Butterfly spotters

[Uncle Spielberg]

You can rip the piss out of me if you want but I am a great lover of butterflies. Infact I used to breed them when I was younger as it is a fascinating cycle of life and was very rewarding nurturing them from egg to butterfly.

On the South Downs there is a feast to be had for butterfly spotters. Today I saw numerous Marbled Whites, a lovely black and white species, magnificent, the old favourite, the Red Admiral, another family favourite , the Small Tortoiseshell, a Peacock was spotted last week, numerous species of coppers and skippers, a small blue was spotted and recently I spotted an Adonis Blue. Alas the Chalkhill blue seems to be rare this year but Southwick Downs is a butterfly lovers treat.

Anyone else spotted anything interesting this year ?.

 

[defrocked priest]

So,like,do you eat them or summin' ?

 

[highway61]

You can rip the piss out of me if you want but I am a great lover of butterflies. Infact I used to breed them when I was younger as it is a fascinating cycle of life and was very rewarding nurturing them from egg to butterfly.

On the South Downs there is a feast to be had for butterfly spotters. Today I saw numerous Marbled Whites, a lovely black and white species, magnificent, the old favourite, the Red Admiral, another family favourite , the Small Tortoiseshell, a Peacock was spotted last week, numerous species of coppers and skippers, a small blue was spotted and recently I spotted an Adonis Blue. Alas the Chalkhill blue seems to be rare this year but Southwick Downs is a butterfly lovers treat.

Anyone else spotted anything interesting this year ?.

Hey US, is it my imagination or are their more butterflies around this years? saw a couple whilst out walking earlier along my road, and whilst doing some local walks I am sure I have seen more that usual

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Its a good year. The Marbled Whites on the downs are in force. Not many Painted Ladies this year which you get a lot of in previous summers. I love butterflies. There great

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Still to fulfil my ambition of seeing a Camberwell Beauty. The most beautiful butterfly in this country but very rare.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

I would literally wet myself if I saw this.

http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/images/sub/Lrn-gal-Camberwell%20Beauty%20Photo%20Peter%20Eeles(1).jpg

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

These bad boys are out in force on the South Downs. Get yourself spotting.

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01298/marbled-white-460_1298539c.jpg

 

[Jack Straw]

I too love the things.
In Madeira last year, it was Milkweed (Monarch) city.
Very rarely if ever seen here, although is in the Observer's
Book of British Butterflies.
I too also used to breed them. Then kill them, set them, and display them in boxes.
Please don't shoot me. I now know better and part of my job is to create areas where they will thrive.
I now film them.
Will we have as many Painted Ladies as last year on our Buddleias?

 

[Deleted User X18H]

We have a recurring 'Red Admiral' visitor to our front garden

 

[Gav1901]

 

[Nibble]

I don't really know enough about them to name different types but whenever I am up on the downs and I see one it always makes me pause and watch. Beautiful creatures.

 

[mcshane in the 79th]

Was chasing one around the garden this afternoon with my macro lens and tripod. Bugger wouldn't keep still for long enough though. Did get some cracking shots of some bees on some plants though

 

[Meade's Ball]

Nothing like a butterfly flapping wildly to the human eye as it makes it's seemingly blind panic across path.
But this afternoon i saw two lovemaking wasps. At first i thought it was one big one, or perhaps one that had found a much-loved wasp dead and sought to carry it home for a decent hivey burial. But it wasn't. It was two wasps wrestling around on the ground, sometimes in moments of greatest passion fluttering lightly up from the pavement. i stared on in horror and with intrigue as i feared them flapping up to both make love and sting me right in the face. They didn't though. In less than 5 seconds they took off together, still attached at the hips wasps don't have or have only, and flew over a building. What a way to waspgasm, i thought, and envied that i can only inspire the occasional squeak from a loved one's tensed jaws.

Yeah butterflies are great.

 

[BUTTERBALL]

Check out the saddo's on here - updated every day. One of them is a mate of mine

http://www.sussex-butterflies.org.uk/sightings.html

 

[tedebear]

Do cabbage whites count as a spot?

 

[BadFish]

And other clubs have the Nerve to call our supporters gay!!!!!!!

only kidding fellas fair play to you, i always enjoy the butterfly house at Melbourne zoo.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

I LOVE Moths as well by the way.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Do cabbage whites count as a spot?

They are a bit box office for me. The Marbled White army on the downs is where it's at.

 

[e77]

I LOVE Moths as well by the way.

If they are so attracted by lights, why don't they come out in the daytime?

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

If they are so attracted by lights, why don't they come out in the daytime?

The highlight and I mean the highlight of my life was when as a boy of 11 found a whole colony of Elephant Hawk Moth caterpillars on the downs on some Rosebay Willow Herb leaves. Oh my what a day that was.