Marek (The Annoying Czech)

[The Annoying Czech]

I see you're enjoying yourself with your new photo kit. I did notice the images of your Russian equipment higher up - it does look like really solid stuff.
That photo of the 2 minimus is great but it makes me wince because coincidentally I had my first sighting of a minimus today, but the quality of my photos with my Panasonic FZ150 does not come up to your level!! Keep 'em coming.
Chris

Thanks, of course those lenses are still underprized, respecting its bokeh (!), personality, VERY solid built (body) and sometimes contrast/sharpness, but the prizes are climbing up fast as the demand grows. I may recommend some to anyone interested, but I am not taking the consequences of any kind (like curing from a new obsession, bad ebay deal or scratched camera mirror)

I actually tried to substitute my smashed up macro with Tair 300/4.5 (as probably the sharpest old lens I have) with one extension ring with surprisingly pleasing results. Tested on early evening Boloria euphrosyne from various angles (backlight, sidelight, closer, farther) and I think I could go for more detail with more rings actually put on without having troubles with light. Main problem is the lens is really fat and heavyweight, so that I had to improvize with my knee serving as a tripod. Now I am less limited to do less detailed bokeh-oriented shots, but still more or less dependend on early morning/early evening conditions with a very mild sun.

Anyway - in one of the rare (partly) sunny days I tripped to Wallachia and Northern White Carpathian Mts. and its typical juniper pastures.

It has been raining nearly till I came to the locality, but working with old crazy lens in the backlight, this was actually my great advantage (more dew, and longer).

For the time reasons I am not posting and postprocessing everything - too much troubles with work, stupid weather, and general lack of money

Take care, dear Islanders


Marek

[The Annoying Czech]

My macro lens is about to be repaired but for more than half of my monthly wage (it's app. 500 GBP, don't laugh ) so I have to work more and elsewhere for extra cash. Also, my sleep routine is definitely gone, as I do some overtimes and lot of butterflying (which involves getting up VERY early, or skipping the whole sleeping process). Very nice.

At least I got another lens for free this week, it's Helios 44-2 -a Russian classic I sold twice already

Meanwhile, I learnt to use this...



...with some extension rings as a fake-macro. Which was going well so far:

Actually, despite having old lens only, I've never been happier in field, don't remember having such a fun with lens, because now it is really HARD and CHALLENGING.

Conditions: a Carpathian pasture with BAD orientation for early morning photography, from 7 to 9 a.m., f between 5.5 and 8 or even 11, mostly from shadow but against the sun (not direct sun, that those old lens probably wouldn't handle; a sun flashing by between bushes and scrubs, I had like 30 sec for optimal lighting with Tair... it's almost science ), my own knee and ant-hill as an improvised tripod

This German lens...



...does a bit different show...

...having, I think, crappy performance with extension rings (it was obviously put down before taking this set of photos) but best bokeh ever from the lens I've ever holded in my hands. Atmosphere achieved in counter-light from position in shadow.

The lens is NOT sharp (nowadays) but very lightweight and quite fast, very easy (unlike Tair).

Another wacky Russian tank, Tair 133...



...bores me a bit but I discovered it reacts quite interestingly under a certain angle against the sun. However, I mostly don't have a time for this, I'd say overall very popular, lens I have in MINT condition

(I just saw my photos are fairly high in Google pics under a "Tair 133" keyword. So it's probably not that popular. It's still just... retro underground


In 3 a.m. I'm heading to Palava Mts. and Podyji National Park (Thayatal) in another sleepless night of mine, to see and hopefully shoot mnemosyne, populi, dorylas, athalia etc.



I'll be probably listening Jim Morrison not to fall asleep...

,


Marek

[William]

Those Sooty Coppers and Small Pearl Bordered Fritillaries are stunning Marek

[The Annoying Czech]

Those Sooty Coppers and Small Pearl Bordered Fritillaries are stunning Marek

Thanks. It's butterfly conversation about butterfly conservation !



The southern trip I wrote about above was rather a photographical disappointment. Clouded Apollos were worn. I was worn.

I fell asleep in a car under a strong sun and suffered a smaller sunburn. Nice.

Tair 300/4.5

Tair 300/4.5

Tair 300/4.5

On the other hand, my chinese EXA to EOS adapter for this has finally arrived:



Some fragments of my recent experiments, with just as trippy and crazy bokeh as I expected. Best old lens bought so far, also the most expensive (and it's getting more and more expensive literally day-by-day, with every other auction).

