October 2013

[Testudo Man]

9th of October, 3.45pm, windy and not that warm at all, location was Kent.

Not a butterfly, but i had great views of a Hummingbird Hawk Moth(I was at work, so no camera) I tried to take pics with my phone, but failed to focus The moth flew from one flower to the next, nectaring right in front of me. At one point it flew around me! I dont see these that often, and this was the best up close views i have ever seen.

Of all the times ive been out in the field this year, ive not seen any of these, until now!

Cheers Paul.

[Jack Harrison]

Isle of Mull 12th October. On each of Speckled Wood (very tatty), Red Admiral and a probable Tortoiseshell (seen in flight).

Jack

[badgerbob]

With the sun showing just a little yesterday I did a similar walk to last Tuesday when I saw 11 species. Yesterday I only managed 5 and a much reduced quantity of those species I did see. Small Copper, Small White, Comma, Red Admiral and Speckled Wood. Lets hope for a bit more settled warmer weather before the winter really sets in.
Whilst I was out there were no butterflies worthy of a pic but I did find a Shield Bug and a Dock Leaf Bug sitting together as well as a yellow fungus that was smart. If there are any fungus experts out there I wouldn't mind an id on.

http://bobsbutterflies.blogspot.com

[aeshna5]

I'm no fungus expert Bob, but it's a species of waxcap, Hygrocybe sp.

[Jack Harrison]

Brand spanking new Red Admiral here on Mull today,13th October. I hadn't heard of any significant immigration so presumably this one was "home grown". I am beginning to suspect that a handful of Red Admirals survive our winters - after all, it rarely drops below freezing here - and produce the butterflies we see later in then year.

Jack

[essexbuzzard]

Congratulations, Jack! West Scotland is probably just about the only place in GB that saw the sun today-you are better off there than in wet East Anglia!

Cheers!

[Jack Harrison]

West Scotland is probably just about the only place in GB that saw the sun

There was a bit of tedious cloud first thing but that soon melted away



Jack

[P.J.Underwood]

"Whilst I was out there were no butterflies worthy of a pic but I did find a Shield Bug and a Dock Leaf Bug sitting together as well as a yellow fungus that was "
Looks like the glutinous waxcap to me-Hygrocybe glutinipes
P.J.U.

[David M]

Took an hour's walk round the local canal this afternoon. It was 13.5c, sunny with light winds, but I only saw 8 butterflies.

5 were Small Tortoiseshells, whilst there was one Comma on ivy flowers, one Small Copper basking on a wall and, rather surprisingly, a Peacock flying around an ash tree.

Still some sprigs of buddleia in flower, but I doubt they'll last more than another week.

[badgerbob]

A really nice day here in Sussex today so I ventured to Birling Gap for a wander to Beachy Head and back. Two Long-tailed Blues had been seen in this area during the Blue time but I wasn't really expecting any more now. However, there were plenty of Small Copper about along with several Speckled Wood. Meadow Brown were also hanging on in there along with around 5 Clouded Yellow and a couple of Comma. The Clouded Yellow looked as though they had been bashed about a bit in the rain!! I was watching one Comma when a perched Hummingbird Hawk Moth caught my eye.

Hummingbird Hawk Moth

http://bobsbutterflies.blogspot.com

[Testudo Man]

Whilst at work today(im lucky that i work outside)...well, lucky until the winter comes, then its hard going out there!!!

Quite a fair amount of Sunshine today in Kent!

I saw a Large White, and a lovely Red Admiral.

Also of note, 5 Buzzards, a Sparrowhawk, a Kestrel, and 2 Dragonflies.

Cheers Paul.

[Butterflysaurus rex]

I managed to spend a couple of pleasant sunny and warm hours out on the downs this afternoon.

I saw Speckled Wood, Small Copper, Small White,

A late Meadow Brown.

Comma were quite numerous on the blackberries.

And the surprise of the day was a tiny little Clouded Yellow! It was so small I thought it was a moth as it flew past. I have never seen a Clouded Yellow as small as this before. After comparing it against my other CY photos I noticed that the white spot on the hind wing looks a bit bigger than usual. Other than that it was a perfect miniaturised version of the "normal sized" CY's I'm more used to seeing.

B,saurus

[David M]

A late Meadow Brown.

Wow.

That IS late!

[Perseus]

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 Comma Butterflies, two Speckled Woods and another three Red Admirals. This made me anticipate more butterflies on Mill Hill. A Red Admiral was quickly seen over the road before (south of) the first cattle grid. Mill Hill was in both shade and sunshine, but the sunshine was very weak for the first twenty minutes when I failed to spot a single butterfly in flight. I was about to register a blank when my eye caught a very bright Clouded Yellow that was settled before it flew off rapidly. It was the first of two seen on the lower slopes. The sun could be felt for the first time and almost simultaneously I disturbed the first of seven Meadow Browns, and later just the one Small White Butterfly. There may be more butterflies in hiding as it was only warm enough for butterflies for about ten minutes. One Meadow Brown was disturbed into flight by the frequent grasshoppers.
Later in Shoreham, I noted another Small White Butterfly.
21 butterflies of six species

[David M]

Spent the afternoon at Kenfig NNR for the S. Wales BC AGM. Upon leaving at 4.05pm, I sneaked down to the sheltered western edge and spotted three Red Admirals fluttering around the flowering ivy.

[Ian Pratt]

Just back from a few days on the west coast of France not expecting to see much but had great weather and thousands of dragonflies. Also, the following butterflies: red admiral, clouded yellow, large white, small copper, geranium bronze, painted lady, speckled wood and an unidentified copper (possibly a female mazarine blue). The geranium bronzes were true to their name feeding on geraniums!

[Ian Pratt]

Long-tailed blues on the Isle of Wight - see my friend Peter Hunt's great blog at http://marmari2011.blogspot.co.uk

[Jack Harrison]

Ian.

How frequent or severe are the winter frosts (if any) on the south coast of the island right down by the sea shore?

This is just a thought about Clouded Yellow (and LT Blue) potential survival if they are able to "tick over" (as Red Admiral probably does) until it warms up in say mid-February.

Although we don't of course get Clouded Yellow or LT Blue here on Mull, frosts on the sea shore are rare as the sea temperature doesn't drop below +7C (Gulf Stream). I have a suspicion that Red Admiral might survive the winter with intermittent nectaring on sunny days. South coast of I of W should be even more benign.

Jack

[Ian Pratt]

Frosts are quite common during the winter on the IOW but Ventnor particularly is very mild as it is south facing and has the moderating effect of the sea. I am not sure how many frosts there are there each year but not as many as in the other parts of the Island. I saw a painted lady there on January 1 2013! Ian

[Padfield]

Ian, your 'copper' is definitely not a copper (all of which have three spots in the cell or the underside forewing - one at the end and two more basally). It looks like a female mazarine blue. Was it in a clover field? The date is a bit baffling - I certainly nver see them this late in Switzerland.

Guy