Sunday 30 May 2021

Whixall Moss - White faced Darters

 Always go back! After my last session at Whixall Moss, I had been missing female and a nice mature male White-faced Darter. It was a perfect day with quite a few on the wing...

Here's an immature female recognisable from the thicker parallel abdomen and with the opaque wings...


                    




A teneral / immature male




An near mature male next with the red markings still showing a hint of yellow below the thorax...


No sign of yellow on this male...


There was much more to enjoy as well, covered in another post!

Thursday 27 May 2021

Shrewsbury - Banded Demoiselles

 Keeping the Clubtails company, there were dozens of Banded Demoiselles freshly emerged too. It would be a tough decision to find a more colourful Damsel?

Here's the 'unbanded' female...




Plus the unmistakeable male!



Just look at that iridescence...


Shrewsbury - Common Clubtails emerge!

It's been nine years since I turned my attention to Common Clubtails and a chance visit to Shrewsbury Quarry proved to be my most successful mission yet with at least 10 seen!

Some were simple flyovers or disturbed and quickly gone but there were some pics to be had as they don't seem fussy regarding their perches! Any vegetation flowers of Dandelion in seed will do!

This very obliging female bears witness to that statement...






Whilst they the colours are similar at this stage, the more waisted abdomen indicates this one is a male...




And for once, not cropping too close with my favourite from the session! 


Dozens of passers by completely oblivious to these amazing moments...

Tuesday 18 May 2021

Whixall Moss - Darter and Damsel

I had planned to spend most of the day on the Moss but roughly 40 mins into the session, a rather nasty thunderstorm scuppered that - I was soaked to the skin! Never mind, at least I didn't get struck by lightning and I did at least see my main target (at the third visit). A super fresh teneral male  White-faced Darter!




The appearance at this stage is very much like a female but the markings, shape and appendages point to 'male'. I'm sure I'll be back to find a mature male in due course?




There was no shortage of Large Red Damselfly and this male was the last but one insect I pointed the camera at!


The last was this Common Heath moth (one of two seen). next to the main path.





Thursday 6 May 2021

Llanymynech - Small Coppers inc. caeruleopunctata

 Highlight for me today was the impressive appearance of Small Coppers! They were not particularly confiding but one or two posed nicely and with the sun shining the coppery sheen on some was amazing!




This one caught my eye with a couple of blue granular spots on the hindwing and I wouldn't have though much of it but...


then....




Wow, this beauty which flew and started feeding on Arabis hirsuta took my breath away, sporting a neat row of four spots on each hindwing




A full on aberrant caeruleopunctata,..


No prizes for guessing which my butterfly of the day was!

Llanymynech Rocks - Skippers and co

 A second visit of the year to Llanymynech rocks and after a slow start, the Skippers kept a coming..

Grizzled Skippers with some beginning to display wear and tear.




And I'll have to settle for the most inaccessible one amongst the rocks as a favourite!


Dingy Skippers were once again the most plentiful and generally in better condition!


Remember you are NOT a moth!


A couple of stunners!





This female Large-red Damselfly (fulvipes) crept into the viewfinder, wonder where she hatched?


An 'old lady' shall we say, female Orange Tip!




But many of the males still looked dapper!


There was also a fresh hatch of Small Coppers which I will blog separately as there was an interesting aberrant form to enjoy...