Get one!

Meyer Trioplan 100/2.8

Meyer Trioplan 100/2.8

Meyer Trioplan 100/2.8

Rest of the photos comes from butterfly monitoring at Moravka Valley, north-eastern Beskydy Mts. Really nice area, a bit butterfly-poor, though (for me). Very nice people actually, I was offered Slivovitza two times (I apparently look trustworthy and harmless with my butterfly equipment). A bit like Eastern Europe, but safer

I could travel easily without a single drop of water in there, so many clear brooks, so many wells (with kind owners).

Meyer Trioplan 100/2.8

Meyer Trioplan 100/2.8

Tair 300/4.5

Tair 300/4.5

Helios 58/2

Helios 58/2

LMF butterfly is from the swamp in my village, the only solid one, rest of them are in a truly disastrous condition, often wooded (succession).

With (1) and without (2) ISO correction made with my new plug-in. Both photos are a bit wrong, though. Didn't manage to handle the lens right.

Meyer Trioplan 100/2.8

Meyer Trioplan 100/2.8

And I'm still planning to move into UK with a car this Autumn.

Naviděnou!


Marek

[The Annoying Czech]

Nothing important happened this days, I continue enjoying switching between my old lens. Also, hundreds of Lesser Marbled Frits have just emerged in the last couple of weeks, but females seems to have a pretty big delay so far. So many fresh males awaits! So I tried to shoot males under various circumstances, as well as with various lens.

(The reason why hundreds, if not thousands on such a small place per season is scarcely, or rather never, mowed bog/moor with expanding Filipendila ulmaria.)

Aren't they beautiful?

Meyer Trioplan 100

Meyer Trioplan 100

Tair 300 and the extension rings

Meyer Trioplan 100

Meyer Trioplan 100

Tair 300

[Chris Jackson]

Nice photos and comments Marek. One or two of the photos have a slightly blurred background, nothing to do with the Slivovitza by any chance?
Chris

[The Annoying Czech]

Nice photos and comments Marek. One or two of the photos have a slightly blurred background, nothing to do with the Slivovitza by any chance?
Chris

So you know the local habits ...

[David M]

Marek, we UK-dwellers aren't familiar with many of your species. Any chance of letting us know what your photographing?

Great images, by the way.

[The Annoying Czech]

Hi, David.

Actually, there are Sooty Copper, Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Granville Fritillary, SPBF, Chequered Skipper, Queen of Spain Fritillary, Pearly and Chestnut Heaths, Heath Fritillary, New Forest Burnet, Woodland Ringlet and Lesser-marbled Fritillary on the photos (from top to bottom). Lots of Lesser-marbled Fritillaries.

Today I've counted 100+ of those creatures during my transect walk, mostly lingering over flowering raspberries. Even although females are still mostly in pupas.

Could send you some to UK for some crazy introduction without any population stability risks


One bonus picture from yesterday's seeking for achines (Woodland Browns). Of course I didn't find any. Our forests are so ugly, so dark. From time to time, they very scarcely occur here from Poland. One colleague of mine was so lucky to find one last year nearby.

[David M]

Thanks for that, Marek.

Your woods may be lugubrious but your range of species is something we can only fantasise about.

[The Annoying Czech]

Another trip... was very variable on biotopes and species-rich, good for photography.

This day's aim were limestones in Stramberk, Wallachian meadows and pastures of Lusova valley, and two various White Carpathian steppes, all along the Slovakian border.


Early morning Stramberk was reasonably rich on worn Apollos. Nevermind, it's a little big boring place anyway.

Apollo, Tair 300

Apollo - with highly crappy compositon, Meyer Trioplan 100

Stramberk - Kamenarka, Helios 44-2

As expected, Lusova valley was full of fine species, but I focused on - very fresh and locally very common - big Fritillaries, including somewhat scarcer Niobák

Niobe Fritillary, Meyer Trioplan 100

High Brown Fritillary, Meyer Trioplan 100

High Brown Fritillary, Meyer Trioplan 100

High Brown Fritillary, Tair 133

Even so, it was thermophilic aspect of cascading abandoned pastures of Terasy natural reserve that was most rich on butterflies by far. Huge, huge numbers of Marbled Whites and, most importantly, various lycaenids. Hundreds, if not thousands soon-to-be-sleeping butterflies was the best possible invitation for my damn old lens.

