Sylvie The dragonfly turned up at the swimming pool by the Casita we stayed in at Casares; alas, the only one seen during the week in early May 2014. We stayed at Penny Hale's (advertises in Atropos) which has a good range of insects on site; yet to upload other images. They have numerous migrant mo...

Guy Many thanks, that solves a mystery. It would be good to see the adult Provence Hairstreak sometime as well! Out of interest Sylvie, I saw a couple of Spanish Festoon larvae at the place we stayed in Casares, as well as adults. Some butterfly photos from the trip here https://www.flickr.com/photo...

Still trying to id this larva, ex. Tarifa, Spain May 2014. It would have been a good behaviour photo had my sister not cleared those 'horrible ants' from the larva! Any thoughts please? Looks like Polyommatus but the knock-out colour is odd.....

Thanks, Paul

Shirley Combining churches with butterflies is good! Saw my first Orange Tips and Holly Blues of the year at Fawley churchyard earlier this month, along with many Speckled Woods. The OT and HB were beautiful fresh specimens; not only that, it's a very pleasant walk around the area....made a change f...

Shirley If you go to http://www.learnaboutbutterflies.com/Butterfly%20photography%203.htm and keep pressing 'next' at the bottom of the page, you will find useful information on ring and twin flashes; reports on various cameras etc. I met the website author Adrian Hoskins at Stockbridge Down yesterd...

"Wow absolutely pristine PB Paul. About the Beetle, just nod if it was a Stag Beetle, I love them. " Gruditch It's mentioned on the Hampshire BC website! The others you mention should be out shortly, usually see lots in May. At 11am today, in more cloud than hazy sun, counted 7 Pearl-borde...

For those going to Bentley Wood, have a good meeting . I won't mention the beetle found at Pignal Inclosure in the New Forest today as I know some of you guys dislike these 'bugs', but great to see a Pearl-bordered Fritillary at nearby Parkhill Inclosure, absolutely stunning colours. Hope you manage...

Pity the category will be scrapped (and not because I have more butterfly release pictures!). Excellent 'fun' image from Gatekeeper, which must have deservedly had just about everyone's vote. It's the type of image the press would love, rather than a 'normal' butterfly picture, ideal publicity for s...

Interesting reports, good to see some people taking excellent bird photographs, as we await spring for butterfly searches..... The Hawfinch pictures caught my eye. I saw four at Blackwater Arboretum a few weeks ago (high up in conifers), but in the last few days one has been an occasional morning vi...

Tony Sounds like you are decided! I often use a Minolta ring flash with my Minolta Dynax 7D and 50mm Minolta macro lens. It's brilliant for dead insects (at A16 or A22) as the shadows are almost eliminated, I've taken thousands of pictures of type specimens*. The flash has the advantage of four swit...

On a different subject, with apologies if this issue has been raised in recent times. I find it rather odd to be able to see 'scores' when voting for entries - this may influence some people - for instance, if they felt someone on zero deserved a vote, they may not bother, or doubt their own judgeme...

Neil Great story, reminds me of the time I had the wrong setting on my camera, but I won't go into that. I do not have any more stories on the Purple Emperor, but my submission to BC Hamps & IOW for 15 July might amuse [seems like an eternity ago, since then found 2 x valezina in another localit...

Nigel I can only comment on past years, but if you go to Watlington Hill, park in the car park and there is a main track (running fairly near the main road), which leads you to slopes with, hopefully, many Silver-Spotted Skippers flitting around nectaring on low growing thistles etc. It's probably a...

Dave Great pictures / detail, good to see the whites making an appearance. It's annoying that White Admirals hanging around to be photographed are sometimes so tatty! I eventually obtained some good pictures of fresh White Admirals in the New Forest earlier this year, but it was hard work AND I lost...

Neil I did see your fantastic pictures from Fermyn on the purpleempire website and marvelled at your skills. Thanks for the tip*, I'll try again next year! I'll blame the weather on 4th July (the sun was hazy, at best, meaning the wings only opened briefly from time to time, so the window of opportu...

Mark You'll have to do a Risk Assessment on the cherry picker....! I moved to Brockenhurst in the New Forest in April this year, but still have a property in Slough, partly why I did not have time to search for Emperor moths around here, but there is always next year! I have been to two local moth e...

Trev I live in the New Forest now, but used to look for butterflies in that area. There is a car park on the right not too far after you cross over the M40: near here you should find various common butterflies and dragonflies. I found Watlington Hill (further up the road, plenty of parking) much bet...

Mark Thanks for your comments. I used a Minolta 50mm macro lens (1:1 ratio), with Minolta Macro flash attached to the macro lens [the kit consists of an adapter ring screwed on the lens, a lighting unit placed over the ring, connected to a control unit mounted on the camera's accesory shoe]. In indi...

daveyboy Thanks, I was lucky enough to have a whole hour with this beauty and get to within a few inches of it. Even so, I am annoyed to have missed 1) a photo showing 'purple' on all four wings (there is always next year, assuming the angle of the wings / light is absolutely spot on!) and 2) having...

Glorious accommodating Purple Emperor male on dung at Bentley Wood, 4 July. Minolta Dynax D7 with macro flash and 50mm macro lens, Hand held, F16 aperture priority