Butterfly & Nature Photography by Silvia Reiche
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R E S P E C T

29/7/2015

0 Comments

 
In my former blog I wrote that I did not find any Coppers, that was not completely true. During my first visit to the Dreisessel area, I found one old Purple-edged Copper. Due to his threadbare state, not worth mentioning. One week later I found the same butterfly again! I was really surprised as the weather had changed completely half way the week into stormy, rainy cold weather. He deserves respect that he faced these elements and earned a place in my blog!
Picture
Purple-edged Copper 21-07-2015
Picture
Purple-edged Copper 28-07-2015
At the same time I started wondering how it comes that this member of the Lycaenidae family reaches an age of weeks and survives stormy, rainy weather and other members of the same family, like the Alcon Blue, are that sensitive that they can’t defying this kind of weather?

Here is another beauty which I only can find at day/flight…….the Dark Green Fritillary. I searched in a lot of meadows to hope to find one resting specimen or other rare beauties….. regrettably without any success till today.
Picture
Dark Green Fritillary - Canon 7DMKII, tripod, remote release, 180 mm, 1/200 sec, F 10, ISO200
0 Comments

I gotta feeling

25/7/2015

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that tonight’s gonna be a wet night,
that tonight’s gonna be a wet wet night

I gotta feeling
that this year’s not gonna be the best butterfly year
that this year’s not gonna be the best best butterfly year

Although I have no reason to complain as I found two phengaris species (see my former blog), I’m surprised by the small number of butterflies here in the Bavarian Forest. Last year nearby the Dreisessel area, in almost every small meadow near the road and near the top of the mountains I found dozen of Ringlets (erebia species); this year I could not find ONE Ringlet.  Last year I also discovered a spot with the very endangered Cranberry Blue and some Violet Coppers (see the chapter Bayerischer Wald); unfortunately no sign at all of any Coppers and Blues this year. 
The only species which was resting faithfully on the same spot was the Nickerl’s Fritillary and again I catched this species with some reflections of the rising sun.
Picture
Nickerl's Fritillary - Canon 7DMKII, tripod, remote release, 180 mm, 1/85 sec, F 3.5, ISO200
0 Comments

Phengaris meeting

21/7/2015

3 Comments

 
After a long day of travelling, I was happy leaving the highway. Near the highway exit I stopped to take something from the car trunk and noticed some Great Burnet plants. More for fun I took a look and started to dance when I noticed a Dusky Large Blue on Great Burnet. A few seconds later I noticed two females Scarce Large Blue who were laying eggs on/in the flower buds. Again I started dancing….unfortunately my camera was packed well in the car so I had continue without one photo…..but, my first trip was fixed up.
Picture
Scarce and Dusky Large Blue - Canon 7DMKII, tripod, remote release, 180 mm, 1/8 sec, F 13, ISO200
My second trip was the place of the Dusky Large Blues which I discovered last year. Leaving in the dark has the (dis) advantage that I had no idea about the weather; so arrived in thick grey clouds on the butterfly spot….the same weather which I had last year. Although it rained during the night, the butterflies started moving directly as soon as I came too close. What a surprise when I found one single Scarce Large Blue between all the Dusky Large Blues. 
Picture
Picture
3 Comments

Golden Age

13/7/2015

2 Comments

 
First of all I would like to thank everybody for the overwhelming birthday wishes!
Although the weather forecast was not that good for today, I visited a moor area this morning to search for the Large Chequered Skipper which I found some days earlier in an other moor area.
For this special occasion I was wearing my new anti-mosquito bracelet but within a few minutes I found out that it did not work at all and that my hands and face were breakfast again for a lot of mosquitos. 
After a while I found the first resting 'golden' skipper followed by six others. As the temperature was around 18 degrees C, they became active as soon as my macro lens came too close. Some rain showers ensures that they did not fly away and that I had to use my umbrella to protect my camera; not the weather I wished for my birthday......but, I will not complain......enough butterflies, singing birds and no other people! 
Picture
Large Chequered Skipper - Canon 7DMKII, tripod, remote release, 180 mm, 1/15 sec, F 8, ISO200
2 Comments

