Showing posts with label Chalkhill Blue. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chalkhill Blue. Show all posts

Thursday, July 29, 2021

Sharpenhoe Clappers Spider and Insects

We made a visit to Sharpenhoe yesterday morning as a prelim to our RPS Nature Group outing on Sunday. There are lots of Chalkhill Blues and 6-Spot Burnet moths but also lots of other subjects to photograph such as this Crab spider catching a fly,  hoverflies, caterpillars, and other butterflies such as Marbled Whites. On the way home, we called in at a known orchid site and photographed these delicate Green Helleborines amidst the Hare bells.



 

Wednesday, August 5, 2020

Using Fuji X100V for Nature Images 2.

On today's visit to Royston Heath, I spent more time with the X100V looking at its potential for environmental nature shots. I am pleased with the results on the Chalkhill Blues and Wasp Spider. These are taken at F8 with auto firing of the flash just adding a bit of 'sparkle' to the images. Used at closest focus point, the backgrounds are quite diffuse but pulling back gives a pleasing amount of separation but still detail of the habitat.  
 

Tuesday, August 4, 2020

Sharpenhoe Early Morning

We made a short early morning visit to Sharpenhoe and enjoyed an hour or so as the insects warmed up. Mostly the Chalkhill blues were feeding but we found one pair already coupled. Lots of Burnet moths emerging from pupae and expanding their wings, a fine yellow spider enjoying a Chalkhill breakfast and a Small White basking on a leaf.

Sunday, August 2, 2020

Sharpenhoe Butterflies and Burnet Moths

Weather is never what you want! - last year our RPS Nature Group outing to Sharpenhoe was a literal wash out with 24 hours torrential rain before the day. This year we chose Friday, which turned out to be the hottest day of the year (and third recorded hottest ever in UK). This brought the butterflies out in great numbers but meant we couldn't survive on the chalk slopes much beyond lunch. There was a strong breeze which helped cool us but further complicated the photography. Enough excuses - here are a few captures from the day - mostly Chalkhill blues of which there were 1000s  but also Burnet moth, Speckled Wood, Tortoiseshell and Brimstone. Mixture of straight shots and focus stacks, which unfortunately show defects if focus where the subjects were moving too much in the wind. A following post will show somewhat  better images from Saturday morning.

 
 

 

Friday, July 24, 2020

Spiders, Kestrel and 100s Chalkhill Blue

While looking for that never-to-be-achieved perfect butterfly shot, we stumbled on a Wasp Spider site. This female at one time had 4 males in attendance but only 2 stayed by the time I set up for focus stacking (first and third image). There were plenty of other spiders around including one under a Knapweed flowerhead. I was entertained by a close Kestrel  male.

Monday, July 20, 2020

Chalkhill Blues on Royston Heath

It was a bit too breezy for taking butterfly portraits reliably today, but good light and blue skies to complement the wing colours. A lot of Gatekeepers around but otherwise single Essex Skipper, Brown Argus, one Marbled White and Small Copper (missed recording that one!). A few Burnet moths on the Knapweeds. 

 
 
 

Ann Miles Photography - My Favourite Images of the Past10 years or so