September 2014

[David M]

Fair amount of butterfly activity observed at the National Botanic Gardens of Wales, in Carmarthenshire, today.

20+ Small Whites and Small Tortoiseshells seen, along with 10 or so Red Admirals, 4 Speckled Woods, 3 Commas, 2 Large Whites and singleton Common Blue & Small Copper.

[jenks]

A walk along Wales coastal path from 11.00 to 16.30 today gave me the following.

From Lavernock to Penarth : Red Admiral 1, Small Tortoiseshell 1, Small White 10 +, Green veined White 1, Large White 2, Speckled Wood, 20 +.
From Newport Wetlands Reserve, Uskmouth to Goldcliff : Red Admiral 1, Comma 1, ( both on Ivy at the reserve entrance), Small White 10+, Large White 1, Small Copper 1, Hedge Brown 1, Common Blue 1, Speckled Wood 5-6, Painted Lady ( 1, just by the sea wall near the lighthouse and looking bright and very fresh ). Also here, numerous Common Darter, a few Ruddy Darter and many Migrant Hawker Dragonflies, including 2 couples "in cop" and flying in tandem. A menage a.... quartre ? All enjoying the warm September sun, as, indeed was I. Evidence of visible bird migration, too. 5 Wheatear on the sea wall and loads of Swallows flying south out to sea. Roll on next spring.

Jenks

[CJB]

Good morning all UK B'ers,

Having seen only one small copper in my garden at the very beginning of the season, I saw a fresh one this weekend.

Lots of Speckled Woods, Small Torts, Red Admirals, Large Whites, Small Whites, G-V Whites and with another good week of weather ahead, the season may just keep on giving!

Flutter on!

CJB

[Ian Pratt]

Second brood white admirals seen at Walters Copse Newtown IOW yesterday by Peter Hunt. Photo at http://www.hantsiow-butterflies.org.uk/news.php
Ian

[Andy Wilson]

Just saw the post about 2nd-brood White Admiral on the Isle of Wight... my sister and her husband returned yesterday from a week's holiday there, and she said she was sure she saw one near Bembridge a few days ago.

[Ian Pratt]

Just saw the post about 2nd-brood White Admiral on the Isle of Wight... my sister and her husband returned yesterday from a week's holiday there, and she said she was sure she saw one near Bembridge a few days ago.

I would be interested to know exactly where she saw it as there are only a few places where white admirals are seen on the IOW. Thanks.
Ian

[Reddog]

Hi all
I was working in town today and went for a walk at lunchtime and found some wasteland at the back of the Adelphi hotel. I was pleased to see some butterflies there I saw 10 Red Admirals 2 Small Whites 1 Comma 1 Speckled Wood but best of all 1 Peacock I'v not seen one for awhile.
Here are some photos I took with my phone so not good quality.

[Allan.W.]

Hi all.
Thanks David M. and Guy,
for kind comments re- "Radiata" ,I couldn,t resist another quick look at Dunge again yesterday(late afternoon) ,was very pleased to see another late Meadow Brown ,along the power station fence, and approaching the moat, an immaculate Painted lady drifted by .Around the moat were the expected Small coppers , none particularly unusual ,although the one pictured was a bit of a cracker! also plenty of Small Heath ,on show and two fly by Small tortoiseshell ,when the sun passed behind some whispy cloud ,the Small Copper just vanished,gone ,,,,,,,just like that,but as soon as the sun re-shone ,out they came! regards .Allan W.

A real cracker!

[jenks]

I`ve just been looking at the website of ClassicFM (another of my favourites). A music festival held recently attracted a Peacock butterfly to a young flautist who was playing. The butterfly landed on the bridge of her nose but she continued playing quite unperturbed for another minute before gently waving her hand and dislodging it !. And she didn`t miss a note. The website has a video lasting 1 minute 43 seconds showing this. Amazing incident, its well worth checking out.

Jenks.

[Tony Moore]

Absolutely amazing - thanks for sharing the link. It also demonstrates the concentration and application of top musicians - wonderful .

Tony M.

