millerd

[Wurzel]

That last Red Admiral is a joy to behold Dave I'm intrigued by that Small White but I think I'm just starting to see things now...I need to get out with my camera

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Yes, Wurzel, I liked that Red Admiral shot too - and that Small White's underside was very dusky... (though what I saw of the upperside wasnothing unusual ). There will be more of the species to come in the next few posts I'm sure.

Thursday 10th October turned distinctly chilly (only 13 degrees), but the afternoon had a bit of sunshine which did encourage a few butterflies out:

Red Admiral 4
Common Blue 3
Speckled Wood 3
Comma 1
Large White 1
Small Copper 1

Curiously, the only white butterfly I saw was this male Large White (no Small Whites today at all).

The Small Copper needs no introduction, being a bit of a fixture over the last fortnight or so.

The Specklies were all males, some a little fresher than others. When it's cool they seem to spend a lot more time low down in the grass.

Aside from a few Red Admirals on the ivy...

...the remainder of my attention lay with the Common Blues, nearing the last of quite an extended third brood. I spotted one roosting...

...and then a second within a metre or so of the first.

They both reacted when the sun came out from behind a cloud, but it was the second one thaat landed nearby and posed.

I found a third in a different part of my patch, close to the Small Copper.

It was the least worn of the three.

However, it didn't feel the sun was strong enough to bask in for long, and it allowed some context shots.

Dave

[millerd]

Friday 11th October was a much sunnier day, and a bit warmer again as well. This unsurprisingly equated to more butterflies appearing on my local patch, though nearly half of the total were Red Admirals - the return migration definitely seemed to be underway. The numbers may have been higher today, but were still easily countable:

Red Admiral 18
Speckled Wood 6
Common Blue 5
Small White 5
Comma 2
Small Copper 1
Large White 1
Small Heath 1

This turned out to be the last appearance of a Small Heath here in 2024. Overall, they have ended up having a better season locally than for several years, particularly later on in the summer. The timing of the grass cut must have suited them.

The Specklies today included a pair of males indulging in their close-quarter scuffles in the sunshine, paying no heed to me and passing right under my nose a few times. I made some attempts to record this...

The others were just basking in the sun.

There was nothing particularly intriguing about today's Small Whites (sorry, Wurzel... )...

...and the Small Copper was nectaring on its personal ragwort plant again.

I shall have to try and track it back through my photos to establish just how old it might be. In past years, there has often been a last Small Copper at the end of the season that managed four or five weeks or so - they are tough little blighters.

Male Common Blues can be survivors too, though the females are more difficult to keep tabs on (not being territorial). There were four males today, plus a ragged female that I may have seen before. One of the males evaded the camera.

One of the Commas seen was wedded to a sprig of buddleia(the other was likewise attached to an inaccessible bit of ivy).

Of the Red Admirals, the majority were similarly occupied in nectaring on the same two sources of sustenance. However at least half a dozen were seen out in the open, flying strongly in a straight line towards the sun at lowish treetop height.

I came across one just basking that looked a little different - a patch of the hindwing had been bleached somehow.

8 species, 38 butterflies: with very little in the way of sunshine in the forecast for the days ahead, I suspected this might not be repeated soon - if at all - this year.

Dave

[trevor]

A good October tally Dave. Great to see your Common Blues, they have been
far from common for me this year. Hopefully a little time still left for a trip or two.

[millerd]

Cheers, Trevor - all that was of course ten days ago now, but despite some unhelpful weather for the next few days there was more activity to come.

The next three days managed about an hour of sun between them, and on 13th and 14th October it was also pretty chilly. On Saturday 12th, I found five Red Admirals and a couple of Specklies, and that was all. One of the Red Admirals, however, looked absolutely new.

On Sunday 13th, I caught glimpses of another couple of Admirals, but nothing else in the way of butterflies. My eye was caught instead by a handsome, if rather docile and sluggish, hornet.

They are splendid insects that often receive a bad press.

