April 2022

[David M]

15 consecutive, sunny, mild days in March was a rare treat. Will April provide similar opportunities?

[zigzag_wanderer]

Enjoyed (or rather experienced) four seasons in one day yesterday, including separate sleet and snow flurries, but thankfully I walked home in Spring (attached) before Winter hit again.

Starting to see a good number of butterflies in the greenhouses now - eyeing up all the plants. Saw a Green-veined White to make the scores on the doors 7 species in total now.

[Chris L]

To echo the weather summary of ZZW, my transect walking season commenced yesterday. With both, I completed 8 of the 10 sections with 100% sun in blue skies, and the last 2 sections were accompanied by snowflakes under a dark sky. 7 Small Tortoiseshells were out in total.

[David M]

Sunday 3rd - Lower Kilvey Hill & Dan-y-Graig cemetery, Swansea:

Small White 4
Speckled Wood 4
Small Tortoiseshell 1
Brimstone 1

[David M]

Sunday 3rd - Cwm Ivy (20 mins of sunshine before cloud stopped play )

Speckled Wood 6
Peacock 3
Holly Blue 1
Red Admiral 1
Orange Tip 1 (at last!!)

[millerd]

My first butterflies of April on my local patch near Heathrow today (3rd). The difference today was that the wind had dropped, though it was very frosty first thing. It may have scraped 10 degrees. Four butterflies, four species: GVW, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma and Orange Tip. Unfortunately, the GVW (a male) spotted the Orange Tip before I did, and chased it vigorously up and down and eventually out of sight.

I have a few shots like this - but nothing better!

Dave

[David M]

These Orange Tips are a real conundrum this year, Dave. I think you saw one on 22nd March, didn't you? Was that one today only your second?

Not at all sure why they're taking so long this spring.

[millerd]

These Orange Tips are a real conundrum this year, Dave. I think you saw one on 22nd March, didn't you? Was that one today only your second?

Not at all sure why they're taking so long this spring.

Yes, David, one a couple of weeks back, and now this one. You'd think the favourable weather would have encouraged them out along with everything else, wouldn't you... I wonder if they are more influenced by day length than warmth, or by the availability of their favourite nectar sources, or the growth of their larval food plants. Looking back, I rarely see more than the odd one in March at most, regardless of weather.

Dave

[Stevieb]

4 Small Tortoiseshells this afternoon, despite the very breezy and overcast conditions. Melksham, Wiltshire

One individual was ab. alba I believe.

[millerd]

In a burst of sunshine this afternoon (6th), three Orange Tips appeared on my local patch (plus a few other butterflies). I managed to approach one reasonably closely as a bit of cloud grounded it, but the sun soon tempted it into the air again.

Dave

[Chris L]

I was grumbling to myself last night about not seeing any Orange Tip yet. This is only my 3rd season. Looking back at records of my previous 2 seasons, I don't seem to get any here in South Derbyshire until the second half of April.

[David M]

That's probably normal, Otep. When I lived up north I never saw them before mid-April either.

[Matsukaze]

The Orange-tips I've been overwintering are starting to take shape inside the chrysalis and I'm beginning to get a sense of how many males and females I have. The forecast looks loathsome however and I expect they will be sensible and stay put for at least a week.

[adrian riley]

I was grumbling to myself last night about not seeing any Orange Tip yet. This is only my 3rd season. Looking back at records of my previous 2 seasons, I don't seem to get any here in South Derbyshire until the second half of April.

Much the same here in the frozen wastes of Norfolk!
Adrian

[Chris L]

The sun half-heartedly appeared today for a while. As a consequence, 12 butterfles appeared for me - 6 Small Tortoiseshell, 3 Small White, 2 Speckled Wood and a Peacock.

Butterfly notebook put away and back at my kitchen table doing my job, I saw a white butterfly fluttering about in the garden out of the corner of my eye. Identification was only 99% confirmed owing to my rotten eyesight but I am sure that it had orange tips to its wings. I ran out in to the garden but it was long gone. I am convinced it was one at last - but 99% is not good enough. It makes me optimistic that they are out at last and that the weekend will produce some confirmed sightings.

[aeshna5]

First butterflies in over a week as after a pretty cool, overcast morning, the sun came out in west London & in a woodland reserve I had visited before had 3 male Brimstones, 5 Speckled Woods, 2 Small White & a fleeting view of a rather orange looking vanessid. Didn't look like a Comma & appeared larger-one that got away!

[Stevieb]

Only Small Tortoiseshells on our walk this lunchtime but a nice fresh Speckled Wood in the garden. Melksham, Wiltshire

9th April

[millerd]

After seeing just one butterfly yesterday on my patch near Heathrow, a slight increase in temperature today and a good deal more sunshine brought out far more, with over forty of seven species seen. Highlights were several Orange Tips...

...and a mating pair of Green-veined Whites.

This species topped the count with 14 today, and I'm pretty confident that not one of them was a Small White.

Full report on the day in my personal diary shortly.

Cheers,

Dave

[David M]

Great images of the mating GVW pair, Dave.

Orange Tips very welcome too.

[millerd]

Cheers, David. Strangely, I often seem to find a GVW pairing at this time of year.

Down at Denbies this morning: Green Hairstreaks and Grizzled Skippers now flying, but sunshine now very hazy so things are quiet. Photos to follow...

Dave