millerd

[millerd]

Thanks, everyone - now that LTBs have become something of a regular fixture in the UK, they get the attention we give all our (relatively few) native species and all the differences between individuals get highlighted. Abroad they are just something that pops up any time, anywhere and no doubt aren't paid much attention.

It was home turf again on 10th October, as it would be thereafter this year (barring something unusual happening very late on ). With the continuing summery weather (23 degrees and 8 sunny hours today), there was another good showing for the time of year: nearly 40 butterflies of eleven species. Another league table:

Red Admiral 13
Common Blue 7
Small White 5
Brown Argus 4
Peacock 2
Speckled Wood 2
Comma 2
Large White 1
GVW 1
Small Copper 1
Painted Lady 1

The last butterfly on this list was a pleasant surprise. There had been one or two among the Red Admirals in the peak of their southward journey ten days earlier, but this one was flying alone and looked fresher.

I also haven't seen another since.

Green-veined Whites have not matched the numbers of Small Whites seen recently, so this rather worn example was a bonus...

...and this Small Copper had also seen better days.

The two Commas were putting off hibernation until the warm weather ended...

...as were the Peacocks (but I didn't get any shots of those).

Everything else didn't have the option of a winter sleep, but were making the most of their extended season.

With so many Red Admirals on offer, it was difficult not to include a few.

However, the Common Blues were really the show stealers again. I'm guessing the September heatwave pushed their early stages right through to pupation, and the subsequent benign weather ensured that they survived to emerge during this October warm spell. Some had suffered a few minor nicks and scratches...

...but one or two looked almost new.

This next one in particular was worthy of attention.

Reviewing these photos four weeks later on 7th November, when I had just photographed the last Common Blues of the year, made me wonder if this particular butterfly was the one I'd been seeing regularly at the end of October and into November. One thing I could say for certain is that they were seen in the same spot - within a few metres - because of the timings of context photos taken. When thoroughly zoomed, there are one or two minor blemishes on the fresh butterfly that seem to persist and appear on the elderly one. This could be wishful thinking, but I saw no other butterflies fresher than this one on this spot in the weeks in between... I reckon it's the same one. Four weeks is a good life for a small butterfly; I suppose because of shorter days and fewer properly sunny hours, its total active hours would be shorter than in earlier broods, and there may well be fewer predators around too.

Dave

[millerd]

After such a bountiful spell, 11th and 12th October recorded no sunshine at all locally. Though it scraped up to 20 degrees on 11th, it only reached 16 on 12th: I did venture out on the first day, but it really wasn't worth it on the second one.

There were a handful of butterflies under the brighter overcast of 11th: three Red Admirals, two Common Blues, two Speckled Woods and a single Brown Argus.

Dave

[Wurzel]

Absolutely love the final Red Admiral image from the last post Dave, the way the hind wing underside mirrors the visible 'slice' of the topside -brilliant

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Hi! Dave, I once got told by a man who knew his Butterflies quite well that if I stayed watching the spot where I'd seen a Comm, he was right

Lovely shots of them any way Goldie

[David M]

...another good showing for the time of year: nearly 40 butterflies of eleven species.

Eleven species is remarkable so late in the year. There can't be many who have ever topped that!

[millerd]

Cheers, Wurzel - the Red Admiral underside is a true work of art and always worth a photo or three.

Thank you, Goldie.

Not a bad day for October at all, David, especially as that total didn't include a single Holly Blue! Unsurprisingly, daily species counts then started to decline.

The next day I went out, 13th October, was the last day when the temperatures were in the 20s. However, at this time of year sunshine is the crucial ingredient as UV levels are so much lower on cloudy days than they are in the summer - and solar radiation beats warm air for energising butterflies.

Only sixteen butterflies of five species therefore appeared on what was a mostly cloudy day. Not all of them were very cooperative, like this Specklie...

...and this Holly Blue.

Common Blues were a different matter as the long drawn-out emergence of their third brood continued.

A fresh female Small White sported bold markings...

...and there were the obligatory Red Admirals, some of which where busy about their next generation.

It may have been mid-October, but there was yet to be much autumn colour around. Though it's not clear in the photo, this area still had loads of wildflowers.

Dave

[millerd]

14th October was seven degrees cooler at 14 degrees, but there were six hours of sunshine (as well as the odd shower). It made quite a difference: 35 butterflies today, with seven species represented.

The new-looking Common Blues of the previous day had been joined by a selection of far more ragged individuals...

...and a sprinkling of Brown Argus as well.

I counted eight of the former and seven of the latter.

I managed to find two remaining Small Coppers, one of which appeared to have a bit of life left in him.

There were Small Whites...

...and one I wasn't sure about as I only saw the underside. I think it it's another Small?

The local ivy flowers were starting to go over now, so some of the Red Admirals were finding other sources of sustenance.

One remained...

...and another basked on the brambles.

While I was out with the Common Blues and Brown Argus in full sunshine, I looked up to see these unusual clouds - fairly insubstantial, but with curtains of rain falling from them causing them to disappear. Almost like a whole cloud falling gently earthwards. There was then just a light sprinkle at ground level, apparently from a clear sky. Weird.

Later on with the Red Admirals, it rained more conventionally, producing a nice rainbow.

Wandering up the the fence in the distance (where the ivy is), I benefitted from a very generous gift of a bag of homegrown green figs from a magnificent tree in the garden on the other side. Lovely people, and delicious fruit!

Dave

[bugboy]

Think we've talked about Figs before in the field, the very concept of ripe figs outside in the UK twenty years ago would have been laughed at, now it's virtually expected. The Fig trees at my work had a very healthy crop this year.

