It's been 3 successive weeks, with floods and gales, not to mention a serious virus working its way round the globe.
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_sad.gif)
A few days 'normality' would be nice.
That's the frustrating thing, Pete. There are spring flowers everywhere right now because of how mild it's been, but unfortunately butterflies can't properly take advantage of them until the gales and the rain stop.petesmith wrote: ↑Sun Mar 01, 2020 6:17 pm David - I second that emotion! It's been shockingly bad for ages; I think I am developing a case of SAD...
On the plus side, the vegetation (in central Lincolnshire at least) seems to be quite advanced, with blackthorn in flower and hawthorn coming into leaf, violets fully out etc. So hopefully, given some respite, and a bit of warmth, things should accelerate pretty soon. Fingers crossed.
This population was introduced in the autumn of 2018 it would seemPete Eeles wrote: ↑Mon Mar 02, 2020 1:38 pm The boys are back in townA couple of Large Torts have been seen in Portland:
https://twitter.com/PortandWey/status/1 ... 5110593536
Cheers,
- Pet
Large Tortoiseshell would be a difficult species to introduce.bugboy wrote: ↑Mon Mar 02, 2020 6:44 pmThis population was introduced in the autumn of 2018 it would seemPete Eeles wrote: ↑Mon Mar 02, 2020 1:38 pm The boys are back in townA couple of Large Torts have been seen in Portland:
https://twitter.com/PortandWey/status/1 ... 5110593536
Cheers,
- Pet![]()
Reading between the lines it seems to be a local enthusiast so them turning up the same place year on year wouldn't be too surprising. It would be a very odd place for them to naturally occur. I've never been but it doesn't seem to be optimum LT habitat. One comment I read said there's just a single Elm Tree in the vicinity!David M wrote: ↑Mon Mar 02, 2020 8:32 pmLarge Tortoiseshell would be a difficult species to introduce.bugboy wrote: ↑Mon Mar 02, 2020 6:44 pmThis population was introduced in the autumn of 2018 it would seemPete Eeles wrote: ↑Mon Mar 02, 2020 1:38 pm The boys are back in townA couple of Large Torts have been seen in Portland:
https://twitter.com/PortandWey/status/1 ... 5110593536
Cheers,
- Pet![]()
That said, I believe it has been reported from this site two years running (at least).
I still earnestly hope that we can add this magnificent species back to our UK fauna within the next few years. 100 years ago it was far less worthy when sighted than today's humble Comma.
Finally David - a "warmish" (9 degrees) late morning, no rain, virtually no breeze, and a Comma turns up in my garden, my first UK Butterfly of the year. A very welcome sight!David M wrote: ↑Sun Mar 01, 2020 8:26 pm
That's the frustrating thing, Pete. There are spring flowers everywhere right now because of how mild it's been, but unfortunately butterflies can't properly take advantage of them until the gales and the rain stop.
It's been over three weeks now - surely it can't last much longer?![]()
That's the key to it this year, Pete! Sadly, being near the SW coast of Britain means that hasn't happened for a while here.