last year (May 2016) when I first started looking for photography.
this is the first time i see a peacock in this area. also, the commas look smaller and "fresher" than those in Stockwood open space.
There are few other species I saw around in 2016 that I hope will show up again this year
(pieris napi, pararge aegeria, anthocharis cardamines, pieris rapae)

April 3rd 2017- Willsbridge valley reserve, BS30
Not much at all as for butterflies. Just one comma having a tan and I saw it at the very exit by the bridge.
This site is to revisit as it may (or not) have brimstones around. Yes, I still look forward to the first brimstone
Maybe, it is still early ? Avon reserves look deserted by butterflies besides the three usual suspects (comma, peacock, small tortoiseshell).
In the afternoon, I spotted a very tiny "blue" by a neighbouring garden. I am not sure for the specie but it was flying quite high and its blue was very remarkable. I hope it will show up again, closer

A blue flying high at this time of year is a definitely a Holly Blue I've still yet to see one this year

Have a goodun

Wurzel

@Wurzel I saw one last year by Leigh Woods but it was mid-summer. this one is quite early indeed.

April 7th 2017 - Nightingale valley, BS4
The place is full of ladybirds but no traces of winter butterflies at all. Too early in the morning. some blubells blooming and desperately waiting for butterflies to come in for a good night. In the meantime, I was just lucky enough to see what looks like a mayfly to me. See photo bellow. now, sorry again for this time. I really hope to see some butterflies around some time between next week and the end of summer

I'm sure if you find a good local spot tomorrow, Sonomoha, you will find plenty of butterflies.

It's still early April, so it takes until 11am before they're active in numbers, but the forecast for your part of the UK is excellent tomorrow, so all you need do is find the right location!

David M wrote:I'm sure if you find a good local spot tomorrow, Sonomoha, you will find plenty of butterflies.

It's still early April, so it takes until 11am before they're active in numbers, but the forecast for your part of the UK is excellent tomorrow, so all you need do is find the right location!

Thanks David for encouraging words. Advice always much appreciated.

Although we do have an extraordinarily good weather, I am afraid Bristol is about the worst area for butterflies so far Even commas have become rare right after a massive awakening of Marsh.
It looks like the places I walked through last year have been through some changes (no food plants for now) and the wait might be longer than expected for photography this year. I shall prepare for a trip to Gloucester
Let's just keep on enjoying the amazing blooming as it's here

April 14th 2017 - Eastwood Farm reserve, BS4
During a healthy slow walk in Eastwood farm, we spotted:
- speckled wood (in large numbers);
- green-veined white (1);
- small white (6).
- peacock (1)

All these are species I did not see in this area during my photography walks in summer 2016. There were quite a handfull of whites but I ca not quote without being sure which were they.

April 16th 2017 - Eastwood farm, BS4
Early morning visit shows there is none in lower ground. But it took about an hour have in invasion of speckled woods. This species seems quite in large numbers again in this area. The surprise of the day is a tiny Orange Tip, very very tiny compared to those I saw in May 2016 by Nightingale valley (bs4), less two miles down the road, or the two I saw on Avon river banks in Saint Philip's Causeway (bs4) further down on April 15th 2017.
(large numbers)
(one)


This area seems to host much more species than Stockwood, which is still slow to wake-up besides the winter beauties.
I will go back to Eastwood to look out for those whites I saw on previous visit.

Back home, the number of Blues flying high in the neighbours' garden went up from one to three. Likely to be Holly Blue. To confirm

Great shots of the Specklies and OTs Sonomoha Your high flying blues are Holly Blues as that is an almost perfect description of their behaviour I hope you can get some shots of them too

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Wurzel wrote:Great shots of the Specklies and OTs Sonomoha Your high flying blues are Holly Blues as that is an almost perfect description of their behaviour I hope you can get some shots of them too

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Thanks Wurzel (-:
at the moment, these blues are down a private garden I don't have access to but their shine is quite noticeable. I can only enjoy from far.
Maybe I should try and offer some cookies to the neighbours for access to the garden but then the Blues will probably disappear on me

April 17th 2017 - Eastwood farm, BS4

Early morning visit. The usual, lots of Specked woods. The reserve is really a nice place for them.
also counting these in a small open space next by the entrance to the reserve's café.
- Orange Tips (3) //these here still look oddly smaller to me than last year's
- Green-veined white (2)
One very playful Speckled Wood came along and I made some shots. Next time, if I make it earlier, I will probably have more luck with the orange tip and the whites.
for now, I already gave up on the brimstone since it is nowhere close physically I guess
++