P!nk

11/7/2015

1 Comment

 
Each year I visit an area nearby for the Silver-studded Blue, a species which prefers heathland that has not become overgrown. To fulfil their habitat need, a lot of maintenance took place the last two years. Young birches and pines are removed and the big old heather plants are mown.
The butterfly below I found the evening before on Common Heather but as it was still warm she flew away and landed on Cross-leaved Heath; normally this species prefer to rest on Common Heather followed by Purple-Moor Grass. I took some pictures but got disturbed by a hot air balloon who needed to land quickly. Within minutes the meadow nearby was crowded and I decided to return the next morning. 
Picture
Silver-studded Blue - Canon 7DMKII, tripod, reflector, remote release, 180 mm, 1/4 sec, F 7.1, ISO200
The next morning I found out that this female butterfly was gone.....fortunately I found her back within some metres also on Cross-leaved Heath. The light just before sunrise was soft and warm; the carpet of Cross-leaved Heathplants in the background causes the p!nk touch. 
P!nk is one of my favourite colours and musician!
1 Comment

Eifel 2015

6/7/2015

2 Comments

 
Recently, I visited my 'old' spots in the Eifel and while I was walking around I was wondering if there was something wrong with my eyes or if there were no butterflies. In a meadow where I found last year hundred of butterflies, I now did not find one single butterfly. It felt so unreal and uncommon!
My accompanist had more luck and found a Purple-edged Copper but as it was cloudy the wings of the butterfly were closed. As I photographed this species with closed wings two weeks earlier in Belgium, I had no need to hurry......until the sun started shining. Within a minute this rigid butterfly came alive and opened his wings. Yes, it was a male with one of my favourite colour combinations: orange, red and purple. 
Picture
Purple-edged Copper - Canon 7DMKII, tripod, remote release, reflector, 180 mm, 1/60 sec, F 10, ISO200
We visited an other meadow where we fortunately found some more butterflies and thanks to the Red-Backed Shrikes, I discovered a spot of the Black Hairstreak. Since a long time I knew that the spot was somewhere nearby, but I never found them until this year. While we were observing and photographing two Red-Backed Shrikes who were flying around but returning to the same tree and/or bushes, I noticed some wild-moving brown butterflies above some bushes. Unfortunately these small butterflies were too active and sitting too high in the bushes that photographing them was a mission impossible. 
My plan to return soon to this spot vanished due to some other priorities. Meanwhile the flight of other butterfly species started and like each year it feels that I have not enough time. 

Orange, red and purple,
this is why this species is called 'Purple-edged Copper'
Picture
Purple-edged Copper - Canon 7DMKII, tripod, remote release, 180 mm, 1/85 sec, F 10, ISO200
2 Comments

Summertime sadness

2/7/2015

4 Comments

 
A week with mixed feelings and emotions lies behind me. On my way to my work, I pass the place where the young man died one week ago; a few days ago another young man on a scooter stopped and left some flowers......what a heartbreaking gesture.
Picture
Silver-studded Blue - Canon 7DMKII, beanbag, remote release, 180 mm, 1/60 sec, F 3.5, ISO200
Meanwhile the summer temperatures are incredible. I can not remember that we ever had that temperatures at five o'clock in the morning. The Silver-studded Blues were resting in/on heather but as soon as I came too close they were moving around or flew away.
I hope that the next days some rain will come and that the tempeatures early in the morning will be 'normal' again.

