Butterflyboy

[trevor]

Well done with the mating Wall Browns.
One thing I've seen, if the mating pair are disturbed or the want to change
location it is always the female that does the flying, towing her mate through the air.

Keep up the good work, and stay well.
Trevor.

[David M]

Glad you managed to notch up your first Graylings, BB. A mating pair of Wall Browns is a good sighting too. Bravo!

[Butterflyboy]

So i found a small tortoises shell in the cellar about 20 minutes ago hibernating but we woke it up and I'm wondering if anyone has any recommendations on where to put it or to release it into the wild? Currently it's on the roof but I don't think it can stay there for a few months without being disturbed

[David M]

If the cellar is unheated, dark and dry then it may well be able to hibernate there, BB.

If not, then wait for a mild, sunny morning and let it go free.

[Butterflyboy]

If the cellar is unheated, dark and dry then it may well be able to hibernate there, BB.

If not, then wait for a mild, sunny morning and let it go free.

Ok thanks David will do

[Butterflyboy]

So the butterflies have returned, the sun is shining and more and more species are coming out, and today I got my first images of butterflies in 2022





So that's most of all I've taken today but as the months pass by I should photograph more butterflies

[Wurzel]

Welcome back and a great way to get the season started!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Good for you, ButterflyBoy, and welcome back to the site.

Keep us updated.

[Butterflyboy]

I just got of a walk, relatively sunny day today, so on the walk I was able to see lots of butterflies.
Saw a holly blue but my camera couldn't focus on it so i couldn't get a shot, and the speckled woods were very annoying
So I saw my first small coppers of the year



and also a small tortoise shell



I am also looking forward to the fact that I might be going to Arnside, so I should get some good shots

[Wurzel]

Good work with your 'Blue Badger' Copper Butterflyboy I'm pretty envious of your planned visit to Arnside - it's a sounds like a cracking reserve and somewhere I'd love to visit - take a spare battery and memory card for your camera

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Love the Copper submerged in the buttercups, BB.

That Small Tortoiseshell looks notable as it appears to be an overwinterer. They tend to be pretty scarce once May get underway.

[Butterflyboy]

Hello there,
on Saturday I was able to go to the area around Arnside. Its a slight disadvantage writing this at 6AM on Wednesday instead of Sunday like I planned, as my memory isn't as fresh.
We set of at about 10AM and got to Warton Crag for around noon. After eating our lunch and talking to Dave we set of on our walk. The first butterfly we saw was a male common blue.

After walking only several yards we were greeted with a small, brown butterfly. After waiting for it to settle, it seemed too small to be a Brown argus and so we waited for it to open its wings

This was my first Northern Brown Argus and also a first for Dave.


We walked on a bit and came out of the woods to a sort of clearing and I saw my first skipper of the year

A large skipper.
After going back into the woods and coming out we scramble up the steep slope of Warton and was greeted with my first every Small Pearl Borded-fritilary nectaring on a small yellow plant similar to a dandelion, I don't know its name . Unfortunately it flew of before I could even turn on my camera and after searching the whole hill side we found nothing. A team effort, as along the way we picked up another man searching for the SPBF, all looking and the four of us found nothing for about an hour, apart from this lone dingy skipper


and small heath.
After a while we turned back Dave carried on, the other man carried on searching the slope and I headed back to the car. After walking to where I saw the original SBPF I saw a dash of orange. It was gone. I thought all i would have of the SBPF was a image, in my head, but I diverged of the path and found a heaven for them. I only saw three or four there but i still think it was their best spot.

I Only saw this one stay still, it was good enough for me to go back.

Later on at around half four I went to gait barrows to attempt to see the Duke of Burgundy as it should have been out. Instead I was greeted with the odd sun-bathing SBPF


And with that I headed for something to eat and then went home. However I was greeted with A lovely sunset and then, I headed back on the M62 back home.

[Wurzel]

Glad you got your Small Pearls It's often the way that the butterfly you're looking for turns up as your leaving, another tick is to 'give up' and pour a coffee I'd love to see a NBA

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Great day out, BB, and I'm so glad you caught up with both NBA and SPBF.