December 2022

[David M]

Looks like it's going colder, but I'm sure someone, somewhere will get lucky...

[millerd]

No adult butterflies again, but two Red Admiral caterpillars were still visible among the nettles close to home today.

The bigger of the two was probably not one I've seen before, being in a spot some metres from the others.

There are likely to be far more here than I realise - though with increasingly cold weather in prospect, I wonder how long they will survive.

Dave

[aeshna5]

I was in the cafe in Holland Park, London yesterday morning as our tree group assembled before going out for our Xmas meal.

Just before we departed, about midday, somebody spotted a Red Admiral. Stepping out it looked pretty fresh & was basking on some Geranium macrorhizum foliage before flying up onto a pruned holly dome. Suspect given the forecast for the coming days (-4C for tonight) it will be my last sighting of the year!

[Wolfson]

A single, slightly worn Red Admiral in the garden today, I saw my first one this year in more or less the same spot on 12 January.
A still sunny day, but only 7 in the shade and a fraction above 0 last night. Queens of Buff-tailed and Red-tailed bumblebee also flying as was a Swallow!

[David M]

Well done, Wolfson!

I was beginning to wonder whether this thread might not get a butterfly image given the cold weather that has descended on us.

[millerd]

I hoped that the sunshine and lack of breeze might have conjured a Red Admiral out on my local patch today (7th), especially as there has yet to be a frosty night here (this is all due to change significantly tonight though). However, this was not to be, but there were still a few caterpillars hanging on among the as yet uncrisped young nettles. I noticed this one had a couple of aphids for company.

Dave

[bugboy]

I hoped that the sunshine and lack of breeze might have conjured a Red Admiral out on my local patch today (7th), especially as there has yet to be a frosty night here (this is all due to change significantly tonight though). However, this was not to be, but there were still a few caterpillars hanging on among the as yet uncrisped young nettles. I noticed this one had a couple of aphids for company.RA cat2 071222.JPG
Dave

it'll be interesting to see how they fair after tonight and the next few days...

[Matsukaze]

I'm finding plenty of Small White larvae on our cabbages this autumn. This is the fifth so far.

[millerd]

it'll be interesting to see how they fair after tonight and the next few days...

Well, Paul, this one (and its aphid companions) appeared to have survived one frosty night 7/8 December... I shall look again over the weekend if the sun shines.

I also took this shot rather emphasising what a strange year it has been. A cluster of unripe blackberries with an odd flower or two is more typical of mid-June, or exactly six months (either back or forward!) away from today's date. The bit of frost on the ground in the background shade gives some context and brings things back to reality.

On a separate note, tinged with a big dollop of envy ( ), a friend has just sent me a video taken this morning in Cyprus, where it is sunny and temperatures are up at the 20 degree mark. The clip features dozens of flying butterflies of just two species: Painted Ladies and Long-tailed Blues.

Dave

[millerd]

After nine consecutive nights with minimum temperatures below freezing (including one where it went down to -6 degrees) and daytime highs not far above, I went out in bright sunshine today (16th) to have a look at the last identifiable Red Admiral larval tent. The leaf had shrivelled somewhat, but the nettle plants themselves looked to be bearing up quite well, especially those tucked well under the hedge. I just managed to peep inside the leaf, although it was impossible to photograph what was within without undoing the silken stitching that held the edges together. As far as I could tell, a caterpillar remained inside - whether it was alive or not, I couldn't say, but in a few days when temperatures are forecast to soar again, I will investigate again.

Dave

[millerd]

In an astonishing about turn in the weather, today (20th) was not only mild, but sunny as well. There was little wind, and around midday (even with the sun as low as it gets at this time of day with it being so close to the solstice) I managed to walk quite comfortably around my local patch without a coat.

I tempered the optimism brought on by the spring-like feel of the day, and didn't see any adult butterflies, but a return to the Red Admiral "nursery" revealed that two little caterpillars were still going strong despite the ten very frosty nights and daytime temperatures no higher than five degrees throughout. Here are the two caterpillar tents.

The first one was not folded securely and its occupant could be seen clearly.

The second was easier to miss, but by peering in one end I could just make out a rather smaller caterpillar in residence as well - though I didn't uncover it for a photo.

Current thinking and research does indicate that Red Admirals are able to make it through the winter in all stages of their life cycle, but from my limited observations, it appears that this can include some pretty harsh conditions! I shall continue to keep an eye on these two.

The glorious weather deserved a few other photos too - here is one of the local oak trees, still stuck in November by the look of the number of leaves it still has (and how green some of them are).

