chaz Posted June 25, 2018 Share Posted June 25, 2018 All this talk of white admirals....here are a few more snaps taken today and last week, two of them at Upper Barn Copse, just north of Fair Oak in Hampshire. I have been trying to get a good shot of the underwing and that is closer. Closer still! Huge exposure range with some of the insect in deep shadow and some in bright sun. It's a tribute to my new camera that I was able to use some tricks in Lightroom to find detail in both areas. The other two shots were taken in Crabbe Wood near Winchester. These butterflies are really frustrating to photograph, they are very easy to spook and when you do manage to get close they never seem to pose as you want. Chaz 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted June 26, 2018 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted June 26, 2018 More cracking photos gentlemen - many thanks, they are wonderful! Havent seen too many myself this year - but sat out on decking at dusk last night I was pleasantly surprised by the traffic! A lot of butterfly activity including one which settled on our soffit boards for the night - but too high to see what he is, suspect tortoiseshell.... Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb67 Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 This little fella perched on my girlfriends hand at the weekend, think he wanted his photo taken! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 (edited) 32332056_10215998106727550_3721214615065985024_n.jpg This little fella perched on my girlfriends hand at the weekend, think he wanted his photo taken! Holly blue is taking salts from your girlfriend's hand. Edited June 26, 2018 by chaz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Marlin Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 I've just returned from a holiday in Elstal, in Germany, and I saw a couple of species worthy of note: a swallowtail, a pair of Queen of Spain fritillaries, and - the real prize, this one - a Scarce Copper. Which was an extraordinarily beautiful creature, which I totally failed to photograph! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 I've just returned from a holiday in Elstal, in Germany, and I saw a couple of species worthy of note: a swallowtail, a pair of Queen of Spain fritillaries, and - the real prize, this one - a Scarce Copper. Which was an extraordinarily beautiful creature, which I totally failed to photograph! A good list - I have only ever seen one Q of S and that when I was a beginner and didn't know what it was. It was only several years later when I was reviewing my photos with a view to deleting the dross that I spotted it for what it was. A poor photograph but a species I am unlikely ever to see again, so it has to be a "keeper". It was taken on Old Winchester Hill near Droxford in Hampshire. Chaz 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetmorgan Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 Caught this little chap on a plant, variety of Achelia I think, at work as I was leaving on Monday. I got out van driver to take a couple of pics on his Iphone. I don't know the variety but I'm sure someone with greater knowledge will oblige 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonny777 Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 It looks like a Large Skipper to me. It is difficult without a little more indication of size, but the antennae seem to have rather pronounced markings. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 (edited) Caught this little chap on a plant, variety of Achelia I think, at work as I was leaving on Monday. I got out van driver to take a couple of pics on his Iphone. I don't know the variety but I'm sure someone with greater knowledge will oblige It's an Essex skipper - black tips to the antennae, otherwise it would be a small skipper - it lacks the wing markings of a large skipper. Not particularly rare but less numerous than the smalls or larges. Chaz Edited June 26, 2018 by chaz 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetmorgan Posted June 30, 2018 Share Posted June 30, 2018 Interesting article on the BBC website https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-44399804 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted June 30, 2018 Share Posted June 30, 2018 Interesting article on the BBC website https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-44399804 For interesting read depressing. Most of our wildlife is suffering and a long term decline appears to be accelerating. It's a great shame and we don't seem to be able (or want) to do anything much about it. The efforts of the various conservation bodies do help but it's going to take more than they can deliver on their own to avoid an environmental catastrophe. I'd like to be optimistic but all the evidence is against it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted July 3, 2018 Share Posted July 3, 2018 (edited) As an antidote to my last (rather pessimistic) posting... On Sunday I went to Alice Holt Forest (near Farnham) hoping to see the elusive purple emperor. I saw several but only got photos of two. This is the first one I saw, within minutes of my arrival. It landed on the path ahead of me but flew off before I could get closer. The next three photos are of another insect, a bit battered I'm afraid. It's the fate of many of the butterflies that use brambles as a nectar source. That's not my hand! The bloke who picked it up from the grass later put it on the fence post. Chaz Edited July 3, 2018 by chaz 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetmorgan Posted July 3, 2018 Share Posted July 3, 2018 As an antidote to my last (rather pessimistic) posting... On Sunday I went to Alice Holt Forest (near Farnham) hoping to see the elusive purple emperor. I saw several but only got photos of two. This is the first one I saw, within minutes of my arrival. It landed on the path ahead of me but flew off before I could get closer. 850_5743-2.jpg The next three photos are of another insect, a bit battered I'm afraid. It's the fate of many of the butterflies that use brambles as a nectar source. 