[trishbell18]

just want to log that we have today sighted a lovely red admiral butterfly, in our garden, NE Hampshire at 1.45pm today. could not get photo, but it is enjoying the plants and the sunshine!

[Reddog]

Hi all
At lunchtime (armed with a camera) I went back to the site I found yesterday at the back of the Adelphi hotel and found a Red Admiral with a white spot on the red bands on the fore wings.

[peterc]

Hi Reddog,

Another interesting thing I noticed about your Red Admiral is that there is a gap in the red bands on the fore-wings. Could this be ab. fructa or 2 aberrations in one?

Peter

[Reddog]

Hi Peterc

I saw that as well but was not sure it was a aberrant. I saw the same butterfly again yesterday along with 2 Small Tortoiseshell 1 Peacock 1 Comma 8 Small White (that did not stop) and about 10 Red Admirals but best of all a Painted Lady. Not bad fore half an hour on my lunch break on a bit of wasteland in the middle of a city.

[Vince Massimo]

Having found a freshly-emerged female Brown Hairstreak outside my new house in Crawley on 20th July this year, I assumed that it come from an egg laid in the front (Cherry Plum) hedge last summer.

Brown Hairstreak - Crawley, Sussex 20-July-2014

Since then I have seen 3 females in the garden, including some fluttering around the hedge.

This morning I found an egg in a section of hedge that is not in good condition, which bodes well for the rest of the hedge and those of my neighbours.

Brown Hairstreak egg (context) - Crawley, Sussex 20-Sept-2014

Brown Hairstreak egg - Crawley, Sussex 20-Sept-2014

Locally, eggs seem to be everywhere at the moment, many being found with just casual inspections of Blackthorn, despite the plants still being in full leaf.

Brown Hairstreak egg - Broadfield Pond, Crawley, Sussex 11-Sept-2014

I'm not sure whether this is just due to a lack of predation (it being so early in the season), or that the females have made the most of the good weather and got all their eggs out.

Earlier in the month I found a lovely Eyed Hawk moth larva in my apple tree.

Eyed Hawk moth larva - Crawley, Sussex 2-Sept-2014

and now Red Admirals are starting to make the most of the Ivy flowers

Red Admiral - Crawley, Sussex 17-Sept-2014

Vince

[Allan.W.]

Hi all ,
Checked out my local White Admiral wood yesterday,(Orlestone forest ,Kent),just a flying visit ,at two areas which are generally hotspots ,in season ,about an hour and a half in all but no joy! I did see a couple of Peacock,a couple of Speckled Wood ,a Comma, an immaculate Green vein and 4,male Small Copper ,my best count here, all attracted to the Scabious plants that seem to have gone mad this year!
Quick look at Dungeness today, about 15 Small Coppers about although some are looking pretty battle worn!(see below)
3 or 4 Small Heath,1 roosting male Common Blue,and a single Red Admiral, with the extra white spots.
Regards Allan .W.

[Liz Goodyear]

My brother saw a White Admiral on 3 occasions today over a period of at least one hour at a woodland carr close to Hickling Broad in Norfolk this morning
Liz

[David M]

Disappointing return of butterflies at the Pembrokeshire Brown Hairstreak site between 9.50am and 1pm today:

Speckled Wood 7
Small Copper 5
Red Admiral 5
Comma 3
Small White 2
Large White 1
Painted Lady 1
Small Tortoiseshell 1

Apart from a brief appearance from a Painted Lady, the highlight was my first real close encounter all year with a female Large White.

[CJB]

Good morning UK B'ers,

A good tally in the garden this weekend:

1 pristine Brown Argus, 1 pristine Small Copper, 1 worn Common Blue, several Small Tortoiseshells, Red Admirals, Large Whites, Small Whites and Speckled Woods.

Is the Brown Argus unusually late?

Flutter on!

CJB

[EricY]

Worn Painted Lady Norfolk 23 sept

I have seen nearly as many Painted Ladies here on Norfolk coast in last 3 days as I have seen all year so far. Maybe last weeks easterly winds brought some in. This worn looking specimen was in my garden today, most of the orange scales are gone but otherwise seems little damage to the wings. The forewings were almost clear "see through". Eric