Butterfly Islands

Tuesday, 21 May 2013

A Local Group Visit To Wheelers Bay

The first 2013 meeting of the Isle of Wight Butterfly Conservation Group took place today under cloudy skies.A walk along Wheelers Bay at Ventnor with the intention of seeing some spring butterflies was thwarted by the conditions and only the odd white butterfly put in an appearance.In fact my list for the walk amounted to one Green-veined White.
After lunch the sun did appear very briefly and it was rewarded with a sighting of two Small Heath(my first of the season for this species) on nearby Bonchurch Down.This was followed by a male Orange Tip which seem to be around in good numbers this year.

Thursday, 9 May 2013

A Walk in Walters Copse.

The summer like weather of a few days ago has gone and today it was much cooler with a strong wind.Still the sun was shining,and with the bluebells and the early purple orchids now on show in Walters Copse it made a pleasant walk
It wasn't long before I came upon several white butterflies,two Large White nectaring on the bluebells and three Green-veined White.Two male Orange Tip busily flew up and down the rides and in the more sun dappled areas I counted at least six Speckled Wood.
Apart from witnessing a pair of mating Green-veined White the highlight was following a female Orange Tip as she fluttered along landing at regular intervals either to catch the sun or investigate potential egg-laying spots.

Thursday, 2 May 2013

More First of the Year Butterflies

With the cold weather now hopefully over emergent butterflies are appearing at their usual sites.
At the Afton Down Chalkpit,well known for several species I was today fortunate to encounter a Green Hairstreak as well as a Grizzled Skipper.
We can look forward to other species here soon,such as Wall,Small Blue,and Dingy Skipper.

Tuesday, 30 April 2013

Some First Time Sightings of the Year

The end of April has finished with some perfect spring weather.This week has continued sunny and mild and as a result new butterfly sightings are on the up.
A visit to Walters Copse at Newtown started with no sightings until the afternoon when a male Orange Tip appeared, busily flitting around for flowering plants.Any flowers were then contested with a Green-veined White.
A wander around the copse also found a couple of Peacocks as well as my first sight of two Speckled Wood which were sparring for a sunny woodland spot.All the while the occassional male Brimstone would pass by hoping to come across the much paler looking female.

Saturday, 27 April 2013

Courting Tortoiseshells.

With the report of two Painted Ladies at Wheelers Bay this week I went to the Bay in the hope of a sighting.The weather has now become springlike, but no doubt due to a very cold March butterflies are still not commonly seen.
Walking along the bay I only came across one Peacock in the sunshine.Eventually returning, I was very pleased to see a Painted Lady in flight along the base of the cliff,spurred on by a very brisk breeze.Just a few steps farther and two Small Tortoiseshell butterflies were courting in the brambles.
Not alot to be seen today but with an improvement in the weather likely, things will no doubt get better.

Tuesday, 23 April 2013

Another Look At Our Large Tortoisehell

The male Large Tortoisehell at Walters Copse seems not to be going anywhere which is great news for butterfly watchers.
An early visit to the copse yesterday and it appeared briefly in the usual spot.A couple of hours later just after midday it returned and stayed for some time sunning itself along with several Commas and a couple of Peacocks.
There has been a report of a second Large Toiseshell seen in the copse, and making my way back through the wood I saw 'another' one at the location of the second Large Tortoiseshell sighting.A close view and the attached photograph confirmed,unfotunately,that this time it was our original male.

Sunday, 21 April 2013

The Stunning Peacock

With all the excitement of a rare butterfly on the Island in the last few days I have neglected to show what I consider to be most colourful butterfly on the wing at this time.
The Peacock is undoubtedly one of the most handsome of butterflies and I am glad to say not uncommon here. It can be seen in woodland,as shown in these photographs taken at Walters Copse, or in gardens as I was fortunate enough to witness in my own back garden this weekend.

Welcome to my blog and thank you for taking the time to view my images of butterflies of the UK and Greece.
I have always been interested in nature and its beauty,and more so since I acquired my first digital camera in 2010. All my photographs have been taken with a Nikon DSLR. a Sigma 105mm macro lens and very occasionally using a Nikon 70-300m lens.
Many of them have been at locations on the Isle of Wight. The photographs of butterflies in Greece are a result of family holidays to the Greek Islands and the species I came across near to our accommodation.
Further photographs can be found on my website at http://www.marmaributterflies.co.uk/

The Adonis Blue

The Large Tortoiseshell

It seems the general view on the status of the Large Tortoiseshell in Britain is that it is now extinct as a breeding butterfly.
It is a butterfly of woodland edges and hedgerows that abound in willows,elms,and poplars.These trees are used by the adult to lay its eggs and this single brood appears in July and August.The butterfly then hibernates over the winter in log piles and hollow trees until the next spring.
On the Isle of Wight sightings are more often than not made from early March to April.Have these butterflies overwintered on the Island or have they come from the continent where it is common?
Any sightings made in July/August pose the same question.Another explanation could be that captive-bred releases are responsible.Only the discovery of eggs and caterpillars will probably answer these questions.

The Glanville Fritillary

This elegant butterfly is mainly confined to the crumbling undercliffs and chalk downs of the Isle of Wight.It is also found on the Channel Islands and at one or two isolated colonies on the British mainland.In Britain the Glanville Fritillary is at the extreme north-western edge of its range.On the continent it is readily found in flowery habitats.
Around the southern shores of the Isle of Wight the cliffs constantly erode causing them to slip away and provide perfect conditions for new growths of the butterflies laval host plant,Ribwort Plantain.
The eggs are laid to the underside of the leaves of this plant and normally hatch after about three weeks.The resulting caterpillars live together in communal webs spun over the plantain.In the autumn they hibernate and recommence feeding in the spring,eventually dispersing to prepare for pupation.
The adult butterfly is on the wing from May to the end of June with the female being larger than the male.They will feed on,amongst other things, Birds-foot Trefoil and Thrift.

The Wall Brown

On the Isle of Wight in particular,the Wall Brown is a butterfly of field edges,coastal cliffs and dunes,and rabbit-grazed downland.
The male is territorial and spends much of the time patrolling and basking on the ground.
The female,which lacks the males conspicuous dark sex brand across the forewings,is larger.The undersides of both sexes are beautifully cryptic when at rest.
The Wall Brown generally produces two broods a year,the first from late April until late June and the second from mid-July to mid-September.