ONE BUTTERFLY LEFT- CRITTERS

Painted lady takes a break

Critters

Well that was either a very pretentious title, a really great pun or a misquote of one of my fav ipod albums. All three. Don't worry I am not about to break into a tedious Haiku with the sound of one hand clapping. Not that they are tedious ( oh ok actually a lot are) it's just everyone now thinks they can write one and frankly my dears, well they can't. I think you know what I mean. What we do have though are more butterflies. More of those painted ladies to be exact. Unlike the one last week I showed you looking onto half closed wings, here you can see the overwing and the underside of the wing. You can see the spotting and colouring better too. So I know what the butterfly is but not a clue on the plant. Last week the plant was a butterfly on a buddleja (butterfly bush to some of you) but this week I haven't a clue. I know I can rely on you as you comment to clarify what wild thing it is. It's in the meadow I showed last week last week, dry grassy area if that helps for identification purposes. To check out about the painted lady in more detail above click here

For more butterfly images on wild plants click the words below.


Buddleja Buddies
Red Admiral

Stoned Butterfly

For other critters of all shapes and sizes check out Misty Dawn's den and Camera Critters which is one year old today. As spring has sprung and the nights are getting lighter and longer expect to see more butterflies, especially painted lady ones. I did warn you there would be more of these butterflies. If you see a post for Big Fat Hairy Bikers though that will not be a species of butterfly but the real thing. If you see a post for Big Fat Hairy Bikers and Painted Ladies... you are on a very different blog to this one! To understand that paragraph from last week you really need to know what the other kinda painted lady is. No you find out for that info for yourself.

Now go flutterby some other critters.

foj

PAINTED LADY UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL - CRITTERS

Well what kinda lady were you expecting?

I always think this is a funny name for a butterfly. Painted ladies just have so many connotations. You just know someone has googled and ended up with Vanessa cardui (to give the butterfly above her latin name) and not Vanessa, Painted Lady offering... well you get the gist. Anyway where was I? This is the first Painted Lady of the year here. I have seen lots of conservation maps that say this butterfly does not migrate here. Hello! Here's Vanessa. She must be lost then along with the many others we get.


Is it true that in North America this butterfly is referred to sometimes as a Cosmopolitan? I have posted this question before. Lots of websites say this but no one has confirmed it. I'm feeling quite lazy tonight and in need of being a couch potato so I'm going to leave you with a few links all about the Painted Lady.


Uk Butterflies
Wiki
Enchanted learning
Last PL of summer



For other critters of all shapes and sizes check out Misty Dawn's den and Camera Critters which is one year old today. As spring has sprung and the nights are getting lighter and longer expect to see more butterflies, especially painted lady ones. If you see a post for Big Fat Hairy Bikers though that will not be a species of butterfly but the real thing. If you see a post for Big Fat Hairy Bikers and Painted Ladies... you are on a very different blog to this one!

Social Butterflies, not pretty just plain rude.

CRITTERS SUNDAY - THE LAST PAINTED LADY OF SUMMER

Never mind the last one, we have hardly had any butterflies this year. Our lovely budliea bushes, butterfly bush to you Americans out there, in Ramsey have been lacking in beautiful butterflies. The nature reserve is usually covered in them but not this summer. Now summer is dying and autumn is birthing and the butterflies are fading from view.

This was another shot lying on the floor along the inlet of Ramsey Harbour. With no macro or even portrait lens to hand had to make do with the telescopic lens. They are a very useful lens for softening the edges of the frame of an image. That lens is so big I'm surprised he didn't take flight. Butterflies are not really my thing to shoot, but I like this as it's not in it's usual setting, foliage. His delicate softness against the harsh grey stone just adds contrast. Subjects shot out of their natural environment I tend to like shooting, and for selling purposes work better.

Never, ever overdo the saturation, brightness or contrast on these shots. I left this natural. The butterfly already has enough natural colour, the background is already grey enough. You lose fine detail when you pump up contrast, they become flat and washed out if too bright and artificial with extra rich hues. So many potentially sellable images are overdone in photoshop. They may look great as a virtual image, but when printed they are have harsh colours and loose definition. Mother nature knows best, and you can capture what she offers you with practise.


I'm going to be mega busy this week so I may be around less and you may get just snapshots on the hoof. Now is the time I start concentrating on the Christmas market. So goodbye to greeting card butterflies and hello to British robins holly and the arty farty shot.

For more wonderful camera critters see MISTY DAWN Camera critters and be sure to leave a nice comment for Misty' s own oustanding posts.

ABC WEDNESDAY - P IS FOR PAINTED LADY

I was going to have a different "P" image, then I spotted the first butterfly of the year, a Painted Lady. Unfortunately I didn't have the macro lens with me, so it was another lie on the ground point and shoot jobs.

Now I'm no butterfly expert, so youprhaps you are able to help me out here.? For that reason you won't be getting all the latin names. Take up far too much blog space. I do know the Painted Lady is pretty widespread and found on every continent bar Antartica. I know they vary slightly from continent to continent and there are even sub species. I have read that the American Painted Lady is often refered to as a "Cosmopolitan." Is that true or is it another one of those urban myths that gets lost in translation? Like I said, not an expert in this area, so you tell me on this one.

I was also hoping to show you George the pelican that often escapes from the wildlife park and flies here to Ramsey, but he hasn't shown up for a while.

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