I've seen both Green-underside and Alcon Blue for the first time, nice memories really.

Marbled White, Tair 300

Alcon Blue, Tair 300

Green-underside Blue, Tair 300

Drslavice - Terasy, Helios 44-2

The closure was left over to Certoryje natural reserve, already a classic.

Weaver's Fritillary, Tair 133

Weaver's Fritillary, Meyer Trioplan 100

Nickerl's Fritillary, Tair 300

Alcon Blue and Niobe Fritillary are actually ranked as CR here. Next aim - tyrphobionts! Ratatatata!


Marek

[The Annoying Czech]

So I arrived to a selected cranberry moors at Czech Canada... As early as possible not to miss the best sunlight...

Cranberry Fritillary, biotope

And not to miss some of its gems vulnerable, moveless, fresh and covered with dew...

Cranberry Fritillary, Tair 133

Of course many damn roads has been closed on my way, as it is very usual in the heart of Europe... So, according EXIFs, I barely photographed before 8 a.m.

Cranberry Fritillary, Tair 133

Strangely, it turned to be the site most successful on photos by far...

Cranberry Fritillary, Trioplan 100

Aquilonaris was pretty numerous, yet not seen anywhere else... Males, females... Some almost riding on the pale horse, some just hatching into this world...

Cranberry Fritillary, Trioplan 100 stopped down at f/5.6

Diamina, another nice hydrophilous butterfly

False Heath Fritillary, Trioplan 100

During my specific site monitorings I encountered some really crazy marshy places - and at one of them I made equally crazy photos of considerably hungry and aggressive Large Walls, battling for one or two twistles

Large Wall Brown, Telemegor 180

I switched from one lens to another and didn't see a thing in the strong noon sun so no picture was really sharp but, on the other hand, I've never caught such an interesting scene...

And this is my favourite I value the most from the whole year so far

Large Wall Brown, Telemegor 180

This was a lovely find too - Hungarian Glider spreading westwards. Even this animal is able to colonise sunny shores of the bogs. As you may see from PP, snapped under a very bad conditions

Hungarian Glider, Telemegor 180

Amanda's Blues where somehow present as well. Generally said, the whole area is apparently cold but yet (very) good for butterflies, not mentioning beauty of the landscape

Amanda's Blue, Trioplan 100

Family of local landscape photos by Ivan Kozlík

Very important is my car still holds together somehow ...

My good old Clapustine

I stopped at one Southern Moravian steppe canyon site on my way home during another bloody detour

Mohelenska hadcova Step, Southern Moravia

My Trioplan was very solid here under quite strong late afternoon sun

Nine-spotted Moth, Trioplan 100

I tried to snap a nice Spotted Fritillary as a sweet ending, but I was too tired and the biotope was too windy, so it was just rubbish


To be continued later, Marek

[David M]

Wow! Is Hungarian Glider a Czech species, Marek?

[The Annoying Czech]

Wow! Is Hungarian Glider a Czech species, Marek?

Hi, most definitely. Probably an Austrian too, haven't checked it yet but makes sense.

The species is very local but tend to be very common, if not dominant, in the area of distribution as its host plant, Spiraea sp., tend to be common (if not dominant) in the area of ponds, bogs and swampy river/pond shores.

Since the host plant is spreading and the butterfly is known to be very capable colonisator, it is often found in the distribution border areas, like in my case. However those animals are usually too nimble to photograph.

Mostly, Spiraea sp. present = Hungarian Glider present. Unlike Cranberry Fritillary. Seen host plant 5-10x during monitoring, but the sole Cranberry Frit population.

Btw, I consider the best Hungarian Glider biotopes to be too ingrowing, unkept and ugly. In nicer, well-kept and widely butterfly-friendly biotopes Gliders tend to be rather solitary, colonising just a few Spiraeas growing at the meadow/forest shores and so on. Also at the shores of bogs/swamps.


Here are some commoners from my village and northern valleys of Beskydy Mts. (another monitoring, but far more boring). Those ones could be more familiar to you.

Meadow Brown, Trioplan 100

Marbled White, Triotar 135

[The Annoying Czech]

A short report from two monitorings of Czech Canada and Moravka valley in the northern Beskydy Mts.

