59: BROWNS AND NYMPHALIDS

59.002 Wall basking at the southern edge of Midgley moor on June 7th 2022.

59.002 Wall nectaring on buttercups at Brearley meadows below Midgley on June 2nd 2022. This species is seen much more frequently at elevated sites these days.

59.003 Speckled Wood basking in the sunshine at Bankhouse wood, May 4th 2014. 

59.003 Speckled Wood on the Scout Rock Trail, Mytholmroyd on June 2nd 2024.

59.003 Speckled Wood, same butterfly as above soaking up the warmth from the sun.

59.005 Small Heath at Norland Bilberry Slopes on July 17th 2019.

59.005 Small Heath on moorland above Hollins Road, Walsden on July 18th 2024.

Usually quite unapproachable this one was still rather sleepy in the coolness of the early morning.

59.009 Ringlet at a bridle path near Norland village, July 3rd 2014.

59.009 Ringlet (ab. caeca?), All Saints' graveyard, Skircoat Green on June 26th 2014. A common butterfly here on warm, sunny days with good numbers gently fluttering about the grassy areas.

59.009 Ringlet by the towpath at Elland By-pass, June 30th 2013.

59.010 Meadow Brown at Cromwell Bottom on Aug. 31st 2004. Photo taken with my first digital camera, a Nikon Coolpix SQ. It wasn't the greatest camera ever produced but it was the one that got me interested in macro photography and then in to moths so it was pretty special to me.

59.010 Meadow Brown at North Loop, Cromwell Bottom on June 21st 2018.

59.011 Gatekeeper at the small meadow opposite the visitor centre at Cromwell Bottom on July 9th 2023. It was very approachable possibly due to its deformed left wing.

59.011 Gatekeepers feeding on Ragwort at All Saints' graveyard, Skircoat Green, July 30th 2017.

59.011 Gatekeeper in the steady drizzle at Tag Loop, July 28th 2010. My first ever sighting of this species. 

59.019 Dark Green Fritillary nectaring on the garden Buddleia at Skircoat Green along with a Painted Lady (left), Aug. 2nd 2019. It was a fantastic year for Painted Lady immigration so I wasn't at all surprised when no less than six were present at one time on the Buddleia bush below my bedroom window. What did make me give it a second look however was when this scarce Calderdale visitor turned up. It stayed to feed for a minute or so allowing me to grab a few photos - great stuff! 

59.019 Dark Green Fritillary details above.

59.019 Dark Green Fritillary details above.

59.023 Red Admiral in my garden at Skircoat Green, Sept. 10th 06. It's feeding on last night's sugar solution which had been painted on to the trellis.

59.024 Painted Lady nectaring on the garden Heleniums at Skircoat Green, July 3rd 2019. Most satisfying when you plant specifically for butterflies and they duly oblige by turning up to feed.

59.024 Painted Lady at Brookfoot Loop, Aug. 31st 2004.

59.027 Small Tortoiseshell caterpillar feeding on Common Nettle, Skircoat Green allotments, June 16th 2014.

59.027 Small Tortoiseshell caterpillars at Skircoat Green allotments, June 18th 2014. After realizing that their hideout of spun leaves had been all but munched away they frantically search for pastures new.

59.027 Small Tortoiseshell chrysalis, June 23rd 2014. Four of the above caterpillars were taken home to rear through and they soon pupated. Each chrysalis had a golden metallic sheen over various parts of the case - not too well demonstrated in this photo sadly.

59.027 Small Tortoiseshell chrysalises, July 1st 2014. Eight days on and the chrysalises are on the verge of hatching. Remarkable structures of form and colour and a surprising variation of two chrysalises of the same age. 

59.027 Small Tortoiseshell egg laying on Common Nettle at a canal-side field near West Vale on May 6th 2014. You can just make out the gap between the wings where the tip of the abdomen usually sits.

59.027 Small Tortoiseshell in my garden at Skircoat Green on Sept. 22nd 2010. It's nectaring on Verbena bonariensis which is an excellent plant for attracting late summer species such as Comma, Small Tortoiseshell, Painted Lady and Red Admiral. In winter small flocks of Goldfinches feed on the seeds.

59.026 Peacock nectaring on the garden buddleia at Skircoat Green on Aug. 14th 2004. 

On the face of it, it's just another generic Peacock shot but this was my fledgling photo session with my first ever digital camera. I was so impressed with the results they inspired me to take up macro photography which in turn led to an interest in lepidoptera. 

Quite a momentous day!

59.026 Peacock sunning itself on a bridle path near Norland village on Apr. 28th 2014. Without doubt one of the most photogenic of all British wildlife.

59.026 Peacock basking on Beech leaf litter at Bankhouse wood, Apr. 29th 06.

59.026 Peacock caterpillars feeding on nettles at Hollas Lane nature reserve on June 9th 2020.

59.026 Peacock chrysalis on June 26th 2020. Reared from one of the caterpillars pictured above.

59.031 Comma caterpillar found at Skircoat Green allotments on gooseberry, May 30th 09. Also found feeding on Red Currant at this site.

59.031 Comma pupa, June 6th 09. Reared from the caterpillar above.

59.031 Comma, North Dean wood, Sept.7th 06. Basking on Bramble.

59.031 Comma feeding on last night's sugar solution in my garden at Skircoat Green, Aug. 8th 06. In the early days I would sometimes just put a plate of sugar out for the moths - it was never that successful!