Dave

[millerd]

Tuesday 15th October followed three days with virtually no sunshine, cool temperatures and next to no butterflies. However today there were some hints of brightness in the early afternoon and the temperature rose to a respectable 18 degrees. On a wander locally, I counted 12 butterflies, but with just four species making an appearance:

Red Admiral 5
Small White 4
Common Blue 2
Large White 1

The last of this quartet didn't stop for a photo (though I think I saw the same butterfly the following day and caught up with it then).
Two of the Small Whites, one femalle and one male, were pretty fresh.

Red Admirals were doing what Red Admirals do at this time of year. There was still a fair amount of buddleia in bloom, but the sun is lower every day and most of the bushes are becoming shaded for most of the day now.

Common Blues still seem to pop up whenever the sun shines. One was showing signs of wear...

...but the other seemed surprisingly whole.

Finally, a real splash of autumn colour...

These are bramble leaves showing a striking variety of stages of chlorophyll degradation.

Dave

[millerd]

Wednesday 16th October probably ended up as the warmest day of the month (I can't see things exceeding this in the last week... ). The temperature locally reached the dizzy heights of close to 22C - but despite the warmth there wasn't much sunshine.

I had hoped that the conditions might increase the numbers (and variety) of the butterflies, but aside from a male Brimstone that had been woken up by the warmth and wasn't stopping there was nothing unusual and I counted a meagre 14 individual butterflies:

Red Admiral 4

Speckled Wood 3

Small White 3

Large White 1

Small Copper 1

Common Blue 1

Brimstone 1

The Large White was almost certainly the individual I'd seen the day before - it was in the same area and was flying in the same rather lugubrious way. At least today it stopped to nectar.

The Small Copper was the one I'd been finding regularly on the same ragwort plant. This is the last shot of it I managed, as though I saw it one final time the following day it was using up the last of its energy chasing a Common Blue and didn't stop. It certainly had a good innings and at least one female passed through its territory, so hopefully it contributed its robustness to the Small Copper gene pool.

Dave

[Wurzel]

A cracking collection - Blues into October Small Coppers and an aged Small Heath I must mention that Small White number 3 has markings that run down to the same level as the discal spot which also is slightly concave...just thought I'd mention it whilst I rummage around for my betting slip

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Cheers, Wurzel - I'm beginning to think that these late season Small Whites are all appearing with dusky and cryptic markings just to get your attention! There haven't been more than a small handful each day either. Common Blues have carried on into November in both the last two years, so maybe they will again - they've certainly had a good October again this time round (though the usual banker blue species, the Hollies, have been uncharacteristically absent since the start of the month).

Thursday 17th October was probably all you could ask for at this time of year - lots of sunshine and temperatures up to 19 degrees. The remaining butterflies responded to the sun, and I counted 32 of 7 different species on my local ramble today.

Red Admiral 14
Speckled Wood 6
Common Blue 3
Peacock 3
Small White 3
Small Copper 2
Large White 1

Several of the Red Admirals were seen in flight again, but the majority were making the most of the ivy, which was fast going over now.

there are four in this view

For some reason, Peacocks don't seem to go for ivy nectar, and prefer lower growing sources.

symmetrically damaged hindwings - one to recognise after hibernation if it makes it through

The Specklies were starting to look a bit tired, though the others I saw today were in two sets of tussling males that appeared to still have plenty of energy.

Another Small White for your consideration, Wurzel...

One Common Blue today was reasonably whole...

...but a second had seen better days...

The third one settled on the "wrong" side of me, so I took some unconventional views
from underneath.

I had seen the venerable Small Copper again, but it was busy in the sunshine chasing the second of the Common Blues which had dared to nectar on its personal ragwort plant. Consequently I didn't get any more photos, and sadly this was its last appearance. However, right at the end of my walk, close to the spot where the damaged Peacock was nectaring, a bright red blur caught my eye - a female Small Copper. It settled to nectar on a dandelion, but annoyingly quickly shut its wings and sat end-on to me.

I managed to get one better shot before it flew off at speed along the bottom of the hedge and I lost it against the sun.

