December 2023

[David M]

Freezing nights, some snow showers and cold temperatures are going to make seeing any butterflies a challenge...

[millerd]

The sun shone this morning in my part of the world - but without the usual December accompaniment of frost and/or fog. The temperature reached 11 or 12 degrees before high cloud spoiled it after midday, but I managed a quick walk close to home ahead of that. I wouldn't have been surprised if a Red Admiral had appeared - there are still dandelions in bloom as a nectar source. However, after taking a shot of an oak tree which has been very reluctant to lose its leaves (and after disturbing a large bumblebee tempted out by the sun)...

...my eye was caught by the movement of something larger. Flying along the brambles and pausing from time to time to bask, was a Peacock.

Hopefully it will re-bury itself deep in the undergrowth again, though with the forecast here indicating several more mild (and even sunny) days, this butterfly may be flying again before that happens.

Dave

[David M]

Nice surprise that, Dave.

Was beginning to wonder whether we'd have any posts on this December thread!

[Mark Tutton]

After a few years, and many fruitless hours of searching, I now seem to have successfully mastered the technique of finding Purple Emperor larvae by spotting their seat leaf which is left dangling by a silken thread in the autumn. This normally indicates that a larva is hibernating nearby.
So far I have found five larvae in three different woods so as you can imagine I am very pleased.
Kind Regards
Mark

[David M]

Interesting discovery, Mark. It's clearly paying dividends for you.

Wish I could hunt locally myself. Trouble is, the nearest colonies are over 2 hours' drive away.

[Testudo Man]

Friday was quite warm here in Kent, i would think beyond 10 Degrees. As a result, 2 Red Admirals were seen on the wing (but no photos captured!).
The 1st was seen from my landing window, it flew over the neighbours fence, an was gone. Time approx 10.00am.
Then at approx 1.00pm (at work) another was seen a couple of miles from home, this was also in flight too.
Red Admirals were also seen in my garden, in both October an November.

With butterfly sighting this December...an not forgetting my January and February sightings, im very pleased to have seen a Kent butterfly, on the wing, through out every month in 2023. Cheers Paul.

A reminder of my January an February Red Admiral sightings, the 1st (January) was in my garden, the 2nd (February) at a local Church Yard. No images were cropped.

[David M]

Good stuff, Paul.

The next few days look to be double figure temperatures with a few sunny spells so there could be a few more around.

[aeshna5]

Had my first butterfly this month yesterday. As I was raking some leaves off my father's lawn I detected something fluttering to my right from the corner of my eyes. As I turned around there was a Red Admiral fluttering along the fence.

I'm guessing I must have disturbed it. After weakly fluttering by the fence it eventually nested amongst the foliage of an Ivy-leaved Pelargonium in a hanging basket attached to the fence.

Though it had been sunny earlier in the morning it was heavily overcast at the time & just minutes later thundery showers.

[David M]

Monday 11th:

Two Red Admirals seen, one at Bracelet Bay near Mumbles and another at neighbouring Limeslade Bay:

[Allan.W.]

A surprise earlier today ,we went for a walk along the seafront at Littlestone (Kent) just after mid-day ,a fairly warm (11 c) ,slightly breezy day.
As we returned to the car ,Lynne spotted a butterfly flying around around the outside of an abandoned seafront care home ,it kept jinking about to and fro around the gutters and windows of an old outhouse ,where it landed for a few moments..........a Red Admiral ,probably disturbed from close by i guess. Allan.W.

[David M]

Not too much of a surprise, Allan. If the sun is out, winds are light and the temperature reaches at least 10c, I think Red Admirals are quite likely if you can find sheltered micro-climates (particularly if there are nectar sources).

[Vince Massimo]

I have again started monitoring Red Admiral winter eggs and larvae at my regular study site at Ifield Meadows, Crawley. For those who have not seen previous reports, this is a nettlebed in the shelter of a south-facing flint wall.

Ifield Meadows, Crawley, Sussex 27-Oct-2023

This year the count is 83 eggs (plus 9 empty eggshells), approximately 48 larval tents (all left un-disturbed) and 10 larvae of various instars either out in the open or seen poking out of their tents while feeding.

