Janet Turnbull

[Janet Turnbull]

I could be wrong but I think those first 3 images of ovipositing long tailed blues is actually a Lang's Short-tailed Blue

Having looked them up on the wiki, I think you may be right. The first three don't have that distinctive white mark seen on the others. In which case it's another first for me! Thanks Paul!

[Padfield]

Hi Janet. Buggy is absolutely right - that is a Lang’s short-tailed blue.

I have made a page here: http://www.guypadfield.com/butterflyhouse.html where you will find all the butterfy-house butterflies you posted, and probably most or all of any you didn’t post. I leave you the challenge of seeing if you can!

Guy

[Janet Turnbull]

Hi Janet. Buggy is absolutely right - that is a Lang’s short-tailed blue.

I have made a page here: http://www.guypadfield.com/butterflyhouse.html where you will find all the butterfy-house butterflies you posted, and probably most or all of any you didn’t post. I leave you the challenge of seeing if you can!

Guy

Thank you Guy! A wonderful resource - and I have identified my three as: Forest Giant Owl, Tiger longwing, and either a True Cattleheart or an Iphilamus Cattleheart (what a name) as mine isn't showing any edge spots.

[David M]

Nice set of reports, Janet. You've certainly enjoyed an eclectic mix of species lately.

[Chris Jackson]

Hi Janet,
I've enjoyed looking at your photos and reading about your adventures.
The photo of the Woodland Grayling (from Sun Oct 22, 2017 11:39 pm) looks a little like H. semele, but I'm not sure - worth a second glance - I stand to be corrected.
Cheers, Chris

[Padfield]

The photo of the Woodland Grayling (from Sun Oct 22, 2017 11:39 pm) looks a little like H. semele, but I'm not sure - worth a second glance - I stand to be corrected.

It is indeed semele (grayling). On the other hand, the rock grayling looks distinctly like woodland grayling. These two are difficult to tell apart with certainty but I'd definitely lean this way.

Guy

PS - glad you found my butterfly house page useful, Janet.

[Janet Turnbull]

The photo of the Woodland Grayling (from Sun Oct 22, 2017 11:39 pm) looks a little like H. semele, but I'm not sure - worth a second glance - I stand to be corrected.

It is indeed semele (grayling). On the other hand, the rock grayling looks distinctly like woodland grayling. These two are difficult to tell apart with certainty but I'd definitely lean this way.

Guy

PS - glad you found my butterfly house page useful, Janet.

Chris, Guy: I looked long and hard and seem to have got them all wrong! Thanks for the corrections.
Janet

[Janet Turnbull]

25th October
Out for a ramble at Bollington near Macclesfield, Cheshire. Lunch was at the cafe at Clarence Mill - a place so popular we had to sit at tables outside. A Red Admiral was nectaring on the hebe bushes and took little notice of us. Eventually the sunshine moved off and she flew higher up the mill building to where the sun was still warming the walls and settled on a white windowsill.

[Janet Turnbull]

I wonder if anyone can identify this egg - it was on a blackthorn close to a couple of Brown Hairstreak eggs at Gait Barrows 0n 8th November. It was the BrHS I was trying to photograph but the camera focused on the one I didn't see!

[Janet Turnbull]

Ah - I see Tom Dunbar has already asked the question and it has been ID'd as a possible Green-brindled Crescent moth.

[Janet Turnbull]

No sign of any overwintering butterflies yet.
I took part in the Big Garden Birdwatch and saw two bluetits and a blackbird, which was a very disappointing total. Next morning there were bluetits, coal tits, great tits, a robin, a dunnock and a pair of blackbirds, but I had already sent my result in.
Delighted to discover yesterday that the long-tailed tits have returned, and I managed this shot of one of them.

[Wurzel]

That's always the way isn't it Janet - hardly any birds on the Garden Birdwatch and then the next day buket loads Great Long-tailed Tit shot
Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

I too am seeing lots of Long Tailed Tits, Janet. They're beautiful birds, with a captivating and delicate squeaking call, almost mouse-like.

They are present in numbers by my workplace though I rarely see them in the garden areas of my estate.

[essexbuzzard]

Murphy’s law, Janet! You did well with your long tailed tit picture, though, as they rarely sit still for long.

[bugboy]

Looks like it's Long-tailed Tit season at the moment!

[Goldie M]

I agree, loads of Long Tailed Tits in my Garden at present. Goldie

[Janet Turnbull]

Still no butterflies. I wonder if this cold weather will mean a late season for them, or will it have killed them off? I fancied I saw a yellow butterfly - could only have been a Brimstone - flit across the end of the garden the other day but it had vanished by the time I got as far as the window.

[David M]

Fear not, Janet, this cold weather won't kill the butterflies off, but it will retard emergences somewhat, just like it did in 2013, and look what a good season we had from May onwards in that year! It was easily the best since I moved to south Wales in 2008 so give things a week or two and I think you'll see normal service resumed.

[Janet Turnbull]

That's very heartening, David! Let's hope that will be the case.

[Goldie M]

Hi! Janet, if the Butterflies came out now there wouldn't be many flowers for them, so like David say's they may be late but the cold weather will stop them coming out, looking back over the last few years at the Winter's we've had I saw my first Small Tort, on March the 5th in 2016 but I didn't see my first in 2017 until March 23rd, looks like it could be even later this year but they will arrive when the weather goes milder Goldie