2024 - Large Tortoiseshell

[MrSp0ck]

A different Large Tortoiseshell at Huutchinsons Bank last weekend
LT1

LT2

[bugboy]

One photographed in an unspecified Bedfordshire wood as reported in the 'other' UK butterflies Facebook group.

[Trev Sawyer]

One photographed in an unspecified Bedfordshire wood as reported in the 'other' UK butterflies Facebook group.

To avoid any confusion, that is the same butterfly (and venue) as Saturday - I was with the reporter on Sunday when his photo was taken (I had gone back with my "proper" camera and thankfully got some decent photos to add to Saturdays mobile shots)

[jasonbirder]

A different Large Tortoiseshell at Huutchinsons Bank last weekend

They've obviously let another one out to play!

[MrSp0ck]

I dont think so i do wish people would not keep poking at one of the best butterfly sites in the uk, its been good since the 1700s, and had many famous entomologists over many years, including Bernard Skinner, Tutt, Petiver, Chalmers Hunt, The last release was the Marsh Fritillary that was dumped all over the South East During Covid, like the ones seen by Bugboy the last few years, the Glanvilles were dumped by Butterfly Conservation in 2011 again nothing to do twith the site. The condition of the latest Large Tpoprtoiseshell shows its been around since last year too, so not another release. Site admin its about time you moderated negative coments and stated banning people now its getting beyond a joke.

[David M]

Site admin its about time you moderated negative coments and stated banning people now its getting beyond a joke.

Banned? For what?

Whether you like it or not, Mr Sp0ck, there are quite a few people out there who see that site as some kind of butterfly theme park. You've admitted yourself that some of the 'star attractions' are artificial introductions, so you can't expect to escape the occasional comment doubting the provenance of certain species that have appeared there.

I think you protesteth a little too much here.

[MrSp0ck]

When nobody on the site has done any for years, and Butterfly Conservations fingerprints are all over some of the others, why dont people say it about the others like Large Blue, Dukes, the Fritillaries, some of which were done by volunteers and then excepted as official. BC and LWT and Nat History Museum even got 1,000,000 to spend in Brilliant Butterflies, which the grant included re-introductions of upto 5 species, officially. I have that paperwork and was at the meeting about it [No BVWs were not on the possibles on the list- Lost species from the site were]. Dont blame the locals all the time. We get the flack, the others get away with it. Natural England want the Hutch population of Glanvilles free of Cotesia wasps, for future source for IOW if its needed, that is a lot harder with people dumping unwanted closely related species on the site. It is not known if C. Bignelli will attack Glanvilles as well as Marsh. There is a lot going on behind the scenes that is not public, and missplaced comments do not help at all.

[Padfield]

I do sympathise, Mr SpOck, and if aspersions were cast on named individuals I would moderate. But at the level of ideas and opinions about sites, isn't it better that they should be aired and countered than centrally censored? I've learnt far more about Hutchinson's Bank from your responses to criticism than I would have if criticism had been silently vapourised. In fact, I've followed discussions on HB over the years with great interest and an open mind. If some comments are flippant or dismissive, I don't think that in itself warrants censoring - strong opinions are often expressed succinctly!

That said, do not hesitate to report genuinely offensive posts that might have slipped through. I do occasionally remove spam and offensive stuff (often before the UK has woken up, as I'm an hour ahead!), and I know the other moderators do too; but I don't systematically check every post.

Guy

[jasonbirder]

We get the flack, the others get away with it.

This is taking a serious thread a little OT...as I think most people are here to find out about genuine and potential LT migrants/hibernators - so apologies! But I do feel i'll have to defend myself a little...nobody is giving any individual flack...I have no doubt you're not in anyway associated with unauthorised and unscrupulous releases.
Everyone knows the story of HB and its a great "honeypot site" for toggers and no-doubt takes a little disturbance/trampling pressure away from many genuine sites and so does its bit for conservation indirectly...BUT I think we can all agree you can't have a site with multiple Introductions AND undocumented dumping of stock and then turn round and say...oh but these Large Torts should totally be taken seriously as genuine migrants (even as a hibernator it'll have to have got here somehow).
Occams razor, if a place is full of dodgy butterflies and another rare migrant rocks up...where do YOU think it came from?
Anyway anything said here is all in good spirits and is nothing I wouldn't happily say if we were sharing a pint in the pub...we're all here just to enjoy our dainty little friends!

[Chris L]

That said, do not hesitate to report genuinely offensive posts that might have slipped through. I do occasionally remove spam and offensive stuff (often before the UK has woken up, as I'm an hour ahead!), and I know the other moderators do too; but I don't systematically check every post.

Guy

And thank you for that moderator work that you and the team do Guy. I have been a moderator before on another site and I know the work that has to be done to make a forum a pleasant and enjoyable place for reading and exchanges.

[Lawts]

Feels like a bit of a lull in sightings. Will that be marking the end of a period that saw butterflies emerging after over wintering, or just more down to this run of poor weather?

[Neil Hulme]

I suspect the latter, Lawts. This poor weather has even held up the emergence of more Orange-tips and Green Hairstreaks, in a stuttering start to their seasons. In Sussex, Pearls and Dukes are stuck in the waiting room. More LTs should be seen when the weather finally warms up again.
BWs, Neil

[MrSp0ck]

Yes the bad weather is holding things up, the Dukes started well on the Sunny Thursday 18th and we have not had decent weather since, The LT was also seen that day. Still no Grizzingy Skippers yet.

[Matsukaze]

Dizzy Skippers, imo.