Malcolm_Stewart
Carpal \'Tunnel
Reged: 11/07/2005
Posts: 4453
Loc: Milton Keynes, UK
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Earlier in the year, I bought a Sigma 150 f2.8 macro lens, and expected that by June there would be plenty of bugs and flies for me to photograph in the garden, or at the reserve. Apart from a few samples of the green shield bug, I've seen very little in my garden. I've also heard about a shortage of honey bees, and I'm wondering if there's a connection? There were plenty of damsel flies around about a week ago, and the odd dragon fly at the local reserve, but so far, very few butterflies and moths.
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Malcolm Stewart
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TimF
Taking it strictly
Reged: 30/07/2001
Posts: 18961
Loc: Herts/Beds border
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Likewise here (not that far from you at MK I think). The reported invasion of Peacock butterflies from Africa seems to have passed this area by. I'd have expected loads of butterflies along the track up to the ridge line, but very few indeed to be seen. It's to be hoped the situation corrects itself soon for sure.
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Tim BSRIPN
If I had all the money I've spent on drink, I'd spend it on drink
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parisian
Over the hill and far away...
Reged: 10/02/2002
Posts: 9299
Loc: Môn mam cymru
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There is very little action here in North Wales Malcolm. The weather has swung so wildly from boiling to very cold indeed that the little devils don't know what has hit them I fear.
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Hells pensioner - born to be mild
JustMono
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jchrisc
Reged: 20/01/2003
Posts: 6098
Loc: Ampthill, Bedfordshire
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Quote:
Likewise here (not that far from you at MK I think). The reported invasion of Peacock butterflies from Africa seems to have passed this area by. I'd have expected loads of butterflies along the track up to the ridge line, but very few indeed to be seen. It's to be hoped the situation corrects itself soon for sure.
I sat in the back garden one day last week and watched a continuous stream of single butterflies, about one every twenty seconds, enter the garden from the south east corner, fly across the garden diagonally and lift over the hedge and away in the north west corner. I'm pretty sure they were Painted Ladies.
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Chris
My memory is getting worse . . . and my conscience clearer
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swanseadave
veteran
Reged: 05/10/2007
Posts: 1580
Loc: Swansea, Gateway to Gower
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Quote:
Quote:
Likewise here (not that far from you at MK I think). The reported invasion of Peacock butterflies from Africa seems to have passed this area by. I'd have expected loads of butterflies along the track up to the ridge line, but very few indeed to be seen. It's to be hoped the situation corrects itself soon for sure.
I sat in the back garden one day last week and watched a continuous stream of single butterflies, about one every twenty seconds, enter the garden from the south east corner, fly across the garden diagonally and lift over the hedge and away in the north west corner. I'm pretty sure they were Painted Ladies.
According to Springwatch,the UK will be overrun with Painted Ladies this year.Something to do with their breeding here instead of Africa.
Cheers Dave 
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Dave CRIPN
If it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have no luck at all - Albert King
Blues is a healer - John Lee Hooker
my flickr
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Malcolm_Stewart
Carpal \'Tunnel
Reged: 11/07/2005
Posts: 4453
Loc: Milton Keynes, UK
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It's not all bad news.
My most recent visit to the reserve (Hanson Env. Centre / Little Linford Lakes to the north of Milton Keynes) was rewarded with a feast of a variety of birds, mature and young, on the bund - a low lying water isolated area whose size depends inversely on recent rainfalls. No rare waders so the twitchers weren't interested, but in the mid teens of Little Egrets with Canada geese, terns, lapwings etc. There's also lagoon and wild planted areas at the reserve, and it's here that in previous years I've seen the dragon flies and varieties of damsel flies and bugs.
Of course, on this last visit I'd left my camera and long lenses at home. And today, after the heavy rain overnight, I expect the bund to have perhaps halved in area.
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Malcolm Stewart
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AGW
Pure Dead Brilliant
Reged: 03/10/2003
Posts: 8899
Loc: Ayrshire
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We are overrun by painted ladies up here...I saw hunderds at a cliff site just south of Ayr last week. They are all fairly tatty and obviously well travelled. They are all laying so we should have a hatch of fresh ones late summer. Everything else apart form the blues seems to as abundant as usual...large heaths have just hatched....
Graeme
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AGW (BSRIPN)
Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where others see nothing. (Camille Pissarro)
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velocette
Bard Of The Boudoir
Reged: 10/08/2006
Posts: 474
Loc: North Surrey
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We had a really great hatch of dragonflies (Chaser's) the last week in May from a small pond at the bottom of the garden but nothing from the 'big' pond yet. The Chasers's, around ten of them hatched over a one week period and for the first time in years, ever probably I managed to get some passable shots. So it could be a good year for wrigley's and those with macro lenses. Hopefully.
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Malcolm_Stewart
Carpal \'Tunnel
Reged: 11/07/2005
Posts: 4453
Loc: Milton Keynes, UK
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They've got to start somewhere, but pity it wasn't a few years ago...
RSPB survey of other than birds
...and I do wonder about the significance of any survey of this nature. I find it difficult getting me, a trained scientist/engineer, to ensure that my observations are meaningful and repeatable.
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Malcolm Stewart
Edited by Malcolm_Stewart (08/06/2009 08:58)
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