MikeOxon

[MikeOxon]

We had a somewhat frustrating short trip to South Wales, hoping to see the High Brown Fritillaries at the Alun Valley site. The forecast for Thursday (2nd July) was for rain in the morning, followed by a sunny afternoon, so we set off with the aim of having lunch near Bridgend, followed by an afternoon's butterflying.

In the event, the rain was still coming down like stair-rods at 3pm, so we decided, instead, to take a walk around old haunts in the waterfall country along the southern edge of the Brecon Beacons. At least, the River Mellte provided good views of Dippers - a favourite bird of mountain streams - and, as evening approached, the sun broke through, with splendid mountain and valley views.

The following day (3rd July) started warm and sunny, although there were warnings of heavy downpours for the afternoon. One hurdle to overcome was that the direct route to Castle Down was closed at the railway bridge near Ewenny, so we had to make a detour via Ogmoor-by-Sea! Eventually, we set foot on the Down, to be surrounded by clouds of Meadow Browns and, very soon, Fritillaries started whizzing by!

Many of the Dark Green Fritillaries were looking quite faded, whereas there were some much brighter-looking High Browns. I soon found that this was by no means an infallible guide and, because both species were extremely mobile, getting photographic evidence was, to say the least, difficult!

My wife established a 'base camp' near the Eastern end of the path across the Down, where there are large areas of brambles, which I hoped would be attractive nectaring spots. I spent some time fruitlessly chasing butterflies for photographs and, of course, when I returned to base, my wife reported that a High Brown had been happily nectaring on a thistle, close by her, for several minutes.

I decided to stay near the patch of thistles and eventually another High Brown Fritillary arrived and even showed its characteristic underside, though only from a distance

Castle Down, Bridgend - 3rd July 2015
Olympus E-M5 with 40-150mm lens - 1/400s@f/6.3 ISO400

It did come to one of the nearer thistles, where my photo shows the indented shape of the edge of the forewing, which usually separates this species from the Dark Green, although it is not always easy to be sure.

Castle Down, Bridgend - 3rd July 2015
Olympus E-M5 with 40-150mm lens - 1/500s@f/7.1 ISO400

As the afternoon wore on, the cloud was thickening and we thought that the forecast rain was probably on the way, so we made our way back westwards, along the path towards the slope down to the road. Although less sunny, it was still very warm and the Fritillaries continued their rapid patrols, with only the briefest stops for nectar.

Near the top of the descent back towards the road, there is another large area of brambles, which were regularly being visited - sometimes two or three Fritillaries chasing each other around a small area of bushes. It seemed that most of those at this location were Dark Green Fritillaries, as shown below:

Castle Down, Bridgend - 3rd July 2015
Olympus E-M5 with 40-150mm lens - 1/500s@f/7.1 ISO400

The green undersides contrasted with the much browner bodies of the High Browns photographed earlier:

Castle Down, Bridgend - 3rd July 2015
Olympus E-M5 with 40-150mm lens - 1/400s@f/6.3 ISO400

Apart from these two species, there were several much smaller and slower-flying Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries, which occasionally basked on bare ground amongst the bracken.

Castle Down, Bridgend - 3rd July 2015
Olympus E-M5 with 40-150mm lens - 1/500s@f/7.1 ISO400

In fact, golden brown colours seemed to be the rule, with huge numbers of Large Skippers, Small Heaths, and Meadow Browns. Some darker brown Ringlets were fluttering around the bracken and a few Small Tortoiseshells basked amongst the flowers.

Castle Down, Bridgend - 3rd July 2015
Olympus E-M5 with 40-150mm lens - 1/640s@f/8 ISO400

So, while I broke my 'duck' in terms of digital images of HBF, I didn't manage anything to rival my old film images, taken many years ago at Arnside Knott. The forecast rain never did materialise and we had a sunny drive back home, along the M4.

Mike

[Jack Harrison]

Your frustration comes over well Mike.

If it makes you feel any better, despite several [admittedly half-hearted] attempts, I have not see a Small PB Fritillary this year despite the fact that it is widespread on Mull.

Jack

[Willrow]

Good to note you 'nailed' your target species Mike, High Brown Fritillary can be frenetic in the heat, at least Old Castle Down is fairly open for the chase so unlike the other private parts of the Alun Valley where the species flies

That ruddy bridge work at Ewenny has gone on for an eternity and it should have been completed by the high summer tourist season...or at the very least the HBF season

Best Wishes,

Bill

"When in doubt - venture out"

[Goldie M]

Hi! Mike, I know about frustration, I felt it when trying to get decent shots of the Large Heath, at least you got some lovely shots of the High Brown's which is what you went for. Goldie

[MikeOxon]

Thank you all for your comments. It was a reminder that the large fritillaries are always difficult, with photography needing a fair dose of luck, so I was very pleased to be able to get a confirmatory underwing shot of an HBF. I never trust myself with in-flight and topside views alone.

