Pauline

[Wurzel]

Grizzlies have now been reported form Wiltshire Pauline I really like the third Grizzlie, almost a deep purple in colour, gurt lush

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Pauline]

Thank you for your concern Ernie. The exercises I have been doing for that hamstring injury are working a treat

Cheers for that Neil - and the kind words. Would you consider me a lazy so-and-so if I asked you how to tell the difference? Actually, I should just look it up. In fact, I should already know

No worries Dave - it's bound to happen some day. I hope you had a great time (even without me being there ) and thank you for the info re callophrys - I'm always learning something from this site.

I realised the colour/pattern was a bit different David but I had never heard of Oburther's. I have now tho'. I looked it up and see exactly what you mean. I'm pleased you liked it.

Thank goodness for that Wurzel!! How far behind a 'normal' season do you think they are? I am trying to work out if I can get to your hill this season .

Today has been hot and incredibly busy so it wasn't until 5.00pm that I arrived at Noar Hill. The intention was to see how many Dukes are emerging and hopefully see GH but time was against me. I was surprised to see 8 cars when I arrived and someone told me he had seen 12 Dukes but had been there a few hours. By the time I was half way across the site I had seen 6 ......

but then my attention was diverted by 2 female GH egg-laying as if their lives depended on it - oviposting on anything and everything it seemed in a fast and furious manner. It was quite challenging to keep up with just one of them but this is the little lady in question and a shot of her future off-spring. I have hardly seen any GH this year and yet here they are egg-laying:

[Goldie M]

Great shots of the Dukes Pauline and the Grizzlies, I must set off and try to find some in Flintshire, it's only an hour a way while the weather stays good a couple of greens for you.

[Wurzel]

Absolutely cracking Dukes Pauline I'll keep you posted about the Hill, it's difficult to say whether the Marshies will be late emerging as they could catch up with a run of good weather

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

I envy you your Dukes on your doorstep, Pauline. This species is a 3 hour round trip for me and I may miss out on them (in the UK at least) this year due to the late season. Yes, it’s surprising to see egg-laying Green Hairstreaks so early in their flight period, but these insects have no time to waste, and given the generally poor conditions thus far in 2018 it’s no shock to see them making haste the way they clearly are!

[Maximus]

Hi Pauline,
great to see you posting again. Some brilliant Dukes, Green Hairstreaks and Grizzled Skippers. Must get to Noar next week.

Mike

[millerd]

Interesting about the frantic egg-laying activity from the Green Hairstreaks, Pauline. The one I saw last week at Bedfont Lakes was similarly single-minded, and I came across a few in various spots today and all were females looking for places to lay.

Dave

[Pauline]

Cheers Goldie, I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. Good luck!

I'd appreciate that Wurzel as you never know, I might just find a window of opportunity

I do try not to take them for granted David and I really appreciate being so close to the Brown Hairstreaks. I am sure you are absolutely right and clearly Dave has noticed the same thing but in contrast I have seen no evidence of Dukes egg-laying yet despite being there at the right sort of time.

Hi Mike, thank you for your comment. I suggest you bring plenty of liquid and sun cream - it's hot up there, even early evening and I'm getting burnt to a crisp Look forward to seeing you both again but it definitely won't be next week

Thanks for that input Dave. It's always interesting to know how the butterflies are behaving elsewhere as I have noticed behavior can vary with location and habitat quite significantly.

As I’m effectively ‘grounded’ due to domestic issues and the arrival of roofers tomorrow I thought I would take the opportunity to document some of my activities over the winter. By the time I’d completed that upholstery and Christmas had been and gone I was champing at the bit to get out again to hopefully see a few bird species that were new to me. Report of a flock of Hawfinch at Chawton was just too close to home to miss out on and despite it being so close I had never actually been there. I found it to be a charming, quaint little village lying within the South Downs, the home of Jane Austen for the last 8 years of her life.

Not sure what the significance of this was on the main street

6ft tall garden ornaments

One of a number of different cats on various roofs

It wasn’t difficult to locate the flock. They had a very distinctive look when in flight but they remained near the top of trees that were about 80-100 ft tall. It was difficult to see them with the naked eye and my binoculars were not quite up to the job either. Undaunted, using a tripod and with camera on full zoom and a very close crop, this is the best I got. Recognisable but more than a little disappointing.

A few days later on 13 January I set off to see the Bearded Tits at Farlington Marshes. To quote from the HIWWT:

"Farlington Marsh is one of the Trust's oldest reserves and one that visitors return to year after year. This site is a coastal grazing marsh and lagoon which has several pools, both freshwater and brackish, and a broad stream which provide feeding and roosting sites for waders and wildfowl. It is internationally important for the bird population that is supports, such as bearded tit, sedge and reed warblers. Many flowering plants have also been recorded here, including unusual species such as sea barley and corky-fruited water dropwort."