Ringlet, Tair 133/2.8

False Heath Fritillary, Tair 133/2.8

Mr. machaon, if you meet many of those, you could get an overdose

Swallowtail, Trioplan 100/2.8

If I recall correctly, this was an early morning frozen situation

Swallowtail, Trioplan 100/2.8

Those animals was actually pretty deep in the forests! Couldn't believe to see them fresh in early July. Two weeks later the second generation was already on the wing.

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Tair 133/2.8

Couple of hours later I was a bit bored with a normal Swallowtail photos, so I tried something fiery. Did not end up as I expected, though.

Swallowtail, Trioplan 100/2.8

Those were tame. Both Purple Emperors and Lesser Purple Emperors.

Purple Emperor, Trioplan 100/2.8

Purple Emperor, Tair 133

Meadow Brown, Northern Beskydy Mts., Trioplan 100/2.8

Between those two trips I got back my Canon lens repaired for a really dismal amount of money. So I was absolutely ready to produce very sharp but also very boring "normal" photos again

Weaver's Fritillary, Canon 180/3.5L Macro

Tried to change this pretty soon, though. The colors may be very nice but the sun is somehow regular with the modern lens. Putting old lends on, the sun would be pretty irregular, coned and sexy.

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Canon 180/3.5L Macro

As a photo target, HBF was a PROBLEM for years, actually. So I could one nice looking female, let her freeze at night in the net and got up before the sun once again.

High Brown Fritillary, Canon 180/3.5L Macro

Not caring about sharpness that much, I consider Trioplan shot to be better again. But this one is probably technically best I have ever made with, lacking any typical Trioplan f/2.8 problems (softness and lack of sharpness wide open).

High Brown Fritillary, Trioplan 100

High Brown Fritillary, Canon 180/3.5L Macro

Essex Skipper, Canon 180/3.5L Macro

Rear wing detail of aglaja.

High Brown Fritillary, Canon 180/3.5L Macro

And finally some biotopes.

I consider Novy Vojirov to be maybe the nicest and most cosy village of Czech Canada. Good hearted people, nicely colored butterflies and really, really wild peat bog I might have drowned behind the village. I slept there in the car.

Landstejn Castle. A boring place for me.

This lovely photo was taken by a friend of mine, David, while I was looking for butterflies, and represents a typical countryside of the region.

Some biotopes of Beskydy Mts.

This is all early and middle July stuff. To be continued: pursuing Damon Blues, a couple of trips to Southern Moravia, butterfly vacation at Croatian former military ranges, and a car accident

See you


Marek


P.S. if anyone's interested, here is the list of species I wrote down during monitoring.

