Nomad

[Wurzel]

That's a great find nomad. I wish I could get a November butterfly

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[nomad]

On this cold and wet November day, I thought it would be a good idea to take a look back at perhaps my favourite butterfly visit of the year. After an unsuccessful visit to Bentley Woods in Wiltshire to photograph the Purple Emperor, I decided to make my first visit to Fermyn Woods in Northamptonshire . Arriving on the Friday night, I stayed in a lively pub in one of the yellow stone villages within walking distance of Fermyn Wood. I awoke the next day to gloom and light rain but the forecast was for improving weather later. As I began walking along the road along the edge of the wood, I observed that it seemed to consist mainly of younger trees. Arriving at the car park I walked along the hard track through Fermyn where already a large group that had arrived in a mini-bus were peering forlornly at the Oaks and the dark cloudy sky. I walked on through the puddles and past the cornfields into Lady Wood. I listened to the sweet melody of Blackcaps and Willow Warblers. A few hours later in the morning the sky finally brightened and there were periods of hazy sunshine that was just perfect for photography . Just before mid- day there was suddenly a click of the wings and I was circled by a large male Purple Emperor that descended onto the gravel track to ingest. No other British butterfly seems to command so much excitement. As the butterfly probed the track for minerals with his yellow proboscis those magnificent purple wings flashed in the sunlight. As the Purple Emperor is usually only seen flying around the tops of oaks with the aid of your binoculars you feel privileged when you get a close encounter. The butterfly was joined by another worn male and the first that had arrived soon tired of his company and flew up to investigate me and then landed on my old boots, where the butterfly started to ingest a strange mixture of moisture from the wet grassland and bees wax. In a different area I sat in the sun to watch two males emperors dog-fighting high up in the Oaks, stopping only to chase away a White Admiral. In the afternoon in another part of the wood I saw a couple of males high up in the trees that descended at intervals to fly at speed along the track . At last a very nice male once again landed near where I was standing and I edged closer ; here he spent a hour rarely moving. With the suffused sunshine the light was much better to photograph those glorious purple wings. Another strange incident is worthy of comment just before I had my first sighting of a emperor I was examining the tops of some low Oaks when a forewing of a White Admiral in perfect condition came twirling down. Probably the victim of a bird attack, which was eaten up there. Waking around Lady Wood on the Saturday I had met a few walkers, two horse riders who disturbed a grounded male, and dog owners but not one photographer seemed to have reached here. Perhaps the butterfly photographers in Fermyn Woods were being successful there or with the earlier dull weather others had decided not to make the trip.

Sunday promised to be fine and hot in the afternoon and reaching Lady Wood, today there was a throng of butterfly photographers. The circuit around Lady Wood had an interesting mixture of people all hoping for that treasured image . There was the pawn paste guy that when a large pristine male descended not on his smelly substance but yards away to ingest at a damp spot, declared that as it had descended at his bait , he then had the right to photograph it first. After half an hour and a couple of hundred of clicks later, the other disappointed onlookers slipped away except for a hopeful elderly couple. Then there was the guy on the bike, camera in one hand who sped so fast in his quest down one section of the track that he disturbed a feeding male that was accompanied by two outstretched prone photographers, who then let out a cry of anguish as their subject flew upwards and out of sight. All along one section of track a number of males were flying around and then grounding ; a magical site I have never seen before. They seemed very wary and hard to approach, probably due to the heat and I found the light was too bright to capture much of their purple sheen. As I left Lady Wood I met a young couple with a butterfly hand book. I pointed down the track to the array of male Purple Emperors, they replied to my excited gestures " Oh we have seen those today, there seem to be plenty around "
Passing through Fermyn Woods and more butterfly enthusiasts, I noticed a resting female Purple Emperor on grass heads. I am not really sure why she was resting there, unless she was injured in some way. As I approached the entrance of the wood, that young couples words were still ringing like bells in my ears " oh we have seen those today, there seems to be plenty around ". I thought what a really splendid tribute to " BB " Denys Watkins- Pitchford. Through his grand effort of reintroducing this splendid butterfly to his beloved Northants woods we can all enjoy the fruits of his efforts. I shall certainly be joining the throng next year.
I have posted some of these photographs of my weekend visit before, but here I have added others , they certainly brightened up my Winters day. I have included the time of day when the grounded males were observed and photographed, to add further interest. There were also abundant Ringlets, Large Skippers, Commas, White Admirals and Silver - washed Fritillaries.

