Hi All
I thought I would just say a word or two about our 3 principle Migrant Butterfly Species ( to the UK ) Red Admiral Painted Lady and Clouded Yellow . Obviously migrants down South make the journey more frequently here in Yorkshire we are a little further North. Last year was a particularly giood year for the Painted Lady due to conditions in the Atlas Mountains . Clouded Yellows also tend to come in durantions of 3-5 years . Red Admirals also are known to come in on High Pressure Storm fronts - its amazing I am not sure if anyone knows really how it all comes together
PIctures here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/colin_duke/sets/72157623888401434/
Best wishes
Colin D
Visit http://www.ukwildlife.dial.pipex.com for Natural History Species and accounts
Wow Colin Some great photos especially for ID purposes.
Of all creatures, man is the most detestable, he is the only creature that inflicts pain for sport, knowing it to be pain. ~ Mark Twain
Thanks Judi - you get good at sneaking up on them after a while :) . Having said that our friend the Robin and Blackbird and other table birds can be quite good at posing this is my favorite -something about the atitude :)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/colin_duke/4575893978/in/set-72157623434918629/
Best Wishes and Good Watching
Excellent selection of butterfly pics and love that blackbird too! Have only ever seen clouded yellows in France!
"All weeds are flowers, once you get to know them" (Eeyore)
My photos on Flickr
Yes me Too - Only once here in Yorks I thought it was a Brimstone at first Just goes to show you never know whats round the corner :)
Regards
Hi Wild Life Ranger - Colin
What fabulous butterfly pictures you and so well laid out too. A great way to learn all about the species. Mind you the Caterpillers are another thing all together.
There was a glut of Painted Lady butterflies in Menorca last year, and they where everywhere you looked.
If you look at my gallery I have a Cleopatra butterfly photo that I took in Menorca - what a beauty too.
Last year must been a good year for them all over the world.
Blackbirds and Robins are great posers for pictures, and you cannot go wrong with them when they know there is food at the bird table
At my last house I had a friendly Male Blackbird and I spent many hours taking pictures of him. I think he loved the attention too.
Kathy and Dave
Hi Kathy / Dave
Its a lovely sharp shot of the Yellow Brimstone
I have photographed lots of Butterflies including ones which may have been the victim of "pecking" on the eye spots - I would love to see a shot of a bird acttually doing that > i am unsure what birds might predate on Butterflies I have often wondered why birds leave the toxic Cinnabar (Moth Caterpillars alone they must have some sort of knowledge that the larvae are toxic
I have a vague memory from a childhood holiday of witnessing a mass arrival of Clouded Yellows somewhere on the east coast - swarms of them flying fast and low across the fields on a sunny evening.
Some great shots in your Flickr album, Colin :)
My blog: http://mazzaswildside.blogspot.co.uk/
My Flickr page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/124028194@N04/
Hello Colin,
Thank you for sharing your Flickr sets - I have bookmarked the butterfly set as I have made it my project for the summer to learn how to ID those in my garden, and with your superb photos I can't go wrong!!!
Beautiful. Thank you.
Cheers, Linda.
See my photos on Flickr
Thank you ALL for your kind comments I had forget about this Hope it gets you in the mood for finding our colourful friends Hope this helps
http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artjun06/cd-bfly.html
Best of luck hope you have a great year and many finds
Hello again Colin,
I think everything in nature is hard-wired to avoid anything yellow and black! Seems it's either something that stings or something toxic! Incidentally, I saw my first cinnabar moth caterpillars on ragwort today! Mind you, cuckoos seem to eat them without any adverse affect!