Red Admiral eggs (some hatched) - Crawley, Sussex 16-Dec-2023

Red Admiral eggs - Crawley, Sussex 16-Dec-2023

Red Admiral egg (nearing hatching) - Crawley, Sussex 20-Dec-2023

Red Admiral larva (1st instar) - Crawley, Sussex 15-Dec-2023

Red Admiral larva (2nd instar) - Crawley, Sussex 20-Dec-2023

Those larvae out in the open were actively constructing new tents in temperatures of 9C or 10C and in overcast conditions. However due to these conditions, it took this 3rd instar just over 24 hours to fully complete it's shelter.

Red Admiral larva (3rd instar) - Crawley, Sussex 15-Dec-2023

Red Admiral larval tent (3rd instar) - Crawley, Sussex 16-Dec-2023

I actually started this winter's study earlier than usual, on 24th October when I counted 123 eggs, but 21 of them were completely orangey-yellow, which is something I have not seen before.

Red Admiral eggs - Crawley, Sussex 24-Oct-2023

Red Admiral eggs - Crawley, Sussex 24-Oct-2023

Usually these bad eggs only form a yellow top.

Red Admiral egg - Crawley, Sussex 30-Jan-2023

After further study, these failed to hatch and shrivelled-up.

As in previous studies at this site, I am expecting eggs to hatch in December, January and February, but will keep you all posted.

Vince

Edit: My fellow Red Admiral enthusiast, Dave Harris, reported that he had eggs laid in his Newhaven garden on 11th December. The temperature at the time was a sunny 12C.

[MikeOxon]

A friend reporting seeing a Brimstone in flight today, during a walk near Ardington, Oxon (near Wantage)

Mike

[David M]

A friend reporting seeing a Brimstone in flight today, during a walk near Ardington, Oxon (near Wantage)

That's a very lucky friend, Mike.

It's been 12c here today though, and had the sun come out for more than half an hour I might have gone for a woodland walk myself. We've still only had two air frosts so far this late autumn/winter, so I'm sure the odd butterfly will still take to the air when conditions allow.

[Vince Massimo]

The first of the Red Admiral eggs from the study site hatched this morning at around 10am in overcast conditions when the temperature was around 13C.

Red Admiral eggshell - Crawley, Sussex 24-Dec-2023

Red Admiral 1st instar larva - Crawley, Sussex 24-Dec-2023

The leaf bearing the egg was taken home on 20th December because it looked like it was going to be dropped from the plant very soon. It was added to a potted nettle plant in my garden which was left outdoors.

Vince

[zigzag_wanderer]

No butterflies, but came home from work yesterday to find a Twenty-plume Moth in the kitchen.

Also lucky enough to bump into a small flock of Waxwings. Incredibly tame birds, only interested in berry-stripping. Photo not great, but through the gloom you can see what they are. I've had to shove the colour right up as the light had just about gone.

You've been spared my snaps as my point'n'click finally gave up the ghost, but I was lucky enough to get a new one for Christmas.....sorry.

[Charles Nicol]

No butterflies, but came home from work yesterday to find a Twenty-plume Moth in the kitchen.

Also lucky enough to bump into a small flock of Waxwings. Incredibly tame birds, only interested in berry-stripping. Photo not great, but through the gloom you can see what they are. I've had to shove the colour right up as the light had just about gone.

You've been spared my snaps as my point'n'click finally gave up the ghost, but I was lucky enough to get a new one for Christmas.....sorry.

i am hoping to see my first ever waxwing soon !

[David M]

i am hoping to see my first ever waxwing soon !

I'd love to see them too.

[zigzag_wanderer]

Good luck to both of you ! I don't do any social media unless this counts (I already have high enough blood pressure), but a lady I work with is on the Waxwing Winter 23/24 Facebook site which she says is very good. I just stick to the Sussex Ornithology Society's Sightings page. It often helps us decide where we're going to go for a Sunday afternoon stroll, just on the off chance we might see something....we normally don't.

If you're lucky enough to see them in the first place and in bright sunlight, then you are doubly blessed. I've never managed the latter, but have a small silhouette collection that wouldn't have looked out of place on an early Victorian mantlepiece.

My brother took a trip to Bempton Cliffs in mid-December in good East Yorkshire light (snaps below). As a man of simple pleasures, just to see a Tree Sparrow in Sussex would make me very happy !

[David M]

Beautiful image of the bird of prey, ZZW.