April 2012

[Debbie]

At last, A orange tip came to visit my back garden today. (It would have been nice if it has sat still), but a least it came

Debbie

[dilettante]

I think we should start a Non-Sightings forum

I went out three times at the weekend looking for butterflies, and only saw one White flying miles away. It's been weeks since I saw anything.

[marmari]

i am sure things will improve for you soon,Paddy.

[sharki]

Hi.

A bit late in the month i know, but as it's my first post, i'm sure i'll be excused.
April got off to a good start after my sightings got kicked off in March with a Male Brimstone nectaring on Red dead nettle.

This month i've managed to chase and photograph all sighted species all bar the two pearl bordered Frits i saw in South Devon on Saturday.

So here are my sightings so far:

Brimstones.
Peacocks.
Small tortoiseshells.
Commas
Speckled wood, inc a mating pair.
Small whites M+F
Large whites M+F
Orange tips M+F. Both of which i got pics of them on my finger
Green veined white.
Holly Blue.
Small copper.
And the two PB frittilaries.

Not a bad start to the year, going to attempt an all species year. Though this present spell of moistness may make things hard going.

Here's a female Orange tip i snapped on a mostly wet and windy day in Somerset.



Then there's the various exotic species that i saw in a Devon Butterfly house on Sunday. (it was raining, one needs to get his kicks...)

[A_T]

Butterflies made a comeback here today after a long break since the March warm weather. A few Speckled Woods and a female Orange Tip.

[Willrow]

Warm welcome to UKB sharki, that's a lovely image, a great way to kick off your sightings, look forward to seeing lot's more!

Bill

[MikeOxon]

May I add my welcome to this forum, Sharki, usually known as the friendliest site on the web!

Good luck with your attempt on an 'all species' year. I'm not sure where you are located but for most if us, it is the Northern species that present the greatest difficulty. You need to make good plans for species like Large Heath, Northern Brown Argus, Mountain Ringlet, and Chequered Skipper, as examples. There's plenty of good advice in this forum to help you out.

Mike

[badgerbob]

The weather this morning was worse than terrible, so there was me cursing, what with having the day off. Early afternoon I saw a few gaps in the clouds. At this I decided to rush out to a wood to see if I could find any Pearl Bordered Fritillaries. The sun actually came out for a couple of hours but the wind was still strong and kept the temperature down. However, 3 Pearls were seen as well as 1 Orange-tip and a Grizzled Skipper.

[David M]

The weather this morning was worse than terrible, so there was me cursing, what with having the day off. Early afternoon I saw a few gaps in the clouds. At this I decided to rush out to a wood to see if I could find any Pearl Bordered Fritillaries. The sun actually came out for a couple of hours but the wind was still strong and kept the temperature down. However, 3 Pearls were seen as well as 1 Orange-tip and a Grizzled Skipper.

I can't believe you saw butterflies today. It has been possibly the worst day of weather thus far in 2012!

[marmari]

If its any consolation to you,David M the weather on the isle of Wight today has been awful.
Peter

[David M]

If its any consolation to you,David M the weather on the isle of Wight today has been awful.
Peter

Not really. I don't wish others to suffer as well (in spite of the Large Tortoiseshells, Small Blues, Walls, etc).

[NickB]

Before the rain, I nipped-out to the Cemetery.....two Small White (looking rather sorry for themselves)...
Maybe they were thinking what I was thinking as the mowers and strimmers moved-in for the first time this year....

Mowing the daisies....

..before the mowers and strimmers.......habitat......

...good-bye

[Rogerdodge]

Nick
Roadside verge just up from where I work. Full of cuckoo flower.
At least until yesterday - then in came the mowers.
R.I.P. Orange Tip.

Interesting thought - they can afford to send out people to mow the verges, but can't send out people to pick up the litter!!!!

[NickB]

Nick
Roadside verge just up from where I work. Full of cuckoo flower.
At least until yesterday - then in came the mowers.
R.I.P. Orange Tip.

Interesting thought - they can afford to send out people to mow the verges, but can't send out people to pick up the litter!!!!

[badgerbob]

Not wishing to upset David M too much we had a bit more sunshine over here in Sussex this morning, so, I called into a site near Lewes hoping for a mixture of early Downland butterflies. Well, I only saw the one butterfly but it was a superb female Orange-tip roosting. Not long after finding her the sun warmed her up enough to make her active and she flew off. The only other interest was a very small spider. (Not sure which type as not a spider expert)!!

Orange-tip female

[David M]

Maybe they were thinking what I was thinking as the mowers and strimmers moved-in for the first time this year....

Such a shame....and just because people have a certain concept of 'tidiness'.

[badgerbob]

With almost wall to wall sunshine today a proper butterfly session was on, despite the breeze still being a bit of a pain. After my daily check on the Wall Pupa it was onto Cradle Hill where at last a Green Hairstreak has emerged along with a couple of Dingy Skippers. Plenty of other butterfly activity with several Grizzled Skipper seen as well as a fresh Comma. Then shot over to meet Nigel Kemp at Abbotts Wood to see the Pearl Bordered Fritillaries. Not too many out yet but we spotted a female egg laying. Several Orange-tips also seen at both locations.

[Mark Tutton]

I Looked at the forecast today and thought there would be some chance of sun this afternoon, after an appalling morning, so we took a chance and drove to Pignal Inclosure in the New Forest in search of PBF. The showers were horrendous on the way down but the sun broke through just as we pulled into the car park. We visited all the locations where I found them last year and the sun kept creeping through but after two hours and just three speckled woods to show for my efforts I took a look at the western sky, which looked promising, and headed for Bentley Wood. as we drove up the track the rain was hammering down but I could see blue sky! I had a look in the book and noticed Wurzel had been the day before but PBF had been sighted today - sorry Wurzel. With high hopes we scoured the Eastern Clearing for a good two hours but to no avail - only a Peacock and GVW showed their presence - the weather looks rubbish for the foreseeable so perhaps its next weekend now

[Wurzel]

No worries Tuts I'm used to dipping as a birder from way back I'm mightily impressed that you could read my scrawl I might try tomorrow just for the heck of it as it looks dry and might get up to a whopping 12 degrees, that is practically balmy

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[A_T]

No butterflies today I fear