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It's obviously that with this crazy high temperatures a lot of butterfly species came to live. On Wednesday evening I found two male Orange-tips near a small lake but after I installed my tripod one flew away....it was too warm! This morning I tried a 'new' area which, I guessed so, has a favourable rising-sun situation. The majority of the cuckoo flowers were still green and I only found one Orange-tip. But, I will not complain as one is enough; the only disappointing thing is the amount of dog owners who also like this area.  Orange-tip - Canon 7DMKII, beanbag, remote release, 100 mm, 1/85sec, F 2.8, ISO 100
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The Orange-tip is probably one of the most photographed butterfly species in the Netherlands as they are very easy to find in rest on one of their larval foodplants. Next to it the Orange-tip is one of the first butterflies after the winter season and although I have a lot of photos of this species, I can not withstand the desire to search for them.  Orange-tip - Canon 7DMKII, tripod, remote release, 180 mm, 1/50 sec, F 5, ISO 100 Last year I said goodbye to 'my' area which I visited for almost 20 years as too many people were asking what I was doing. I found a new area with a lot of Cuckoo flowers and Orange-tips near water where I can use the colours and reflections in the water of the setting sun.  Orange-tip - Canon 7DMKII, tripod, remote release, 180 mm, 1/250 sec, F 3.5, ISO 100 What a fantastic and energizing weather today! The thermometer showed almost 24 degrees and the amount of butterflies was amazing! An egg lying Comma-Butterfly, a lot of Brimstones, Green-veined Whites, Small Whites, Speckled Woods, Holly Blues and a fresh Map Butterfly. But, my day started with a female Orange-tip before sunrise and after sunrise I waited a long, a very long time before she opened her wings. But, I wanted her with open wings as I have too much images of this species with closed wings. When she finally opened her wings I created some shadow over her and fortunately she did not fly away immediately.  Orange-tip - Canon 7DMKII, tripod, remote release, 180 mm, 1/50 sec, F 14, ISO 100  Orange-tip - Canon 7DMKII, beanbag, angle finder, 180 mm, 1/500 sec, F 3.5 , ISO 100 Like three years ago they are early again....the Orange-tips. On March 30th I saw the first ones during a one day trip to France. This male I found last Sunday April 2nd when I visted the area 'de Mortelen' together with two friends. The original mission were Wood Anemones but we couldn't resist a field with Cuckoo flowers and after we found two male Orange-tips we skipped our mission. Due to the fog the sun was blurry and she needed her time to break through. By the time the fog was gone we found a perfect terrace to enjoy the sun, the cappuccino and the passing butterflies.
If there is one butterfly species which I do not need to photograph anymore, it is the Orange-tip. Every year I have the intention to skip this species but the desire to 'catch' this harbinger of spring is that big that I can not resist the temptation, even the fact that the area is now surrounded by barbed wire (which cost me a trouser and caused an ugly injury in my hand) can not stop me!  Male Orange-tip - Canon 7DMKII, tripod, remote release, 180 mm, 1/60 sec, F 3.5 , ISO 100 The first morning I stepped into their world, the complete area was frozen and covered under a white layer of ice crystals including Orange-tips. After a beautiful sunrise I visited a female butterfly which was covered with ice crystals and while I was busy with finding the right composition/detail as the cuckoo flower was curved due to the cold, I noticed the first egg.  Female Orange-tip - Canon 7DMKII, tripod, remote release, 180 mm, 1/5 sec, F 70 , ISO 100 The second morning I was very happy that again the sun was cooperative and with a good feeling and a full memory card I continued my way to work.  Female Orange-tip - Canon 7DMKII, tripod, remote release, 180 mm, 1/40 sec, F 3.5 , ISO 400 I think the Orange-tip and I have a special relationship, a kind of neverending love so probably I will find soon caterpillars in my garden on Annual Honesty and the circle of life will start again. The only thing I will change in 2017 is the area as too many people were asking what I was doing......
