Goldie M

[Goldie M]

Thanks for your post's Wurzel and David, I did mange to get to Southport yesterday, we've had two days of rain here but yesterday was a lovely day so off we went.

It was a surprising day really because we saw things that were unexpected, I have four places I love to visit at Southport and the Dunes is always a must, we decided to go straight down to the end of the esplanade before the road carries on to Liverpool,( it's the same spot we saw the Gipsies at ) but they'd been moved on without much trouble so we were able to wander the Dunes there.
The first Butterfly we saw was a Small Copper, it was also the last at that spot! We moved to our second spot which was just down from there near the Pontins Holiday Camp, we walked down by the side of the large pond and the ducks swam round expecting some bread when we came to the Dunes the first thing we saw again was yet another Copper and also a Common Blue which was in good condition except for a small chip out of one wing, we carried on and saw lot's more Coppers but nothing else, so having got my fill of the Coppers we set off for our next spot.
This was by Victoria Park which we passed ending up by the Caravan Park where we had lunch in the car before venturing fourth again into the Dunes, has we entered this dark Butterfly flew towards me and over my head, I quickly turned and there was a Wall, just what I'd hoped to find but not in too good a condition, I was just pleased to find one
After that we saw even more Coppers and a really lovely female Common Blue and my surprise was a Brimstone that couldn't have looked any better when it landed on a Blue Daisy.
Our fourth spot was at Marshside CP the only thing we spotted there was yet another female CB which was also in good condition.
We set off for home after that and on arriving I saw my friend the Admiral who turned his ?her back to me this time
Also a pair of whites in the back garden doing a bit of courting A great day yet a gain. Goldie

[CallumMac]

Nice set of pics Goldie, and that female Common Blue is a stunner!

[millerd]

Callum has said exactly what I was thinking there, Goldie - great female Common Blues! And you are seeing lots of Small Coppers too - they are everywhere at the moment.

Dave

[Wurzel]

That Common Blue should really be given another name - she is a stunner Brilliantly lush shots of the Coppers as well - even got a sneaky Blue badger in there

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Andrew555]

You have seen some lovely stuff recently Goldie. Very nice.

[Goldie M]

Many thanks Callum, I've just enjoyed looking at your Small Copper's

Many thanks Dave, I was surprised to see the Common Blues, I'd got the idea they were finished so I was pleased to see them

Thanks a lot Wurzel, each time I've seen the Copper's there's been a Blue Badge amongst them, lucky, or is this unusual

Thanks Andrew, it's been an unexpected surprise to see them after the weather we've had up here lately.

When i posted last time I couldn't remember the name of the flower's I saw the Brimstone on, ( Micklemas Daises ) I hope I've spelt it right Any way with it raining out side I'm cheering myself up by posting some pic's of the Butterfly on them Goldie

[trevor]

A great selection of late Summer species, Goldie.
The prize has to go to that female Wall Brown,
lets hope she has entertained the gentlemen,
and there is a strong brood for next year.
Fresh Small Coppers and Common Blues up your way too.

Best wishes,
Trevor.

[Maximus]

Lovely to see a Brimstone, Goldie, and on Michaelmas a Daisy too also some stunning Small Coppers and lovely Common Blues, especially that female

Mike

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Goldie, good to see you are seeing some nice butterflies up there, lovely looking female Common Blue

Cheers,

Neil

[David M]

A yellow Brimstone on a blue flower! Not much trumps that, Goldie, so 10/10 for capturing it.

[Wurzel]

Great shots of the Brimstone Goldie Hoggers has reported that Blue badgers seem more prevalent in the later brood

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Thanks Trevor, I hope the lady Wall had a good Summer, I'll be back there next year to find out

Many Thanks Mike, i just stood there at first when I saw the Brimstone on the Daises it looked so perfect

Hi! Neil, thanks for that, the weather's gone down hill since then, we've had nothing but heavy rain , hope fully they'll still be some Butterflies a round.

Thanks David, I hope the weather we've had lately hasn't done too much damage to the Brimstone

Thanks for that Wurzel, I did wonder about seeing all the Blue Badges

Well! because of the weather we've seen no Butterflies for a couple of days but the Spiders have started to come inside from the Garden, I don't mind the small ones but I give the large ones a wide birth Of course this means the weather is now definitely Autumnal, so I wasn't surprised when I looked out yesterday morning and saw the Woodies having a feast on my Neighbours edge I just had to take this shot Goldie

[Goldie M]

Very windy yesterday but much warmer with a little Sun, the Red Admiral returned but it was high up in my neighbours garden, so trying to get a shot was a bit awkward It's the first glimpse of a Butterfly since the 5th of Sept so I was determined to get some thing Goldie

[ernie f]

Just going back through your last page of posts, Goldie. Love the Brimstone on the Michelmas Daisy (I had to look up the spelling!).

Also you managed to get the Red Ad showing both wings' undersides at the same time. Love it.

[Goldie M]

At least you got the spelling right ernie I put a k in there I thought the Brimstone looked great too even before I took it's photo and the Admiral didn't come back today, we'd lots of rain again over night and although it's been sunny we've had a very cold wind. The Whites were here, they've had a great season

Today was a mixture of wind and sunshine, the wind was cold, the Sun was hot, if you could find a sheltered spot it was was great,
trouble is there's not too many sheltered spots a round us, in spite of this I still got a Small White in the Garden, the rain on the flowers was still wet when this little Butterfly flew in onto my Yellow flowers, it's the very first Butterfly I've seen on those flowers this year, which is unusual having seen posts I've entered from previous years, so I couldn't resist posting it, I just hope it's not the last I'll see on the flowers
This afternoon we had a walk to Hall-Lee-Brook , we'd to put our coats on because it was too chilly without them but they only BF I saw was a Speckled Wood which was in very good condition considering the weather we've had and a White Fungus which under -lined the fact it's Autumn, I don't know any thing about Fungus so I'm not sure what it's called, I hope the weather goes a bit warmer before the season ends Goldie

[essexbuzzard]

Your mushroom is a Shaggy Ink Cap, Goldie.

Good to see your Bowles Mauve Wallflower is still getting visitors...

[Wurzel]

Good to see you're still in the butterflies Goldie Autumn is indeed on the march and there are more and more fungi around now

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Encouraging to see you're still getting winged visitors, Goldie. Your garden clearly holds lots of appeal for butterflies.

[Goldie M]

Thanks for ID essex, thats about all we've had to photo lately The weather's been awful here loads of rain and cold winds since I last posted: My Boules Mauve took a beating with the hot weather and when I came back off holiday I thought I'd lost it, I cut it way down and with all the wet we've had it's sprung back now we just need a few more Butterflies

Hi! Wurzel, we were in the Butterflies for a short while in-between showers Some have been seen at Brockholes CP but it looks like we could be in for a storm next week so I'll have to wait and see what the weather has in store

Hi! David, I've had to cut the Buddeia down because the rain and the wind have spoiled the flowers, but I've tried to cut them to where a new bud might produce more flowers, I've still got one in the front garden which is defining the odds so hope fully if the weather does take up I'll venture there Also my Boules Mauve has come back better than I thought on the back so there's still hope

That's all I can say at present unless by some miracle we get a bit more Sun today. Goldie

[David M]

Hi! David, I've had to cut the Buddeia down because the rain and the wind have spoiled the flowers, but I've tried to cut them to where a new bud might produce more flowers...

I've been doing the same to mine, Goldie. I pruned it late (early April) but it had still largely gone over by mid-August. I'm finding that the new flowers are much smaller though, and even they are now on their way out.