Winners for me in the Stevenage area, Hertfordshire :

Red Admiral
Small Tortoiseshell
Marbled White
Ringlet

Losers:

Purple Hairstreak
Silver-washed Fritillary
Meadow Brown
Large White on my transect but plentiful at Norton Green

Peter

Congratulations Neil. Hopefully Jacob will become a butterfly enthusiast like the rest of us.

Peter

I have taken several photos of the Comma this year - the one below is my favourite - I love the 'redness' of it

Peter

Some fantastic images on your website Reverdin. I can see that it will always be an ongoing project for you particularly if you want to add the known aberrations of each species. Good luck with it

Peter

Fantastic, Pete. Something for me to delve into in the winter ...

Peter

Hi Max,

I believe the yellow Brimstone-like butterfly in the top box is Gonepteryx menippe which is common in tropical America.

All the best

Peter

Hi Reddog,

Another interesting thing I noticed about your Red Admiral is that there is a gap in the red bands on the fore-wings. Could this be ab. fructa or 2 aberrations in one?

Peter

Thanks David. Being a rather fresh specimen could this be from a new (3rd) brood with the fine warm weather we've had this month?

Peter

A few examples of a blue female Common Blue I saw yesterday (15 Sep) at Norton Green, Stevenage. I thought it was a Chalkhill Blue at first

Peter

Hi Kev,

Possibly as I read somewhere that earwigs eat Brown Hairstreak eggs.

All the best

Peter

Yes I agree it is a sad state of affairs. Could the Highways Agency be too scared that the site might become too popular with increasing traffic etc. I hope not

Peter

Hi Harriet, I presume the poster or chart you have is the one published by the Field Studies Council entitled 'A Guide to the Butterflies of Britain' illustrations by the brilliant Richard Lewington? OK it doesn't illustrate uppersides and undersides of all 59 species but the vast majority. As far a...

Must admit, when I visited the M40 compensation area in June I noticed that the gate leading from Bernwood forest to the motorway area was damaged and left ajar. This would have proved no obstacle to a browsing deer. Daneway Banks generated satisfying numbers of adult Large Blues this year whereas ...

Regarding the Irfanview program I suspect it depends upon the supplier of the download software?

Peter

Thank you Vince.

Yes that's the aberration. Red Admirals more common this year around Stevenage - where usually I might see just the odd one or two on a single visit I have seen 5+.

Peter

I have seen one or two Red Admirals lately which have a white spot on the red bands on the forewings. Is this a common aberrant?

Peter

Hi katrina,

Well done today. Unless my eyes are deceiving me, is the open-winged blue an Adonis Blue?

Peter

Hi Peter, The parallel and close position of the antennae indicates that the butterfly is actually asleep, or very nearly so, despite the wings being open. The position of antennae in roost mode varies between species. For instance, in Grizzled and Dingy Skipper they droop to about 45 degrees below...

Well done, Neil.

For a second I thought there was an antenna missing on the open-winged Brown Hairstreak . Is it unusual for the antennae to be that close together?

Peter

Strong (and not hazy) sunshine too

Peter