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Inspired by my previous blog I searched for more ‘old’ digitalized slides and found an image from 1996 or 1997 of a Green Hairstreak. In that period the Green Hairstreak was a common visitor of the heath lands nearby. Saddened all these little green butterflies disappeared. Fortunately I received a hint from a friend where I can find many of these little active and rapid flying hairstreaks in a few months.  Green hairstreak (callophrys rubi) Canon EOS 10, Sigma 180 mm At the moment I’m fed up with the persisting winter temperatures! I’m longing for green, colours, warmth and butterflies.......I can’t wait to go out and search for butterflies!
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One of the biggest butterflies in the Netherlands and Europe is the Old World Swallowtail (Papilio machaon). In the 90’s I had to travel to the southern part of the Netherlands (Zuid-Limburg) to catch a glimpse of them. Everything changed when in 2002 a friend discovered a carrot field nearby. One early morning in August we visited this field with the hope to find one sleeping specimen. First, we couldn’t find one single butterfly but as soon as the sun was rising they came out of their sleeping places and climbed up to the wild carrots. I remember that we counted 16 Swallowtails and as you can see on the images below (nothing is manipulated!) on one wild carrot 3 Swallowtails were warming up.  Swallowtail (papilio machaon) Canon EOS 3, tripod, 180 mm In 2002 I was photographing on film and although I brought my films to a professional processing Lab it often happens that on the best and sharpest slides some scratches were found. After I selected some slides I contacted the former magazine ‘Grasduinen’ and two months later an article with my pictures appeared in their magazine.  Swallowtail (papilio machaon) Canon EOS 3, tripod, 180 mm Since then a lot has changed........first and fortunately the Swallowtails are doing very well in the Netherlands. Second, slides and scratches are past history. Third and too bad, the good old magazine ‘Grasduinen’ does no longer exists.  Swallowtail (papilio machaon) Canon EOS 3, tripod, 180 mm Searching for images on one of my external hard disks, I found some other images of two hairstreaks which I had taken in the French region the Drome in 2007. Studying these images I found out that these two are Sloe Hairstreaks (Satyrium acaciae) which loves rough ground with blackthorn bushes (larval foodplant). This little butterfly species is not very common so I'm glad that I found the images on my hard disk!  Copula Sloe Hairstreak (Satyrium acaciae) - Canon 20D, tripod, remote release, 180 mm, 1/125s, F11 and ISO200 Due to the fact I caught a bad flu/cold I could resist the desire to go out. Instead I stayed inside with my study books (what else shall I do the next four years) and good music. Longing for colours, sun and butterflies, I treat myself to tulips. Not a photogenic, special or natural flower but they give me the impression that spring time will come soon. And, as they are flowering inside the house (for a few days) it’s party time while photographing them.......  Canon 7D; tripod; remote release; 180 mm, 1/3s + overexposure at F4.5 and ISO100 |
Jibt dir dit Leben mal een Buff, denn weene keene Träne. Lach Dir'n Ast und setz Dir druff und baumle mit de Beene.
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