Dave

[aeshna5]

A Red Admiral flew past our group in the sunshine by the main lake in Kew Gardens during the middle of the day.

[David M]

A Red Admiral flew past our group in the sunshine by the main lake in Kew Gardens during the middle of the day.

That's a real surprise, aeshna. I thought the 10 recent days of freezing weather would have accounted for all of them. Perhaps that one had been inside a building for a while?

[aeshna5]

It's possible David there were 2 about. I was with a general wildlife group & I spotted this first individual near the lake (no buildings close here but lots of Evergreen Oaks). A little later somebody else said they saw a butterfly but seemed to disappear into the canopy of a tree so I didn't see this individual so can't be 100% sure of its identity.

I was certainly surprised to see it, so soon after the coldest snap since the Beast from the East hit London.

Since writing this I've seen a photo of one taken yesterday in Weymouth basking in sunshine on the Butterflies and Moths UK FB page, so clearly a few survived the freeze.

[David M]

..Since writing this I've seen a photo of one taken yesterday in Weymouth basking in sunshine on the Butterflies and Moths UK FB page, so clearly a few survived the freeze.

Amazing that a so called 'Mediterranean' species can survive sustained temperatures of -5c and lower!

[aeshna5]

..Since writing this I've seen a photo of one taken yesterday in Weymouth basking in sunshine on the Butterflies and Moths UK FB page, so clearly a few survived the freeze.

Amazing that a so called 'Mediterranean' species can survive sustained temperatures of -5c and lower!

Indeed David. Saw a couple more photos on FB after me writing & a couple more mentioned in the butterfly sub-forum on Bird Forum, including a photo on a shop window.

I did read also of a Clouded Yellow in flight, the day before yesterday I think, in a coastal area of Dorset, where they seem to successfully persist as a colony.

[Andy02]

It’s always joyous to get my winter fix in Malaga at Christmas. As usual there are plenty of Spanish Festoons on the wing , and also my first December African Grass Blue. Plenty of worn Painted Lady’s left over from the autumn and 8 other common winter species on the wing

[Vince Massimo]

Some late December sightings from me.

The snow started on 11th December here in Crawley and we had just over an inch overnight.

Crawley, Sussex 11-Dec-2022

I checked the front Cherry Plum hedge and managed to find one Brown Hairstreak egg.

Brown Hairstreak egg - Crawley Sussex 26-Dec-2022

Later I checked a nettlebed in the shelter of a south-facing wall at Ifield Meadows where overwintering Red Admiral eggs and larvae are usually found.

Nettlebed, Ifield Meadows, Crawley, Sussex 26-Dec-2022

The total count was 21 unhatched eggs, 1 hatched egg, 2 early-instar larvae constructing fresh shelters and 4 occupied shelters which were left undisturbed. The air temperature at the time was a sunny 8C.

Two Red Admiral eggs - Crawley, Sussex 26-Dec-2022

Red Admiral 1st instar larva - Crawley, Sussex 26-Dec-2022

Red Admiral 2nd or 3rd instar larva - Crawley, Sussex 26-Dec-2022

Red Admiral larval tent - Crawley, Sussex 26-Dec-2022

The lowest overnight temperature recorded during the recent cold snap was minus 7.2C, however all the eggs looked normal and apparently healthy. They are on very short plants growing in the shelter of a south-facing flint wall, so the localised microclimate would have protected them to a certain degree and it's therefore difficult to say what actual temperature they were exposed to. Judging by their state of development, I would estimate the eggs to have been laid in mid to late November, so would expect them to start hatching in January and February, assuming they are still viable.

Vince

[David M]

It’s always joyous to get my winter fix in Malaga at Christmas. As usual there are plenty of Spanish Festoons on the wing , and also my first December African Grass Blue. Plenty of worn Painted Lady’s left over from the autumn and 8 other common winter species on the wing

Joyous too for me to see those Christmas gifts (albeit vicariously), Andy.

Andalusia, certainly near the coast, is a year-round destination for butterflies.

[David M]

...The lowest overnight temperature recorded during the recent cold snap was minus 7.2C, however all the eggs looked normal and apparently healthy. They are on very short plants growing in the shelter of a south-facing flint wall, so the localised microclimate would have protected them to a certain degree and it's therefore difficult to say what actual temperature they were exposed to. Judging by their state of development, I would estimate the eggs to have been laid in mid to late November, so would expect them to start hatching in January and February, assuming they are still viable.

Amazing how durable these early stages are, Vince. I'd have thought sustained lows of -4c or worse would kill them off, especially if snow has frozen to ice beside them.