Worcestershire Butterflies,Moths and Dragonflies (2 Viewers)

[jjs]

Brimstone butterfly

First post of the year!

My dearly beloved reports a Brimstone butterfly at 1:15pm today at Norton Juxta Kempsey First School, Littleworth.

 

[Ravenwing]

Two Brimstones flying around Cofton Reservoir this early afternoon and a Peacock ! First butterflies I have seen this year

First post of the year!

My dearly beloved reports a Brimstone butterfly at 1:15pm today at Norton Juxta Kempsey First School, Littleworth.

 

[jjs]

Two Brimstones flying around Cofton Reservoir this early afternoon and a Peacock ! First butterflies I have seen this year

It must be spring!

 

[Spoonbill Finder]

Two Brimstones flying around Cofton Reservoir this early afternoon and a Peacock ! First butterflies I have seen this year

Red Admiral at Upton Warren this afternoon - also my first butterfly of 2014.

 

[keithr]

Thought you were all C R A Z E E at seeing Butterflies this early then I saw a Peacock by the Arrow at Arrow Valley today.
Pic to follow....

Keith :t:

 

[keithr]

...only a cropped long range effort.

Keith :t:

 

[UW82]

The early afternoon warmth yesterday enticed out Comma, Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock at Upton Warren.


Des.

 

[UW82]

Attached are Beautiful Demoiselle and Banded Demoiselle seen at Upton Warren on Wednesday. They were the first of the year until Woodchat reminded me of his Beautiful Demoiselle he saw on the 28th. The Porter's Mill sighting is one month earlier than last year's first!!

Des.

 

[Spoonbill Finder]

Saw my first Azure damselflies this year along the Salwarpe at Upton Warren this afternoon. Jared Tibbetts informed me yesterday that he had seen a female Red-eyed Damselfly at Upton Warren on Monday.

 

[Spoonbill Finder]

I visited Blackstone Riverside Park - just down river from Bewdley - today and saw 3 Club-tailed Dragonflies. The first 3 shots are studies of the same female. The 4th shot is a different individual, presumably a female but somewhat different to the first subject. The 3rd individual appeared to be a male (had more black about it), which I was unable to photograph as it flew high into a tree.

 

[keithr]

A few from today.....Feckenham...

Keith :t:

 

[Ste-gull]

Bit of a hand...

Not really all that hot on my Butterflies but I've been trying to learn a few recently.
Came across these two spp. though yesterday and I'm really struggling to find them in my guide (I feel like it must be a pretty poor book I'm using, since they were fairly profuse and quite distinctive.)

The first was a smallish (I think fritillary) on the tops of the Malverns - loads about. Sorry for the shocking photo, though I think it's enough to ID from.

The second was in the Wyre Forest in the Dowles Brook area - this one I've only got an underside of wing shot off but again I would have thought this should be enough info.

If anyone wouldn't mind giving a hint as to what they are that would be much appreciated.

I'm off to buy a better book...:t:

 

[John Layj]

A distant view of a Holly Blue at The Flashes, Upton Warren. A closer view of something I can't identify - maybe a Coreidae Squash Bug?

 

[Ste-gull]

Not really all that hot on my Butterflies but I've been trying to learn a few recently...I'm off to buy a better book...:t:

So I've just done a bit of goggling - the Dowles sp. is a speckled wood - I can't believe the images in the book I have are so atrocious! I think I really will be looking for some better ID material.
I'm still however stumped on the Malvern sp. - the patterning just seems too empty for anything I can find. Feels like a frit or a copper but I've no idea.

Any thoughts?

 

[Jasonbirder]

Its actually a day flying Moth not a butterfly - Speckled Yellow a nice find!

 

[Ste-gull]

Its actually a day flying Moth not a butterfly - Speckled Yellow a nice find!

Well that answers a lot of questions haha. Thank you very much Jason! Do I have to start a moth list now too...?

 

[keithr]

Ste.......Moths and Butterflies can be slit from each other (mostly) by the way they hold the wings when resting and by the antenna - there are of course exceptions but it rules out a lot of mix ups.
A google should say what to look for with this...hopefully.....then the fun can start actually working out the different species of each.......quick clue - moths are much harder...for me anyway.

Keith:t:

 

[Ste-gull]

Cheers Keith, I'm definitely learning with these miniature flappy things!

 

[Spoonbill Finder]

Some shots taken today during a brief sunny interlude around lunchtime at Upton Warren:

1. Blue-tailed Damselfly (f - immature violacea form)
2. Azure Damselfly (m)
3. Azure Damselfly (f)
4. Banded Demoiselle (m)
5. Broad-bodied Chaser

 

[Spoonbill Finder]

Saw my first Red-eyed Damselfly of the year along the River Salwarpe at Upton Warren NR late morning (see record shot below):