Saturday.

My first male at 11.45 am

11.47 am

11.48 am, visiting my boot.

The Ride in Lady Wood.

Comma visiting dung.

Ringlet.

Another grounded male-the best of the day. 13.59 pm.

15.59 pm.

16.23 pm.

16.37 pm Landing in a Hawthorn bush.

16.42 pm.

Sunday.

11.19 am My first male today, pays me a visit.

Ringlet.

12.19 pm.

12.20 pm.

12.32 pm.

Lady Wood.

Comma.

Lady Wood.

Female. 12.47 pm Fermyn Woods.

Female.

[David M]

That looks close to being a day to beat all days, Nomad.

I've still never seen an Empress, nor have I been to Fermyn Wood (although I hope the latter at least will be recified next year).

[kevling]

Nomad, Enjoyed reading your trip report to Fermyn Woods and the photographs are stunning too. Just like David, I too haev never visited Fermyn Woods, so looks like we could all be there next summer.

Regards Kev

[trevor]

HI Nomad,
You really know how to cheer a chap up on a cold November morning, with those gorgeous shots of H,I,M.
Your first image is what i would like to achieve, ie. all four wings purple. I nearly got one this year,I arrived
at Botany Bay about 8am,to beat the crowds. One came down at 8.35, I let him settle for a while before moving in,
whilst focusing through my screen he opened his wings,bright purple,click,click, click I took about twenty shots
before he flew off. Checked my shots, all of them three wings purple,he had settled with one wing propped up
on a stone!!. such is life. My other efforts are in my diary.
TREVOR

[nomad]

Thanks Guys for the nice comments, yes that weekend would be hard to beat, especially the Saturday. My favourite Purple Emperor images were taken on the first day; the two different males with the purple spread entirely over all four wings. I had hoped one day I would get those captures because I had never achieved such a feat before. The first male Emperors that I ever managed to photograph were at Savernake Forest in my home county of Wilts and in the bright sunlight my efforts produced just brown wings without a trace of purple, I was very disappointed. Yes, it would be nice to meet some of you in the woodland next year. .I shall probably go for a couple of days during the week when might be quieter. I suppose it really depends on the weather. Reading that lovely book by Bryan Holden " BB's Butterflies " has made me really appreciate this woodland with those glorious butterflies much more. I first read BB's accounts of the Purple Emperor many years ago and they remain some of my favourite butterfly stories, he was without doubt a truly remarkable man. I never dreamt one day I would actually walk in BB's woodland - the Chase and be among his passion; the Purple Emperor.

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Nomad,

Great look back from Fermyn, just the thing to brighten up a cold dark night as I sit here getting over a nasty few days of Man-Flu.
Although Fermyn Woods are only a 90 minute driver for me, I totally missed out on going there this year due to being elsewhere in the country during the best time to visit. Never mind, I have been a few times in the past and hopefully will be there again next year.

Cheers,

Neil.

[nomad]

Thanks Neil - I hope you get better soon.

[Neil Freeman]

Cheers Peter, much better now

Neil.

[nomad]

My First Spring insects, a butterfly and a beetle.

I saw my first butterfly today, a rather tatty Inachis io. Perhaps a victim of a bird attack. Those useful and beautiful eye spots have enabled this butterfly to survive the long northern winter hidden away to emerge in the early Spring. I had a long walk yesterday over Downs, along a wooded green lane and through a large forest. Most of the hibernators have yet to emerge who like to time their awakening with the first Spring flowers and the Sallow ( Salix) blossoms which these Nymphalidae love.

