A nice little retrospective there, Wurzel. The trouble with the Smessex is that when you've just finally got the hang of differentiating between the two species, their season is over.

Cheers,

Dave

I've tried counting Meadow Browns several times in peak season, Wurzel, just to get an idea of just how many there might be. However, I always lose the plot around the 250 mark or get distracted by other butterflies. As I tend to do a circuit round the edge of a largish area, I'm sure the actual tot...

Great to see such an early Specklie, Trevor - I must start looking for them round here. That Red Admiral looks pretty fresh too: most of those I've seen have been quite worn and faded. I wonder if there has been some immigration on the latest round of southerly winds?

Cheers,

Dave

A burst of warm sunshine for a couple of hours at lunchtime today (14th) prompted me to do a circuit of my local patch despite a portion of the route still being under water. In around 90 minutes I counted 28 butterflies: 13 Brimstones (12m, 1f), 8 Peacocks and 7 Commas. The curious aspect is that h...

That's a glorious butterfly, Old Wolf. :) :mrgreen: I can't compete, but probably the most memorable day of 2023 was down at Chiddingfold on 24th June, when I had the Purple Emperors to myself. This shot is one of many, but it still sticks in the mind nearly nine months later... PE18 240623.JPG Dave

And now back to 2024... Friday 9th March was sunny again, and the easterly wind had a bit more southerly in it and was not as strong. It seemed a degree or two warmer, and during my usual local ramble the butterfly count increased. The favoured bit of willow sported a Red Admiral again... RA2 090324...

Crikey... Rather puts my record-keeping into the shade! It really wasn't done with any rigorous scientific method involved, Rob. There were a lot of approximations in among those numbers, especially at the height of the season and on days when I set out to count one or two particular species. When ...

It has felt slow this year, Wurzel, despite kicking off in February as seems to be the norm these days. The unusual aspect is to have seen eight Red Admirals and only two other butterflies. 2023: A Local Retrospective I did promise a brief overview of 2023 on my local patch, so I'll give it a go whi...

Friday 8th March was sunny almost throughout, but the strong easterly breeze kept the temperature down. However, in any sheltered spots it was very pleasant, and my local walk (more muddy than wet now) produced two more Red Admirals. Dave

Snow and Small Tortoiseshells - two things that are a real rarity in my part of southern England, Guy. Seeing the butterflies perched on the snow seems totally counterintuitive, but they make a lovely sight!

Cheers,

Dave

Black-Veined Whites. ...this winter i found some of Winter 2022/23 hibernation webs, which makes it look like offspring of a migrant female in 2022... ...Even BC have rowed back on their initial statement after LWT and other researched into it further... That's good to hear, Martin. Do you have any...

Cheers, Wurzel! :) Yes, that butterfly was very faded (certainly when compared with the one from two days earlier). Those white patches on the margins are pale blue in fresh butterflies, and the brown ground colour highlights the fact that the hindwings actually have a series of black spots. These d...

Thank you, Trevor - in similar weather for part of today I saw a few more butterflies. As I walked slowly along the flooded path again, I spotted a butterfly headed towards me. It passed close by, but headed over a nearby fence as the sun went in and disappeared. However, its close approach allowed ...

During some sunnier intervals it was quite pleasant again today, and after first being passed by a rapidly-moving but unmistakable, Peacock I came across two different Red Admirals. This is the second of those two. Dave

Yes, I'd feel disappointed not to see a February butterfly these days, David. Another Red Admiral today on my local patch, as after the overnight chill and uninspiring weather to kick off the month, the wind died, the sun shone and 11 or 12 degrees was achieved mid-afternoon. RA1 030324.JPG RA3 0303...

...11c, sunshine and light winds to get things moving... Well, today ticked all three boxes locally, and after another wade through even worse footpath flooding I spotted a Red Admiral keeping its feet dry up on the flowering willow. RA2 030324.JPG This particular tree always flowers ahead of its n...

One of my most memorable trips during 2023 was a walk along the southeast Devon coast between Branscombe and Beer in May. The weather was glorious, I had the company of one of my oldest friends, and there were Wood Whites. I had previously read that a population was supposed to exist in the sheltere...

Looking forward to the 2023 overview Dave 8) I'm with Neil bout lepidoptiferous - a cracking word that :lol: Have a goodun Wurzel I'm just waiting for that word to turn up in the Times Crossword now, Wurzel! :) I still haven't compiled a round-up of 2023 I'm afraid - it would largely be a rehash of...

After several hopeful local walks in surprisingly warm conditions over the last few days (and spurred on by Vince's remarkable sightings :mrgreen: ), I set out again today at around one o'clock. In common with other recent days there had been a lot of rain overnight, and the River Colne continued to...

As usual, my selection is largely from my annual trip to the Essex colony on the edge of Hadleigh Country Park. It is always worth the trip as the Heath Fritillary colonies are nearby too. The Hairstreaks proved a bit tricky this year, frequently offering just dark silhouettes against the brilliant ...