I am very fortunate to have several good film images of HBF that I took at Arnside Knott, back in July 1996 - one day, perhaps, I shall get some digital equivalents

Arnside Knott - 21st July 1996
Pentax K1000 with Fuji film

Amongst the unhelpful factors yesterday was a lot of very noisy shooting from the nearby firing range - it was unpleasant but a relief to know that they were not firing at me - unlike those poor people caught up in the cross-fire in so many parts of the world.

[Jack Harrison]

it {shooting in South Wales] was unpleasant but a relief to know that they were not firing at me

That's confidence Mike bach

Jack

[MikeOxon]

it {shooting in South Wales] was unpleasant but a relief to know that they were not firing at me

That's confidence Mike bach

Contrary to some rumours, I have always found the locals in Wales very warm and friendly to visitors

[Jack Harrison]

Contrary to some rumours, I have always found the locals in Wales very warm and friendly to visitors

That is also true of 99.9% of Scots.

Jack

[MikeOxon]

That is also true of 99.9% of Scots.

excellent news - and, so that they don't feel left out, I'm sure that this is also true of the Irish. I regret that I've not visited that beautiful island yet.

[Jack Harrison]

Mike said about Ireland:

I regret that I've not visited that beautiful island yet.

Now we have an excellent fully furnished "holiday home" there going cheap - well almost prepared to give it away to avoid council tax, water bills, etc.

My biggest gripe about Ireland is that you can't buy corned beef. So I would give the country only 4 stars for that reason.

Jack

[MikeOxon]

Some people might think that unavailability of corned beef would improve the rating, Jack

Yesterday (9th July) , we took a pleasant afternoon stroll along the main ride from the car-park in Bernwood Forest. In my opinion, Bernwood has improved considerably in recent years, following the removal of a lot of conifer plantations, although I doubt we shall see a return to the glorious days of Pearl-bordered and Marsh Fritillaries any time soon! Other species, including Purple Emperor and Black Hairstreak have, however, been doing well in recent years.

Bernwood Forest, Main Ride - 9th July 2015
Olympus E-M5 with 12-50mm zoom - 1/500s@f/9 ISO400

When we arrived, at a little before 4pm, it was still very hot under bright sun, with no appreciable wind. Very sensibly, many of the butterflies and other inhabitants of the wood seemed to be taking a siesta, although it wasn't long before we saw our first Silver-washed Fritillary, taking moisture from some shaded leaves:

Bernwood Forest, Oxon - 9th July 2015
Olympus E-M5 with 40-150 mm zoom - 1/400s@f/6.3 ISO400

Otherwise, the grassy verges were full of slowly meandering Ringlets, many of which seemed unusually small - almost hairstreak-sized. In contrast, some newly-emerged Small Skippers were 'skipping' about in typical fashion, together with several of their Large relatives - both shown below:

Bernwood Forest, Oxon - 9th July 2015
Olympus E-M5 with 40-150 mm zoom

A short distance along the ride, there is a major 'cross-roads', with a small pond. This had attracted both Emperor and Broad-bodied Chaser dragonflies and then I noticed that there were quite a few Small Skippers probing the muddy edges of the pool, for moisture:

Bernwood Forest, Oxon - 9th July 2015
Olympus E-M5 with 40-150 mm zoom - 1/640s@f/8 ISO400

From here, there is a stretch of the main ride that I have often found good for both Purple Emperors and Hairstreaks but they were keeping well out of sight on this occasion, apart from the occasional flash of silver high in the tree-tops and a 'possible' rather distant PE (also high). We continued to a clump of thistles, opposite a log pile, which, as usual, was proving a magnet to several species, including Silver washed Fritillaries, Commas, and both Large and Small Skippers - quite a preponderance of orange colour and also much sparring between the species!