[Wurzel]

Cracking looking female Common Blue two posts ago Dave So fresh for October Lovely looking figs - my dad has one growing at the side/over the house and they do produce a good crop - although should that be a good blossoming as they're infolded flowers?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Those Brown Argus & Common Blues are an absolute treat in mid-October, Dave.

The figs look good too. Shame we have no Two-Tailed Pashas to feed them too.

[millerd]

I reckon it won't be long before we start to see UK-grown figs in the shops in the autumn. A single mature tree can produce a huge number of fruit (I'm calling them fruit, Wurzel, whatever they may technically be... ). They really are very tasty too, and you can eat the whole thing. I didn't know Two-tailed Pashas had a thing for them, David - the best I can do here is Red Admirals I'm afraid.

The Common Blues and Brown Argus have done really well here this autumn, and though the latter species would soon start to disappear, the former carried on into November.

The following night was clear and cold, down to two degrees and causing a bit of windscreen scraping: as I type on 19th November it remains the coldest night this autumn so far. 15th October was then a very sunny one, but even cooler than 14th, only reaching 11 degrees. The butterflies were undaunted by the chill and were just interested in the sunshine. Here is the day's tally:

Red Admiral 9
Common Blue 7
Brown Argus 4
Small White 4
Speckled Wood 2
Small Copper 2
Comma 1

Many were individuals I'd seen before on recent days, but not all. One familiar Small Copper and one very elderly one I didn't recognise.

A wide selection of Common Blues, including two females today.

The Brown Argus were wearing well.

The two species were unusually chummy today - maybe because of the cold.

Then there were the other four species:

Another really good day's butterflying in mid-October.

Dave

[David M]

..I didn't know Two-tailed Pashas had a thing for them, David - the best I can do here is Red Admirals I'm afraid...

They love them, Dave...probably their favourite thing alongside banana laced with rum!

You did well to see so many butterflies in 11c temperatures. Just proves that if the sun's shining they will become active (I've seen them occasionally in 7c air temperatures).

[millerd]

Yes, at this end of the season, sunshine is by far the most important factor, David.

I next went out on 17th October, when it was warmer (16 degrees) but not as sunny. I think what sunshine there was came at the wrong time of the day too, as I only found four species. Curiously, I saw four Brown Argus, but not a single Common Blue - the others were just the one Small White, a couple of Specklies and nine Red Admirals.

some egg-laying going on

Among the insects on the remaining few ivy flowers were several hornets. I also spotted several of these splendid
creatures hovering around a particularly dense bit of sunny bramble where Specklies often sit. I suspect a nest is in there somewhere.

the second one in the background was a fluke...

18th October was sunless, and though 19th was rather warm again (19 degrees), it too almost completely lacked sunshine. However, I did wander out and one butterfly rather dominated proceedings. I'll give it a separate post.

Dave

[millerd]

19th October: despite the warmth, I could only find six butterflies of five species. One of these was notable for being the last Large White I saw in 2023, and it was difficult to record the event in the gloom.

I managed to catch up with a familiar Small Copper - identifiable by a hindwing notch...

...and also spotted a single Small White and one Red Admiral, plus a Holly Blue high up on the ivy.

The Holly Blue third brood this year has been earlier than usual, stretching across September/October rather than October/November, and I'd begun to think I might not see many more fresh examples. However, my eye was then caught by the familiar sight of a little silvery triangle low down on some cow parsley regrowth under the ivy bushes.

A few small breaks in the cloud appeared, and I realised that since this butterfly had settled, it had moved into the shade. I decided to intervene, and attempted to give it an assist to a sunnier spot.

However, once on the relative warmth of my finger it was most reluctant to move, and when the next morsel of sun came along I made sure I was in the right spot.

I eventually persuaded the butterfly onto a a bit of dockleaf, but it didn't stay, and as the sun disappeared again it made for the trees to roost.

Nothing like a close encounter of the Holly Blue variety to lift a mostly dull and cloudy day.

Dave

[millerd]

20th October was very similar to 19th - warm, but largely cloudy. However, I tried to time my walk with the brighter parts of the day, and once again found five species - though not the same ones, as the two whites had been replaced by Brown Argus and Common Blue.

The Small Copper was these same one...

...but neither of the Holly Blues was the one I'd got close to the day before.

There were five Red Admirals today, with more egg-laying going on.

Dave

[Wurzel]

It's great to see the culmination in the perfection in the 'Way of Whispering' Dave Love their patterning along the fringes

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Such a treat to have those Holly Blues around in late October (and November), Dave. Brown Argus is a good one at that time of year too.

[millerd]

Cheera, Wurzel - it's always nice to know the knack hasn't gone away!

The conditions during these few October days must have suited the Holly Blues, David, as there were a few more to come.

21st October was much the same as the previous days - warm and mostly cloudy. Once again, I spotted a brief sunny opportunity, finding seven butterflies, but only four species. Two were Red Admirals, but I also surprised a Peacock that took off to the treetops almost immediately. That left the perennial Small Copper...

...and three Holly Blues. After the males of the last two days, at least one of those seen today was a female. There was clearly some remaining nectar in the ivy flowers to keep the Hollies interested (though not enough to tempt any Red Admirals).

I had kept my eye on one butterfly...

...but then spotted another one. When I turned my attention that way, it resolved itself into two individuals.

However, the highlight was the first butterfly I'd seen, which briefly posed in the short spell of available sunshine.

A nice bonus!

Dave

[Wurzel]

A nice bonus indeed Dave - cracking shot Great catching up yesterday, onwards and upwards to spring

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

...However, the highlight was the first butterfly I'd seen, which briefly posed in the short spell of available sunshine.

That's quite some highlight, Dave. That'd be special in April or May, let alone two months out from the winter solstice!