1 August 2014 An exceptional variety of 20 different species of butterflies in an hour on the lower slopes of Mill Hill made up for a rather dismal number of Chalkhill Blues for what should be their peak time. There were hundreds of the restless Chalkhill Blues but they were thinly spread and the tr...

Hello, An amble up to Mill Hill produced upwards of 250 butterflies and included thirteen different species in as many minutes. The total personal species tally was 17 species including a first of the year Dark Green Fritillary, a fresh Wall Brown, my first two immigrant Clouded Yellows, a second br...

Hello, 26 June 2014 Road verges can often be productive in wild flora and fauna, and the road verge south of Buckingham Barn is conveniently located within the Shoreham town boundaries. In the overcast afternoon, the butterflies were not very lively, but two Meadow Brown Butterflies were seen immedi...

7 July 2014 After the paucity of butterflies that often occurs in late June, there were fresh butterflies on the wing were very frequently seen on the downs with Marbled Whites leading the way with at least 71 seen, but there were as many of both Meadow Browns and Gatekeepers of the ten species seen...

5 May 2014 On a hazy slightly humid day, I was surprised by the fluttering of a pale blue butterfly. When it settled on the abundant Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa, on the lower slopes of Mill Hill, I was able to identify it as my first male Common Blue of the year. Less than a minute later ano...

David M wrote:

padfield wrote:...so worth keeping an eye out in April.

Would one emerge this early in a place as cold as the Shetland Isles?

They have been recorded in Moscow In April.

http://www.leps.it/indexjs.htm?SpeciesP ... hXanth.htm

hideandseek wrote:Hi Jack,

You stated that the dead Tortoiseshell found on the Shetlands had no antennae. Look just above the thorax and you will see that both of them are still attached.

All the best, Nick.

Hawk-eye !

Well of course this must be suspicious on many counts. It look very much dead to me - no antennae. I doubt it's a deliberate fraud, more likely a confusion resulting for a butterfly found abroad and brought back home. Or something like that. Jack Well spotted early on a Monday morning. Found in an ...

Mikhail wrote:Looks like a Yellow-legged Tortoiseshell Nymphalis xanthomelas.

M.

Extraordinary

One from Shetland (not mine):




https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =1&theater

27 November 2013 A most unexpected discovery was a Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly asleep on my bedroom wall. Without my spectacles on I thought it must have been a spider and I gave it a nudge. Sleepily, I cupped it in my hand as I did not recognise it as a butterfly at first. It was after I recognis...

13 November 2013
One sunny still day with hardly a breeze, A Red Admiral flew across a very crowded Adur Ferry Bridge and a short time after one flew across the River Adur adjacent to the very new bridge. http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Butterfly-list2013.html

Perseus: Others in the past: Common Blue That wasn't on my list of even remote possibilities. I would be delighted to be wrong! Jack 2 November 2009 When the sun emerged from from behind the frequent clouds a Peacock Butterfly emerged from hibernation by the Ivy on the edge of the Pixie Path, looki...

4 November 2013 A Common Darter (dragonfly) was seen over the Pixie Path and I immediately thought that it might my total of interest as winter seemed to have set in. Immediately afterwards a Red Admiral flew northwards from Frampton's Field in a few minutes of weak sunshine. I visited Mill Hill aft...

Ten species seen in November in Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex, over the years: Excel page at http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Butterflies1X2009.htm Others in the past: Common Blue On the list: Clouded Yellow / Brimstone / Red Admiral / Peacock / Comma / Speckled Wood / Meadow Brown Painted Lady / Wall Brown / I ...

15 October 2013 It was muddy underfoot but the sun shone intermittently through gaps in the clouds. I was surprised by a Red Admiral and a Clouded Yellow Butterfly flying over the Sea Aster at low tide over the River Adur estuary between Ropetackle and Old Shoreham. On the Pixie Path I added two Com...

Cold north wind and the only butterfly around was Red Admiral . Collected blackberries instead. Got stung by a Stinging Nettle and I can still feel it three hours later. Adur Butterfly & Large Moth List http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Butterfly-list2013.html PS: Just woken up. I can still feel the sti...

8 October 2013 Another pleasant day for a trip up the downs: on the way up to Mill Hill I noted a few Large Whites by the River Adur, a Small White in Old Shoreham, a Red Admiral in the the Butterfly Copse by the Waterworks Road, and a Comma at the top of the Pixie Path. This time the sun went behin...

I have never read anywhere of Meadow Browns having more than one brood - just one very long one. They are not alone in this: Lulworth Skippers can be seen from May to September, and this is also one long brood rather than two. Why this is, or how it is known for certain, I cannot say. I wonder if a...

I take it that this is an additional brood then? Looks like it. Wall Browns sometimes have a third brood and are seen in November. Picture of a Meadow Brown should be available. I don't try too hard to take a picture so I will have to have a look. Records of Meadow Browns are continuous throughout ...