November 2022

[David M]

Given the low pressure forecast and the general paucity of vanessids this autumn, I've a feeling this November might be trickier than usual for butterfly hunting...

[millerd]

Brilliant sunshine, but probably no more than 12 degrees at around 11 o'clock this morning on my local patch near Heathrow. I annoyingly disturbed a basking male Holly Blue before I'd spotted it (long shadow... ), but later on had some recompense with a brand new Red Admiral.

A bit further on another one flew past me, and then I found the characteristic nettle tent the larva of the species constructs.

With some warmer days (and even some more sunshine) in the forecast for next week, there may be some more.

Dave

[Matsukaze]

Red Admiral at Holcombe, Somerset, today, nectaring on the blossoms of Verbena.

[essexbuzzard]

One Clouded Yellow and one Painted Lady at St. Anthony Head, Cornwall, yesterday. Unfortunately, both were blown away before I could get a picture!

[essexbuzzard]

Also, one Painted Lady at Marazion on the 1st.

[aeshna5]

2 Red Admirals feasting on open-type Chrysanthemum flowers at RHS Wisley.

[David M]

Had a feeling there might be a little action given how pleasant 4th November was. Looks like it'll be a few days before conditions calm down again though.

[jenks]

After several wet`n`windy days a dry day was forecast on Friday 4 Nov so I drove to my county of birth, Pembrokeshire, and spent the day at Stackpole, walking around the lakes. If you saw Autumnwatch last week you will have seen Iolo Williams here watching Greater Horseshoe Bats at their roost. I hoped to see these as GHB is not a species I had seen previously. Anyway on the way there I stopped off in Tenby and at 11.30 am whilst having a bacon roll and coffee sitting overlooking the North beach and harbour, a Hummingbird Hawk moth was nectaring on the flowers still blooming in the borders. Now that I wasn`t expecting to see on 4 November !
On to Stackpole and Red Admiral and Small Tortoiseshell were seen around growths of Ivy. 36 bird species were seen, the best being 1 male Brambling with a flock of Chaffinches and a male Black Redstart flycatching from the roof of Stackpole court building. Other sightings ; Otter, my attention was drawn to this by the male Swan on the lake hissing and adopting threatening behaviour as one swam close to the pen and cygnet. A male Fox walking the lake side just a foot or so away from Mallard and Teal dabbling in the bankside vegetation. I thought it may have tried to catch one of the ducks but it ignored them and they ignored him. And at 5.05 pm Greater Horseshoe Bats started appearing, c 20 flying from their roost and around the open grassy area and wood searching for food. I watched them until 5.30 before returning to my car and driving home.
A great autumn day for me.
Jenks.

[millerd]

Today (9th November), the sun shone - without being interrupted by showers - and despite a stiffish breeze it became quite warm. I headed out onto my local patch near Heathrow for the first time for a few days, and soon spotted the tell-tale signs of Red Admiral caterpillars down among some of the low-growing nettles.

One of the leaves had not been fastened down by its occupant, so the latter could be readily identified.

If this was another time of the year, I would guess this little chap would become a butterfly in five or six weeks, but whatever quirks of weather there may be I somehow don't see it emerging on Christmas Day...

I investigated one of the usually productive patches of ivy, where there are still flowers in sunshine, and sure enough (a bit high up unfortunately) there was a Holly Blue.

A different stand of ivy sprawled over a fence had attracted a Red Admiral which sat right at the top in the sun...

...and then back at the start of my walk in the sheltered spot by the RA cats, I found a Comma.

With further warmth and sunshine in the forecast for the next few days, there may well be more to see.

Dave

[David M]

Those November Holly Blues round your way still make my jaw drop, Dave. The Comma is a fine sighting too, basking on the warm wood next to that fly.

As you say, we're about to have a ridiculously mild mid-November, with temperatures even around here reaching 17c. I have no doubt that there'll be a few butterflies taking advantage of these conditions.

[zigzag_wanderer]

Single Red Admiral resting inside House #5 today (it can get out the way it came in), but haven't seen another species for a while.

This is the view inside House #1. It will soon start looking a lot emptier .....

Only supervisors are allowed to pack the poinsettias. Like Nigel Tufnel's Fender Bass VI, I mustn't touch or even point at them

[Matsukaze]

A decent-sized Large White larva feeding up on our garden cabbages. It must have a good chance of making it to pupation in the mild conditions.

[millerd]

Today (11th November) was warm again, with a hint that some sun might break through. I had another local walk, and given the initially dull conditions started off with more scrutiny of the nettle patch where I found Red Admiral caterpillars the other day:

In this small area of nettles I ended up finding five inhabited tents.

During the rest of my walk I'd almost given up on adult butterflies when I was surprised out in the open meadow area by a male Small White, flying a little uncertainly between flowers. The whole area is still full of flowers (mostly like these, but including yarrow, small thistles, knapweed and ragwort too).

I think this is my latest sighting of the species, beating 2nd November in 2021.

Dave

[zigzag_wanderer]

Despite being very mild and quite sunny in parts today, I didn't see any butterflies. I did see one Rusty-dot Pearl moth and, at lunchtime, a male Common Darter dragonfly and what I think must be a Noctule bat.

The latter flew from the direction of a small wood and was so large that I took it to be a Starling at first, albeit with a very different flying technique. It flew in slightly increasing circles above me for at least 5 minutes. Several times I thought it'd gone, only to see it flying back round me again.

Not sure if it was attempting to feed or was searching for a roost site. We have a family of noisy buzzards living year-round in that wood and local kestrels too, so it may have been flushed out I suppose, but not sure why it would spend 5 minutes circling next to and over the wood if it felt in danger from any avian predator in the vicinity.

[David M]

...During the rest of my walk I'd almost given up on adult butterflies when I was surprised out in the open meadow area by a male Small White..

That's a real surprise, Dave. Night time temperatures have been ridiculously mild lately but even so, this species should really have completed its flight period by now.

[millerd]

That's a real surprise, Dave...

Not quite so much as the surprise today, David, when I came across two Common Blues on my local patch. I only managed a couple of quick photos of one of them before the second one disturbed it and they set off into the distance.

Once again, my latest sighting of the species, beating 4th November 2020.

Also seen in 18-19 degree sunshine were three Red Admirals and a female Brimstone.

Dave

[bugboy]

Visited Lancing Ring today in weather not as sunny as the weather people persistently claimed it to be. Even so 13 butterflies of 5 species in mid November is very noteworthy. 1 Coudie, 1 Peacock, 2 Comma, 3 Brimstone and 6 Red Admiral. Bumped into Lindsay Morris who gave me a quick tour of the best spots to find butterflies at this time of year, he's already got 10 species on his November tick list!

[David M]

Not quite so much as the surprise today, David, when I came across two Common Blues on my local patch...

I fancied a few of these might make it to November. Been looking for them round my way without success and will do so again tomorrow if we get a bit of sun.

[David M]

...13 butterflies of 5 species in mid November is very noteworthy.

That's quite something, Paul.

...he's already got 10 species on his November tick list!

...and that's off the scale!!

I'm guessing, along with the five you saw - Painted Lady, Speckled Wood, Small Tortoiseshell, Large & Small White?

[bugboy]

...13 butterflies of 5 species in mid November is very noteworthy.

That's quite something, Paul.

...he's already got 10 species on his November tick list!

...and that's off the scale!!

I'm guessing, along with the five you saw - Painted Lady, Speckled Wood, Small Tortoiseshell, Large & Small White?

Speckled Wood, Holly Blue, LTB (yes, they are still emerging in small numbers down on the south coast), Small Copper, Common Blue according to his posts on the Sussex sightings page.