April 2020

[Allan.W.]

Thanks Ian ! I've been very lucky with my "exercise" walks and stumbled across an excellent little spot en-route for Speckled Wood
(and Holly Blue ) ,probably better than my normal patch !(Orlestone forest ,Kent ) ,hope you pick some Specklies up yourself Ian with a bit of luck !
Enjoyed your Holly Blue shots David (and Dave Millers ) posted recently ,never get near Holly Blues ,but it looks like I shall be able to get out for
a few more "tries" over the coming days …………………… weeks !
Regards Allan.W.

[Ian Pratt]

Funnily, I saw my first speckled wood today in the park on my morning walk and then one in my garden!!

[Ian Pratt]

Five lovely fresh

red admirals nectaring on apple blossom this morning on my walk.

[Ian Pratt]

Just sitting in my garden this afternoon and this fresh green-veined white started nectaring on the rosemary bush.

[Jack Harrison]

I have never seen so many Torties and Peacocks anywhere in UK as I have here in North Scotland recently.
Probable Speckled Wood through garden. (not rare up here and have had in the garden other years)

Jack

[Ian Pratt]

Late afternoon sunshine on a pittisporum tree produced a holly blue almost opening up its wings.

[Medard]

Humming bird Hawk- moth in my Garden , 1730 pm. Earliest sighting 2 April 2017 no photo but tomorrow perhaps.

[David M]

You've fair made me envious there, Ian, with excellent images of two species that I have yet to capture thus far in 2020, Red Admiral & Green Veined White.

Any Large Tortoiseshells round your way?

[David M]

The three 'Whites' have been my nemesis so far this year, but I finally managed to get an image of a male Large White in Dan-y-Graig cemetery last Thursday:

[zigzag_wanderer]

I am going to re-christen today's "exercise" walk red admiral day - loads of them about suddenly.

Plus an obliging roadside Holly Blue and a female Orange Tip. Honest - it is a female OT.

[Allan.W.]

Identical to my findings zig-zag wanderer ,saw a single overwintered (Red Admiral),about a month ago ,and no more
since , until today, on my exercise walk ,when I found 4 freshly minted individuals ,and also 5 battleworn Small Tortoiseshells.
Regards Allan.W.

[Vince Massimo]

Regarding Red Admiral sightings, I received a report from Dave Harris in Newhaven, Sussex of an influx on Friday. They came in either in front of, or behind the overnight thunderstorms. He had 5 in his garden yesterday, with 10 more at nearby Castle Hill where many were seen to be egg laying. I saw a fresh one in Crawley today, my first for many weeks. Some of the individuals appearing in the next few days could also be locally emerged.

Vince

[NickHull]

In my lock-down state, I am relying on my garden to attract butterflies, rather than heading off into the Wolds (as I would have done) to look at old or for new Dingy Skipper sites. My garden produced one each of Peacock, Large White, and GV White, 2 OT, at least 3 Brimstone, 4 Holly Blue and 6 Small White. Not a bad day....

[Stevieb]

Nice Holly Blues in the garden yesterday plus Small Whites, Speckled Wood and a Peacock.

Male Holly Blue 19th April

Male Holly Blue 19th April

Male Holly Blue 19th April

Female Small White

[Padfield]

The white-letter hairstreaks in the local meadow are now all (those I've found, at least) either 4th instar or laid up for their final larval moult. Some days I check on them after dark. Today I sacrificed my normal long-distance exercise/dog-walk to get some daytime photos. These three are all of the same caterpillar, who moulted last night into 4th instar:







This photo, taken by iPhone light, shows him last night by his old larval skin (his head is at the skin end, but he didn't eat it, as it was still on the leaf today):



I think this means they're heading for an early season, though it does depend on the weather between now and June.

Guy

[Stevieb]

Excellent and very interesting Guy.

[Stevieb]

A decent afternoon despite the strong breeze making taking photos a tad difficult!

Male Holly Blue 20th April

Peacock 20th April

Male Orange-tip 20th April

Female Orange-tip 20th April

Female Brimstone 20th April

Comma 20th April

Very plain underside Comma 20th April

Speckled Wood 20th April

[David M]

Nice array of spring species in your posts, Stevie. Must say, I think your female Small White image is the best I've seen this year!!

[Wolfson]

Pleased to take my daily exercise with plenty of Orange Tip & Holly Blue also c. five Green Hairstreak also enjoying the sunshine. As always, the Green Hairstreak were very lively and hard to follow when disturbed but once settled, were very approachable.

[Stevieb]

Nice array of spring species in your posts, Stevie. Must say, I think your female Small White image is the best I've seen this year!!

Thank you David.