It wasn’t long before I was treated to a wonderful display from these birds which was highly amusing and entertaining and I spent far longer watching than taking photos. Timing was key – as the birds land on the reeds their weight caused the reed to bend and they were catapulted out of sight! I realised I was doing little towards my aim of improving my bird photography but I had enjoyed the spectacle so much I didn’t care.

Still buzzing from this latest encounter I set off on 16 Jan to see 2 Barn Owls at Titchfield reported to be in a ‘split tree’. Well, I had no idea what a ‘split’ tree was or even where it was to be found – but I was sure I’d find it. On arrival I asked at the visitor centre but they didn’t know either. They pointed me to a track and said owls had been seen flying about 20 mins walk along the track. Recent heavy rain had left this track quite treacherous. Honestly, I have never known mud to be so slippery – it was like sheet ice. There was no room for manoeuvre with a stream/river at one side and a fence at the other so I tentatively continued at a slower pace than normal. It was a really cold day and not a soul to be seen – no-one to ask. 90 minutes later I was on the point of turning around when a dog walker approached. For once I was thankful to see him. He told me exactly where the birds were 5 minutes further on. Turns out their location was only about 50 yards from another car park!!!!! The dog walker had failed to tell me that it wasn’t possible to get anywhere near these owls as they were at the far end of a field which had a fence around it. So, another shot on full zoom and close cropped. I was actually surprised to see Wood Pigeons surrounding the predators. After 5 minutes of photography I started my return trek. I was running a bit late now and tried to make haste but that only resulted with me lying flat on my back in the mud – twice!!!!! Luckily my thick coat together with the mud cushioned the blow but the resultant bruises were a great deal more remarkable than this photo . An outing that will always be remembered for all the wrong reasons!!

[ernie f]

Love the Bearded Tit shots. Farlington Marsh is always a good location for birds and the saltwater plant life is interesting and sometimes unusual (in summer).

I am green with envy over the Hawfinches at Chawton. I did not know they had arrived there this winter. You probably know I could walk to that location from my house if I felt fit enough!

[David M]

Interesting to see some of what you got up to during the winter, Pauline. Bearded Tits and Hawfinches are well worth getting out for, although you went above and beyond in pursuit of those owls, lovely though they are!

[Pauline]

Thank you for your comment Ern. You need to keep your eye on NatureTrek reports.

You might be surprised at some of what I get up to David I tend to agree with you re Owls tho especially given my level of photography. If it had been a great shot then I might have been able to justify the pain

A hectic day as expected with more to come. However, even around 6.oopm last night there was some activity at Noar with 8 Dukes being counted, 3 of them females. A territorial Comma allowed me a few shots as did one of a couple of egg-laying Holly blues.

In my diary summary from last year I touched upon the subject of monitoring butterflies in the wild. I am always in awe of the folk who do this as it is far more challenging than just rearing butterflies (in my very limited opinion). First, you have to find your subject. Next, you have to take the time and trouble to visit regularly. Then there is the frustration and disappointment if it 'disappears' - perhaps predated or wandered off. I imagine seeing it through from start to finish happens fairly infrequently. Nevertheless, I am going to give it a go with whatever I come across that ignites my interest. It has to be said that rearing at home first is educational and prepares you for what to look for and where, and also enables comparisons to be made between the two. I shall try to ensure that all subjects are at the same location simply to facilate the process and so I shall start with last night's Holly Blue. This is the little lady and one of her eggs:

Over the weekend I had GVW and OT also egg-laying but in the garden - very handy! I didn't manage to get a shot of the adult OT who laid this egg as I didn't want to disturb her (hope the hens don't eat them ):

...and just to put it into context:

[David M]

I love the way you pay particular attention to some of the more rarely seen butterfly behaviour, Pauline. The images of the ova are always interesting....and how do you manage to get all those species to present their profiles so willingly on such a hot day?

[Pauline]

I guess I've always been interested in animal behaviour David and the butterflies are just an extension of that. As for the profiles, well, I guess it was the heat cos it has been scorching in some of those sheltered pits even at 6.00pm!

In the past I have reared Brown Hairstreaks at home and managed to get shots of the larva emerging from the egg. However, with thoughts of monitoring BH in the wild this season, 23 April found me on Noar Hill looking for wild eggs. I didn’t think I was too late. After all, everything was late this season wasn’t it? However, the first 6 eggs I found had all hatched. More worryingly, I could find no sign of any larva.

I was about to call it a day when at about 2.15pm I struck lucky. I found 2 eggs on the same Blackthorn that were both in the process of hatching. I was just sooo excited. I took a few shots and decided to hang around as from previous experience I know this species can take a few hours to emerge from the egg.