Bernwood Forest, Oxon - 9th July 2015
Olympus E-M5 with 40-150 mm zoom - 1/640s@f/9 ISO400

At last, the day started to cool down a little, but many butterflies were still keeping close to the damp grasses along the verges, where I photographed this Marbled White:

Bernwood Forest, Oxon - 9th July 2015
Olympus E-M5 with 40-150 mm zoom - 1/640s@f/8 ISO400

and then spotted a mating pair of Ringlets, fairly well-concealed amongst the grass stems:

Bernwood Forest, Oxon - 9th July 2015
Olympus E-M5 with 40-150 mm zoom - 1/160s@f/9 ISO400

Since my previous SWF shots had been females, I was pleased to spot a male quietly nectaring under the eaves of the wood.

Bernwood Forest, Oxon - 9th July 2015
Olympus E-M5 with 40-150 mm zoom - 1/500s@f/8 ISO400

As we came to within about 100 m of the car-park again, I noticed several Purple Hairstreaks looping around a clump of Oak trees. They did not deign to descend but I noticed, when looking through binoculars, that one male was basking with open wings, so I took a few long-distance photos. They are not good enough to stand on their own but a short animation shows the purple colouration well. It was curious that three bright spots seemed to appear when the wings were raised, though not visible in other positions. I thought it was an interesting example of how artefacts from light reflection can look like aberrant markings! (They're not just from the camera but were clearly visible through binoculars, too)

Bernwood Forest, Oxon - 9th July 2015
Olympus E-M5 with 40-150 mm zoom - GIF animation

At the same location, I had one of those 'PE moments' that turned out to be a White Admiral. It only paused briefly, before moving on to a bramble patch nearby. Although I went to look, I didn't manage to spot it, before accidentally disturbing it and sending it off again, along the ride.

Bernwood Forest, Oxon - 9th July 2015
Olympus E-M5 with 40-150 mm zoom - 1/640s@f/8 ISO400

Finally, I spotted something small and dark on the ride, in light that was now fading rapidly. It was a grounded Purple Hairstreak and, although it didn't open its wings, it gave plenty of opportunity to examine the finely-detailed undersides. In fact, it had a badly damaged forewing on one side, which allowed the purple to show through (it was a male) and made a few desperate struggles to take of from the ride, without success. We picked it up and placed it on a moist oak-leaf, where it settled down to roost but I doubt it had much chance of survival in that condition.

Bernwood Forest, Oxon - 9th July 2015
Olympus E-M5 with 12-50 macro lens - 1/30s@f/10 ISO1000

Overall, nothing very spectacular but a very enjoyable afternoon's butterflying, with plenty of other wildlife to see as well. At one point, I spotted this somewhat bedraggled Chiffchaff, still calling loudly from high branches:

Bernwood Forest, Oxon - 9th July 2015
Olympus E-M5 with 40-150 mm zoom - 1/800s@f/9 ISO400

Mike

[Goldie M]

I think every thing you saw was spectacular Mike, and fantastic shots too I've not seen a PH yet and none of the others this year either, I hope my luck changes next week when I go to Fermyn Woods but the way it's been going lately !!!!! Goldie

[Pauline]

Wonderful shots there Mike - Summer butterflies at their best (apart from the poor PH but great shot anyway). What a smashing place that looks

[MikeOxon]

Many thanks for your comments, Goldie and Pauline.

Bernwood is actually a complex of woods just North of Oxford. I usually park in the Oakley Wood Car park at SP 612118. Before WW2, it was a famous butterfly site, much visited by Oxford academics and students, but a large part was felled and replaced with conifers, during and after the war. It is now being restored to its former conditions, with Oak and Hazel planting. The Purple Emperor population has increased in recent years and it is also a good site for Black Hairstreak.

I've been enjoying watching these woods improve over many years, though I may also have taken one of the last photos of a Marsh Fritillary there, back in 1983.

Those Ringlets were not left to mate in peace but were frequently investigated by others (presumably males), as shown below:

Bernwood Forest - 9th July 2015
Olympus E-M5 with 40-150 mm lens - 1/160s@f/9 ISO400

Unfortunately, my shutter speed was too slow to 'freeze' the intruder.

Mike

[Wurzel]

Cracking Purp Mike, I haven't seen one down low for almost here years now

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[MikeOxon]

Cracking Purp Mike, I haven't seen one down low for almost here years now

On a couple of occasions, I've found them low down quite late in the day but it's largely a matter of luck, I think.

[MikeOxon]

Since it's pouring with rain at present, I thought I'd spend a few moments describing my experiences so far with the Olympus OM-D E-M5 camera.

For most users, I would probably recommend the cheaper (and newer) E-M10 model, which has some useful updates, although it lacks some of the more advanced features. For me, the weather-proofing of the E-M5 was an important factor but probably not for most butterfly photographers.