Code: Select all

druh
aegeria
aegeria
aegeria
aglaja
aglaja
aglaja
aglaja
aglaja
aglaja
aglaja
aglaja
aglaja
aglaja
aglaja
aglaja
aglaja
aglaja
aglaja
aglaja
aglaja
aglaja
aglaja
aglaja
aglaja
aglaja
aglaja
aglaja cf.
aglaja cf.
aglaja
aglaja cf.
amandus
amandus
amandus
amandus
amandus
amandus
amandus
amandus
amandus
amandus
amandus
amandus
amandus
amandus
aquilonaris
aquilonaris
argiolus
argiolus
argus
argus
argus
argus
argus
argus cf.
argus cf.
atalanta
atalanta
atalanta
atalanta
atalanta
atalanta
atalanta
atalanta
atalanta
atalanta
atalanta
atalanta
atalanta
athalia
athalia
athalia
athalia
athalia
athalia
athalia
athalia
athalia
athalia
athalia
athalia
athalia
athalia
athalia
athalia
athalia
athalia
athalia
athalia
athalia
athalia
athalia
athalia
athalia
athalia
athalia
athalia
athalia
athalia
atomaria
atomaria
atomaria
atomaria
brassicae
brassicae
brassicae
brassicae
brassicae
brassicae
brassicae
brassicae
brassicae
brassicae
brunnearia
c-album
c-album
c-album
c-album
c-album
c-album
c-album
c-album
c-album
c-album
c-album
c-album
c-album
c-album
cardui
cardui
clathrata
clathrata
clathrata
clathrata
clathrata
clathrata
cossus
dia
dia
dia
dia
dia
dia
diamina
diamina
diamina
diamina
diamina
diamina
diamina
diamina
diamina
diamina
dispar
dispar
ephialtes
fasciaria
filipendulae
filipendulae
filipendulae
filipendulae
filipendulae
filipendulae
filipendulae
filipendulae
filipendulae
galathea
galathea
galathea
galathea
galathea
galathea
galathea
galathea
galathea
galathea
galathea
galathea
galathea
galathea
galathea
galathea
galathea
galathea
galathea
galathea
galathea
galathea
galathea
galathea
gamma
gamma
gamma
gamma
gamma
gamma
gamma
glycerion
glycerion
glycerion
glycerion
glycerion
glycerion
glycerion
glycerion
glycerion
glycerion
glycerion
glycerion
glycerion
glycerion
glycerion
glycerion
glycerion
glycerion
glycerion
glycerion
glycerion
glycerion
glycerion
glycerion
glycerion
glycerion
glycerion
glycerion
glycerion
hippothoe
hippothoe
hippothoe
hippothoe
hippothoe
hippothoe
hippothoe
hippothoe
hippothoe
hippothoe
hippothoe
hippothoe
hippothoe
hippothoe
hippothoe
hippothoe
hippothoe
hippothoe
hippothoe
hippothoe
hyale
hyper
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
hyperantus
chenopodiata
chenopodiata
chenopodiata
icarus
icarus
icarus
icarus
icarus
icarus
icarus
icarus
icarus
icarus
icarus
ilia
ilia
ilia
imunata
ino
ino
ino
ino
ino
ino
io
io
io
io
io
io
io
io
io
io
io
io
io
io
io
io
io
io
io
io
iris
iris
iris
iris cf.
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
jurtina
lathonia
lathonia
lathonia
lathonia
lathonia
lathonia
lathonia
lathonia
lathonia
lathonia
lathonia
lathonia
levana
levana
levana
levana
levana
levana
levana
levana
levana
levana
levana
levana
levana
levana
levana
levana
levana
levana
levana
levana
levana
lineata
lineata
lineata
lineata
lineata
lineola
lineola
lineola
lineola
lineola
lineola
lineola
lineola
lineola
lineola
lineola
lineola
lineola
lineola
lineola
lineola
lineola
lineola
lineola
lineola
lineola
lineola
lineola
lineola
lineola
lineola
loti
loti
maera
maera
maera
maera
maera
maera
maera
maera
maera
maera
machaon
machaon
machaon
machaon
machaon
mesomella
metallica
minos-purpuralis
minos-purpuralis
minos-purpuralis
minos-purpuralis
minos-purpuralis
minos-purpuralis
minos-purpuralis
minos-purpuralis✝
minos-purpuralis✝
minos-purpuralis✝
minos-purpuralis✝
mura det foto
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
napi
notata
pamphilus
pamphilus
pamphilus
pamphilus
pamphilus
pamphilus
pamphilus
pamphilus
pamphilus
pamphilus
pamphilus
pamphilus
pamphilus
pamphilus
pamphilus
pamphilus
pamphilus
pamphilus
pamphilus
pamphilus
pamphilus
pamphilus
pamphilus
pamphilus
pamphilus
paphia
paphia
paphia
paphia
paphia
phlaeas
phlaeas
phlaeas
phlaeas
phlaeas
phlaeas
phlaeas
phlaeas
phlaeas
plebeja cf.
prunaria
prunaria
prunaria
pusaria
pusaria
putnami
putnami
quadripunctaria
rapae
rapae
rapae
rapae
rapae
rapae
rapae
rapae
rapae
rapae
rapae
rapae
rapae
rapae
rapae
rapae
rapae
rapae
rapae
rapae
rapae
rapae
rapae
rapae
rapae
rapae
rapae
rapae
rapae
rapae
rapae
rapae
rapae
rapae
rapae
rapae
rapae
rapae
reali
reali
reali
reali
reali
reali
reali
repandata
rhamni
rhamni
rhamni
rhamni
rhamni
rhamni
rhamni
rhamni
rhamni
rhamni
rhamni
rhamni
rhamni
rhamni
rhamni
rhamni
rivularis
rivularis
rivularis
rivularis
rivularis
rivularis
rivularis
rivularis
sannio
sannio
sannio
sannio
sannio
sannio
sannio
sannio
sannio
selene
selene
selene
selene
selene
selene
selene
selene
selene
selene
selene
selene
selene
selene
selene
selene
selene
selene
selene
selene
selene
selene
selene
semiargus
statices
statices✝
statices✝
sylvata
sylvata
sylvestris
sylvestris
sylvestris
sylvestris
sylvestris
sylvestris
sylvestris
sylvestris
sylvestris
sylvestris
sylvestris
sylvestris
sylvestris
sylvestris
sylvestris
sylvestris
sylvestris
sylvestris
sylvestris
sylvestris
sylvestris
sylvestris
sylvestris
sylvestris
sylvestris
sylvestris
sylvestris
tages
tentacularius
tityrus
tityrus
tityrus
tityrus
tityrus
tityrus
tityrus
tityrus
urticae
urticae
urticae
urticae
urticae
urticae
urticae
urticae
urticae
urticae
urticae
urticae
urticae
urticae
urticae
urticae
urticae
urticae
urticae
urticae
urticae
urticae
urticae
urticae
urticae
urticae
urticae
venatus
venatus
venatus
venatus
venatus
venatus
venatus
venatus
venatus
venatus
venatus
venatus
venatus
venatus
venatus
venatus
venatus
venatus
venatus
venatus
venatus
venatus
venatus
venatus
venatus
venatus
venatus
viciae
viciae
viciae
virgaureae
virgaureae
virgaureae
virgaureae
virgaureae

