February 2023

[David M]

Things usually get going by the end of February, but the first week looks mild and settled, so I suspect there could be a few early sightings hopefully....

[millerd]

The combination of higher temperatures, sunny spells and light winds all came together today (3rd Feb). I set off hopefully (and coatless too ) around my local patch quite expecting to see a sleepy Brimstone. However, instead I found a far from sleepy Peacock.

Encouraged by this, I headed down to Staines Moor, but failed to see anything on the way down. Temperatures must have risen a bit for the walk back along this sheltered bit of path, as I counted three more Peacocks at various points, none of which settled (though one toyed with landing on my shirt for a few seconds).

The season has begun and spring is definitely in sight: there are celandines in flower and the pussy willow buds have started to burst - that essential early nectar source.

Dave

[David M]

Even at this time of year, if it's 13c with sunny intervals it's likely to stir a few butterflies.

Great to see the Peacock, Dave. That's a sign that butterflies are responding (this species is usually the 'sleepiest' of the adult hibernators) and with the next few days looking reasonably mild (8c-12c) all it will take, as you say, is sunshine and gentle winds.

[Neil Freeman]

Nice Peacock Dave

I had my first butterfly of 2023 this morning, also a Peacock, that flew past me as I walked back from my local shop. This was my earliest ever sighting by a good couple of weeks and only the third time I have seen a butterfly in February around here.

Cheers,

Neil.

[zigzag_wanderer]

We've also had an overwintering Peacock in our warmest house (#1).

Along with the warmth it seems to appreciate our tidying up efforts as it is usually to be found in the middle of a cleared (if not necessarily glistening white ) bench. These will start to be filled with bedding cuttings soon though...

Photo below taken 23rd Jan, but it's still around now.

[David M]

Certainly a bit of a surprise to hear about so many Peacocks in the first few days of February! There may well be a few more as the next few days are set to be calm and largely sunny.

[millerd]

Certainly a bit of a surprise to hear about so many Peacocks in the first few days of February! There may well be a few more as the next few days are set to be calm and largely sunny.

I certainly was surprised that my sightings were Peacocks, David.

5th February was another sunny calm day locally, but rather chillier than Friday - maybe touching double figures? Nevertheless it was worth another look around, and eventually I came across a Red Admiral basking on a stand of ivy, one the species likes to frequent in the autumn. Maybe it had been overwintering somewhere within the tangle of vegetation.

At least there was a nectar source not too far away!

Cheers,

Dave

[Testudo Man]

A nice sunny day today, but a chill was in the air!
Ist location drew a blank, no insects at all seen.

2nd location was way more active (a local Church yard). Just the 1 Red Admiral seen, but what a beauty!! It landed on a wall (no pics) then it landed on some dried up/dead twigs/bramble (got come pics with both camera set ups) then off it flew right over the wall an out of sight! Re-located a few minutes later, it was nectaring/feeding on Snowdrops!! something ive never seen before myself (got a few nice pics).
2 species of Bee were seen, also 2 species of Hoverfly seen.

Thats a Red Admiral seen in both January an February for me, so well pleased. I doubt i will ever see a Red Admiral feeding on a Snowdrop again, so very pleased to capture a few decent images of the scene. Cheers Paul.

1st image is not cropped.

2nd image down is cropped some.

3rd image is not cropped.

[David M]

Lovely images, Paul. Sure does seem strange seeing butterflies on snowdrops. I guess we have to accept it as the 'new reality'.

[Stevieb]

A couple of Peacocks this lunchtime. Beacon Hill, Wiltshire

6th February

6th February

[David M]

Nice work, Steve.

What's going on with all these Peacocks? They're usually well behind Brimstones & Small Tortoiseshells.

[Vince Massimo]

The first destination today was the butterfly hot-spot in Tilgate Park, Crawley, where there were four Red Admirals on, or around the Daphne bush between 12 noon and 12.30. Two of them looked very fresh.

Red Admiral #1 - Crawley, Sussex 6-Feb-2023

Red Admirals #2 and #3 - Crawley, Sussex 6-Feb-2023

Another was seen later a mile away.

Ifield Meadows was the next stop, to check on the Red Admiral eggs there. Two that were taken home for observation, before their leaves blew away, hatched on 1st and 5th February. The larvae are now on a potted nettle in the garden. Of the six eggs re-located today, one had hatched between today and my last visit on 3rd February and, of the remaining five, three of them look near to hatching as well.

Two Red Admiral eggs - Crawley, Sussex 30-Jan-2023

Hatched Red Admiral egg plus one - Crawley, Sussex 6-Feb-2023

No new larvae were found, but two small leaf shelters were still intact.

Vince

[Matsukaze]

Red Admiral at Rodney Stoke woods (Somerset) today. It was soon after joined by another one and they went chasing off into the woods together.

[millerd]

What's going on with all these Peacocks? They're usually well behind Brimstones & Small Tortoiseshells.

I've had a look back at my local first sightings for the last 13 years: Brimstones took the number one spot seven times, Peacocks six times, Small Tortoiseshells three times, Red Admirals three times and Commas just once. The numbers don't add up because of two-way and three-way ties!

This probably reflects the relative abundances of Peacocks and Small Tortoiseshells locally (for more of the former) and also shows the slugabed nature of Commas in the spring.

Dave

[David M]

Interesting contrast, Dave.

If we discount Red Admiral, then Peacock is the only one of the adult hibernators that has never been the first to show up in south Wales for me.

It's usually Small Tortoiseshell (unsurprising given how common they are round here). Brimstone is next followed by Comma.

The only time I've ever seen a Peacock before March round here was in 2019, when we had that abnormally mild spell between 15th and 22nd February.

[David M]

Sunday 5th - Red Admiral seen nectaring from the bergenia flowers at Limeslade Bay, near Mumbles:

[Testudo Man]

Lovely images, Paul. Sure does seem strange seeing butterflies on snowdrops. I guess we have to accept it as the 'new reality'.

Cheers David, if you look close at the Snowdrop (in my images) you can see a small fly too. I also saw a few Bees an Hoverflies feeding on the Snowdrops...I guess all the insects will feed on whats available to them at the time.

Seems like others (including yourself) are seeing Red Admirals aswell...so its all good
Cheers Paul.

[David M]

I have occasionally seen other insects nectaring on snowdrops, Paul, but in general by the time butterflies have become active there is usually a supply of celandines, dandelions and other flowers which they tend to prefer. In late January/early February though these are very scarce so I suppose snowdrops are their only obvious choice.

[Matsukaze]

When we've had very early vanessids here before, they've preferred winter-flowering heather and hebe to snowdrops, given the choice.

[zigzag_wanderer]

Was doing some early Spring cleaning in the main shed at work today. Came across a Small Tort hibernating on the inside of a very large wooden reel of electric cable. 95% of the cable has been used, so plenty of wooden reel exposed to find a comfy spot. Hopefully i'll see it flying about outside soon.

It had done well to find its spot as the reel was tightly packed into a set of metal shelving rammed full of all sorts of stuff, a lot of it not looked at since the '80s.

I came across my first moth of the year on Monday. It landed on me before deciding an ancient fan grille was safer. I think it must be a Brindled Flat-body.