The E-M10 has a pop-up flash, whereas my E-M5 has a tiny clip-on flash, which is a pain to set up! I have bought a small Meike MK300 flash (only £33 from Amazon) as a more convenient unit, when needed in the field. I also have a flash extension lead, which is useful to provide off-camera flash, when photographing flowers, etc.

The OM-D is by no means a cheap camera and it does have a good quality feel in the hand. It's a complex beast, however, and I have had some problems in configuring it to my taste. I found a very helpful 'user guide' at http://www.dpreview.com/articles/911517 ... ympus-e-m5 , although I had to gain some familiarity with the camera before I could understand their recommendations! At first, the camera seemed to have a mind of its own but I have gradually managed to tame its autofocus settings and have re-programmed many of the buttons, to reduce the likelihood of inadvertently getting into strange modes!

If anyone is interested, my current set-up is shown below:

I have come to like the electronic viewfinder very much indeed. It is well-sized and very responsive; indeed, it's easy to forget that this camera is not a DSLR! One great feature is that it can be set to highlight any over- or under-exposed areas, which makes exposure compensation very easy to apply and ensures optimum exposure for the actual subject. For me, this feature alone gives the camera a real edge over a DSLR. I show the effect below (photographed off the rear screen but the viewfinder does the same and looks better) Typically, the thresholds where these warnings appear are adjustable!

I have now gained sufficient confidence in this camera, to pick it up in preference to my Nikon D300s. The performance of the 4/3 sensor is at least as good as the (older) Nikon APS-size sensor and the M-Zuiko lenses I have are all excellent. The autofocus may only be contrast-detection but it is very quick, although not really able to track fast-moving moving subjects, which the Nikon, with a good AFS lens, can.

I bought my camera as a kit, with 12-50, 45 f/1.8, and 40-150 mm lenses. Unfortunately, my 12-50 lens proved to be faulty, in that the focus sometimes failed to link to the zoom function. It had to be returned to Olympus for repair and, after a major electronics transplant (AF motor, iris control, and main circuit board), it now seems fine. It is a very complex design, with 'fly by wire' controls, which are intended for video users, but it does provide superb macro images, when used in the special 43 mm macro mode. (similar in effect to a 90 mm lens on full-frame)

The 40-150 lens is simply stunning, despite being a 'budget' model in the Olympus range. I tend to use it most of the time and it has provided me with some really nice butterfly images - remembering that its field of view is equivalent to 80-300 mm on a full-frame 35 mm camera. Olympus do not provide a hood as standard, so I've added a JJC 'clone' as a more reasonably-priced option. (Olympus add-ons do seem to be over-priced)

I have not made much use of the 'fast' 45 mm lens yet but it should come into its own in low-light conditions and it is reported to have superb optical performance.

For my purposes, the small size and low weight, coupled with a ruggedised body, are very welcome. There is not the range of lenses available as with, say, a Canon, but the main requirements are covered and a 300 mm f/4 prime is reputed to be in the pipeline - at a price! My next decision will be whether to maintain my Nikon system as well or commit entirely to Olympus!

Mike

[MikeOxon]

After a cold, wet spell, more like March than July, the sun finally broke through, yesterday (30th July). I decided to see what might be flying at Aston Rowant NNR.

Aston Rowant NNR - 30th July 2015
Olympus E-M5 with 40-150 mm lens - 1/500s@f/9 ISO400

I had hope to find Silver-spotted Skippers but, as luck would have it, a patch of cloud persisted in covering the sun for most of the afternoon, and a cold wind blew across the slope.

On the other hand, the cool conditions meant that the Chalkhill Blues were keeping close to the ground and resting with their wings fully spread. One had found some rabbit droppings that were, perhaps, a source of a little warmth as well as salts:

Aston Rowant NNR - 30th July 2015
Olympus E-M5 with 40-150 mm lens - 1/640s@f/8 ISO800

Others found some warmth retained by the many stones scattered over the slope:

Aston Rowant NNR - 30th July 2015
Olympus E-M5 with 40-150 mm lens - 1/400s@f/8 ISO400

Although I found several males, I only managed to find a single female, also keeping low amongst the stones:

Aston Rowant NNR - 30th July 2015
Olympus E-M5 with 40-150 mm lens - 1/500s@f/8 ISO400

While I had no luck with Silver-spotted Skippers (apart from one possible fly-by), there were lots of Small Skippers nectaring on the patches of Marjoram along the top of the slope. I spent some time watching them and also looking out for any Essex that might be amongst them. The majority were females and demonstrated how difficult it can be to separate these two species. Many Small Skippers have very dark ends to their antennae but the tip is chisel-shaped, with a light orange area on the underside, whereas the Essex have completely black rounded tips. All the individuals I saw were Small Skippers:

Aston Rowant NNR - 30th July 2015
Olympus E-M5 with 40-150 mm lens - 1/500s@f/7.1 ISO400

A direct head-on view was sufficient to show that this was not an Essex girl!

