Rogerdodge

[Rogerdodge]

Hi
I have just returned from a 2 week holiday.
It may surprise you to know that, as the dedicated butterfly fanatic you all know me to be, I went away to a place where I had NO chance of seeing any butterflies AT ALL!
Feel free to have a look at my hastily put together Flickr page..
http://www.flickr.com/photos/16583646@N ... 139386877/
I met another Butterfly fanatic on-board, and have presuaded him to register and get some of his sightings and photos on UKB.

Cheers

[ChrisC]

ironic boat name great photos. stunning sunset.
but i must say it couldn't have been that cold, there was no steam coming from the dung, i take it that was put in especially to see how observant we all are great facial expression on the aforementioned evacuating reindeer too. Thanks for sharing.

Chris

[David M]

I don't know what to say............the photos are stunning.

It's like looking at pictures in National Geographic.

This is a place that's fascinated me for a long time. I guess the sun never set whilst you were there, Roger?

[Rogerdodge]

Chris
Glad you spotted the "action" in that shot.
It isn't a sunset - just heavy cloud overhead, and bright sun in the distance.
The sun never got lower than 15 degrees above the horizon. It was extraordinary to be able to take photos at midnight!
Temperture ranged from plus 5 to minus 5, and we had a huge wind chill factor on one day - brrrrrr....
The boat divides it's time between the Arctic and Anarctic.

Dave
Thanks for your kind comments.
It is an amzing place - my pictures do not do it credit.

There are three moths recorded here. One macro and three micros. I saw a single micro, but it dived into the tundra before I could get a good look at it.

[Vince Massimo]

Fantastic photos Roger and some wonderful compositions. The light seems to be particularly soft up there. It's somewhere I have always wanted to go.
My favourite image (I always choose a favourite ) is the eighth one in (Brunnichs01). The rest tied for second place (even the first scraggy polar bear).

Cheers,
Vince

[Gruditch]

Some great shots Roger, been looking into a trip to Svalbard myself, will get there at some point. Looks a magical part of the world.

Regards Gary

[Rogerdodge]

Gary
Thanks for the comments
It is truly an amazing place. There is something extraordinary to point a camera at all the time - 24/7.
Very tiring trip, as there is a tendency not to go to bed (what are you going to miss!!)

[Reverdin]

Hi Roger.... wow... I can only add my agreement to what others have said. Stunning images. You evidently had a wonderful time!

[EricY]

Fantastic slideshow Roger, I really enjoyed it but then I am an "ice nut". Probably due to the fact that in 1956 I spent part of my National service on a ship in Antarctica. we went to Svaalbad last year but on a "tourist ship" & not an expedition ship, so I missed out on the Walrus & Polar Bear experience. That made up the set for me of ice places to visit as I have been to all the other accepted places to see ice & bergs etc. On way up I did manage to photograph a moth at Honnigsvag nr North Cape Norway. Eric

[Lee Hurrell]

Stunning photos, Roger.

I particularly loved the flying birds reflected in the sea and the diving Polar Bears.

Kind Regards

Lee

[essexbuzzard]

Hi there Roger! It truely was a fantastic trip-way beyond anything i imagined. Glad you both got back ok. After our lunchtime flight,we had time for a visit to Aston Rowant-it's less than an hour from Heathrow! The first Silver-spotted Skippers have already emerged,flying with Chalkhill Blues-and Kites and Buzzards overhead!Lots of chalkland wildflowers as well.
Welcome back!
Mark

[Rogerdodge]

Mark
Great to see you on the list at last.
The trip was brilliant indeed.
I have PMed you my e-mail.
Cheers.

[Susie]

Superb shots, Roger.

[Padfield]

Only just found a good enough wifi connection to view your slideshow, Roger. It must have been a magical experience - it was magical enough sharing it through the eye of your camera. What a brilliant and brave decision to go up north when all the butterflies are down south! I hope to do the same one day.

Guy

[Rogerdodge]

Well - I seem to have neglected my "Diary" since I set it up.
I hope to do better this season!
I am sitting at my desk in a windowless office having just been outside to visit another area of the factory.
The sun is shining.
It took all my willpower to get back inside - I nearly pulled a sickie.
On the strength of a reasonable forecast for tomorrow I have just booked Wednesday off.
Due to the appaling weather over the last 6 weeks, I have seen very few butterflies this year.
So, I have a tricky decision for tomorrow - Marsland for PBs or Buckland Wood for Dukes and Dingies and Grizzleds and Green Hairstreak?
Tune in tomorrow to see the results.
(assuming the forecast isn't too wrong!)

