This time last year I monitored Red Admiral early stages at my local hot-spot in Ifield Meadows, Crawley. For some reason there is usually one leaf which is favoured above all others and has numerous eggs. 0059.IMG_5240-01G B14-A.JPG There are 6 eggs here, 5 of which gradually hatched over the next ...

Thanks Allan, it was a bit of a lucky shot .

Vince

A late entry from me. This from one of the Gatwick transect routes on 5th May. It would be the first of 5 recorded that day, which was an all-time record for the site.
Vince

Some late December sightings from me. The snow started on 11th December here in Crawley and we had just over an inch overnight. Snow in Crawley 11 Dec 2022.jpg I checked the front Cherry Plum hedge and managed to find one Brown Hairstreak egg. IMG_7595-01G.JPG Later I checked a nettlebed in the shel...

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all.
Vince

I was quite surprised to see a Comma basking on the window frame at 09.35 this morning.
It was seemingly unconcerned by the spider shelter nearby.

Vince

Happy Birthday Pete
Have a great day.

Best wishes,
Vince

An egg I watched being laid at the start of the season.
Vince

Hi Laura and welcome to UK Butterflies. Sorry to disappoint, but that is one of our native whites, most likely Large White https://ukbutterflies.co.uk/album.php?id=512 The other less likely possibility is Small White https://ukbutterflies.co.uk/album.php?id=814 At this late stage of the season, both...

Brilliant! thanks Allan

Vince

A walk along the Lancing seafront today produced 4 Small White and 7 Red Admiral. Two of the Admirals were very busy egg-laying. IMG_7427-01G.JPG An enormous larva was also found feeding on Bindweed and assumed to be that of a Convolvulus Hawk-moth, this being around 85mm long. Checking for images o...

Hi Philip, I have now updated my reply following further investigation.

Vince

Hi Philip, if I understand your question correctly, unlike our regular hibernating species, the Red Admiral, Painted Lady and Clouded Yellow are not equipped to fully hibernate as adults, so they should migrate south at the end of the season to their respective winter breeding grounds. However, some...

You are on the right track, Philip. Under certain conditions, adults can over-winter, whilst some eggs and larvae and can also get through by developing at a significantly slower rate. However, I don't think pupae can survive for the whole winter. https://ukbutterflies.co.uk/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=37...

Welcome back, Guy and Minnie, we are all looking forward to hearing about your new Swiss adventures .
...and no rolling about in Marmot poo (that goes for Minnie as well).

Vince

Some more recent observations from me in July. I have mentioned before that despite only having one small pot of nettles in my Crawley garden, it gets visited by Red Admirals and Commas every year. IMG_6838-01G.JPG I recently released two Red Admiral larvae, because the plant could not support them ...

Hi Goldie, I'm really pleased to hear that you are finally settled in
The plant is an Acanthus, most likely Acanthus mollis (also known as Bear's breeches). https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/acanthus

Vince

Hi Pauline, it's always a pity when such things happen, especially when you are so invested in the subject. Had I been in your position I would also have waited for the matter to resolve itself. Whilst there was clearly a problem, you did not know what it was, or see an obvious way to rectify it. Ha...

Thanks Pauline, I'm still waiting for a badger... Thanks zig-zag, there are two transects at Gatwick. One is behind a security gate, but the other is in woodland abutting the local sewage works, where White Admirals, Silver-washed Fritillaries and White-letter Hairstreaks can be found. Thanks David,...

A few bits from me for June. There have been very good numbers of Small Tortoiseshells on the coast at Lancing, mostly females egg-laying. IMG_6544-01G.JPG A few Painted Ladies have also turned up, so I checked the Common Mallow rosettes for eggs and found two, which I collected for a friend. The fo...