Inachis io.

I also found my first beetle species today on a high downland chalk slope and it is a real favourite of mine, the now scarce Black Oil Beetle, Meloe proscarabaeus. At this early date, the beetle would have just emerged from its host burrow. At this time, it is hard to sex these beetles, because as they feed up, their body shape can change dramatically. The one I disturbed was moving at some speed through the grass and over mole-hills. I have just heard about a good colony that occurs on a down on an Iron-age hillfort above the town where I live, so hopefully next month when they are more numerous, I will be able to study this species in more detail and take further images. This beetle has one really amazing life style, read more here.
http://www.arkive.org/oil-beetle/meloe-proscarabaeus/

Meloe proscarbaeus

[nomad]

My first Brimstone today. Resting after giving up on his battle with the wind.

[nomad]

Off to Holland in Mid July to spend a week at the De Weerribben National Park to photograph the Large Copper ssp batavus.
I rather be off to the East Anglian Fens to photograph our own race but there you are.

[Wurzel]

You're off to a great start Nomad with some great shots. Like the Oil Beetles too - I've found them later in the season when their abdomens can be huge!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[nomad]

It has been quite a late Spring here in North Wilts. Further south in the coastal counties , already the Satyrids, Parage aegeria and Lasiommata megera have been seen. Yesterday, was cold and bleak on the Wiltshire Downs, with a cold north-east wind, neither beetle or butterfly were to be seen. Still there was that perfect thatched village set in the fold of the downs where there was a welcome hot meal in the Blue Boar washed down by a pint of Wadworth Wiltshire 6X beer.

Today, I awoke to blue skies, so I got out my old steed and rode out to the west and down in the clay vale to a oak wood that was once part of the fragmented Braydon Forest. The clouds were rolling in but before they did so, I found a couple of Peacock butterflies basking on the Woodland floor. Queen Bumble Bees were busy looking for nesting holes while Hover flies were busy at the Sallows.

The Wood.

Male Peacock.

Female Peacock.

The Hover Fly Eristalis pertinax covered in the pollen of Sallow flowers.

The Bee Fly Bombylius major

The Bumble Bee Bombus terrestris looking for a nesting hole.

Primroses

[nomad]

This full flowering of the Blackthorn has to yet happen here in North Wilts but there were some nice bushes in the town where I live, that I visited a couple of weeks ago. It is nice to see that the Small Tortoiseshells have made a comeback from their recent decline. The Small Torts were visiting the blackthorn flowers but were mostly courting the females. A male Small White, my first emerged butterfly of the year, also visited on the flowers but not to take nectar but in the hope of finding a female. Nearby a Comma enjoyed the sunshine.

Small Tortoiseshells visiting Blackthorn.

A courting pair of Small Tortoiseshells

Male Small White.

Comma

[Hoggers]

Beautiful photographs, Nomad - a delight to see.

Best wishes,

Hoggers

[nomad]

Many thanks Hoggers.

[Goldie M]

Love the Small White on the flowers Nomad, it must have been that bit warmer down there than it's been here in the North, hope fully we'll get them soon Goldie

[nomad]

A pleasant walk across the eastern fringe of Salisbury Plain yesterday. It was overcast in the morning with a strong wind blowing. In the afternoon, I found some sheltered Scrub, with a nice colony of fresh Grizzled Skippers. There were two Dingy skippers and Green Hairstreaks present. The Grizzled Skippers were visiting Ground Ivy and Dandelions.

Grizzled Skipper habitat Salisbury Plain.

Highland Cattle can be protective of their calves

Grizzled Skipper foodplant Wild Strawberry in flower.

[nomad]

A day up on the heights of Rodborough Common today. My first two Dukes, including a nice female shown here. The Green Hairstreaks were enjoying the Gorse.