During my trips to the French Alps, I have often found impressive groups of butterflies mud-puddling. More often than not these have been groups of Blues, but sometimes also Skippers, Fritillaries and even Erebias have been involved.
It is not a phenomenon that I have really experienced before in the UK to any degree.
The only similar experiences I have had were a handful of cases on the Isle Of White chalk down-lands, many years ago, when I would sometimes come across large groups of Chalkhill or Adonis Blues feasting on fox scat.
Today, as I pulled up by one of our local woods, there was a large group of Green-veined Whites puddling away:
There is brief video footage here:
https://youtu.be/ii3hf4E_AYE
Anyone else seen this in the UK?
Mud-puddling Lincolnshire Whites
Re: Mud-puddling Lincolnshire Whites
Funnily enough, Pete, I have seen Green Veined Whites doing this in the UK, but not in the numbers seen in your video.
I recall finding a small group of males on damp (and very dark-coloured) soil a few years ago in Clydach, north of Swansea. It wasn't a particularly hot day, nor were we in the middle of a drought, so I figured that there was something irresistible to this one species in this specific tract of damp ground.
I recall finding a small group of males on damp (and very dark-coloured) soil a few years ago in Clydach, north of Swansea. It wasn't a particularly hot day, nor were we in the middle of a drought, so I figured that there was something irresistible to this one species in this specific tract of damp ground.
Re: Mud-puddling Lincolnshire Whites
Not sure if this will work, but this I hope is a link to my video on Flickr of same situation in Femyn wood on 3rd July last year.
Mud puddling Butterflies 3.7.18 by ericy202, on Flickr
Mud puddling Butterflies 3.7.18 by ericy202, on Flickr
Re: Mud-puddling Lincolnshire Whites
Very interesting Eric! I see your group also included quite a few Small Whites.EricY wrote:Not sure if this will work, but this I hope is a link to my video on Flickr of same situation in Femyn wood on 3rd July last year.