What was 2008 butterfly wise, like in your area.

[Gruditch]

Here on the Hants/Wilts boarder, it was as someone else phrased it "a funny year". We all know the weather was not the best this year, cool summer, lots of the wet stuff, and that damned wind that near on made photography impossible.

Locally the big losers seem to have been the Small Copper, that made a good comeback late in the season, but was all but missing for the first brood. The Adonis Blue had a dismal time locally, despite several visits we never saw them at Stockbridge or Broughton Downs, and they were completely absent from Danebury this year.

However Dingy and Grizzled Skippers were the big winners around here. Both species would usually be confined to small hot spots on my local sites, but this year they could be found almost anywhere, and in good numbers. The Silver-washed Frits also had a good year at Bentley Wood, and of cause the Small Tortoiseshell made a slight recovery, lets hope the influx of the more Sturmia bella resistant ST's from the Continent, helps boost their recovery.

Gruditch

[wavelea1]

Hi Gruditch - good topic.

Here in the Bristol/Bath area we have had a pretty poor time. Weather wise July was bad and August was a complete washout. Although it didn't rain everyday we never saw the sun and this put paid to many of the warmth and sun-loving species. I don't think we are terribly well blessed in this area at best but it is quite central for trips out.

Early season S. Tortoiseshells were virtually non-existant although like you they picked up later in the year. I have only seen one Painted Lady all year and even Peacocks seemed down in numbers. Of the 13 species I have recorded in my garden we have only seen 8 this year.

In the sites which I visit regularly Brown Argus seemed to have done well but Adonis Blues have been missing and Chalkhills down in number - no Clouded Yellows at all. Like you Skippers seem to be coping and I noted that Eccles recorded an Essex Skipper locally. The Marsh Fritillaries were good at Morgan's Hill in June and Whites have had it v. good.

Mike

[Denise]

I agree with wavelea1,
Small Tortoiseshell absent from my garden for the first time, only saw two all year with only one locally. I didn't see a Red Admiral in my garden until late summer, but then there were lots. Whites did very well, as did Small, Large and Essex Skipper which I photographed.
This year I had 19 species in my garden, including a Marbled White, which did poorly in this area, and not forgetting my firsts for Orange-tip and Common Blue.
I hope that next year is a little kinder.

Denise

[thepostieles]

here in e.port saw loads of speckled woods, lots of commas one or two s.torts few red admirals and lots small and large whites, and one brimstone

[Will]

Here in W. Wales numbers have been well down on 2007. No Clouded Yellow seen in 2008, though Painted Lady seen June, August, Sept and Oct. Good numbers of Small Tortoiseshell in Sept and Oct but recorded every month from February. Red Admiral numerous this Autumn. Earlier on, like Gruditch, saw lots of Grizzled and Dingy Skippers. Small Blues well down though. Failed to see Marsh Frit. even on a Butterfly conservation reserve! All in all a poor year, lets hope for a better 2009.

[Dave McCormick]

I have a list of all known species to appear in my area throughout the year:

Large/Small/GV White
Red Admiral
Peacock
Small Tortoiseshell
Comma (Since this year)
Meadow Brown
Speckled Wood
Small Copper (Less and less at the moment)
Clouded Yellow (On good years only)
Common Blue (Quite a few in places)
Holly Blue (Hundreds all over the place)
Ringlet
Orange-Tip

Ones I have seen this year (2008):

Large/Small/GV White
Peacock
Small Tortoiseshell (less in summer, way more in autumn)
Meadow Brown
Comma (My dads seem them, not me, but he showd me photos)
Small Copper (one or two, not many)
Common Blue (Found a new place they exist now)
Holly Blue (All over the place, except I never saw them in the area I first saw them again, since last spring)
Orange-Tip (Quite good numbers in areas, only a few areas they exist where I live)
Ringlet
Speckled Wood (Quite a few last 2 months or so)
Red Admiral

[Matsukaze]

In my area of north Somerset it was a strange sort of year with most butterflies having a disappointing time. Some broods of some common species were more or less non-existent.

Large, Small and Essex Skippers - a disappointing year. About here and there, but in low numbers.
Dingy and Grizzled Skippers - seem to have had a reasonable year.
Clouded Yellow - none seen.
Brimstone - very few in the spring, generally where there is woodland nearby; a bit more frequent in the summer but still scarce.
Large, Small and Green-veined Whites, and Orange-tip - a reasonable year.
Green Hairstreak - disappointing, only one seen.
White-letter Hairstreak - a few adults seen but no early stages found, suggesting a poor year.
Purple Hairstreak - more seen than usual.
Small Copper - plenty at Sand Point in the spring, but otherwise very scarce; for some reason, the few that turned up elsewhere all seemed to be on sites where I have never seen them before, and their usual haunts appeared deserted.
Brown Argus - lots at Sand Point, but only one anywhere else.
Common Blue - a very poor year, numbers low on some regular sites and seemingly absent altogether on others.
Holly Blue - plentiful in the spring, very rare in summer and autumn
Red Admiral - numbers lower than usual.
Painted Lady - a poor year, only two seen.
Small Tortoiseshell - common in one or two locations in the spring but generally absent; not seen at all in the summer till a few in September.
Peacock - present in reasonable numbers but not so plentiful as in 2007.
Comma - spring and autumn broods almost absent, though the summer hutchinsoni form did well.
Silver-washed Fritillary - scarce, but not unduly so.
Speckled Wood - early broods were scarce, but very common in September.
Wall - none seen.
Marbled White - present in its usual locations, but in small numbers.
Gatekeeper - late to emerge and flight season was cut short by appalling late August weather.
Meadow Brown - a reasonable year in the circumstances, no scarcer than 2007.
Ringlet - a fair year.
Small Heath - present in spring on its usual sites, generally in low numbers.

[Paul]

In Swaledale, after 2007, this season was not expected to be great, and I feared a dramatic decline throughout. However, there was some variation, with some winners and losers.
A winter search for Purple and White Letter Hairstreak ovae was scarily negative.
The early season produced reduced numbers of Orange tip, emerging later than last year, and lasting less time. Brimstones made a scanty appearance but the success of the spring appeared to be the Holly Blues, which were present in higher numbers than I have yet known. Overwintering Commas were about the same as recently, Peacocks fewer and Small Tortoiseshells very sparse. Speckled Woods were doing well yet again. No early season immigrants were seen. Green Hairstreaks and Small Coppers continue to thrive in the Dales.
I only caught the end of the mid season but Meadow Browns and Ringlets showed quite well. Common Blues however were very few and far between. My highlight was Purple Hairstreaks which proved my fears wrong by showing up in better numbers than 2007.
The late showing of Red Admirals and Commas was strong, especially the latter, larvae of which were easy to find. Peacocks were common though less in numbers than last year, but (at least up here) Small Tortoiseshells were few in number. There was a late minor influx of Painted Ladys and Large Whites at the same time as SilverY moths so presumed immigrant (??). Holly Blues and Brimstones put in individual late appearances. Speckled Woods seemed to have built on early season success, larger numbers than ever counted in September. Small Coppers late brood was excellent.