Matsukaze

[David M]

Nice surprise with the Large Walls, Chris. They've had a pretty good season this year. I think I've seen more than ever before on my travels.

[Matsukaze]

I've just put the Orange-tip pupae in my fridge for the winter, where they will stay till mid-March. Whilst most of them have turned the colour of the dead stems on which they pupated, one has remained bright green.

[David M]

Nice work, Chris. Good luck with them. Keep us informed.

[Matsukaze]

Caterpillars...

Vapourer Moth

Puss Moth

Fox Moth

(from late spring/early summer)

[Matsukaze]

Greylake RSPB today - no butterflies but plenty of birdlife:

[Wurzel]

I'd forgotten how much I love Teal Matsukaze until I saw that shot The butterflies can't be that far away now

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Greylake RSPB today - no butterflies but plenty of birdlife

No, Chris, butterflies seem to be reluctant to show themselves (perhaps not a bad thing given the cold snap forecast for next week).

Good that you have some lovely looking ducks to fall back on.

[Matsukaze]

Bellebranche (Mayenne, France) - 19 June 2023

I wasn't sure what to expect from a brief stop in this woodland - for all I knew it might have turned out to be conifer monoculture. In reality it turned out to be largely oak woodland with an area of clearfell that attracted a lot of butterflies. The fritillaries and white admirals gave plenty of trouble over photography, never wanting to stay still.

The star of the show was undoubtedly the Lesser Emperor, attracted to dog excrement on the main ride. The fritillaries are, I think, a couple of Heath and a Marbled. There were a good few of each present. The Marbled Fritillaries were a real handful, patrolling up and down the rides at considerable speed. Is it too much to hope that in a few decades' time, these species will be common in southern English woods?

[Wurzel]

That Marbled Frit is a bit of a looker Matsukaze It would be good if the UK could increase the biodiversity of its butterflies - but unfortuately it culd be a case of some winning at the expense of others

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

There are almost always surprises when butterflying in France, Chris.

I think you are right about the Heath Frits and I'm sure the other one is Marbled.

[Matsukaze]

That Marbled Frit is a bit of a looker Matsukaze It would be good if the UK could increase the biodiversity of its butterflies - but unfortuately it culd be a case of some winning at the expense of others

Have a goodun

Wurzel

They are lovely butterflies but an absolute nightmare to photograph or ID, as they seldom stop flying and cover a lot of ground very quickly, so are easy to lose. Sometimes they do oblige by repeatedly returning to the same spot to settle (very briefly).

[Matsukaze]

There are almost always surprises when butterflying in France, Chris.

I think you are right about the Heath Frits and I'm sure the other one is Marbled.

Thanks - too true about the surprises - a few days previously we had decamped from the motorway near Vienne to avoid one of its monster traffic jams and found a layby near the river to stop at whilst we worked out where we were going next. I was very surprised to see that the blue dallying on the verge was a Chequered Blue - I had no idea they got this far north...

[David M]

...I was very surprised to see that the blue dallying on the verge was a Chequered Blue - I had no idea they got this far north...

The very definition of serendipity, Chris.

I too had always thought of them as a species of more southerly climes.

[Matsukaze]

April 2023 - the Orange-tip class of 2023 starts to think about taking to the air, with a Small White in the mix too.

[David M]

That all looks like good prep to me, Chris.

How many were successfully released?

[Matsukaze]

Winter has its compensations, I suppose.

[Wurzel]

Cracking OT shots Matsukaze Long-tailed Tits are a great value bird, never alone, always Buy One Get Several For Free

Have a goodun - Christmas that is

Wurzel

[David M]

Winter has its compensations, I suppose.

A bird I never saw in my childhood, but there are zillions of them on the Gower.

They make a lovely, soft sound too.

Love 'em.

[Matsukaze]

I have seen butterflies. Admittedly, I had to go to the south coast of France for them...

[David M]

I have seen butterflies. Admittedly, I had to go to the south coast of France for them...

That's cheating!*




*...says the man who is off to Tenerife in 10 days to do likewise.