November 2012

[Cotswold Cockney]

Do these shrubs always flower so late?

Yes, without fail. One of their many attractions.

Where can you buy these shrubs from?

Got mine from a local Garden Centre. Bought three £4 each including the one in my pictures above.

The small one I got in 1972 which grew to be a large Tree-Bush cost a £1 back then. Probably rather more now.... One of the best pound notes ( remember them ? ) I ever spent.

Phone round Garden Centres or search on the web.

[David M]

I think I'll do a little research into these shrubs. Thanks for the info, CC.

[millerd]

A friend reported seeing a Comma basking in the sunshine at Pershore in Worcestershire yesterday (11th). I await the phuzzy phone photos...

Dave

[millerd]

And here is the promised phone camera snap of a Comma in Worcestershire last Sunday (11th). Many thanks to Karen for that one.

Not the most attractive place to perch, but there was no doubt some reflected heat from that white box.

Dave

[Vince Massimo]

A male Brimstone fluttering around a holly bush in the neighbouring garden at midday today. Temperature was approximately 13 degrees in the sunshine.

Vince

[Gibster]

And a male Brimstone on Ashtead Common, Surrey this afternoon. Also a few lingering Common Darters near the ponds.

Cheers,

Gibster.

[Wildmoreway]

Large White on the cliff at the royal terrace gardens in Torquay at lunch time today. Two Red Admirals along with dronefly and a hoverfly at Hollicombe near Paignton this afternoon.

[David M]

Large White on the cliff at the royal terrace gardens in Torquay at lunch time today. Two Red Admirals along with dronefly and a hoverfly at Hollicombe near Paignton this afternoon.

Amazing that there are still Whites active at this time of year.

[Cotswold Cockney]

Glorious sunshine in my south facing back garden today. Despite much disturbance with alterations to patio and pathways, two Red Admirals actively about the flowers including the Mahonia, which is now a blaze of bright yellow flowers as well as the Strawberry Tree. Not seen to feed from the Mahonia. The warm sunshine disappeared after about an hour and the Red Admirals were seen no more.

Spent a pleasant hour or so in that warm morning sunshine, Days like this will make our UK winter appear shorter :~

[Wildmoreway]

Amazing that there are still Whites active at this time of year.

Its an ideal place for a warm micro climate, south facing cliff, with recessess protected from the wind and able to retain heat.

I would suspect that there are quite a few isolated south facing cliffs that can support some of the whites (and species such as the Speckled Wood) well into November and possibly also where the adults can emerge several weeks earlier than elsewhere too. I would be interested to see the Corninsh location that was said to have had Speckled Woods in flight through the winter until early February.

Something that does help is to keep a continuous watch on these places over ten mnutes or so as the butterflies usually only make very brief and infrequent flights later in the season.

[David M]

Amazing that there are still Whites active at this time of year.

Its an ideal place for a warm micro climate, south facing cliff, with recessess protected from the wind and able to retain heat.

I guess this explains how Clouded Yellows manage to overwinter further east on the coast.

[Wildmoreway]

Amazing that there are still Whites active at this time of year.

Its an ideal place for a warm micro climate, south facing cliff, with recessess protected from the wind and able to retain heat.

I guess this explains how Clouded Yellows manage to overwinter further east on the coast.

I suspect that this is also a significant factor behind the success of overwintering Red Admirals, in that in these kind of places they can breed later (and earlier) in the year and thus the adults only need to hibernate for two or three months.

[ChrisC]

a walk around the new forest in glorious Autumn sunshine today produced a single Red Admiral

it's in there somewhere

[Susie]

it's in there somewhere

Found it! That was fun; it's like the butterfly equivalent of 'where's Wally?'

[Ian Pratt]

Two red admirals seen at Arreton Down (Hampshire & IOW Wildlife Trust) Reserve yesterday at around midday in gorgeous warm sunshine.

[badgerbob]

A walk along The Comp at the back of Seaford was sunny but just a little blustery!!! Just about home and a Red Admiral was fluttering around trying to get into some shelter from the wind.
A Beautiful Plume has been in the house for the last few days.

[Hoggers]

Not a butterfly sighting but maybe a promise of surprises to come: I saw two Swallows hunting over waste ground near my home in Ashford, Kent this morning, 22nd of November!

[Jack Harrison]

20th November
Inside a cafe/craft shop near Callander, Stirling, Scotland, one Small Tortoiseshell very active in the hot brightly lit room. No nectar sources; it was unlikely to survive long. When I visited the same place the next day (on the way back from England having collected the cats) it was not to be seen. It had defied capture on 20th as it would have been much happier outside where it could find a more suitable place to hibernate.

Jack

[Wildmoreway]

Not a butterfly sighting but maybe a promise of surprises to come: I saw two Swallows hunting over waste ground near my home in Ashford, Kent this morning, 22nd of November!

I think there were report back in the winter of 2010/2011 of a swallow overwintering in Cornwall and being seen up until the end of February when it either died or perhaps more likely moved elsewhere.

About 20 years ago I had a brief sighting of two swallows at Pontrillas in Herefordshire and in the same year saw another swallow near Lechlade in Gloucestershire on the 16th March.

[Hugh Middleton]

A single Peacock in the Lincs Limewood yesterday brightened up a dour day.

Hugh