chaz Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 Back to Martin Down yesterday - conditions nigh on perfect, sunny with a cooling breeze. Butterflies out in force - adonis, common and small blues, brimstones, grizzled and dingy skippers, marsh fritillaries, and numerous moths (most too secretive to pose for a snap). Butterfly porn.... ..grizzled skippers and more butterfly on butterfly action.... ...adonis blues I know I have posted a similar snap before, but marsh fritllaries really are gorgeous.... I've been trying to get some decent shots of cinnabar moths for some time.... And finally (yes it's not a flutterby but it is beautiful)... ...a burnt-tip orchid. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 Spent this morning at Bentley Wood on the Hampshire/Wiltshire border. Plenty of speckled woods about.... ....and a lovely fresh large skipper - my first sighting this year. A very worn looking pearl-bordered fritillary (I believe).... and a much newer and brighter small pearl-bordered fritillary... Tricky weather - occasionally sunny and a cool wind keeping temperatures down so had little luck photographing the beautiful underwings of the pearl-bordereds, but did get this one (a small)... If we get a hot day soon I must go back and see if they will oblige me. Chaz 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Downendian Posted June 10, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 10, 2015 Beautiful photos Chaz, keep them coming. Neil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 (edited) This morning (the weather being so good) Sue and I went to Magdalen Hill reserve. There were a large number of male marbled whites on the wing searching across the reserve and only occasionally perching. These two fresh new undamaged insects did perch briefly - just long enough for me to get snaps. And what were they searching for...? A mating pair - the female is the brown and white insect. This was the only female we saw. Chaz Edited June 24, 2015 by chaz 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted June 24, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted June 24, 2015 Smashing photos Chaz I cant get the blighters to pose long enough! There was a pristine Burnet Moth in Cheltenham park yesterday but the blighter wouldn't keep still long enough for a photo... Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 Smashing photos Chaz I cant get the blighters to pose long enough! There was a pristine Burnet Moth in Cheltenham park yesterday but the blighter wouldn't keep still long enough for a photo... Phil Thanks Phil. You might need to wait a week or two. When butterflies and moths are very new they are usually on a mission - their imperative is to find a mate. The only time they will perch is to refuel - taking nectar from a flower - or of course to mate. In my experience orange tips are by far the worst - the best chance of getting any shots of the males is when they have just hatched and are drying their wings. Chaz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 (edited) I went to Old Winchester Hill this morning. I was hoping for painted ladies as I know they are about. I wanted photos of the underwing as this is particularly beautiful in this species. And (specially for Phil) I also got some some photos of a mating pair of five-spot burnets which I judge to be recently hatched - they are pristine. This is having your cake and eating it - taking nectar from the knapweed whilst coupling. It's a pity that the compression needed to post these photos has robbed them of some of their sharpness - the original RAW images are pin-sharp (but the files are 28-29 Meg so not internet friendly ). Chaz Edited June 27, 2015 by chaz 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted June 28, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted June 28, 2015 Many thanks for that Chaz! Cracking photos of beautiful Lepidoptera yet again... Phil 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 Sue and I were at the RSPB reserve at Titchfield Haven this morning and I bought a book in the reserve centre shop - "British and Irish Butterflies" by Adrian M Riley. A really useful book, not so much as a field guide (it is rather large) but it is stacked full of information on habitats, field tips and prime sites. I'm already thinking of a couple of three or four day breaks to suitable areas.... Chaz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 ERM - they are not butterflies.... ....and it's not spring.... ....but they are little sweeties..... Young avocets at Titchfield Haven on Sunday. Chaz 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted June 30, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted June 30, 2015 They sure are....!Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Checking through my shots of the the young avocets - I must have been watching the nearer one as I didn't see this at the time - it made me smile. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted July 7, 2015 Share Posted July 7, 2015 I spent a couple of hours on Saturday afternoon looking for silver-studded blues. There were quite a few about but the weather was against me - a breeze kept the heather in motion and made photography a real challenge. I did get two snaps but will go again if we get a warm still day soon. Very much a New Forest species (although they do occur elsewhere). The insect above is perched on bell heather - one of their nectar sources. Chaz 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted July 8, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 8, 2015 Stunning insects There was some good publicity on the Midlands news last night - photos of our only SSB colony in the Midlands in Shropshire... Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 Stunning insects There was some good publicity on the Midlands news last night - photos of our only SSB colony in the Midlands in Shropshire... Phil Devilishly difficult to get good photos Phil as they are so small. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 Checking through my butterfly snaps I came across this gem taken at Martin Down back in May of my favourite species, the marsh fritillary. Can't imagine how I missed posting this one. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 Sue and I spent yesterday morning at Alice Holt Forest on Hants/Surrey border. Lots of butterflies about... ringlet - these were numerous, although I spent quite a while trying to get a decent snap as they were very active. Lots of skippers about... I think this is a small skipper. The species I really wanted was the silver-washed fritillary... Lots of these about - big, bold butterflies flying through the clearings, perching briefly on bramble flowers and then flying up in to the tree canopy Chaz 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted July 11, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 11, 2015 High brown fritillaries - you are spoiling us today Chaz! Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 High brown fritillaries - you are spoiling us today Chaz! Phil I wish they were Phil - no, these are silver-washed fritillaries. According to my books there are no high-browns in Hampshire - the nearest sites for them would be in Somerset. Chaz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Downendian Posted July 11, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 11, 2015 You've convinced me Chaz. I'll be up early tomorrow am, camera in hand here in Devon - we have to leave for Bristol around midday. Neil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 You've convinced me Chaz. I'll be up early tomorrow am, camera in hand here in Devon - we have to leave for Bristol around midday. Neil Good luck with your search Neil. High browns are at their peak right now - two good sites for them in Devon (so I read) - Marsland Valley (SS 215 175) and Aish Tor (SX 703 707). Chaz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted July 11, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 11, 2015 (edited) Ah - the perils of butterfly ID! Thanks for putting me straight Chaz. Am off to the Severn Valley tomorrow - last time I went there were a lot of fritillaries on the buddlia outside the engine house, will try for photos if there again Phil Edited July 11, 2015 by Phil Bullock Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 Ah - the perils of butterfly ID! Thanks for putting me straight Chaz. Am off to the Severn Valley tomorrow - last time I went there were a lot of fritillaries on the buddlia outside the engine house, will try for photos if there again Phil "Ah - the perils of butterfly ID!" Yes indeed - particularly the fritillaries. It's the underwings that give the most reliable diagnosis - but you can't always see them - so one often has to rely on behaviour, environment and location. But I'm no expert - I rely heavily on my copy of Jeremy Thomas and Richard Lewington's excellent "Butterflies of Britain and Ireland" and the field guide which is a pocket version of it. Good luck in the Severn Valley, Phil - if you get some photos do post 'em on here. Chaz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chy Mengrowyn Paul Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 I am envious. Here in my part of Cornwall, it's been a very poor year. No Orange Tips seen for 2 seasons now and all other numbers are low. Great shots all. Formerly Cornish Triang Paul. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted July 21, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 21, 2015 "Ah - the perils of butterfly ID!" Yes indeed - particularly the fritillaries. It's the underwings that give the most reliable diagnosis - but you can't always see them - so one often has to rely on behaviour, environment and location. But I'm no expert - I rely heavily on my copy of Jeremy Thomas and Richard Lewington's excellent "Butterflies of Britain and Ireland" and the field guide which is a pocket version of it. Good luck in the Severn Valley, Phil - if you get some photos do post 'em on here. Chaz No luck with photos - not a flutterby to be seen! great day out on the railway though Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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