I'll apologise in advance for the post that follows.... I traded in my ex big lens (180-600) being as I had barely used it since I got the new big lens (800) for a 400mm 4.5... Oh my word... my new favourite bug lens! I took 550 odd pictures, and trying to whittle them down has proved impossible (apart from the obvious "blade of grass", "it was there a second ago", "damn that's quick" mishaps) so I'm afraid there will be many similar but slightly different pictures of a variety of stuff, probably spread over 2 posts!
I don't know any of the flies
I'm guessing this next was fighting or feeding
A Teeny-Tiny Moth, with feathery antennae
My... what big eyes you have!
A different, slightly bigger moth... a Not-So-Teeny-Tiny Moth
First butterfly of the day, Speckled Wood
Already trying to get into the habit of underwing shots for Cin
A bit of BiF... Bee In Flight
I couldn't decide if this was fungus, or just dying drying out leaf.... and then I noticed the winged creature on the underside of the leaf, below it... I'm still none the wiser lol
The Fritillary Wars took place! And after all the action, a more settled Glanville Fritillary... and no Cin.... at my age I've no hope of getting an underwing when it's basking that close to the ground!!
The bum end of a Grizzled Skipper
A Glanville Frit playing nice.... Cin
A really old one too!!!
Share and share alike!
An acrobatic Dingy Skipper
Several of the Glanvilles had the annoying habit of landing on the path, face on to me, and every time I tried to ninja passed, it would flutter off 5 yards, and do the same
And then the Grizzled's got in on the act too!
A much better behaved Dingy was offering lessons in "how to pose whilst nectaring"
Possibly one of the Sawfly, possibly a Spider-wasp... Google Lens can't make it's mind up!
As well as the Glanvilles, there were Marsh Fritillary, in similar numbers
The advantage of the habitat being a fairly short but steep slope, is that sometimes you get things at eye level, so you haven't got to bend/kneel/crouch to get a shot, and then groan and wince as you stand up again!!
There were a good number of Brimstones about
But the Frits were the stars of this part of the show!
What pollen? I haven't been anywhere near any pollen!
I think you haaaaaave!!
There were some really fresh looking Frits about
And Skippers for that matter.
As this about half way through the pictures, I'll pause a moment, and just say, there may be a little bit of blue variety in part 2!!
Thanks for perusing
Stay Safe All
Jeezo...a need a lie doon noo
Fabulous and some scary
(Pardon the Scottish Accent)
PLEASE BE AWARE:
THIS COMMUNITY IS CLOSING DOWN ON 1ST OF JULY 2025
A like button isn't enough - they are crackers. Yet again I wish I wasn't so clumsy but sadly a decent camera and lens wouldn't last long in my hands
Cin J
You have been busy PB, a lot critters their , very nice photo's.
What a great set PB and well done with the new lens; such a variety of beautiful butterflies and other insects, waiting for part 2 now !! Those fritillaries are spectacular.
lol ... I was lying down taking a couple of the pictures, I think I need to invent a mini portable hoist to help me get back up!!
Thanks Cin, I nearly came a cropper a couple of times in part 2, scrambling about the slope, rather than on the path.
Thanks Snappy, I'd probably only been out a couple of hours and was on my way home, before the blues mentioned in part 2 extended my stay lol
Thanks Hazel, it's always a joy to be out and about, with something taking your mind off the day to day hum-drum
Certainly get plenty of variety there.