April 2022
April 2022
15 consecutive, sunny, mild days in March was a rare treat. Will April provide similar opportunities?
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- Posts: 421
- Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2020 9:15 am
- Location: Mid Sussex
Re: April 2022
Enjoyed (or rather experienced) four seasons in one day yesterday, including separate sleet and snow flurries, but thankfully I walked home in Spring (attached) before Winter hit again.
Starting to see a good number of butterflies in the greenhouses now - eyeing up all the plants. Saw a Green-veined White to make the scores on the doors 7 species in total now.
Starting to see a good number of butterflies in the greenhouses now - eyeing up all the plants. Saw a Green-veined White to make the scores on the doors 7 species in total now.
Re: April 2022
To echo the weather summary of ZZW, my transect walking season commenced yesterday. With both, I completed 8 of the 10 sections with 100% sun in blue skies, and the last 2 sections were accompanied by snowflakes under a dark sky. 7 Small Tortoiseshells were out in total.
Re: April 2022
Sunday 3rd - Lower Kilvey Hill & Dan-y-Graig cemetery, Swansea:
Small White 4
Speckled Wood 4
Small Tortoiseshell 1
Brimstone 1
Small White 4
Speckled Wood 4
Small Tortoiseshell 1
Brimstone 1
Re: April 2022
Sunday 3rd - Cwm Ivy (20 mins of sunshine before cloud stopped play
)
Speckled Wood 6
Peacock 3
Holly Blue 1
Red Admiral 1
Orange Tip 1 (at last!!)

Speckled Wood 6
Peacock 3
Holly Blue 1
Red Admiral 1
Orange Tip 1 (at last!!)
Re: April 2022
My first butterflies of April on my local patch near Heathrow today (3rd). The difference today was that the wind had dropped, though it was very frosty first thing. It may have scraped 10 degrees. Four butterflies, four species: GVW, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma and Orange Tip. Unfortunately, the GVW (a male) spotted the Orange Tip before I did, and chased it vigorously up and down and eventually out of sight.
Dave
I have a few shots like this - but nothing better! 
Dave
Re: April 2022
These Orange Tips are a real conundrum this year, Dave. I think you saw one on 22nd March, didn't you? Was that one today only your second?
Not at all sure why they're taking so long this spring.
Not at all sure why they're taking so long this spring.
Re: April 2022
Yes, David, one a couple of weeks back, and now this one. You'd think the favourable weather would have encouraged them out along with everything else, wouldn't you...

Dave
Re: April 2022
4 Small Tortoiseshells this afternoon, despite the very breezy and overcast conditions. Melksham, Wiltshire
One individual was ab. alba I believe.
One individual was ab. alba I believe.
Re: April 2022
In a burst of sunshine this afternoon (6th), three Orange Tips appeared on my local patch (plus a few other butterflies). I managed to approach one reasonably closely as a bit of cloud grounded it, but the sun soon tempted it into the air again.
DaveRe: April 2022
I was grumbling to myself last night about not seeing any Orange Tip yet. This is only my 3rd season. Looking back at records of my previous 2 seasons, I don't seem to get any here in South Derbyshire until the second half of April.
Re: April 2022
That's probably normal, Otep. When I lived up north I never saw them before mid-April either.
Re: April 2022
The Orange-tips I've been overwintering are starting to take shape inside the chrysalis and I'm beginning to get a sense of how many males and females I have. The forecast looks loathsome however and I expect they will be sensible and stay put for at least a week.
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- Posts: 135
- Joined: Sun Dec 20, 2009 12:28 pm
Re: April 2022
Much the same here in the frozen wastes of Norfolk!
Adrian
Re: April 2022
The sun half-heartedly appeared today for a while. As a consequence, 12 butterfles appeared for me - 6 Small Tortoiseshell, 3 Small White, 2 Speckled Wood and a Peacock.
Butterfly notebook put away and back at my kitchen table doing my job, I saw a white butterfly fluttering about in the garden out of the corner of my eye. Identification was only 99% confirmed owing to my rotten eyesight but I am sure that it had orange tips to its wings. I ran out in to the garden but it was long gone. I am convinced it was one at last - but 99% is not good enough. It makes me optimistic that they are out at last and that the weekend will produce some confirmed sightings.
Butterfly notebook put away and back at my kitchen table doing my job, I saw a white butterfly fluttering about in the garden out of the corner of my eye. Identification was only 99% confirmed owing to my rotten eyesight but I am sure that it had orange tips to its wings. I ran out in to the garden but it was long gone. I am convinced it was one at last - but 99% is not good enough. It makes me optimistic that they are out at last and that the weekend will produce some confirmed sightings.
Re: April 2022
First butterflies in over a week as after a pretty cool, overcast morning, the sun came out in west London & in a woodland reserve I had visited before had 3 male Brimstones, 5 Speckled Woods, 2 Small White & a fleeting view of a rather orange looking vanessid. Didn't look like a Comma & appeared larger-one that got away!
Re: April 2022
Only Small Tortoiseshells on our walk this lunchtime but a nice fresh Speckled Wood in the garden. Melksham, Wiltshire
Re: April 2022
After seeing just one butterfly yesterday on my patch near Heathrow, a slight increase in temperature today and a good deal more sunshine brought out far more, with over forty of seven species seen. Highlights were several Orange Tips...
Full report on the day in my personal diary shortly.
Cheers,
Dave
...and a mating pair of Green-veined Whites. This species topped the count with 14 today, and I'm pretty confident that not one of them was a Small White. 
Full report on the day in my personal diary shortly.
Cheers,
Dave
Re: April 2022
Great images of the mating GVW pair, Dave.
Orange Tips very welcome too.

Orange Tips very welcome too.
Re: April 2022
Cheers, David. Strangely, I often seem to find a GVW pairing at this time of year.
Down at Denbies this morning: Green Hairstreaks and Grizzled Skippers now flying, but sunshine now very hazy so things are quiet. Photos to follow...
Dave
Down at Denbies this morning: Green Hairstreaks and Grizzled Skippers now flying, but sunshine now very hazy so things are quiet. Photos to follow...
Dave