Last Thursday I saw the first Orange-tips of 2016. Three male butterflies were flying around the Cuckoo flower area which I visited after work. My plans to return after dinner vanished when I saw dark clouds coming and instead of a beautiful sunset it was raining cats and dogs. Since then we have wind force 3 or 4 so I did not return to the Cuckoo flower area. Today I noticed that the colour of the chrysalis (last year I found (only) one caterpillar of the Orange-tip in my garden) had changed and while I was looking at the chrysalis it was moving a little bit. As quickly as possible I took my tripod and camera and there she came.....  Female Orange-tip - Canon 7DMKII, tripod, remote release, 180 mm, 1/100 sec, F 7.1 , ISO 400 The complete emerging sequence (number 6) is published under Metamorphosis -> Orange-tip.
11 Months ago I found on my Annual Honnesty (Lunaria annua) a tiny little caterpillar of the Orange-tip. Annual Honnesty is their favorite foodplant next to Garlic Mustard; both plants are growing everywhere in my garden so I'm finding almost every year caterpillars.  10 Months ago this caterpillar was at least twice the size and transformed into a chrysalis and hibernated outside in my garden until a few days ago:
A female Orange-tip was born and it is interesting to see how the butterfly unfold the soft wings. The drying proces of the wings takes more than one hour but once she was ready, she flew away.....I hope to find the next generation in a few weeks on the Annual Honesty!
On metamorphosis -> Orange-tip you can find the complete sequence. As there are less Cuckoo flowers in 'my' area nearby than the years before and because there are not much orange-tips to find yet, I visited an area further away where I photographed them some long time ago. I was happy to see that it is still a wet area full with meadows of blooming Cuckoo flowers. Despite the quantity of Cuckoo flowers, I searched for at least one hour without finding any butterfly. By the time I wanted to go home I found three butterflies in a row near a tree. Actually I had a complete other kind of photo in mind but with this sunset I couldn't resist.....to lie down in a stinky muddy ditch and to challenge the wind!  Orange-tip - Canon 7DMKII, tripod, remote release, 180 mm, 1/60 sec, F 3.5, ISO100 On the 15th of April, I visited the Cuckoo flower area and did not expect to find any butterfly as the complete area was still green. Surprisingly, I found one Orange-tip and walked back to my car to get my camera. When I looked through my lens, I noticed that it were two butterflies who liked each other very much. The next morning I returned as a beautiful sunrise was forcasted but unfortunately the fog became thicker and thicker.  Orange-tip - Canon 7DMKII, tripod, remote release, 180 mm, 1/100 sec, F 3.5, ISO100 When I returned the next day, I found two male butterflies on almost the same place and one of them was sitting perfect for the setting sun and finally I could make some photos which I had in mind for years.  Orange-tip - Canon 7DMKII, tripod, remote release, 180 mm, 1/50 sec, F 3.5, ISO100 Photographing Orange-tips is very addictive, so my alarm clock went off early today. I checked the sky and drove to the area again. As it was a cold night the complete grassland turned white from the frost. Although it looks very different, on the third photo it is the same butterfly on the same flower. As this little fellow was resting near a tree, the frost and ice crystals spared him.  Orange-tip - Canon 7DMKII, tripod, remote release, 180 mm, 1/85 sec, F 3.5, ISO250 Soon I will return again as I have a photo in mind with a lot of flowering Cuckoo flowers!
In my last blog I wrote that I have enough photo's of the Orange-tip; actually I ment the DUTCH Orange-tip. Arriving in my beloved France, one of the first butterflies which welcomes me was the yellow Provence Orange-tip. Wow.....what a beauty! Every evening I walked around and searched on yellow flowers (including his larval foodplant) for this butterfly without any success.  Then the day came that I found one resting butterfly in the daytime and while I was photographing this butterfly (with stormy Mistral) I found some little caterpillars, white and orange eggs and the same evening as a big surprise: 3 resting Orange-tips....they maked my day!  The only problem was the Mistral which drives me crazy. With two empty shopping baskets I built a kind of shelter and with some sticks I stabalized the long and tiny plant they were resting on. Despite all this efforts it was a real challenge to make photos without any movements. As one shopping basked was red and the other light blue, it must have been looked very obvious but it helped to keep the worst gusts of wind away. When the sun came up across the hill, one by one they were opening the wings and it seemed that I had three femals. Girlpower! But, the way they came, they left, as no more resting yellow Orange-tip was found, till yet.  Provence Orange-tip with a white egg Soon, a new page with all images of the Provence Orange-tip will be added to this website.
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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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