October 2021

[Medard]

Agree with Knotgrass for the caterpillar.

Thank You both for your caterpillar ID.
https://jamesgibbs6929.zenfolio.com

[David M]

...Curiously though, when I visited the territory again at lunchtime today, I found the Common Blue that had been the Copper's antagonist for a few days...

There's still hope then, Dave!

Wouldn't surprise me if he turned up again, although the weather doesn't look too clever these next few days.

[zigzag_wanderer]

One of my Small Coppers turned up today - 2 weekends ago since I last saw one.

Only saw that, a Red Admiral and a distant medium-small sized red/brown one in strong flight above the hedge. Based on what Bugboy told me last year I reckon this could have been a male Vapourer moth looking for a mate - whatever, it certainly wasn't stopping.

The deer in the garden is definitely making herself at home.....as long as she doesn't try coming through the catflap. Some of you may be pleased to know that I've cut that grass today.

[millerd]

...Curiously though, when I visited the territory again at lunchtime today, I found the Common Blue that had been the Copper's antagonist for a few days...

There's still hope then, Dave!

Wouldn't surprise me if he turned up again, although the weather doesn't look too clever these next few days.

I checked again today, David, on a warmish sunny morning, and no butterflies were present on that bit of ground. I'll keep looking as long as the weather is reasonable, but I don't expect anything now. (Incidentally, the Copper concerned has now made what I believe to be his debut in my PD, so hopefully the forthcoming bulletins will confirm that it was the same one throughout.)

However, elsewhere on my local patch Red Admirals are still going strong, with 13 counted today.

I also spotted a Small White, and as ever kept an eye on the brambles and other low foliage for the little shiny triangles that aren't actually deceptive bird poo. This paid dividends this morning - one of these was indeed the silvery form of a resting Holly Blue.

I waited a few minutes for full sunshine to return from behind some high cloud, and the butterfly eased open its wings to reveal a lovely new female.

Obviously a third brood individual, but the extent of the black markings looked closer to that of a spring brooder rather than a summer one.

Cheers,

Dave

[David M]

Sad to presume that the Copper has probably gone to meet his maker, Dave, but a pristine Holly Blue in late October is pretty good compensation.

[zigzag_wanderer]

Peacock in one of our greenhouses at work today - looked in very good nick.

Also a male Brimstone flew right past me as I ate my lunchtime sandwich. First Brimstone I've seen for over 2 months.

[millerd]

Sad to presume that the Copper has probably gone to meet his maker, Dave, but a pristine Holly Blue in late October is pretty good compensation.

Sad indeed, David. You can get surprisingly attached to something you see regularly in the same spot over such a lengthy period. I have a few seconds of video of this butterfly, which really does bring things to life as well.

As you say, something always comes along to compensate and fill the gap, and that female Holly was a lovely find. However, today (25th) I actually saw three Holly Blues. One was a female in the same spot as yesterday - but not the same one as the pattern of underside spots is different. She didn't open up unfortunately before she flew off.

I also found a male sitting low on the foliage...

...but he soon set off rapidly after another of his species (it's difficult to tell from this in-flight shot whether the other one was male or female - probably another male as nothing further happened after they had soared way up into the sky like LTBs...).

One or other then settled again, but a bit high up and almost out of reach.

After all that (and a selection of Red Admirals), today's walk held one more surprise back out on that Copper's patch - a new Peacock.

There would appear to be a minor emergence of Holly Blues underway at the moment and with balmy temperatures (and some sunshine too) in the forecast for this part of the UK over the next few days, I shall be on the lookout for some more fresh examples of the butterfly.

Cheers,

Dave

[David M]

It's like a different world where you are, Dave. With this Atlantic system now in situ, it's wind, rain and cloud out west here, although when the sun does come out it feels more than warm enough for butterflies.

[bugboy]

Remarkably, the White Admiral caterpillar that's decided to forgo hibernation I found 6 days ago at Bookham is still alive

[David M]

Monday 11th - Disappointing numbers at Port Eynon on the Gower coast. The prolonged stormy weather has clearly decimated the butterfly population here.

Just 3 Red Admirals, 3 Small Whites, 2 Large Whites and a Speckled Wood:

[millerd]

It's like a different world where you are, Dave...

It does sometimes seem like that, David. Today was another example - the persistent cloud of yesterday broke up at around half one, leaving a few hours of warm sunshine on my local patch. I know from the Met Office bulletins that further west and north things were rather different, especially in Cumbria where around ten inches of rain was expected to fall in only a couple of days.

I went out into the afore-mentioned sunshine pretty smartish, but a Red Admiral was already there...

...and up on the sallow bush immediately above sat a Holly Blue.

So far, so much as anticipated, given previous days. However, that old adage came into play: "always expect the unexpected" (sounds like something Holmes might have said to Watson, but I don't think he did ). I spotted a white butterfly flying over the brambles, regularly stopping to bask and to nectar - a Small White? But no, this turned out to be a male Green-veined White, a species I haven't seen since September.

