www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Right then - this is doing my head in

Do Orange Tips ever actually LAND?

I've spent my last three lunch breaks following them round my local park - and I haven't seen one land yet!

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...

You and me both mate, drives ya mad don't it

Hope alls well with you, havnt seen ya around much

See

http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/forum ... ng-me.html

where I've replied there. You're not the only one having problems!

Cheers,

- Pete

What I try to do if I cannot photo a particular butterfly, I make a sugary solution of sugar, water and mashed up apples and leave it where the butterflies can see it and sometimes they'd land on it to feed and I'd get my shot. I have got a few tricky species that way, not sure if it help your problem.

Pete has good points on the other Forum, but the simple solution is to wait. They'll be a lot more accomodating when they are older. Sadly, the colors will suffer as well.

Hi
I have also had problems in the past with Orange Tips,my solution is to try and find them early in the morning before they are too active although thats not always easy!
I have attached an early morning shot
regards
Mark

This young lady sat still for about 10 minutes for me this morning







Martin.

Then there's the possibility of catching them when they have something to do...

Too bad they don't fly here yet, so this one is three years old with a camera I had back then. I really need a re-take on that one.

So to prove a point, I went to Bentley Wood this morning and it was *very* cool until about 11am. But I did find this critter on Cuckooflower:



And when the sun came out it did this:



And the bonus of the day was this:



As far as the Orange-tip is concerned, the temperature is definitely the main factor. The critter shown above flew when the sun shone, and didn't when it ... er ... didn't

Cheers,

- Pete

Great shots Pete. i find butterflies fly best in early-late afternoon in bright warm sunshine. I see best times are between 1-4pm for butterflies.

I think it depends on the species Dave. Some butterflies (such as the Purple Emperor) are most active early morning and late afternoon. Purple Hairstreak are most active in the very late afternoon.

So - knowing that Orange-tip "fly best" after 11am and don't stop, I deliberately got to Bentley Wood before then

Cheers,

- Pete

If the butterfly never stops flying that need not be a problem:




:)

Well that's true - and you get more interesting shots to boot ...

Cheers,

- Pete

Hi Pete,

Loved the link with the tales of Orange-tip woe. My worst tormentor was a Red Admiral though, which spent an hour or so flying backwards and forwards along a woodland path, always contriving to fly off the moment I pressed the shutter...

Hey! I actually saw one land today! WoooooHoooo....

It landed - I got one shot from about 5m away - then off he flew Grrrrrrrrrr

Amazing shots Peter !
We went walking through Monkwood in Worcestershire and orange tips repeatedly buzzed us as we walked though it & non stayed still at all !
I can understand why Mad Edwardians charged around with massive butterfly nets

Martin
( http://www.mgnastro.org/wildlife.html )

I saw a number settle today, but only on cuckoo-flower and only briefly. Photographing them was not easy!

Catch them when they've got their few neuron cells occupied with other things.
Taken last year...

Lets see. The first ever shot of an orange-tip I got was a good one. I saw a patch of cuckoo flower and some orange-tip in area. Waited around, got the shot (needed tripod). I also managed to get GV White in same flower later on.



I am going back again soon to get some more. Really not that hard. Just patience. I chased one around and back to cuckoo flowe and snapped it. Thay don't sit long enough, but you only need a few seconds to get a shot. I saw the butterfly going to land and pressed shutter and got it feeding a 2000sec later. Anyway, I am pleased.

Is this the Irish sub-species or what type is it? Just like to know.

Now I have got upperside, how would I get resting position as it never really seems to rest?

Pete Eeles wrote:Well that's true - and you get more interesting shots to boot ...

Cheers,

- Pete

Well done!

That's an exceptional 'in flight' shot. Would be interested to hear the full story of how that was taken. If it was a 'oneoff' exposure, rather than one in a series of rapid exposures, even more remarkable.