millerd

[Benjamin]

Excellent commitment Dave! It might not quite be the Swiss Alps but I reckon you were channeling your inner Padfield looking for butterflies in the snow - any QoS around Heathrow? Actually an LT wouldn’t have been all that surprising these days - not that I’ve been lucky as yet. Enjoying your reports as always.

[Wurzel]

Sterling efforts Dave - that's the thing this year you think things are just getting going...and then a day or so later they're put on hold I'm just hoping that the butterflies that all emerged when we had infrequent and short spell of weather were just the vanguard and the rest are sensible tucked up until we get some consistency

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[millerd]

Cheers, Ben - I think perhaps comparing the Swiss Alps to the environs of Heathrow is a bit of a reach... If only... Still, it certainly demonstrates that sunshine and temperature close to the ground are much bigger factors than actual air temperature for spring butterflies.

Yes, Wurzel, it's been all very stop/start, and is continuing the same way. However, it's good to see that the significant frost on Wednesday morning (down to below minus two here) seems to have made little difference.

On Wednesday 7th, it was slightly colder (6 degrees), and largely cloudy - and there was nothing flying. Thursday 8th April was a lot warmer (12 degrees or so), but once again all I saw was a Tortie and a couple of Peacocks.

However, Friday 9th April was a much better day. Light winds, good amounts of sunshine and up to 14 degrees by afternoon. All seven species that have shown themselves so far on my local patch made an appearance today:

Peacock 11
Brimstone 4
Orange Tip 4
Small Tortoiseshell 3

Comma 1

Small White 1
Green-veined White 1

There was a bit of intermittent cloud around, which proved very useful in grounding the Brimstones and Orange Tips in their long perambulations. I found one Brimstone sitting out in the open, clearly surprised by a sudden cloud. Once de-energised like this, they can become unusually amenable.

I also found a sheltered spot where I had seen cuckoo-flower growing in previous years, and sure enough an Orange Tip had chanced upon it too and was finding the just-bursting buds irresistible.

One of the other Orange Tips seen looked a bit more heavily marked than usual, but I wasn't able to approach that closely.

Today (10th) has been cool and cloudy again with spots of rain. Not a day for butterflies!

Dave

[trevor]

Good to see your OT's Dave, none seen around here yet.
The old railway was severely flailed and cut right back during the Winter,
which could explain why no Specklies or OT's have been seen there so far.

Welcome to the tame Brimstone club!.

Stay safe and well,
Trevor.

[Goldie M]

Glad your seeing the Orange Tips Dave , nothing seen here yet with the exception of just three Butterflies and we'd Snow this morning, things are really late arriving, may be when they arrive they'll last longer Goldie

[David M]

..One of the other Orange Tips seen looked a bit more heavily marked than usual, but I wasn't able to approach that closely.

Shame that unusually marked Orange Tip wasn't as amenable as the other one you photographed, Dave. It looks to be a very interestingly marked individual. Maybe those cold nights just prior to its emergence played a role?

Nice to get so close to a Brimstone, isn't it? They DO go into torpor rather quickly on a cool day when the sun disappears behind a cloud, though I must say I've never tried coaxing one on to my hand. Something to try perhaps when the next opportunity arises.

[Wurzel]

Brilliant Brimstone shots Dave and likewise for the Orange-tips. That is an nicely marked one - a bit reminiscent of a Desert OT almost with the dark scaling along the fore wing edges, there is an aberrant similar to this called ab.costaenigrata but it doesn't have the particular shape of black tips.

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[Chris L]

Brimstone landing on the finger ! Wow. That was a lucky break. The Brimstone round my way, few as they are, are always rushing about like they are running late for an appointment somewhere.

[millerd]

Thanks to you all for the kind comments - that Brimstone really did become lethargic as soon as the sun went in and needed little encouragement to walk onto my finger. A quick blast of sunshine and he'd have been up and away!

The next few days were cold, and even the sun on Sunday 11th couldn't tempt anything out. Monday 12th started with snow flurries, and a trip to my dentist on the outskirts of Woking proved interesting. The view from the M3 over the heathland of Chobham Common (where Graylings and Silver-studded Blues should be flying not all that long from now) showed a whitened landscape. The one degree of half nine improved to around eight in sunshine later in the day, but nothing was prepared to venture out.

Tuesday 13th April started with a significant frost, but it was calm and the sun shone strongly. I set off around my local patch at half ten, with the temperature around six or seven degrees. I was surprised to find my first butterfly quite quickly, and also surprised that it should be a female Orange Tip roosting at head height in a willow.

Over the next couple of hours, I counted a total of 30 individual butterflies - the most frequently seen as ever were Peacocks (13), one of which sported unusual pink/purple irridescence in the blue hindwing patches.

I also found six Commas, a good total this spring, two Small Tortoiseshells, a Brimstone and a Small White.