[NickB]

Good luck mate....
(Just caught-up with your Photostream...Fantastic stuff - and some truely stunning images...)

[David M]

On the strength of a reasonable forecast for tomorrow I have just booked Wednesday off.

You're not the only one, Roger. I have booked a half day to give me chance to reacquaint myself with butterflies after an absence of 6 weeks. It brightened and warmed up considerably after 2pm here in Swansea and tomorrow's forecast suggests some sunshine and temps up to 16c.

Like you, I sincerely hope it is correct, as there are more deluges to come over the subsequent few days.

[essexbuzzard]

Yes,good luck guys-it seems like SW England and S. Wales should get the best of the sun tomorrow,as well as,again,W.Scotland. I'm off tomorrow as well,but it looks like it will stay cloudy in south East Anglia.

[Rogerdodge]

After seemingly weeks of endless rain, the forecast for Wednesday looked good. I agreed at work that, if I didn’t turn up for work, it would be a day holiday for me, if the weather was no good, then I would just turn up for work as per.
Here, in the west country, the day was glorious.
I decided to head for Marsland, which is about 30 miles away. Marsland is a real gem of a place. A substantial chunk of ancient woodland cloaking the steep sides of a stream cut valley and running down to a beauitiful area of coastline. There are a number of cleared areas in the woodland which are alive with butterflies. Although the Pearl-bordered is the star of the show, Small Pearls are abundant, Silver-washed are found in great numbers, and Dark Green, also fairly abundant. There is a tiny and fluctuating colony of Marsh Fritillary and High Brown is also (rarely) seen.
The wood is set well away from major conurbations and roads, and is one of the few places I know where you can find real peace. If you sit and close your eyes, it is possible to hear nothing but natural noises – insects, birds and the rustle of the wind through leaves, or the rush of the rocky stream. A truly magical place.
I know of four good areas in the wood for PBs. To access the best you need to cross a stream twice. After the recent rain I felt it wise to take willies. So I threw a pair in the boot just before I headed off.
I got to Marsland at around 08:00 after a delightful drive with the “soft top down and the radio on”.
I opened the boot to discover that the pair of willies were actually two half pairs – one a size 10, and the other a size 7. I hoped the stream would not be too full.
My planned route would take me through my second favourite area shortly after leaving the car. I knew I would be far too early to find any flying butterflies here, but planned to visit here on my way back up to the car.
I walked through the woods – just beautiful with the early morning sun and the birds still belting out the last few bars of the dawn chorus. I encountered my first two butterflies at 08:30 – a Green-veined white and a Holly Blue. The delight at encountering these two was tempered a bit as I stood at the normal stream crossing point. It was running so fast and deep that it would have challenged even my wellies (had I got them). I did think about taking boots and socks off and wding – but soon put that sort of heroics out of my head.
Ho hum – it would have to be concentrating on the other three sites then. I retraced my (very muddy) steps and soon came to a small meadow area where I regularly see PBs. It was still fairly early, and a few male Orange Tips patrolle the meadow. A couple of Holly Blues jostled around an ivy covered tree, and a Roe Deer watched me with curiosity from only 50 yards as I wandered about looking for PBs roosting. I found no roosters, but at 09:30 I had my first PB fly past. It looked very fresh in flight, and closer investigation turned out to be a very freshly emerged Small Pearl. Eventually the PBs arose, and I had no less than eight in sight at any one time. I moved on to the next area. Carpeted with bluebells, this was the most butterfly rich area I encounterd. Lower counts of both the fritillaries, but lots of Peacock, Brimstone, GVand Small White a single Small Tort and more Holly Blue along with some Speckled wood. At around mid-day I decided to head up to my second favourite spot. There I met my first human of the day. A delightful chap, a fellow enthusiast, and a “UKB lurker” Pearls and Small Pearls were in about equal number here. I spent an hour or so here, and then off to a nearby pub for a well-earned pie and pint.
I arrived home tired and sunburnt and happy. As I write this it is early Thursday and it is raining. What a great window in the weather yesterday was. I am so glad I managed to take it off.
In its pre-extinction days Large Blue were found on the south facing slopes near the sea here. It looks like the published management plans will remove scrub and create a low turf with many bare patches.

[Neil Hulme]

Ahh, that's better! Nice one Roger. Magical days like that are going to seem even more magical this spring.
Best Wishes, Neil