Hi Chris - You’re right and thanks for asking - I always really welcome thoughts/comments. The population here is certainly too low for any birds to specialise in seeking them out. I think birds will sweep through the trees checking all likely areas for anything that looks like a meal. When searchin...

Thanks David. PE is certainly a fascinating species to study, but then if you dig deep enough I suspect they all are. Predation in hibernation over December won’t mean too much as, due to late leaf fall/dangle leaf, most of the stable were only added at some point during that month. 372A49D2-697F-42...

Enjoyable read as always Paul, but the caterpillar hunting trips to Norfolk stand out for me. I’ve only found the mature cats in the wild abroad and actually they were a little too common to get the full pay off that a long search on home soil would deliver! So glad you hit the jackpot before giving...

Excellent round up and some cracking moths Neil. As you know down on the south coast we get lots of toadflax brocade and box moths and the somewhat similar caterpillars are very visible in front gardens with box or in ‘untidy’ areas where toadflax grows. I must admit I enjoy seeing them take over lo...

Unfortunately not Guy. I certainly could have saved myself a lot of time if they did! I think in L4 and L5 the head and some of the markings fluoresce quite weakly but they don’t in the earlier instars. I guess whatever eats the pupae would most likely take out the lot if they fluoresced in hibernat...

Thanks for your interest and comments Trevor, Wurzel and David. As always there are winners and losers when it comes to these weather events. Of course the ability to cope with weather variability is tied to habitat provision, and for many of our species this is where the real issue is to be found. ...

The stings will be long gone but what a superb backlit shot of the RA you’re left with Wurzel - cracking butterfly, cracking photo.

I do enjoy the passion in these late season diaries - none has more than your own David. You spend a good part of the year surrounded by the very best that Europe has to offer and yet this does nothing to dampen the enthusiasm for late season encounters back on home soil - love it.

47360794-3B56-4353-B65B-1AB63F6F80DE.jpeg Winter: With the continued frosts and even a decent fall of snow the overwintering conditions in the woods have been very good of late. 95A58327-14B2-4B77-B198-0AB3FBD6621E.jpeg DB6A02A9-666E-45B1-AB3A-DFE17BFBA0DE.jpeg Caterpillars that select forks as the...

Well after the first serious frosts of the year those photos of late summer Worthing suddenly feel like a distant chapter of the butterfly year. Thanks for the comments as usual, the photos of the group with the mating LTBs are some of my favourites for the year. Autumn: 487AD0C6-D9D3-4895-B4C6-282E...

Would be very interested in this Scott. Trip reports from foreign travels are always interesting, but diaries that follow the season somewhere different from the UK are really fascinating. Looking forward to it.

Super stuff Pete - what a thrill to explore such a place!

I recognise many species from the butterfly house, but would particularly enjoy seeing the crackers in the wild.

Thanks for taking the time to write it up - a very enjoyable read.

Very enjoyable glimpse into your adventures Max. Looking forward to some more when you have time - I’m sure you have plenty to share from Ecuador!

Unfortunately I don’t think I’ll be able to make this one. That weekend is looking particularly jam packed with family commitments. Disappointing as it’s always great fun meeting up, but maybe the potential spring option will time better. Have fun all those attending…..

I’ve really enjoyed working through your recent thoughts and suggestions Phil - some interesting angles for sure.

Much like Paul’s, these late season reports make for some great reading Dave. Fantastic photos and write ups - great stuff.

Your diary certainly makes some fascinating end of season reading Paul. Despite being largely reliant on public transport you clearly make the most of your opportunities. And also trudging up the hill to Whitehawk is always worth it - it may have been eclipsed this year, but as we all know, all that...

How fantastic to be in the snow one day, and down amongst the last butterflies the next. I was wondering if you’d yet been to the woods where you monitor PE cats? I’m sure you’ll have been looking out for them if you have - it is of course impossible to stop this practice once a few seasons of monit...

Excellent Paul - you won’t be disappointed! Yes, David, I think she’s a fairly typical female. They can certainly be quite heavily marked - perhaps even more so than this individual. We tend to see around 140 - 150 species, but we’re getting better at tracking down some tricky ones so we should be a...

millerd wrote: ↑Sat Nov 05, 2022 10:52 pm My third offering…

Yep - that’s April sorted for UK butterfly calendars for evermore……