850_5800-3.jpg 850_5787-2.jpg That's not my hand! The bloke who picked it up from the grass later put it on the fence post. 850_5777.jpg Chaz Just to give you some optimism in the pessimism https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/wildlife/8509858/Heatwave-brings-explosion-of-rare-butterflies-in-Cotswolds.html Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted July 3, 2018 Share Posted July 3, 2018 Just to give you some optimism in the pessimism https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/wildlife/8509858/Heatwave-brings-explosion-of-rare-butterflies-in-Cotswolds.html Yes, indeed. One of our most beautiful butterflies, but the flight period of the adult insects will be over now and the species will survive as caterpillars until next spring. Here's one I photographed in late May 2016. Little gem. Chaz 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted July 6, 2018 Share Posted July 6, 2018 (edited) I have just got back from two days at Swanage, searching the Dorset coast for the rare Lulworth skipper. It can't be found anywhere in Britain except on the coast between Swanage and Weymouth. They turned out to be numerous along the coastal path, particularly at the Durlston Country Park just south of Swanage. However the first photo is of one I found on Ballard Down north of the town. Not a spectacular butterfly, very small as all skippers are but marked out from the other species by the arc of lighter patches on the fore wing. Although I did see a lot of Lulworths I could only photograph the ones that perched. it would take a much better photographer than me to get a shot of one in flight - they are tiny. The picture above is of a pair. The female (on the left) is taking nectar from the flower, whilst the male (on the right) is whirling his wings - probably a courtship display. I did see lots of other species - here are a selection of my best shots. gatekeeper marbled whites female silver washed fritillary grayling dark green fritillary (the green colour is on the underside!) More later - if you would like them... Chaz Edited July 6, 2018 by chaz 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted July 6, 2018 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 6, 2018 Yes please Chaz ! Clocked a blue and a fritillary in Sandford Park Cheltenham today - I suspect a silver washed, thought I saw one last week too... Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted July 8, 2018 Share Posted July 8, 2018 (edited) Yes please Chaz ! Clocked a blue and a fritillary in Sandford Park Cheltenham today - I suspect a silver washed, thought I saw one last week too... Phil Phil - you can usually (but not always!) ID the two large fritillaries on environment. Woodland clearings? It's a silver-washed... Grassland, large meadow or downland? It's a dark-green... Of course if you are on a meadow next to a wood it gets more difficult! ------------------------------------------------------ A few more snaps from Durlston small heath - to make a decent picture you need the insect to perch nicely. This one did. small blue - never easy as these insects are our smallest butterfly small skipper - very similar to the lulworth but lacking the sunrise pattern on the forewings brown-tailed moth - my camera had real problems acquiring focus on this moth - possibly the almost total lack of contrast did it. What success I had (and I shot lots of duds) were manually focussed. Chaz Edited July 8, 2018 by chaz 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb67 Posted July 15, 2018 Share Posted July 15, 2018 Caught this on my Lavener this morning, I dont know what it is but they seem pretty common around here. Steve. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetmorgan Posted July 15, 2018 Share Posted July 15, 2018 37183190_10217663270280505_5202303240636465152_n.jpg Caught this on my Lavener this morning, I dont know what it is but they seem pretty common around here. Steve. We have loads of these in the garden this year. Oddly hardly any sign of any other species except for the White Admiral a few weeks back and a couple of brown butterflies compared to last year when I had loads of Meadow Browns, Peacocks & Red Admirals all over the flowers. Even managed to get another couple of butterflies in flight although quality is again a bit dire, I really need better camera equipment. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Co-tr-Paul Posted July 15, 2018 Share Posted July 15, 2018 (edited) Green - Veined White and Large White. valarian still being swamped with Silver Y moths every night but no Hummingbird Hawkmoths yet. Edited July 15, 2018 by Co-tr-Paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted July 15, 2018 Share Posted July 15, 2018 37183190_10217663270280505_5202303240636465152_n.jpg Caught this on my Lavener this morning, I dont know what it is but they seem pretty common around here. Steve. Very good shot of a large white, Steve. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 Four photos taken recently. Essex skipper - very similar to a small skipper but marked out by the "dipped-in-ink" tips to its antennae. The camouflaged underside of a peacock. The same peacock displaying its upper side - with the "eyes" evolved to scare off predators. A large white on a knapweed flower with a marbled white approaching intent on sharing. it was rebuffed! A speckled wood. It was so hot it only opened its wings briefly - most of the time they were tight shut and edge-on to the sun. Chaz 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 I photographed some silver-studded blues in the New Forest a couple of weeks ago. These tiny butterflies were present in large numbers on the heathland. The scales that make up the silver studs, on the spots on the underside of the hind wing, seem to wear off fairly quickly. These two insects show no trace of the studs. The upper insect of this mating pair still has the silver studs, here reflecting the blue sky. Chaz 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb67 Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 Done the Butterly count yesterday and counted 26 of the white ones and 19 brown ones, gatekeepers. I also counted 1 bright yellow one which I think was a brimstone according to the chart. Steve. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 37705673_10217722624084313_6448144713424830464_n.png 37592923_10217722624204316_2143776872180219904_n.png Done the Butterly count yesterday and counted 26 of the white ones and 19 brown ones, gatekeepers. I also counted 1 bright yellow one which I think was a brimstone according to the chart. Steve. Steve, it's most likely that a yellow butterfly is a male brimstone - lemon yellow. The only other yellow butterfly we have is the clouded yellow which is more of a chrome yellow colour. Both of these species always perch with their wings tightly closed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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