[David M]

As a photo target, HBF was a PROBLEM for years, actually. So I could one nice looking female, let her freeze at night in the net and got up before the sun once again.

Hi Marek, sorry to invade your space but your 'HBF' looks more like a Dark Green Fritillary to me.

[The Annoying Czech]

Hi, I most probably mistook the British names. Anyway, it's obviously Argynnis aglaja female. Argynnis adippe is not even listed below - hasn't been found. (But I've seen app. 3 ex. today. )

Marek

[The Annoying Czech]

Anothern bunch - mostly Southern Moravia and Czech Wallachia

Dryad, Trioplan 100/2.8

Those, I quote, "critically endangered" Burnets are either locally very abundant or had some outbreak this year...

Carniolan Burnet, Trioplan 100/2.8

...as I've seen hundreds of animals per biotope a couple of times

Carniolan Burnet, Canon 180/3.5L Macro

Dusky Large Blues (I have this year's photo - somewhere) are still common, whereas Scarce Large Blues are getting scarcer

Scarce Large Blue, Canon 180/3.5L Macro

After the sunset...

SPBF, Canon 180/3.5L Macro

I like the way Telemegor works with the grassy bokeh. Otherwise it stays deep in the bag for the most of time.

Chalkhill Blues, Telemegor 180/5.5

Last year I've seen those lazy tame Graylings only in Croatia. Recently, I've seen the species only in CZ (where is common only in a couple of sites and are remarkably smaller) with zero occurence in Croatia.

False Grayling, Canon 180/3.5L Macro

Monitoring of Damon Blues was very dismal: 2 recent sites, 10 ex.

Damon Blue, Canon 180/3.5L Macro

I believe those animals to be scarce everywhere across its distribution range and arguably one of the nicest Blues, so I quite value those two photos. Especially the blue one, as I lack the blue color in butterfly photos

Damon Blue, Canon 180/3.5L Macro

This is a shamefully enlighted Damon's neighbour.

Meleager's Blue, Canon 180/3.5L Macro

Biotope of the Big Burnet Blues

A message for P.J. Underwood: I do hope I'm behaving gramatically correct


Marek

[The Annoying Czech]

From my village and northern Beskydy Mts.

Used Canon 180L Macro and Meyer Trioplan 100.

Small Pearl-Bordered Fritillary

Small Heath

[The Annoying Czech]

(With a little help of my friends) I discovered another three new species for my neighbourhood (faunistic square) - all in Fall.

The species I'm talking about are Small Blue (July 27), High Brown Fritillary (July 27) and third generation Weaver's Fritillary documented below (August 30).

Today, first fresh Pale Clouded Yellow seemed to arrive.

Blurred sunset with Meyer Temelegor 180

(Sigourney) Weaver's Fritillary

Small White

So I'm on total 56 species (58 together with Tom, as he earlier reported Five-spot Burnet and Poplar Admiral).

See that close battle of Coppers! Today, phlaeas overtook dispar

Abundances 2012-2014

Marek