Cheers Wurzel. I've always headed to Cotley on or about May 20th, and been lucky. Though last year the were earlier and few were fresh. Thanks David. Marsh Frits really need to caught early when fresh, their full beauty is soon lost. Thanks Mike. My return trip to Cotley Hill was 268 miles, quite en...

A busy day indeed! enough to cause mental indigestion with that lot.
A for both Glanville shots, and the relaxing Peacock,
plus the novelty of travelling by tram to a butterfly site.

Parts of that journey sound like an endurance test!, but ultimately worth it.
Some sites we visit just aren't straight forward. Lovely shots never the less!

Enjoyed your trip to Wilts. In the right locations it's amazing how many
species can be found in a small area. The hills near Warminster are a great example.

Also a for your mating Greens & Dingy Skippers.

Greens on gorse! , a combo I've searched for and failed to find.
Also, belated congrats for your mating pair of GH's, must be near the top of desirable' in cop' finds.
Apparently Monday was the first day of multiple Marshie sightings at Cotley.

Great choice of pickles too!

Thanks Katrina & Dave. There were not many Marshies around on Monday, maybe 6 to 8.
Someone I was talking to said only one was seen at the weekend, so they had only just started.
Importantly all were fresh.

The Marsh Fritillaries from Cotley Hill 20.5.2024.

Your Dingy shot is the pick of the bunch! I found my first 2024 Dingy yesterday.

Cheers Paul. I can honestly say the only cloud I saw yesterday was on the drive home,
and this morning back to grey gloom! I saw my first Large Skipper last year at Cotley.

Your new camera would get plenty of exercise there, Katrina!

While waiting for the main event at Cotley Hill there was plenty to see, including two more new species for the year, a Large Skipper, and a Small Blue. Quite a few Grizzled Skippers presented themselves, as did two worn GH's. Seen but not photographed, a fresh Small Copper, Painted Lady, male Wall ...

Thanks Katrina. No Specklies today! Tilshead, Wilts. on my way to Cotley Hill. I arrived at Tilshead, from home at 8.15 this morning. The site was not as busy as usual as ' the Blues ' have hardly started. But the site did deliver two species firsts for the year, two Dingy Skippers and a fresh, male...

It was clear this afternoon that a second brood of Speckled Woods were on the wing. All were fresh, and lively in the warmth. The Cuckoo Trail has been virtually free of Specklies for the last couple of weeks, and the last I saw of them they were all worn. Another butterfly of interest was a hyper a...

Possibly an unwise decision not to send the family on an extended shopping expedition
on a day when OT's and GH are behaving so well! Great stuff.

PS. Might try the Hill tomorrow, weather looks awful from Weds onwards.

That is a Wall ab and a half, Mike! . I wonder if Bob Eade has seen it.
I'm off to Cotley via Tilshead soon, lets hope there are some treats awaiting.

Some interesting posts on this page, Neil.
Five target species in one day is great by any standards .

An extra for the cropped GH shot.
We only saw one other PBF While watching the mating pair, so three in total.

A very worthwhile visit to Cotley Dave, but it's never complete without a Marsh Frit.
I'm heading that way when the weather gods permit.

Well done getting GH on bluebell.
But the mrgreens are reserved for the ' roosting ' shots , top notch.
I'm off to Wilts soon, hope to get similar shots at Tilshead.

Thanks David, Wurzel & Neil. Mating Pearls and Green Hairstreaks on bluebells, who could ask for more in one afternoon. A visit to Rowland Wood this morning found quite a few very active Pearls, including a female which was obviously busy depositing eggs, while others were busy nectaring on the ...

OOOH they look nice, plump, and juicy Ben.
Thanks for the update, can't wait!