The last time I saw a Small Copper on this bit of my local patch was in July last year, though they have turned up here sporadically over the years. There is certainly plenty of healthy sorrel around, so with luck the butterfly was on an egg-laying mission.

As ever, there is always some little extra something to make the walk memorable.

Dave

[millerd]

Friday 18th October remained quite warm, but there was once again less sunshine and butterfly numbers dropped accordingly in my part of the world:

Red Admiral 6
Speckled Wood 4
Small White 4
Common Blue 3
Peacock 1
Comma 1

The Peacock was the one with the damage to its hindwings, still nectaring on the same dandelions.

The Comma was tucked away up on the ivy, constantly moving as it was jostled by a Red Admiral and competing for the last of the nectar with a wasp or two.

One Red Admiral sat more amenably.

Three of the four Specklies were males (including this one)...

...but the fourth one was a female - or rather three-quarters of a female.

It still seemed perfectly capable of flight.

One of the Small Whites had suffered a similar (but not quite so radical) accident.

I managed to photograph all three of the Common Blues. One was the male that had now assumed ownership of the ragwort plant as the Small Copper failed to reappear today.

Another male was flying on a completely different part of the site...

...but the third was more of a surprise. Some way from either of the males I found a brand new female.

She was very active and I was lucky to get this close during a brief stop to bask - she was just a grey blur in flight.

Once again, an unexpected coda to the outing.

Dave

[Wurzel]

Cracking looking female Common Blue there Dave
"I'm beginning to think that these late season Small Whites are all appearing with dusky and cryptic markings just to get your attention!"...i reckon you're on to something there as they have enough to pique your interest but not enough to actually be Southern Of curse it could be there there isn't nearly as much flying now so they get more of a look in

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Cheers, Wurzel - surprisingly there were one or two more fresh Common Blues to appear in the next few days, though unfortunately the first of these was in not the best of circumstances...

Saturday 19th October was another warm day for the time of year, and there was some more sunshine too. However, butterfly numbers were definitely dropping off now - only five species today and just nine individuals in total. Four of these were Small Whites, but I don't think any would have caused a second glance from any Salisbury-based butterfly enthusisasts...

Another one turned out to be a GVW instead.

There were just two Red Admirals. One was spotted early on while the day was still warming up, basking on a wall.

The other appeared later on nectaring on the ivy.

Nearby was the single Speckled Wood seen today.

This leaves just one other butterfly. A bit earlier on an area of my local patch where several others have been seen recently (and where late examples have cropped up in previous years as well), I caught a glimpse of a Common Blue apparently nectaring on one of the many knapweed flowers still blooming.

I was a bit surprised that as I approached, the butterfly didn't appear to be moving.

Suddenly it jerked its wings wide open rather unnaturally (showing it to be a very new male)...

...and then shut them again.

I noticed its legs dangling, and if I'd been a bit more observant earlier I would have spotted a leg in front of the insect that clearly didn't belong to it.

The unfortunate butterfly then dropped off the flower, but was quickly reeled in and grasped more firmly by the spider that I now realised had ambushed it probably only a short while before I had arrived.

Nature in action - but it seemed a great shame that the victim was such a new example which had likely had only an hour or two at most in the sunshine since it had emerged. Considering the sparsity of nectaring insects at this end of the season, that spider can also count itself very lucky indeed to have captured such a sizable meal. (I have no idea what type of spider it is - clearly not a crab spider of the type that are often found lurking in flowers.)

As mentioned before, there always seems to be something of note to be found on my local patch, even at this time of year.

Finally, on a quite different note, I came across what I think is a Ruby Tiger moth caterpillar - I believe they eat nettles amongst other things.

Dave

[bugboy]

I reckon it is a Crab spider, possibly Xysthicus sp.

[Wurzel]

Crickey Dave that sequence of Common Blue shots you posted were seasonally appropriate in their macabre nature From the first image it would be difficult to see anything out of the ordinary as you need to really look close to see the legs looking a little out of shape/place. Shot four, when zoomed right in, is worthy of a horror movie

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Feel so sorry for that late season Common Blue, Dave.