I think this may have been a female investigating egg-laying possibilities on the nettles

I do like backlit yellow butterflies!

To add to this were five more Orange Tips (all males), plus my first Holly Blue of the year (annoyingly stopping in a totally inaccessible spot when the sun went in, so not even a record shot). The last Orange Tip I came across was sitting on the same patch of cuckoo-flower as the one I saw a few days back, and was initially roosting as the sun had only just moved onto it. Bearing in mind the overnight frost and this butterfly's location so close to the ground, it did well not to be frozen solid. As the sun fully illuminated it, it creaked its wings open and then set off into the air.

Despite its readily accessible pose, I found taking shots of the brilliantly lit butterfly against the deeply shaded background very tricky.

Eight species for the year now (no sign of any Specklies here yet).

Dave

[Wurzel]

A lovely set of Orange-tip shots Dave - still only had the briefest of glimpses - we seem to be stuck in a poor weather corridor but hopefully things will improve soon.

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[bugboy]

I'm surprised you've not had a specklie yet, your patch is normally a few weeks ahead of mine. Maybe you've had more April snow?

[Katrina]

Very interesting you found one roosting at head height. If I can’t see any when I go looking I will try looking at head height in trees.

[trevor]

Good to see your local patch continuing to perform, Dave.
Until yesterday I was concerned that the extensive clearance along the old railway
had decimated the Specklies. So it was something of a relief to read that neither
yourself or Neil Freeman hadn't seen any either. That pointed to the fact that they
are just late this year. I usually find Specklies towards the end of March.
Great to see your female Orange Tip, nice shot.

Stay well,
Trevor.

[Goldie M]

Fantastic shots of the Orange Tip Dave, I saw some today for the first time they didn't stop to be counted though Goldie

[Chris L]

Fantastic photos Dave. I like the 'backlit Brimstone' a lot and the Orange Tip photos are grand too.

[millerd]

Many thanks once again to all of you.

It's good to know the Orange Tips are appreciated - they are perhaps the best bit of early spring days, and I always look forward to seeking out roosting individuals because they make such attractive photos. If the sun comes out while I'm with them, so much the better! Normally, I would scour the flower heads of garlic mustard for them, but this is an "odd" year and this biennial plant only appears in quantity in "even" years, so they are having to find other roosting locations - hence the unusual spot up in the willow tree. What garlic mustard there is also seems to be very late in appearing. Luckily, Orange Tips also cannot resist the cuckoo flower, and the one reliable patch I have has already paid handsome dividends.

Wednesday 14th April was a similar day - a very chilly start and a brilliant sunny morning, but rather cloudy after lunchtime. The butterfly tally was slightly higher and slightly different to the one from the day before:

Peacock 15
Brimstone 5
Orange Tip 4
Small White 4
Green-veined White 3
Small Tortoiseshell 2
Comma 2

No more Holly Blues today unfortunately, and still no Specklies. I've noticed in past years that the latter species is always late on my local patch and I've come to the conclusion that it must hibernate here as a caterpillar and only very rarely as a chrysalis. The earlier emergences elsewhere must surely have been further along their lifecycle. This also tends to fit with the fact that their numbers round here have a definite peak in the Autumn.

A selection from today:

A cloudy interval allowed a rare close encounter with a fresh Small White.

Dave

[Wurzel]

Cracking set of images Dave That Small White is a beaut! They can be right pains - I've been following them, the sun goes in and they just disappear, then the sun comes out they're racing about again Still keeps me exercised

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[millerd]

Those Small Whites have to be one of the trickiest species to get good shots of, Wurzel. Your description is spot on! If you're lucky you can catch them feeding early in the day, but they still tend to hop along to the next flower just as you line up their portrait. The best opportunities are when some sudden cloud catches them unawares and they stop right where they are out in the open - like the one above.

Thursday/Friday 15th/16th April had some sunshine, but again started with frost and continued cold with neither day scraping above 10 degrees. I managed a mere nine butterflies on 15th, but fared slightly better on 16th with 20. The last butterfly I encountered on 16th was a Speckled Wood, the first of the year at long last, but it quickly hid away in the brambles away from the cold wind. A small selection from both days to start with:

15th

15th

15th

16th: sitting shivering...

16th: ...as was this one

16th: a curious hole in one forewing

However, I think I'll devote a separate post to an Orange Tip I spent a while with on 15th, which was sat on the same patch of cuckoo flower as some of the earlier ones I've seen.

Dave

[Wurzel]

More cracking shots Dave - I don;t even mind the GVW's as I've finally seen one now I can't work out what could have cause a hole that shape -could a bird have specked straight through it while it was basking open winged?

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[trevor]

From your last paragraph it seems you had a tame Orange Tip too.
Hoping to fill my boots with them when the temperature improves.

Keep up the good work, and stay well.
Trevor.