14.33pm

16.41pm

The weather wasn’t all that favourable either – cool and cloudy a lot of the time with brief periods of sun. I took regular shots at intervals but as time went by little progress was being made. I hung around until about 5.45 when I had to leave but the emergence was no further forward. I wasn’t sure what would happen as by now it was totally overcast and really quite chilly but next morning I was back by 9.00am to find both eggs had hatched and there was no sign of the larva. Now these are very small ‘stand-alone’ bushes so any larva should have been easy to locate despite their amazing camouflage. I have shown these eggs to several folk since who have also failed to spot any sign of them.

Undeterred I decided to look for some more and on 27 April I found 3 eggs that had just hatched in another part of the site and this time I was delighted to see 2 tiny larva.

At the time of taking this shot I only noticed 1 larva but as you can see there are obviously 2

Close-up view



I checked them again on 1 May:

… and again on 2 May:

It was clear that this pair were thriving and so I checked them again on 4 May which was the last time I saw them. I am not too hopeful but perhaps they’re still there somewhere. I shall keep checking!

[Goldie M]

That's really great Pauline, I hope you find them okay, they're on my wish list has you know for this year but I've to try for the Grizzled Skipper before I search for them You certainly have patience Pauline, I don't think I could hang a round all that time.Goldie

[Art Frames]

Pauline

Yesterday as I was photographing Dukes in Bedfordshire I hoped to see some pairing - but there was no sign. Your shots are just wonderful. i'm envious of your expertise in finding the action. Unfortunately I doubt that I'll get back there in the near future...but you have inspired the thought.

[David M]

Patience pays off! Well done with your search, Pauline. These are tiny creatures so you've put some effort into finding and photographing them.

Let's hope they go on to have a fine year.

[Andrew555]

Great Grizzled close ups Pauline, and a beautiful side view of your garden Speckled Wood.
Love the Dukes as well. And well done on your egg and larva efforts.

[Pauline]

I'll be so pleased for you when you find your Grizzlie Goldie. I am certain you will. Thank you for your generous comment

That's a massive compliment Peter but on this occasion I just got lucky as the butterflies flew towards me as I was chatting and immediately paired up. Something to aim for in the future eh?

Cheers David Yes, it does take some time and effort but is certainly more satisfying than if someone else points them out. Perhaps it's a sense of achievement I could become addicted to Watch this space

I was pleased too with that Speckled Wood Andrew - somehow I rarely get good shots of them. I appreciate your comment but you have been taking some very nice artistic and creative shots yourself eg Grizzlies

Just in case anyone is interested there were 2 male Pearls at Stanstead this morning. In the time I was there I only saw one of them stop just the once and very briefly. I was only able to grab a distant shot:

Of more interest to me (honestly) were the Green Tiger Beetles. There were loads (dozens) of them. I was captivated by their striking colours and the diversity ranging from emerald to olive green and on the underside from pale blue to turquoise. They were all along the paths and a few had even been squashed (not by me I hasten to add). The shots I took of them cost me dearly as I left my specs on the ground. I returned to look for them but no sign.

I am relieved that things are slowly returning to normal here. The Wood Pigeon I have been rearing has now been relocated to a place with another 2 of the same age and they will all be released together in a few days.

[David M]

PBFs really ARE late this year, Pauline. Normally, they're starting to look a bit battle weary by now. Give it a week and the females should afford you better opportunities to get close.

By the way, good luck with the wood pigeon. Hopefully it will pull through and be able to be released soon.

[Pauline]

Thank you David. I'm confident that the Wood Pigeon will be fine as she's now feeding herself and flying well

I thought I'd pay a late afternoon visit to Noar Hill to try to find those BH larva - or any BH larva. All I found tonight was this:

The leaves were covered in them - all waiting to pounce on me .... but I'd come prepared. With my plastic disposable gloves I was ready for anything :

Among the several late flying Dukes that I saw I came across this one - similar to the one Bob saw in 2014 and listed on this site as an unclassified aberration:

I turned my attention to Duke eggs. If previous years are anything to go by I was going to have to find a fair few as they are mostly predated. Time was against me tonight so I stopped when I had found 3 batches:

On my way back I decided to check 'my' Brimstone eggs which had recently hatched. I could see at least half a dozen little lime green cats sat on the top of the leaves - couldn't have been any more obvious if they'd tried so it will be interesting to keep an eye on these to see how quickly they are eaten.

I also came across another Green Hairstreak egg, well hidden, great camouflage:

... and lots of OT eggs everywhere:

A quick check on the Holly Blue egg and then it was a quick dash back to the car. Not a bad result for 90 mins