February 2024

[David M]

It seems like spring is practically here, with more January sightings than I can recall.

With daylight hours steadily increasing, let's hope we get plenty more.

[Old Wolf]

Second butterfly of 2024 seen today and also the second species. A rather tatty Peacock was fluttering weakly around the back of a fence in the field out back of my house at lunchtime today. It landed to bask and try to warm itself on the fence in the early afternoon sun.

[aeshna5]

I was coming back from Richmond Park after midday & I was at the front of the top deck of a bus which was stationary at a stop when 2 Red Admirals flew across the road-not sure if a courting couple or 2 arguing males?

4 butterflies so far this year, but just one species!

[David M]

Had a feeling there'd be a few around today. It felt quite mild in the afternoon when the sun finally came out round my way.

[Allan.W.]

First butterfly for me this morning on Walland marsh ,Kent . A very active Red Admiral . temp 10 c, clear blue sky ,no wind.
Allan.W. Also seen, 66 roosting Snipe. most i,ve seen in one hit .

[Vince Massimo]

One Red Admiral at the Tilgate Park hot-spot in Crawley at 1pm today. It was a sunny 9C at the time.

Red Admiral - Crawley, Sussex 1-Feb-2024

Vince

[millerd]

Off the mark for 2024 on my local patch with a Red Admiral at lunchtime today. I failed to spot it on the ground when the sun was in (it probably had its wings closed) but it flew up as I passed close by - and I failed to get a photo.

Dave

[David M]

Excellent, Dave. I did the same with a Red Admiral a week ago; cast my shadow walking past it and it was up and off within a matter of seconds.

[Butterfly_Julian]

First butterfly for us yesterday, a very nice male Brimstone at Essex Wildlife Trust The Naze. We only managed to record 1 Brimstone at this site all last year.

[aeshna5]

Yesterday had my weekly visit to Kew Gardens & as I approached the rock garden, having just been listening to a drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker, noticed a butterfly fly across. Raising my binoculars could see it was an expected Red Admiral. It then settled on a flowering Viburnum x bodnantense & started to nectar on the obvious pink flowers.

Wonder if it was one of the two individuals I'd seen at Kew in January? One had been in this general area.

[David M]

No Red Admirals active at Limeslade Bay early this afternoon in the sunny conditions, but I did see a hummingbird hawk moth, easily the earliest I've ever seen (late March was the previous record).

[David M]

Saturday 10th - Two skittish Red Admirals seen either side of midday at Park Wood, Gower,

[millerd]

During a midday muddy paddle around my local patch today (the River Colne had overflowed across large sections of the path ) I spotted first a Comma and then a Red Admiral enjoying the 12 degree sunshine. Neither butterfly hung around for photos unfortunately.

Dave

[David M]

That's frustrating, Dave. Had two Red Admirals behave similarly yesterday.

[Vince Massimo]

A Red Admiral was fluttering around the south-facing front wall of my house at 11.50 today. It was a sunny 9C at the time. This is also where I keep an un-sleeved potted nettle plant where I have three Red Admiral larvae that I am monitoring. They mostly hatched on 14th December and a 2nd instar larva was seen in the open today, together with a hoverfly laying eggs on the plant.

Red Admiral 2nd instar larva - Crawley, Sussex 12-Feb-2024

Vince

[Charles Nicol]

i heard that the waxwings were at the Botanic Gardens in Cambridge. i went down on the bus.

alas no waxwings, but i was delighted to see this basking Red Admiral ( first butterfly of the year )

[David M]

Nice specimen for the time of year, Charles.

Highly serendipitous!

[Deborah]

First sighting of this year. A pair of mating Brimstones taking advantage of the first warm sunny day. I am so pleased that I was in the right place at the right time!
And my first sighting last year was on the 12th February as well... but it was a single male.

[Charles Nicol]

Nice specimen for the time of year, Charles.

Highly serendipitous!

hehehe it made up for the missing waxwings

[David M]

First sighting of this year. A pair of mating Brimstones taking advantage of the first warm sunny day. I am so pleased that I was in the right place at the right time!

Helluva way to get your season off to a start, Deborah.

In all my years watching butterflies I've only seen Brimstones in-cop twice!