RolandRamsdale

[RolandRamsdale]

With a bit of look this should be my personal diary.

[RolandRamsdale]

Sunday 8th October 2023
Saw my first Long-tailed Blue at Butts Meadow [TQ 5836 0205]. It was roosting on the seedheads of Hemp Agrimony.

It seems I can't attach files >5 Mb which is too small for a photo.

So far as I can tell it was from an egg laid in this country as the fringes were pristine and the tails intact.
However the wind resulted in the tails not always being clearly shown in all the photos taken, and also some poor framing and some out of focus.

[RolandRamsdale]

Lets see if I can do this one:https://blueheart.communitymaps.org.uk/ ... file=13273

[millerd]

Hi Roland - welcome to UKB!

All the images you'll see on the site are under 5MB - they will have been cropped or resized (or both) before uploading. There are a number of free photo-manipulation apps you can download that will do this (and carry out other "tweaking" to improve shots if you want to). I use something called PhotoScape, but there are several others.

Hope to see some of your images on here in due course.

Cheers,

Dave

[RolandRamsdale]

Thanks Dave

[RolandRamsdale]

Long-tailed Blue roosting on seedheads of Hemp Agrimony at Butts Meadow.

[RolandRamsdale]

Long-tailed Blue roosting on Hemp Agrimony at Butts Meadow in Eastbourne.

Is it a male or a female?
I assume from the pristine fringes and intact tails that it is locally born - not an immigrant.

[Wurzel]

Well that’s a hell of a way to start a PD Roland Looking forward to future installments

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[RolandRamsdale]

Thanks Wurzel
It provided some motivation to find somewhere to show my photos with an appreciative audience, and hopefully get some help and advice.
I moved back to the local area (near Eastbourne) just before Christmas 2022 and have been exploring where is good for butterflies within walking distance of Wannock. Catching up on the changes that have happened over the last 50 years is quite a task.

So much good conservation work has been done on restoring grazing regimes that are good for the wild flowers on the downs which in turn benefits the butterflies. Many species around here are far more numerous than they were when I was in my teens. Climate change has also helped the more sun-loving species.

Roland

[David M]

Like your style, Roland.

Starting a PD with UK Long Tailed Blues is a statement of supreme confidence!

[trevor]

Hi Roland. Welcome to UKB. I live in nearby Hailsham, and for general species
this is a good area. Well done with your Long Tailed Blue, it's certainly very fresh.

Trevor.