Pretty Butterflies Diary

[prettybutterfly]

Hello everybody and welcome to my new diary. I like looking at all of the different species in UK and on holiday with my family.
At this time of year I like watching Orange Tips mating and looking for their eggs. They are one of my favourite butterflies.

Yesterday, I went on a walk with my Dad near where we live and I had my first close up view of Green Hairstreaks. We were lucky to find a mating pair. I hope you like them.

Emma

[Padfield]

Morning Emma!

I think you might be the only person in the world to have a selfie with mating green hairstreaks in the background. OK - I expect your Dad took the picture, but it's pretty special!

We look forward to more of your entries.

Guy

[Pauline]

Hi Emma

Welcome to the forum. What a fantastic way to start your diary. I have been wanting to see a pair of Green Hairstreaks mating for several years now, so as Guy says, a very special memory for you. Well done. Looking forward to seeing more of your finds.

[bugboy]

Well I thought I had a good day with Green Hairstreaks the other day but I think you trumped me there with one picture!

Also good to see the next generation of butterflers out there following the passion

[Jack Harrison]

All those years of butterflying ahead of you! I wish I had been keeping a diary 70+ years ago (yes 70+) when i started butterflying. By the time you reach my age, you will have some marvellous memories to look back on.

But you will be hard pressed to beat the memory of those Green Hairstreaks. I hope you will recall this thread in 2186 with a happy smile on your face

jack

[MikeOxon]

As others have written, that's a great start to your diary. I look forward to seeing more. Many years ago, my son persuaded me that we should set out to photograph all the British species. Until then, I had just photographed local species, not on any systematic basis but simply because they make pretty photos.

It took us several years to complete our plan - sometimes one of us got ahead and then the other. The Chequered Skipper was our final challenge and, by then, my son was old enough for us to celebrate with a bottle of Champagne!

Mike

[Jack Harrison]

... celebrate with a bottle of Champagne!

Mustn't give the young lady ideas Mike!

My advice is that Tesco's or Sainsbury's Cava is almost as good as Champers and a great deal cheaper.

Jack

[MikeOxon]

You're quite right, Jack - it's just that Champagne has become a metaphor for celebration.

[jonhd]

I hope you will recall this thread in 2186 with a happy smile on your face

jack

My rudimentary grasp of arithmetic tells me that you might need to change the battery in your calculator, Jack. (2186, indeed.)

Great shots Emma - particularly impressed with the portrait one.

Best, Jon

[David M]

I've been looking for years but have only once ever stumbled across mating Green Hairstreaks.

How about flagging up mating Red Admirals as your next challenge!

[Jack Harrison]

My rudimentary grasp of arithmetic tells me that you might need to change the battery in your calculator, Jack. (2186, indeed.)

More likely, I might need a new left hand typing finger

It's reassuring that people actually read the rubbish that I write.

Jack

[Jack Harrison]

Actually, that couldn't have been a typo. The 1 and the 0 keys are activated by opposite hands. Oh dear. Pass.

Jack

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Emma,

I can only echo what others have said...that is a cracking first post in your new personal diary with some great photos of the Green Hairstreak pair

Neil.

[Butterflysaurus rex]

For your first close up view of Green Hairstreaks it doesn't get any better than that Emma! A great start to your diary.

James

[kevling]

Thank you to everyone for your kind comments on my first diary. I hope to have some more things to share soon.

Emma

[Jack Harrison]

If you are still around in 2186 (my erroneous date entry) then you will certainly have seen a lot by then

You might have realised that 70 years down the road, (see May sightings), I still get a huge kick from seeing a solitary Orange Tip.

Butterflies are a wonderful obsession perhaps only equalled by birds. Smart Phones (and the like) will come and go. Butterflies are forever. Enjoy.

Jack

[Pete Eeles]

And a welcome to the forums from me too, Emma. That really is a fantastic shot - well done!

Cheers,

- Pete

[essexbuzzard]

A very warm welcome from me too- and what a great first picture! I also have seen mating Green Hairstreaks only once, near Polperro in Cornwall. I hope that photographing and, especially, observing butterflies and wildlife gives you many years of pleasure,as it does me.

[prettybutterfly]

We've had Holly Blues in our garden for the last week.They flutter round our hedge and land letting me take pictures.
Last year we planted Garlic Mustard in our garden and the last week I saw a female Orange Tip fly down near the Garlic Mustard thinking it just wants nectar but this week we found six Orange Tip eggs.

Below are pictures of what I saw,I hope you like them.

From Emma.

[MikeOxon]

Plenty of Holly Blues in my garden, too, but they wont stop for photos

Good to spot the Orange Tip eggs - they stand out rather well in that bright orange colour.

I was looking at the EXIF data on your photos, which show the exposure details, and notice that you appear to be using a short (4.5mm) focal length setting. I think you might get better results by using the zoom on your SX610, so that you don't have to get so close, and you will get a larger image. Even so, you have some nice photos but it's always worth experimenting with different settings on your camera.

Mike