Extremadura, Spain, May 2008

Spanish Purple Hairstreak

The Marsh Fritillary Eurodryas aurinia beckeri is a variable species across europe and asia. This one was basking in the garden of our base in Extremadura.

Speckled Wood



A female Common Blue

Thanks to Don Green and David Anderson who helped in the identification of the lacewing Nemoptera pennis.

Sharpenhoe Clappers

A fine day and my first Painted Lady of the year !



There were a few Small Tortoiseshell around too.





Three Brimstone were seen - all in good condition



A grasshopper - not quite sure which one though ...

Wall Wonder

So, before the Wall Brown disappears completely from Bedfordshire, I managed to track down a known individual which took up territory just yards from a main-line railway track !





Common Blue



Small Heath

Maulden Woods

At last - a fine, sunny day, with 13 species of butterfly and 81 individuals.

There were plenty of Speckled Wood to be seen:



Meadow Brown abound:



Peacock



Only 2 Holly Blue were seen



... similarly, 2 Red Admiral:



Three Small Copper - including this tatty individual:

A winning streak

A successful trip out today to see Brown Hairstreak at Whitecross Green Wood in Oxfordshire. Individuals were noted in and around the car park, and the track leading south-west from there.

The female is orange underneath and has an orange flash on the upperside forewing:





The male has less orange on the underside and lacks the orange flash on the upper forewing:



The odd Purple Hairstreak were showing, but never quite close enough for a decent image.



There were two Silver-washed Fritillary on show - this one was very tatty.



A family of Common Lizard were quite close to a nest of Hornet located in an old hay bale.

Wet and Windy...

So, another day off - and yet more rain !

Unsuprisingly, King's Wood, Heath & Reach, didn't produce the excitement of a week ago, so I was grateful that something photogenic came by in the form of a Southern Hawker.

A Purple Patch

After a week of swanning around the Bedfordshire countryside it was back to work today - but not before one more visit to King's Wood, Heath & Reach.

There, amazingly, I found two Silver-washed Fritillary and Purple Emperor in the same area - both new for me ! A very satisfying end to the break.