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Pieridae

Brimstone

This butterfly is worth a mention as I have seen plenty of them around Stockley Park, and in a few other locations too. I have never seen (with certainty) a female. But the males are a luminous bright striking yellow and easy to spot. The reason I have no pictures so far, though, is that the males seem to be constantly on the move, and they move fast too. I only remember seeing them in the spring (around April time).

STOP PRESS: On August 21st I finally took some Brimstone pictures after I found females feeding on purple flowers at Lasham Airfield. Close up they are the same size as Large Whites, but their wing shapes are unmistakable. Then on 19th April 2006 I was lucky enough to have a Male Brimstone land on a dandelion right in front of me. It got better in June 2007 when unexpectedly while observing a courtship the Male landed on my hand twice!

Brimstone1.jpg	Brimstone2.jpg	Brimstone3.jpg	MaleBrimstone.jpg	MaleBrimstone.jpg
21st August 2004 - Same butterfly (Female). Lasham Airfield			18th April 2006 (Male). Barnhill	10th May 2006 (Male). Bison Hill Nature Reserve

FemaleBrimstone1.jpg	FemaleBrimstone2.jpg	FemaleBrimstone3.jpg	FemaleBrimstone1.jpg	FemaleBrimstone2.jpg
10th May 2006 - Same butterfly (Female). Bison Hill Nature Reserve			21st April 2007 (Female). Bison Hill Nature Reserve	21st April 2007 (Female). Ivinghoe Beacon Nature Reserve

FemaleBrimstone.jpg	BrimstoneEggs.jpg	Brimstones1.jpg	Brimstones2.jpg	MaleBrimstone.jpg
29th April 2007 (Female laying eggs). Ivinghoe Beacon Nature Reserve		3rd June 2007 - Same butterflies (Mating Pair with Female tatty wings open and the Male on my hand). Sharpenhoe Clappers Nature Reserve

Brimstone1.jpg	Brimstone2.jpg	Brimstone2Closeup.jpg	FemaleBrimstone1.jpg	MaleBrimstone1.jpg	FemaleBrimstone2.jpg	MaleBrimstone2.jpg
4th August 2007 - Male Bald Hill, Aston Rowant	4th August 2007 - Same Butterfly (Male) Oakley Wood		28th July 2008 - Female Oversley Wood	28th July 2008 - Male Oversley Wood	28th July 2008 - Female Oversley Wood	28th July 2008 - Male Oversley Wood

Green-Veined White

This 3-4cm butterfly seems to be quite a lively one much of the time.

Butterfly.jpg	Butterfly4.jpg	GreenWhite1.jpg	GreenWhite2.jpg	GreenVeinedWhite.jpg	GreenVeinedWhite.jpg	GreenVeinedWhite.jpg
15th May 2002 Kenton	21st August 2002 Stockley Park	22nd April 2003 - Same Butterfly. Stockley Park		26th April 2004 Stockley Park	27th April 2004 Stockley Park	25th May 2004 Stockley Park

GreenVeinedWhite.jpg	GreenVeinedWhitesMating.jpg	GreenVeinedWhite.jpg	GreenVeined1.jpg	GreenVeined2.jpg	GreenVeinedWhite.jpg
26th May 2004 Stockley Park	5th July 2004 Stockley Park	7th July 2005 Barnhill This one was very large (4-5cm)	14th May 2006 - Same Butterfly Aldbury Nowers Nature Reserve		28th July 2008 Oversley Wood

Large White

This is about 4-5cm in size. It is often a difficult one to photograph as it almost never seems to stop moving, and when it does it rarely seems to stay still for long.

LargeWhite.jpg	LargeWhite1.jpg	LargeWhite2.jpg	LargeWhiteOverhead.jpg	LargeWhiteSide1.jpg	LargeWhiteSide2.jpg
2nd September 2003 Stockley Park	15th September 2003 - Same Butterfly. Stockley Park		6th May 2004 - Same Butterfly. Stockley Park

LargeWhite.jpg	LargeWhite1.jpg	LargeWhite2.jpg	LargeWhite.jpg	LargeWhite1.jpg	LargeWhite2.jpg
2nd June 2004 Stockley Park	23rd May 2005 - Same Butterfly. Gunnersbury Park		26th August 2005 Gunnersbury Park	14th July 2007 Sharpenhoe Clappers	14th July 2007 Sharpenhoe Clappers

Orange Tip

This 3-4cm butterfly is distinguished by the brown tips, and the bright orange areas on the male. It is a very lively butterfly. I was lucky to catch one feeding on some flowers for just long enough. I was even luckier to some individuals briefly resting. Much of the time they keep moving almost constantly.

OrangeTip1.jpg	OrangeTip2.jpg	OrangeTipFeeding.jpg	OrangeTipMale.jpg	OrangeTipSide.jpg	OrangeTipOverhead.jpg
23rd April 2003 - Same Butterfly (Male). Stockley Park		26th April 2004 - Male. Stockley Park	27th April 2004 - Male. Stockley Park	7th May 2004 - Same Butterfly (Male). Stockley Park

FemaleOrangeTip.jpg	OrangeTipMale1.jpg	OrangeTipMale2.jpg	OrangeTipFemale.jpg	OrangeTipMaleSide.jpg	OrangeTipFemale.jpg
10th May 2004 - Female. Stockley Park	14th May 2004 - Male. Stockley Park		14th May 2004 - Female. Stockley Park	23rd May 2004 - Male. Barnhill	24th May 2004 - Female. Stockley Park

OrangeTipMale.jpg	OrangeTipFemale.jpg	OrangeTip1.jpg	OrangeTip2.jpg	OrangeTip3.jpg	MaleOrangeTip.jpg
27th May 2004 - Male. Stockley Park	3rd June 2004 - Female. Stockley Park	22nd April 2008 - Same Butterfly (Male). Horsenden Hill			7th May 2008 - Male. Horsenden Hill

Small White

This is about 3-4cm in size. It is often a difficult one to photograph as it almost never seems to stop moving, and when it does it rarely seems to stay still for long. (The Large White is even harder as its larger wings allow it to move faster.)

Butterfly2.jpg	SmallWhite1.jpg	SmallWhite2.jpg	SmallWhite3.jpg	SmallWhite.jpg	SmallWhite.jpg	SmallWhite.jpg	SmallWhite.jpg
5th June 2003 Stockley Park	14th August 2003 - Same Butterfly. Stockley Park			2nd September 2003 Stockley Park	13th May 2004 Stockley Park	29th April 2005 Gunnersbury Park	9th April 2008 Grove Farm

Wood White

This is slightly smaller than the other whites at about 2-3cm in size. It looks a lot more delicate and fragile in flight too. I am told that it is hard to photograph as it doesn't often stop moving. However I was able to catch it feeding. It always closes its wings when landing.

WoodWhite1.jpg	WoodWhite2.jpg	WoodWhite3.jpg	WoodWhite4.jpg	WoodWhite5.jpg
2nd June 2006 Tugley Wood Nature Reserve	2nd June 2006 Tugley Wood Nature Reserve	2nd June 2006 Tugley Wood Nature Reserve	2nd June 2006 Tugley Wood Nature Reserve	2nd June 2006 Tugley Wood Nature Reserve