Aston Rowant NNR - 30th July 2015
Olympus E-M5 with 40-150 mm lens - 1/640s@f/9 ISO800

I was impressed by the adroitness with which these Skippers could steer their probosces into the florets of the Marjoram plants, as shown by the following photos:

Aston Rowant NNR - 30th July 2015
Olympus E-M5 with 40-150 mm lens - 1/640s@f/8 ISO800

Aston Rowant NNR - 30th July 2015
Olympus E-M5 with 40-150 mm lens - 1/500s@f/7.1 ISO800

Aston Rowant NNR - 30th July 2015
Olympus E-M5 with 40-150 mm lens - 1/640s@f/9 ISO400

By the time I left, many butterflies were starting to roost, including this Meadow Brown, showing beautiful marbled patterning on the underside:

Aston Rowant NNR - 30th July 2015
Olympus E-M5 with 40-150 mm lens - 1/500s@f/7.1 ISO400

Other species seen included Brimstone, Large White, Comma, Small Tortoiseshell, and Gatekeeper

Mike

[Pauline]

Pity about the lack of SSS Mike but you got some smashing shots especially the SS. I always think they are such charismatic and photogenic little butterflies

[MikeOxon]

Yesterday, 31st July, was significantly warmer locally, although cloud was still quite persistent locally. I wanted to try to see a rather rare bird, which I had never seen before - a Red-backed Shrike - that has been in an area of the Oxon Downs for several days.

The wheat fields along either side of the Ridgeway are looking very ripe and ready for harvesting but are also a butterfly-free area, so I knew there would be little chance of making this a dual-purpose trip.

Ridgeway nr. Blewbury, Oxon - 31st July 2015
Olympus E-M5 with 12-50 mm lens - 1/1250s@f/11 ISO400

The good news is that I did succeed in finding my quarry (a female Red-backed Shrike):

Ridgeway nr. Blewbury, Oxon - 31st July 2015
Nikon D300s with 300f4 lens + 1.4X TC - 1/1000s@f/5.6 ISO400

Meanwhile, back at home, there were several butterflies visiting my garden. Holly Blues seem to have been constant visitors since April, with no noticeable gap between the broods. On the other hand, they have proved very difficult to photograph, with a preference for only pausing high in the trees. I happened to spot one low down while I was photographing flowers and then managed clumsily to brush the branch on which it was sitting, so that it resumed its continuous patrol:

garden, Abingdon - 31st July 2015
Olympus E-M5 with 12-50 mm lens - 1/160s@f/6 ISO400

A Speckled Wood was more amenable since, as is usual for this species, it kept returning to the same spot after each of its frequent sallies:

garden, Abingdon - 31st July 2015
Olympus E-M5 with 12-50 mm lens - 1/500s@f/10 ISO400

The Climbing Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum ciliatum) in the garden were proving irresistible to Whites, so I took the opportunity to photograph this female Small White, resting after a bout of egg-laying.

garden, Abingdon - 30th July 2015
Nikon D300s with 70-300 mm lens - 1/500s@f/16 ISO400

Whites seem to be under-represented in photographs, partly because they are quite difficult to photograph well. I find that my Olympus helps a lot because of the over-exposure warnings displayed in the viewfinder (described in an earlier post) In fact, I am finding the E-M5 to be an excellent butterfly camera, partly because of this feature and also through the provision to show a magnified image in the finder, when using manual focus.

For comparison, I photographed a female Large White during my recent visit to Aston Rowant. These two species are not always easy to separate (and I hope I'm right with these!) but I think the key is in the black tips to the fore wings - more black round to the trailing edge in the Large.

Aston Rowant NNR - 30th July 2015
Olympus E-M5 with 40-150 mm lens - 1/640s@f/8 ISO400

My visit to the Downs was not completely butterfly-free, as I photographed a Gatekeeper in the overgrown 'garden' around the former Field Studies centre at Churn.

Ridgeway nr. Blewbury, Oxon - 31st July 2015
Nikon D300s with 300f4 lens + 1.4X TC - 1/180s@f/5.6 ISO400

Back to cool and cloudy here, today.

Mike