4 Comments
    Picture
    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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  • Home
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  • Blog
  • Butterfly Gallery
    • Hesperiidae >
      • Chequered Skipper
      • Dingy Skipper
      • Essex Skipper
      • Grizzled Skipper
      • Large Chequered Skipper
      • Large Skipper
      • Mallow Skipper
      • Red-underwing Skipper
      • Silver-spotted Skipper
      • Small Skipper
    • Papilionidae >
      • Apollo
      • Clouded Apollo
      • Scarce Swallowtail
      • Swallowtail
      • Southern Swallowtail
      • Southern Festoon
      • Spanish Festoon
    • Pieridae >
      • Black-veined White
      • Green-veined White
      • Large White
      • Wood White
      • Small White
      • Orange-tip
      • Portuguese Dappled White
      • Provence Orange-tip
      • Western Dappled White
      • Brimstone
      • Cleopatra
      • Clouded Yellow
      • Pale Clouded Yellow
      • Berger's Clouded Yellow
      • Mountain Clouded Yellow
    • Lycaenidae >
      • Black Hairstreak
      • Brown Hairstreak
      • False Ilex Hairstreak
      • Green Hairstreak
      • Ilex Hairstreak
      • Purple Hairstreak
      • Sloe Hairstreak
      • White-letter Hairstreak
      • Large Copper
      • Purple-edged Copper
      • Purple-shot Copper
      • Scarce Copper
      • Small Copper
      • Sooty Copper
      • Violet Copper
      • Adonis Blue
      • Alcon Blue
      • Alpine Blue
      • Amanda's Blue
      • Baton Blue
      • Brown Argus
      • Chalkhill Blue
      • Chequered Blue
      • Common Blue
      • Cranberry Blue
      • Damon Blue
      • Dusky Large Blue
      • Escher's Blue
      • Geranium Argus
      • Glandon Blue
      • Green-underside Blue
      • Holly Blue
      • Idas Blue
      • Large Blue
      • Mazarine Blue
      • Mountain Alcon Blue
      • Northern Brown Argus
      • Piedmont anomalous Blue
      • Provence Chalkhill Blue
      • Reverdin's Blue
      • Ripart's anomalous Blue
      • Scarce Large Blue
      • Silver-studded Blue
      • Silvery Argus
      • Small Blue
      • Short-tailed Blue
      • Turquoise Blue
      • Duke of Burgundy
    • Nymphalidae >
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      • Lesser Purple Emperor
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      • Hungarian Glider
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      • Large Tortoiseshell
      • Map Butterfly
      • Painted Lady
      • Peacock
      • Red Admiral
      • Small Tortoiseshell
      • Assmann's Fritillary
      • Bog Fritillary
      • Cardinal
      • Cranberry Fritillary
      • Dark Green Fritillary
      • False Heath Fritillary
      • Glanville Fritillary
      • Grisons Fritillary
      • Heath Fritillary
      • High Brown Fritillary
      • Knapweed Fritillary
      • Lesser Marbled Fritillary
      • Marbled Fritillary
      • Marsh Fritillary
      • Meadow Fritillary
      • Mountain Fritillary
      • Nickerl's Fritillary
      • Niobe Fritillary
      • Pearl-bordered Fritillary
      • Queen of Spain Fritillary
      • Shepard's Fritillary
      • Silver-washed Fritillary
      • Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary
      • Spotted Fritillary
      • Titania's Fritillary
      • Twin-Spot Fritillary
      • Weaver's Fritillary
    • Satyridae >
      • Alpine Heath
      • Arran Brown
      • Chestnut Heath
      • Dusky Heath
      • Gatekeeper
      • Great Banded Grayling
      • Large Ringlet
      • Large Wall Brown
      • Marbled White
      • Meadow Brown
      • Pearly Heath
      • Ringlet
      • Small Heath
      • Southern Grayling
      • Speckled Wood
      • Wall Brown
      • Woodland Grayling
      • Woodland Ringlet
    • Metamorphosises >
      • Spotted Fritillary
      • Large White
      • Red Admiral
      • Black-veined White
      • Map Butterfly
      • Swallowtail
      • Peacock
      • Orange-tip
      • Brimstone
      • Small Tortoiseshell
      • Painted Lady
      • Comma Butterfly
      • Portuguese Dappled White
      • Camberwell Beauty
      • Queen of Spain Fritillary
    • Alpine Species
    • Germany - Eifel
    • Butterflies in France
    • Butterflies NL
    • Threats & Enemies
    • UFI
  • Gallery A - Z
    • Amphibians
    • Aosta - Gran Paradiso
    • Ardeche
    • Bayerischer Wald
    • Beetles
    • Bluebell Forest
    • Caterpillars
    • Cevennes
    • Dordogne
    • Holy Love
    • Hungary
    • Insects - Others
    • Jumping Spiders
    • Kleine Beerze
    • Kleine Beerze II
    • Koebosch
    • Landschotse Heide
    • Little Owl
    • Luberon
    • Lueneburger Heide
    • Mercantour
    • Mercantour part II
    • Orchids Dream
    • Pink and Purple
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