There were a large number of butterflies in and around the long grass. I didn't have my macro camera. I didn't feel I could cope with carrying both cameras today. As I wasn't sure what I was going to photograph, I took the FZ72. It's a good workhorse. The downside of it is, I can't get right in to the smaller subjects. A few photos first, then the number(s) of each species I counted.
Ringlet.
Speckled Wood.
Red Admiral.
Grass Veneer.
Everywhere I looked there were Ringlets and Meadow Browns. Most of the butterflies were not willing to sit still for portraits. I could not possibly have counted them with any accuracy. I would be at one side of a meadow, counting some and the other side would have at least as many flitting around.
I only counted those butterflies where I was sure of the ID. Meadow Browns and Ringlets look very similar from a distance and depending on the angle. So, on to the numbers:
Meadow Browns x 26. (Plenty more about).
Ringlets 16. (Plenty more).
Small Tortoiseshells x 3. (One was very pale and worn).
Unspecified White, (for a change) x 1.
The Small Torts seem very low in numbers this year. I remember counting 90 on a patch of thistles some years ago.
As I walked today, I disturbed a lot of small small grey/white moths. When they land on grass, they simply vanish. I only manged one photo of a micro, (see photo above). I don't know if they were all the same species, it seemed unlikely.
7 comments:
Chrysoteuchia culmella ?
Hi Colin
I knew I'd be wrong. I looked at the black spots near the bottom end of it's wings. It was the only moth I thought it could be. Who'd be a moth-er?
Are you giving the definitive ID? I ask because of the question mark you put at the end of the name. It looks very much as if you are correct. I despair of micros. Thanks for the correction
micros are not easy but dont shy away Gordon the reward is in finding out some veneers are quite distinctive infortunatley you have to look at a lot to come upon them. Consider also a 20W Actinic ( Cold Lamp ) which should run directly with a circuit breaker from the mains in an upturned Lamp Case or Old Desk Lamp held on a Tripod the blue light will not disturb neighbours acrobatics they wil aggregate around the light source thereby eliminating the need for cartwheels and acrobatics :-)
Colin, well said, every now and then whist at the top of the ladder, I think, "One day, you will slip, it will all over". Alas, I'm not the man I was 3 years ago. Mind you, I'm still kicking and screaming, and hope to be so for a very long time yet. I want to live until at least 99, even if just to annoy the government by drawing my pension.:-)
I'll send one on in the post Gordon remind me of number ?? "E Street"
Thank you Colin, that's extremely kind of you. I'll soon be on my way to being a pro mother now. The address is:
9.
HX4 9EU.
Thanx Gordon Could you delete the last comment and keep an eye on this thread for dispatch via Hermes etc
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