Orange Tip - Identity

Identifying a Male Orange Tip butterfly is reasonably easy, on top of the outer wings is a bright orange colour

On the underside of the wings of the male there are some green mottled markings and the orange shows through from the top of the wings quite well

In fact the underside markings are a good form of camouflage

The female Orange Tip can be difficult sometimes especially if you don't get to see the underside of the wings. On top of the female outer wings, the orange is replace by a washed out dark grey.

The underside of the female is where you can positively identify the female Orange Tip as the mottled green markings are the same as the male.

That said, where the problem comes with identifying the female Orange Tip sometimes, especially if you only see the top of the wings or only get a fleeting glance. The first one below is an Orange Tip female.......

.....which is similar to the top side of the wings of the Green-veined White Butterfly as shown below.

Slightly less grey on the outer wing tips.

You get to positively identify the difference between the female Orange Tip and the Green-veined White by observing the green veins on the underside of the Green-veined White. In various stages of the life of these two female species they change somewhat, which makes it even more difficult unless you get to see the underside of the wings.

Scenes from a Cycle Ride (2)

The second part of the scenes observed on my latest cycle ride.

This is a rather nice old gate which is almost overgrown and not used at all, in fact I think it just blocks a hole in the hedge and there are no supporting posts. I thought the May flowers made it an interesting scene.

The Oilseed Rape flowers have almost gone now and the ghastly smell has already disappeared

Sugar Beet (see below) grown predominantly in East Anglia, which provides the bulk of the Country's sugar needs.

Another small herd of beef cows feeding along a high river bank

Lunch was taken on a grassy bank

She didn't get to share any of it.

A warm day and this herd was taking things easy in the strong sunlight, why walk about as it uses far too much energy. Cows will lay and ruminate for quite a period of their day. Their food has to pass through four stomachs, so they always make sure they chew their food properly, like their mothers taught them.{:)

This track below (supposed to be a road) is the route home to the city. It is about 3 miles long and reaches a main road and large fenland village.

Scenes from a Cycle Ride (1)

Scenes are just about all I did see during my latest cycle ride.

Apart from a fleeting glimpse of a Red-legged Partridge, a Little Egret flying away, the bird population were absent due to brooding or rearing young. I don't usually see too many birds whilst on the bike. There were only Large White and Orange Tip butterflies observed along the road side and they kept on the move.

All that said, the scenes are improving due to the green and flowering hedgerows and young crops growing in the fenland fields. So I thought I would provide an insight into what the fenland scenery looks like at the moment. 

I have to cycle about 6 miles before I reach country lanes like this below

These tractor tracks were made when spraying the wheat and that must have been when the ground was very wet during the recent almost continuous rainfall.

I was able to take a few shots of a small herd of beef breeding cows. They were located in the same location as I have observed them previously.

The rivers have returned to normal levels after the recent considerable rainfall.

Field beens are flowering now and this is one smell I quite like as opposed to that ghastly Oilseed Rape.

The lovely flowers of the Field Bean plant.

This field of peas have someway to grow yet.

Some of the Hawthorn (May) flowers are in various shades of pink as opposed to the mostly white.

Whitethroat

The Whitethroat is a summer visitor to the British Isles arriving in April and leaving again in September. It winters in the southern edge of the Sahara in Africa. It produces two broods of 4 to 5 eggs from April to July, nesting low in undergrowth.

Generally the Whitethroat can be found in open areas, specifically in hedgerows and low vegetation. You will most likely hear a Whitethroat rather than see one. They sit deep in such locations and chatter away with a range of calls and sometimes sound like they are scalding you for encroaching upon their areas. Occasionally they will show themselves for short periods as  fortunately this one below did.