I guess crab spiders need to survive too.

[millerd]

Thanks for that ID, Paul - I didn't realise crab spiders came in ordinary brown varieties as well as the familiar colourful types. Clearly their flower-lurking habits are the same, though.

Cheers, Wurzel! I didn't twig the significance of the date I posted this account of the predation of a Common Blue until you pointed it out. Suitably macabre for Hallowe'en indeed.

I have to say I felt for that Common Blue as well, David.

There followed two sunless days on 20th and 21st (the latter was quite cool as well). However, Tuesday 22nd October was an improvement, and the few hours of warm sunshine drew me out locally again. Ten butterflies of five species responded to the better weather as well.

Speckled Wood 3
Common Blue 3
Red Admiral 2
Comma 1
Green-veined White 1

Foe most of my walk I was beginning to think that Common Blues might be the most frequently encountered species today (not what you'd expect in October), but in the end the Specklies caught up. Here are two of them, a female...

...and a male which had been seen before on this particular ivy patch.

A bit of context.

It seemed to have adopted Red Admiral habits entirely and had given up patrolling and perching completely.

In the same area, there was a very new example of the other species.

Curiously, bearing in mind the recent steady numbers of Small Whites around, the only White butterfly to appear today was of the Green-veined persuasion.

The return of the sun had revived a Comma, posing on a bit of fallen tree.

This left the Common Blues. One of them was the male that had been frequenting the same bit of ragwort since the demise of the last Small Copper. I have to say I felt it was probably headed the same way before long...

Elsewhere, another male was active, and in somewhat better condition.

However, the best of the three seen today was some way distant from both of the others. This was a new-looking female which initially flew up from the ground as a greyish blur in front of me and was tricky to follow in flight. It landed once...

...then took off again, but luckily settled finally in a better position.

A much more uplifting sight than the fresh Common Blue three days earlier...

Dave

[Wurzel]

That female Common Blue is a bit of a beauty Dave - definitely a sight for sore eyes at this late stage of the season

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

True enough, Wurzel - female Common Blues can be a delight at any time of year, but especially as late as this.

Wednesday 23rd October continued warm, with just a bit of sun again, but butterfly pickings today were a bit lean. I found a couple of Speckled Woods, one of which was a male in reasonable condition, and the other a much more worn specimen which was ironically much more mobile and quickly gave me the slip.

Less expectedly (though given recent sightings, perhaps not such a surprise) was another new Common Blue, a male this time.

Dave

[Wurzel]

Those Blues just kept on coming Dave Mind you the Specklie is giving it a run for it's money

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Common Blues had a good October, Wurzel, but unfortunately there was only one more sighting to come, and no further new examples.

Thursday 24th October was the last day when sightings reached double figures on my local patch:

Red Admiral 7
Speckled Wood 5
Common Blue 1
Small White 1
Painted Lady 1

It was a largely sunny day and reached 17 degrees, so I wasn't really surprised to see such a respectable number of butterflies. The last Common Blue of 2024 was by no means fresh - I can't be sure, but I think it was the individual that took over the ragwort plant from the last Small Copper a week earlier.

I managed to approach two of the Specklies, but two others were occupied in one of their close-up battles and the the other was basking too close to the river for easy photography.

There was just the one Small White around today.

Having seen none at all in not dissimilar conditions the day before, it was good to see so many Red Admirals. Most were very much on the move, flying strongly sunwards at head height or higher, but a few were taking a more relaxed approach.

One in particular had me making the most of this late season sighting.

However, that still left one butterfly. With the Red Admirals definitely heading south to warmer places, I was wondering whether any Painted Ladies might have joined the migration - and a flash of pinky-orange dashing from flower to flower was just that. There had been no other butterflies at all along this bit of my walk, so I did my best to follow it.

It was distinctly worn, so I hope it was able to complete its journey - they are pretty resilient as long as it doesn't get too cold.

After this, the weather began to deteriorate and sightings became fewer and further between - but not quite non-existent I'm pleased to say.

Dave