Surprise no.2 came not far from the sheltered area where the ancient Copper used to fly. Something tumbled past on the stiff breeze, flopped to the ground and did its best to bask down in the grass - a male Brown Argus.

Later on I wandered along a section of path that is gradually becoming more exposed to the sun as the leaves finally start to fall from the various willows and ashes. Two Red Admirals had set up a battleground here, with overlapping territories, much as they do in early evening back in the spring. However, the russet of the fallen leaves actually provides pretty good camouflage when they sit and bask on the ground waiting to pounce on their rivals.

Whatever might appear next?

Cheers,

Dave

[millerd]

After two consecutive nights of rain and some blustery winds, plus the intervening day being largely dull, it was great to see sunshine return mid-morning today (30th). It wasn't quite as warm as it has been on my local patch recently (maybe 15 degrees today), but with the winds now lighter and some warm sun, I was hopeful. My usual walk brought me the reward of ten Red Admirals (including at least one new one)...

...a male Holly Blue which alternated between basking in the sallows and nectaring on dandelions...

...and a brand new (likely second brood) Peacock. It's the fourth one I've seen in this particular spot this month.

The season is not quite done yet...

Cheers,

Dave

[Jack Harrison]

Holiday in Orkney 23-29 October. Just one butterfly, seen by wife not me. Red Admiral.

Jack

[petesmith]

Remarkably, the White Admiral caterpillar that's decided to forgo hibernation I found 6 days ago at Bookham is still alive IMG_0015.JPG

Wow - that's amazing. In the unlikely event that it survives to adulthood, could this produce what will probably be the first ever December sighting of a White Admiral adult? Or will it lack any chance of feeding until fresh growth appears on the honeysuckle, and perish.

[bugboy]

Remarkably, the White Admiral caterpillar that's decided to forgo hibernation I found 6 days ago at Bookham is still alive IMG_0015.JPG

Wow - that's amazing. In the unlikely event that it survives to adulthood, could this produce what will probably be the first ever December sighting of a White Admiral adult? Or will it lack any chance of feeding until fresh growth appears on the honeysuckle, and perish.

Hi Pete, I actually moved it to some fresh growth since it was sitting on the last leaf with any sign of life in it on that particular patch of honeysuckle. There's actually a surprising amount of fresh growth to be found. I checked again yesterday afternoon after the monsoon morning and it is still alive and has nibbled the new leaf. Whether it makes it to adulthood or not we'll just have to wait and see. In this weather though its growth rate has slowed down considerably. I feel a bit sorry for it though since there's no chance of it doing anything useful for it's species now, you could argue it's better off being predated since at least that way its contributing to the local ecosystem

[David M]

Monday 11th - was delighted to find this Small Tortoiseshell on the verbena in my garden in the mid-afternoon:

[millerd]

October came to a close much as it began - with (predictably enough) Red Admirals. After another wild wet and windy night lasting well into the morning, the sun then shone in bursts on my local patch and it was definitely a bit cooler. I counted just four Red Admirals today, all widely separated and aside from one that stayed grounded long enough for a couple of shots they were all flying strongly with the wind roughly towards the sun.

Overall, it's been a pretty good October here, with butterflies seen on 27 out of 31 days - at least two Red Admirals on each of those 27 days in fact, but 12 other species across the month as well. I'll post some further stats in my PD in due course.

Cheers,

Dave

[petesmith]

Remarkably, the White Admiral caterpillar that's decided to forgo hibernation I found 6 days ago at Bookham is still alive IMG_0015.JPG

Wow - that's amazing. In the unlikely event that it survives to adulthood, could this produce what will probably be the first ever December sighting of a White Admiral adult? Or will it lack any chance of feeding until fresh growth appears on the honeysuckle, and perish.

Hi Pete, I actually moved it to some fresh growth since it was sitting on the last leaf with any sign of life in it on that particular patch of honeysuckle. There's actually a surprising amount of fresh growth to be found. I checked again yesterday afternoon after the monsoon morning and it is still alive and has nibbled the new leaf. Whether it makes it to adulthood or not we'll just have to wait and see. In this weather though its growth rate has slowed down considerably. I feel a bit sorry for it though since there's no chance of it doing anything useful for it's species now, you could argue it's better off being predated since at least that way its contributing to the local ecosystem

It would be interesting to follow it as far as you can bugboy, and I am sure that you will! As you say, it seems a foolish decision for the larva to continue beyond the hibernating 3rd instar - I have found similar larvae on two occasions over the years in central Lincolnshire doing the same thing, moving into the 4th instar in late summer. At least one produced an adult butterfly on 26th September one year after feeding up rapidly. An apparent waste, again, of an individual, but perhaps worth the occasional evolutionary gamble - after all, I guess this is how univoltine species evolve to become bi- or-multivoltine at some point of their evolution, due to climatic changes or range movement?

[David M]

Friday 22nd - Four Red Admirals on the wing in Linda Vista Gardens, Abergavenny: