I wrote: I had just been fitted with new hearing aids at the nearby hospital: I was confident that the butterfly was a Peacock. Maybe you've all got used to my warped sense of humour. That was simply two statements with no connection between the two; deliberately written like that in the hope of eli...

15th October
Dark butterfly seen in flight at Alturlie near Inverness. 
I had just been fitted with new hearing aids at the nearby hospital: I was confident that the butterfly was a Peacock.

Jack

I have a white one which was attracting Peacocks well into September. It had popped up from nowhere in gap in the paving slabs. I was so impressed by its ability to attract butterflies that I took four cuttings. They all seem to have taken root.

Jack

The follow up to the Mum's Peacock catch still amuses. Remember that I was just six-years-old at the time. Mum told me that there were blue butterflies. I had never seen a blue butterfly. Some of you older people might remember Smith's Crisps. In the early days, they came with a little twist of salt...

Chris: Jack, it is certainly an interesting time to be a butterfly observer in Scotland! Indeed, but with just two months to my 86th birthday, will I last long enough to see these new arrivals? :evil: Still I've had a good run. 79 years since my mum caught a Peacock that got me into butterflies. Tha...

Can't answer that one.
However, in a straight line, I am only about 100 miles further north. I have a smallish elm in the garden - last year had a Comma laying on it.

I am expecting Holly Blue any year but it never crossed my mind that I might get WLH first.

Jack

I start the thread with a butterfly related tale. I suggest no rules (except butterfly content). Use AI if you wish – anything goes (but keep it polite) Buzz Off Apis confuser lived on the remote volcanic Pacific island of Mokulele. These weren't typical bees, mindlessly following the Queen's comma...

Shh! Keep quiet about the hidden gem of the Northumberland Coast otherwise everyone will want to visit.

We had many holidays there when my children were young. I must try to go back some time!

Jack

Absolutely stunning Small Copper photos Toby. Sure winner there for the annual photo comp.

Jack

Southern Small White Who is going to hit the jackpot? The storm on 20th September that crossed the southern counties from east to west from Kent to South Wales could easily have had all sorts of 'goodies' caught up in it. My daughter near Gatwick says that she has never seen such large hailstones. S...

Although I cannot visit your location, David (Lazarus), I have to say how helpful it is to have a map reference .  I can plug it into Street Map (for example)  https://www.streetmap.co.uk/  and I get an immediate 'feel' for the place, far better than wordy descriptions . This is where I grew up : TG...

It thinks it's Spring!

Buddleia almost over but a new flush of Dandelions.

Jack

Logie Steading 18th. 10+ Peacocks, one distant white high up which raised pulse rate briefly - was it a long-awaited Holly Blue?   BertI.  Keep a look out for 'notch wing'.   24-09-18-011-Peacock.jpg A non-butterfly autumn scene.  It should have had a Red Admiral or two but no luck. 24-09-18-018-Log...

Not so in this part of Scotland. This is my 80th season with Peacocks. I have never known such huge numbers. As I look out the window right now, even though the white buddleia is still in shade, three Peacocks. In early August, Small Whites were in enormous numbers. Maybe summers in the north are mo...

I haven't been exaggerating about my Peacocks. Much of the buddleia is like this.
The adjacent shed door is open there is a continual movement into the shed after the butterflies have refuelled.

Jack

I'm going away at the weekend to Orkney. Back for the following weekend.

Jack

These calculations are not definitive but based on guesses and very rough estimates . However, the result might be in the right range. Scotland has 40,000 hectares of gardens. My own garden approx 1/100 of a hectare (30 x 30 metres) and is currently home to 10+ Peacocks. Amendment 17th Septemeber. 1...

BertI and Logie Steading.

I am a regular to Logie Steading.  I live just 7 miles away.  I'm surprised that we have never bumped into one another.

But maybe you had imagined that I am like my ukb avatar.  Not quite true.  You are more likely to see me like this.

Jack

In an Inverness garden centre on Monday, there were literally dozens of Peacocks on the flowers.  They particularly loved pansies / violets. I pointed out a Peacock to a small family group.  "Isn't it beautiful.  I've never seen one before."  I couldn't resist saying that I saw my first Pe...

As it clouded over and became chilly, I caught three Peacocks for wintering in the fridge (in boxes). I hope! - that there won't be be any mice in the fridge as there is in the shed where they normally hibernate. It is such a joy on the first warm day in March to see the Peacocks wake slowly, shiver...