Hello!

[tomlantaff]

Hi fellow lepidopterists!

Thought I’d pop my head round and say hello (think is the right place)! I’ve lurked for a number of years but decided that I would sign up finally and get myself involved.

I’m based in both Guildford & Southend-on-Sea so have good access to a large amount of what the UK has to offer and like to tour the country with my macro lens (still getting used to it in fairness). Sure I will have met some of you over the past couple of years while out and about – happened to meet the same chap in my local in Essex, Brampton Wood and Heddon’s Mouth last year. What are the chances..!?

I love what the UK has to offer, but, and not least in part due to the excellent websites covering France and Switzerland and so on, my desire is to move on to European butterfly watching as soon as time, money and company allows!

Looking forward to becoming a part of this forum and the UKButterflies community.

Ciao,

Tom

[MikeOxon]

Always good to welcome a newcomer. You are well-placed for many excellent sites to visit. If all the recent 'doom and gloom' reports about insect extinction are true, then you'd better get a move on!

[David M]

...and welcome from me as well, Tom.

I totally empathise with your remarks regarding moving on to European species after a while. I'm afraid 58 (59 if you count Cryptic Wood White) species only occupies one for so long....

[Wurzel]

Welcome Tom I discovered the delights of European butterflies a few years back but there is still plenty to see back on home soil If you're ever in need of any suggestions then just ask - people here are always ready to help

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[tomlantaff]

Thanks chaps!

Hope to meet some of you while butterflying this summer. Will be sure to say hi!

[millerd]

A welcome from me too, Tom. You will never find a friendlier community of folk anywhere, always keen to share knowledge and experience and hear from someone new. And wherever you go you'll almost certainly find at least one of us there in some ungainly pose pointing a camera at an unsuspecting insect. Looking forward to meeting you.

Dave

[MrSp0ck]

Hi Tom

There are plenty of good butterfly walks in Surrey and south west london, done by Butterfly Conservation Surrey & SW London Branch, and walks on sites by others too. you can see 42 of the British List in Surrey, in most years, and lots of experts around to help too.

The Surrey Newsletter the Surrey Skipper is due out on 11th March Today for downloading, which lists all the events and walks for the summer.

https://butterfly-conservation.org/site ... r%2067.pdf

[tomlantaff]

Dave, Sp0ck

Thank you both. I will have a read of that link this evening!

in some ungainly pose pointing a camera at an unsuspecting insect

Sounds about right. Kneeling on thistles or other spikies seems to be my thing at the moment...

[Chris Jackson]

Welcome Tom,
Good hunting,
Chris