Yesterday morning I went out early, just after 4am and the temperature already up to 16°, to see if I could find some roosting butterflies in the hope that if I did find some they would be coated in dew.
It didn't take long to locate a few roosting Marbled Whites Melanargia galathea ...and yes, they did have a coating of dew, although not as much as I would have liked given that after a short walk through the long grass my boots and my trousers were already soaked through.
I also found some male Chalk Hill Blue Butterflies Lysandra coridon they seemed to be early risers and were already on the way to 'drying out'.
By 7.15am the temperature was rising (20°) in the warm sunshine and the butterflies were already taking to the wing and only briefly stopping to spread their wings and gain that little extra bit of warmth.
I also saw this roosting moth Sulpher Pearl Sitochroa palealis.
Not a bad few of hours, I got some reasonable images, a thorough soaking...and was back home in time for breakfast.
AND.......
....I also managed to get a fat hand!....I guess it's bound to happen If you go crawling about in in the long grass early in the morning, some sleepy insect is going to take offence at being woken up and is going to...BITE YOU!
Since I took these photos this morning my hand has gotten a little fatter and my forearm is now joining it, I can't fully close my hand and the 'blister' has started to weep...apart from a slight itching there isn't any pain, all I've got to remember is...DON'T SCRATCH IT! ...[;o)
11 comments:
Cracking shots they are superb.
The swelling looks like an Adder bite but the blister bit doesn't. I have been lucky this year only one bee sting and a couple of Cleg bites.
Lovely shots of the dewy marbles Trev.
Nasty looking bite though.
Now that was some price to pay for those lovely dewy images. I trust it is not serious.
Thanks Adrian, I would have like a bit more dew, but you get what you get!
Not Adder country but whatever it was it's certainly got a good bite! I'm afraid I'm one of those who attracts all the biting insects...I must taste sweet or something?
The swelling has gone down a lot today...almost back to normal...[;o)
Cheers Keith...The bite looks a lot worse than it was...the swelling has almost gone now...[;o)
Thanks Frank, how we suffer for our art? No, not too bad almost back to normal...[;o)
Jesus your hand!! So "it" doesn't make you go blind it just makes your hand swell :-)
Got to admit I think the Marbled White is possibly one of the most beautiful butterflies
Trevor, beautiful Butterflies, the Marbled White is fantastic. I hope you get better soon.
Douglas, so that's what it is?...and I've been blaming those insects all this time!!
I agree, the Marbled White is certainly one of our more striking butterflies...[;o)
Cheers Bob. Much better now, thank you...[;o)
Lots of lovely shots Trevor, that reminds me I must go and look for some Chalkhill.
What is this "4am", what does it mean.??
Thanks Roy, good luck with the Chalkhill...there should be plenty about now?
4am?..it's the time when most sane people are still tucked up in bed....but a perfect time for catching those slumbering Chalkhills...you should give it a try!!
Thanks for going through all that pain to show us these great images.
peter
Thanks Peter...always happy to go that extra mile...lol!...[;o)
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