Trevor

[trevor]

Thanks Goldie. The yellow flower is Rudbeckia'( Black eyed Susan ).

[Wurzel]

Cracking Small Tort Trevor I'v been seeing Specklies and Red Admirals this week so there might be one or two bits and bobs around at the weekend - fingers crossed

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Yes, very nice to see a fresh-looking Small Tortoiseshell, Trevor. None of them are around local to me, but I found one in Yorkshire a couple of days ago. It looks like a final burst of summer this weekend (in the south at any rate) so who knows what you might find down there!

Cheers,

Dave

[trevor]

Thanks Goldie, Wurzel & Dave. That Small Tort should have been tucked up by now.

Today I went over to Herstmonceux again. A Painted Lady took me by surprise, one grab shot,
and it was gone. Thinking the sort of language one reserves for such occasions I soon found
'another' Painted Lady on the Verbena. Looking at my shots it would seem that there was only
the one butterfly which must have made a very rapid return to where I first saw it.

The only other butterfly today was an ageing Small Copper.

[essexbuzzard]

A lovely Painted Lady like that is surely worth the trip, Trevor!

[Wurzel]

That Painted Lady is in cracking nick for this time of the year - I saw one on Facebook the other day that was so battered it was almost unrecognisable! I've often noticed that butterflies will nip off and then come back to very close to the same place a few minutes later - it's the only way I've managed to get any shots over the last couple of outings

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

They love those purple flowers, Trevor! The verbena has clung on longer than usual this year but even so, a Painted Lady is a notable find.

Small Coppers, as ever, don’t care what colour their nectar source is….so long as it’s an aster.

[millerd]

A very splendid Painted Lady, Trevor. I've a couple of times seen my last one of the year on verbena bonariensis - they can't resist it. It's a great late season nectar source, and appears to keep flowering until the first frosts if tidy gardeners don't decide its leggy habits look unkempt! It was going strong up in East Yorkshire this week too.

Cheers,

Dave

[Goldie M]

You do get Butterflies to match the flowers Trevor, fantastic, Goldie

[trevor]

Many thanks everyone for the comments on the Painted Lady.

Guess what! The same Painted Lady was still there today.

With the chores done, and an overdue visit to the barbers out of the way, it was still only 10.30.
So I headed over to Herstmonceux, only to find the same Painted Lady in the same area as on Thurs 27th.
The distinguishing feature being a tiny nick near the top of the left hand forewing.

I am not so positive about the only Small Copper today, but again it was on the same plants as Thursday.

[millerd]

I hope that Painted Lady finds somewhere secure to spend the next 24 hours, Trevor - the forecast looks a bit wild down there tonight! I would guess that when the wind goes round a bit, it will finally head south to warmer climes. Some great shots there!

Cheers,

Dave

[trevor]

Cheers Dave. If that Painted Lady comes through the rough weather
at least there are no worries with the temperature for the time being.
Ij I see it again it will be my first November Painted Lady.

[Wurzel]

Good to see the Painted Lady again Trevor I reckon that could be the same Small Copper as well - they do like to keep to their regular beat Hopefully they do find somewhere to hunker down - the storm passed through here this afternoon and the hail and rain was horizontal!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

...I am not so positive about the only Small Copper today, but again it was on the same plants as Thursday.

It's the same individual, Trevor. There is a small piece of the right hindwing edge missing where the third black submarginal spot should be.

Nice to see both of those on Hallowe'en.

[trevor]

Many thanks David & Wurzel.

I went out this morning hoping the grey cloud would break up.
Looking to the South from my garden I could see the distant cloud was a creamy yellow,
indicating that the sun was out near the coast. So I headed for Horseshoe Plantation
and the East facing edge of the wooded area. Sure enough the area was bathed in direct,
warm sunshine and was protected from the breeze.
As soon as I emerged from the shady woodland I spotted a Red Admiral basking on a. bramble leaf,
the first of five RA's found this morning, they were attracted to some unseasonal bramble blossom.
A solo Comma was the only other species of the morning.,

That could be it for this season, but who knows!
Trevor.

[bugboy]

I thought you might have got lucky today Trevor. I went to Essex and had just a single Red Admiral flyby. Still counts though, not had a butterflyless day since March !

[millerd]

Pretty good, Trevor - you found the sunshine, and on a day like today there were the butterflies too. I think you may well be favourably placed over the weekend too...

Cheers,

Dave

[Wurzel]

Good work there Trevor You did better than me - as I had a butterfly-less outing today looks like we've entered that time of the year of 'uncertainty' when it comes to sightings Still soon be Spring - if we follow the same timetable as the supermarkets we'll only have a couple of weeks to go

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Given how mild things have been it's not surprising there are still a few butterflies about, Trevor. That Red Admiral's done well to find a bramble flower so late in the year!

[trevor]

Cheers Paul. I see you got lucky yesterday, 11th, a few in advance.

Thanks Dave. That woodland edge can be a November hot spot.

Cheers Wurzel. I'll look forward to the January Easter egg displays.

I was at my little job near Chichester yesterday, David, and saw two more RA's,
and again one of them had found a few bramble flowers. No camera though.

Today once the cloud cover had cleared I drove over to Herstmonceux Castle,
on the last day before the gaardens close for the Winter.
Two more Red Admirals were found, one immaculate and frisky, and the other
rather tatty one had found what little Verbena remains in flower.

The weather is not looking so good next week, a bit more normal for the time of year!