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Today I was out walking with a friend at Styal, which is close to Manchester airport. We had watched an Emirates plane take off and then, casually walking through the long grass I kicked up a Small Copper - the only butterfly I had seen on this walk. It settled on a seeding Himalayan Balsam and closed its wings, but eventually our cameras made it nervous enough to open up ready for flight, but gave us plenty of time to photograph it at very close quarters. It is my first sighting this year of a Small Copper.

Janet Turnbull wrote: ↑Thu Oct 01, 2020 9:38 pm...It is my first sighting this year of a Small Copper.

Surprised to hear that, Janet. They've been pretty common round my way this year, and especially so since mid-August.

This is encouraging, as there have been some years when they have been quite scarce, so any increase in numbers is reassuring.

That was a cracking first Small Copper for the year Janet Well worth waiting for

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

My first butterfly of the year spotted through the kitchen window! It was brown.. guessing a Peacock. Rushed to where I thought it settled but couldn't find it. Thermometer registering 11.5 C, the highest it has been so far this year.

Nice surprise, Janet. Hopefully this next few days will see a few more out and about. A run of sunny days and double figure temperatures should work wonders!

Delighted to catch Mrs Brimstone investigating the alder buckthorn I planted as a whip in autumn 2019!

Congratulations on your visitor!

It's nice when the butterflies reward you for your efforts Janet

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Thank you Katrina and Wurzel! Carrington Moss is 3 miles away and has a lot of buckthorn - I didn't think my solitary twig stood much chance!
Later I took a walk there and spotted this courting couple

Janet Turnbull wrote: ↑Sat Apr 24, 2021 11:52 amDelighted to catch Mrs Brimstone investigating the alder buckthorn I planted as a whip in autumn 2019!

Great when a plan comes to fruition, Janet. Well done.

Nice to see you've still got courting Small Tortoiseshells round your way. They've practically disappeared from my neck of the woods.

I tied wool on the buckthorn twigs with brimstone eggs but the wool either blew away or the birds appropriated it, for there were not many left. Nor were there many eggs to be found and I wondered if they had been eaten. The eggs which remained did not hatch so I assumed they were infertile. Then ten days ago there appeared to be a fresh number of eggs - Mrs B2 must have called. Yesterday when I checked, I found two caterpillars. Today with the weather so gloriously sunny and warm, I went to Cut-thorn Hill and saw a few Green Hairstreaks. I'm not sure if they have been delayed or if they are the remnants - they do not look all that fresh but it was a joy to see them anyway. They were squabbling over territory with a couple of Small Coppers' Further along at Three-shire Head, I found a pair of green tiger beetles in cop, a long pointy brownish beetle (approx 2cm long) and a well-camouflaged moth. There was also some minute lichen with red 'flowers' Stonechats and Curlews had nests nearby and tried to draw us away

I believe your beetle might be the longhorn beetle Stenurella melanura and your lichen is Cladonia cristatella , commonly called British Soldier , as it's red fruiting bodies ressemble the ' red coats ' of the British soldiers in times past .
Sorry unable to help with your moth .

Greenie

Greenie wrote: ↑Wed Jun 02, 2021 7:58 am I believe your beetle might be the longhorn beetle Stenurella melanura and your lichen is Cladonia cristatella , commonly called British Soldier , as it's red fruiting bodies ressemble the ' red coats ' of the British soldiers in times past .
Sorry unable to help with your moth .

Greenie

Hi Greenie, thank you for the Cladonia cristellata - I love the common name for it! Not sure about the longhorn though - I had wondered if it was a Ctenicera cuprea.
Janet

Love the Greenstreaks I find difficult to age Greenstreaks unless they're fresh out of the box as they seem to wear really quickly - possibly due to the their penchant for scrapping, perching on Gorse or Hawthorn or crawling around in the undergrowth

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Those are really nice shots of the curlew, Janet. I hear them quite often but hardly ever see them round my way.

I was actually surveying for Willow tits yesterday - no luck there as far as the bird was concerned but it turned out to be my first good day this year for butterflies. The Orange tip seems a bit odd - I can't make out why it appears to have its underwing inside out! Must be perspective.

Sorry to hear that you couldn't fins any Willow Tits Janet Mind you the butterflies must have cheered you That OT does look a bit odd - seems like the light is streaming though the hind wing but it's got the fore wing folded underneath the hind wing - a bit like having you shirt hanging out at the back and your boxer shirts showing over the top of you jeans he needs to tidy himself up a bit

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Hi! Janet, thanks for your post You've still got one more than me butterfly wise, I'm still looking for the Orange Tip, one came into the garden and just as quickly flew out I'm hoping they do the same again. Goldie

Good to see your Orange Tips are now on the wing, Janet.

Nothing genuinely to worry about with your individual. The sun is shining at such an angle as to 'superimpose' the underside dappling so that it appears to
be on the upper surface.

The forewing correctly overlaps the hindwing too. That is another optical illusion.

Saw my first Painted Lady for 2 years last Friday - I felt honoured that she had possibly come all the way from Africa to our local bit of greenery, which over the last two years we have been rescuing from the scourge of Himalayan Balsam. The field is now full of Comfrey, with Golden Rod and Rosebay Willowherb coming on. So far just the one PL though.
There was also a very heavily marked GVW and a rather battered Brimstone. This week I disturbed this lovely moth - Silver Ground Carpet? in the same patch