Wildlife summer 2012

[Anthony Darby]

There are some sick empty headed creatures out there. I to hope they nail them!

[Armin]

Mark,
everywhere the same. Sad, very sad. A most cowardly criminal act.
Human is the biggest fool predator on earth.
Good that there is strong protest.

[Natalia]

Butterflies  Aporia crataegi at the watering...

[Peter Maguire]

Lovely photos Natalia, absolutely stunning.

[daveyp1970]

  Natalia you have just made my day,what an incredible sight!It seems this butterfly was once a british native,now extinct.

[daveyp1970]

For those interested in Butterflies this chaps site is superb http://www.eurobutterflies.com/index.htm

[Natalia]

Thank you, Peter.

daveyp1970, I can not imagine that these butterflies are not in your region!

When you drive past - take off - a blizzard of butterflies ...

[ronm]

Wonderful pictures Natalia,  .  That must be an amazing sight, one I've never seen outside of the tropics, 

Great site recommendation Davey.

One of the great mysteries concerning British butterflies, the extinction of the Black-veined White, Aporia crataegi. Larval foodplant Hawthorn, Crataegus monogyna, a very common plant. The butterfly remains widespread throughout most of Europe. As far as I'm aware all attempts at reintroduction have failed.

[Peter Maguire]

Natalia, our butterfly populations in the UK are now very poor.
I had not realised how bad things had become until I visited Lithuania last year and saw huge numbers of butterflies. I'm sure I remember things being like that when I was young - that was before the days of really intensive farming and heavy use of insecticides. I hope you manage to keep your butterfly populations intact.

[mark smyth]

wow they are lovely. Can you spare one or two for a reintroduction? 

The second part of their latin names refers to hawthorn/may flower/white thorn. Do their caterpillars eat hawthorn?

[annew]

A wonderful photograph, Natalia.

[mark smyth]

The food plant is Prunus spinosa - blackthorn

[Anthony Darby]

I have reared them on hawthorn, which is a common food plant. A managed 'colony' survived for several years in Fife not so very long ago. They would have been of continental origin. Climate change in the early part of the 20th century killed it, and the gipsy moth, off. They overwinter as a colony of small caterpillars.

[kindredspiritkevin]

Two of these arrived into our pond last week and seem to be staying.

[daveyp1970]

I have reared them on hawthorn, which is a common food plant. A managed 'colony' survived for several years in Fife no so very long ago. They would have been of continental origin. Climate change in the early part of the 20th century killed it, and the gipsy moth, off. They overwinter as a colony of small caterpillars.

Anthony i wish i could have seen your butterflies i could have ticked soooooo many of my list,i am going to look at a white admiral colony in july,i am sooooo excited never seen one in the wild,i found out theres a colony 5 miles away from me apparently ,introduced but thats fine with me.