It would be interesting to know whether the Yorkshire cat photo was taken at this time of year. This would demonstrate the 2-year overwintering cycle that is supposed to occur in the North. The adults emerging earlier than in the South, somewhat counter-intuitively

CATCH-UP ALERT - excellent commentary from David Simcox and footage of Large Blue at Green Down. 12 minutes into Hugh's Wild West BBC2 Saturday 3rd February 2018, 5.30pm. 7 minute piece. The rest of the programme is very good for birders too.

Great photos, Allan.
Lovely group shot. First I've seen on Ash.
The Willow Emerald has spread rapidly through Essex over the past few years and I've seen it use Willow and Elm. Also saw it on the Norfolk Broads for the first time this September. I've heard it's been recorded in Hertfordshire.

Jack,
Not for the first time I have worded a point badly! I meant that if there was a tiny proportion of pupae that suspended emergence through an early, warm spring that we had this year, you might expect it to be predominantly female.
Regards
Rob

Thanks Jack,
Your experience/theory suits only females being seen. Although sightings were already common during the first week of April here, so they could be genuine second brood with the warm dry weather that followed
best wishes
Rob

Belated second brood news, late August/early September:
2 female Orange-tips at Fingringhoe Wick - reliable observer, good views of underside.
A handful of Heath Fritillaries at one of the sites. Less frequently occurs here than other counties

There have been a couple a second brood White Admirals here in Essex over the weekend

If you are near the Broads, then Winterton on Sea is a lovely walk. Say, start at the fishing huts and head north. Should get Grayling, and after a mile, some Dark-green Frillary, before you reach the Holmes gap. Also Small Copper and Small Heath. Perhaps return south along the footpath that runs do...

Hi Peter, You won't find any Wall at Broaks Wood. I don't know the site but I get the impression that this either relates to old records or misidentified Commas. We are awaiting the second brood next month. Best spot is always Canvey Wick, but I would wait for reports on the Cambs & Essex websit...

Brimstone seen ovipositing on Dock today, Dunton Plotlands, Essex. Ova observed on plant by Rod Cole, Basildon Natural History Society

Last week, I saw a female Orange-tip making several apparently abortive attempts to lay eggs on Charlock. She seemed to be trying to lay on or within the flower bud heads. Yesterday, I found just a single egg on a flower head and realised why she hadn't laid on the stem just under the flower head, a...

I'm posting this message on behalf of Dave Chandler who sent me a photo taken by his friend, Robert:

"This photograph was taken on Benfleet Downs in South Essex last summer.
My friend & I are curious; how unusual to have the two discalspots on the left fore wing?"

A simple choice of one photo for me too in 2016. Also a sentimental one as it was the first I've seen on a transect in 8 years of monitoring. This one on the last week of the season, on the sea wall at Ramsey Marsh, Blackwater estuary, Essex.

This is my favourite butterfly. I can be more thrilled to see one of the premium species, but it's always a comforting feeling to find a Small Heath at a site and it's a cracking little butterfly when you really look closely. So, like Bugboy, more of a sentimental photo, this one. I found it at Beck...

I thought I read somewhere of a possible cause of the English extinction being climate change maturing/drying the Purple Moor Grass too early so that the butterfly was unable to complete its life cycle in England (or make it to winter?). based on the state of Molinia on dry Essex heathland, it stil...

I agree with you, Mike. That should have been an hour programme at most. It left you wondering whether you had missed something whilst making the tea, like the distribution of the parasitic wasp. But I did learn 2 or 3 things.

Hi Allan,
Nice one! must be a second brood. We had 3 or 4 second brood sightings in north-east Essex in 2014, the last being on 2nd October.
Although we had a late spring this year, July and August have been pretty warm and dry in the East.
regards
Rob

Ah, no worries! But probably best to disregard my post! Can't believe there won't be other burnets, etc to consider

Hi David, Burnets 3 & 4 are 6-spot Burnets (Zygaena filipendulae) Burnets 1 & 2 are either 5-spot Burnet (Zygaena trifolii) or Narrow-bordered 5-spot Burnet (Zygaena lonicerae) it looks like you get both species in South Wales, particularly on the coast and you can't separate them from the p...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... try-living
A minuscule 2 minutes on declining butterfly numbers in the 1960s, from 26mins