February 2018

[David M]

Let's hope we'll have a few images of active butterflies on this thread! Things seem to be fairly benign right now, so with any luck at the very least there should be a few Red Admirals about.

[Catteraxe]

Can’t offer an image but there was a single Red Admiral on the wing in Margam Park, South Wales, yesterday.

Kevin.

[David M]

Thanks for that, Kev. Nice to know there's some early season Welsh action.

I'm already primed and ready to go as soon as conditions allow!

[Catteraxe]

There was certainly plenty of activity in Margam Park yesterday of the non-butterfly variety. Ravens were performing their courtship flights, a couple of skylarks were seen plus the herd of Père David’s deer, a large herd of Fallow deer and a small group of Red deer.

The view from the highest point of the park is amazing - in the foreground was the herd of Fallow deer (80+ animals), to the right is the belching splendour of Port Talbot steelworks and to the left is Kenfig NNR where you could have seen a Slavonian Grebe the previous week.

Kevin.

[NickMorgan]

A Peacock was seen and photographed at Cove, on the coast, right on the boundary between the Scottish Borders and East Lothian on Sunday.

[Wurzel]

Small Tortoiseshell flying over the road in Salisbury

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Vince Massimo]

Three Red Admirals and a Small Tortoiseshell in Tilgate Park, Crawley today.

Red Admiral - Crawley, Sussex 17-Feb-2018

Red Admiral - Crawley, Sussex 17-Feb-2018

The temperature was 10C in sunny conditions and a light wind.

Overwintering Red Admiral eggs continue to hatch at the Cemetary Wall site.

Vince

[aeshna5]

Saw a Red Admiral today at Walthamstow Wetlands when I went to see the Little Bunting that;s been present for over a month.

This was my second Red Admiral this year as I'd seen one two days ago near Battersea Park.

[KeithS]

Saw my first butterfly of 2018 yesterday, a Red Admiral, at Lower Bush nr. Rochester in Kent, 12 degrees and sunny. This was a pristine individual, looked to be fresh out the pupa. Shows how mild southern winters are these days, when Red Admirals can make it through and are nearly always the first butterflies to be seen. 30 years ago, I only ever saw them in late summer, and they were a bit of a rarity even then.

[Philzoid]

16/02/18. Peacock seen flying over reedbeds at Arundel Wetland centre. Unfortunately it didn't land although I did get a good look at it as it came by.

[bugboy]

A couple of Red Admiral seen at Tottenham Marshes this afternoon, first butterflies of the year. Both saw me before I saw them so no photos sadly.

[essexbuzzard]

Peacock in Harlow, Essex today, sadly no camera. First butterfly of the year for me.

[Ian Pratt]

First butterfly of the year for me yesterday. A red admiral in my garden in Ryde Isle of Wight.

[Allan.W.]

No butterflies for me yet ,here in mid-Kent ,although a couple of locals have seen Brimstone,Red Admiral and Peacock,
Done my regular circuit on the local patch (Orlestone forest ) and did manage to stumble across two Speckled Wood larvae both in tiny grass clumps,consisting of about 5-6 grass stems in one of the "seasonal" ponds,which dry up (more or less ) every summer ,one tiny clump holding the two larvae was about two metres from the "mainland". With very little foodplant left I decided to move the smaller of the two too the safety of a large grass clump ,and left the larger of the two(about 20mm) ,where it was,i,ll be keeping an eye on it.
Regards Allan.W.

[David M]

I had a feeling a few might see butterflies on Saturday. I ventured out myself, but in spite of seeing flies AND a bumble-bee, I came home empty handed. The weather was not conducive in Swansea; yes, temperatures were around 10c, but the clouds wouldn't shift and there was even a bit of rain.

At this time of year, everything needs to be 'just so'. That said, if we can avoid extremes in the next fortnight, I fully expect there to be wide activity when the sun next shines on a cal and relatively cloudless day!

[jenks]

Two sightings for me so far (both Red Admiral). On Friday 16th, at Newport Wetlands reserve centre, a RA was flying strongly towards me and on Monday 19th, another RA, this time in my garden. I`m still in "birding mode" at the moment. I had hoped that the calm and sunny conditions on Friday would have persuaded the Bearded Tits to start "pinging" and appear or a Bittern to start booming but no luck with either. So my first butterfly of the year was some consolation. And plenty of honey bees active around the hide too, where they have spent the winter.

Jenks.

[David M]

Well done, Gareth. I tried to see a butterfly or two myself in Swansea last Saturday, but the clouds refused to disperse completely and although the bursts of sunshine felt quite warm, it clearly wasn't enough to tempt any hibernators out.