April 2024

[David M]

Friday 5th, Cwm Ivy, Gower:

Brimstone 2
Peacock 2
Holly Blue 1

[millerd]

Cooler and still windy today (7th), but less sunshine (though what there was was stronger than yesterday). Not as many butterflies on my local patch, though I encountered the same nine species overall. Highlights included a beautifully marked fresh male GVW...

...an equally new male Common Blue that patiently waited for the sun before opening up...

...and a perfect, unblemished and fresh-looking hibernated Comma.

Once again, a full account of proceedings in my PD shortly.

Dave

[David Lazarus]

As forecast, warmest day of the year ruined by 20 mph winds with 40 mph gusts on Saturday with the same Sunday but with lower temperatures. Not as much direct sunlight as expected, so the butterflies struggled. However, they were there low down in the grasses, nectaring on dandelions or chasing each other in more sheltered spots. I saw my first pair of Peacocks getting it on.

The highlight was a pair of freshly emerged Speckled Woods showing deep buff yellow spotting:

Speckled Wood 07/04/2024 Meadgate Fields Open Space

Total for the weekend:
Brimstone 4
Small White 4
Green-veined White 2
Comma 5
Peacock 21
Speckled Wood 4

Peacocks in good numbers, so hopefully a better showing later in the summer than 2023:

Peacock 07/04/2024 Meadgate Fields Open Space

[Chris L]

Cooler and still windy today (7th), but less sunshine (though what there was was stronger than yesterday). Not as many butterflies on my local patch, though I encountered the same nine species overall. Highlights included a beautifully marked fresh male GVW...GVW1 070424.JPG...an equally new male Common Blue that patiently waited for the sun before opening up...HB1 070424.JPG...and a perfect, unblemished and fresh-looking hibernated Comma.Comma1 070424.JPG

Once again, a full account of proceedings in my PD shortly.

Dave

Fantastic photos Dave, he writes with a mild hint of jealousy, which I disguise well.

[Chris L]

As forecast, warmest day of the year ruined by 20 mph winds with 40 mph gusts on Saturday with the same Sunday but with lower temperatures. Not as much direct sunlight as expected, so the butterflies struggled. However, they were there low down in the grasses, nectaring on dandelions or chasing each other in more sheltered spots. I saw my first pair of Peacocks getting it on.

The highlight was a pair of freshly emerged Speckled Woods showing deep buff yellow spotting:

2024.04.07 Speckled Wood Meadgate Fields.jpg

Total for the weekend:
Brimstone 4
Small White 4
Green-veined White 2
Comma 5
Peacock 21
Speckled Wood 4

Peacocks in good numbers, so hopefully a better showing later in the summer than 2023:

2024.04.07 Peacock Meadgate Fields.jpg

Great numbers and nice photos David.

[Chris L]

Friday 5th, Cwm Ivy, Gower:

Brimstone 2
Peacock 2
Holly Blue 1

05.HollyBluemale(1).JPG

Your numbers seem down on what you normally get at your sites David. Obviously the weather is a factor but I am sure that you normally get higher numbers when the sun does appear.

[Chris L]

On Saturday I assumed that Kathleen would prevent any butterfly walks for me but it was warm and quite sunny at lunchtime.

- Brimstone 8
- Peacock 7
- Comma 1
- Small Tortoiseshell 4
- Small White 1

About half of the Brimstone were female, the first ladies of the species I have seen this year. The guys will be happy to see them too.

[David Lazarus]

A proper butterflying day today with 16 C temperatures, full sun, and a gentle breeze. A total of 9 species and 62 butterflies, which included 20 peacocks and 14 Small Tortoiseshell. To my surprise the first sighting of both a Painted Lady [1]:

Painted Lady 08.04.2024 Baddow Hall Park

and Large White [4 - all males]:

Large White m 08.04.2024 Baddow Hall Park

a male Green-veined White [5]

Green-veined White m 08.04.2024 Baddow Hall Park

a couple of Brimstone but still no females [the buckthorn buds have just started to break here]:

Brimstone m 08.04.2024 Baddow Meads

4 Commas; 5 Small Whites; 7 Speckled Woods

what please me the most were the continued good numbers of Peacock this spring, and hopefully the start of a good year for Small Tortoiseshell after such a bad 2023:

Small Tortoiseshell 08.04.2024 River Chelmer

[David M]

..Your numbers seem down on what you normally get at your sites David. Obviously the weather is a factor but I am sure that you normally get higher numbers when the sun does appear.

100% weather-related, Chris. Even when I've managed to get out, it's mainly cloudy or if it is predominantly sunny, then it's blowing a gale.

Just one day of 14c, sunshine and light winds will see numbers increase to normal levels.

[David M]

A proper butterflying day today with 16 C temperatures, full sun, and a gentle breeze. A total of 9 species and 62 butterflies, which included 20 peacocks and 14 Small Tortoiseshell. To my surprise the first sighting of both a Painted Lady..

That Painted Lady is a real stunner, David.

16c temperatures as well....no wonder the butterflies responded.

[Chris L]

A proper butterflying day today with 16 C temperatures, full sun, and a gentle breeze. A total of 9 species and 62 butterflies, which included 20 peacocks and 14 Small Tortoiseshell. To my surprise the first sighting of both a Painted Lady [1]:

2024.04.08 Painted Lady Baddow Hall Park.jpg

and Large White [4 - all males]:

2024.04.08 Large White Baddow Hall Park.jpg

a male Green-veined White [5]

2024.04.08 Green-veined White Baddow Hall Park.jpg

a couple of Brimstone but still no females [the buckthorn buds have just started to break here]:

2024.04.08 Brimstone Baddow Meads.jpg

4 Commas; 5 Small Whites; 7 Speckled Woods

what please me the most were the continued good numbers of Peacock this spring, and hopefully the start of a good year for Small Tortoiseshell after such a bad 2023:

2024.04.08 Small Tortoiseshell River Chelmer.jpg

Wow! A Painted Lady. Wow! 62 butterflies. Wow! 9 species. Lots to be jealous about. I saw 4 butterflies today across 3 species.

[Testudo Man]

An extra long hibernation for me!!! mainly due to poor weather conditions...but overall, a very slow start for my 2024 butterfly season.

After many years of sighting Orange Tips generally fly through my garden, maybe land for a few seconds, but fly off before i get a chance to take any photos, my luck changed back on the 5/4/24! A fresh looking male did land in my garden, he also allowed some nice camera action too!
A Holly Blue was also seen, another White (possible female Orange Tip?) an a Peacock.

Several pics of that obliging male OT. Location - my Kent garden. 1st pic is cropped some, but the other 2 images are not cropped.
Cheers Paul.

Nectaring on a Dandelion flower.

[Jack Harrison]

Still no butterflies up here yet.  However, in anticipation, my box of Orange Tip chrysalises came out of the fridge (where they had spent the winter) on 6th April and are now warming up.  They are still in the box - in a shady part of the garden.  I say "warming up".  At just 8C, I suspect that will be a slow process.

Jack

[David M]

Still no butterflies up here yet.  However, in anticipation, my box of Orange Tip chrysalises came out of the fridge (where they had spent the winter) on 6th April and are now warming up.  They are still in the box - in a shady part of the garden.  I say "warming up".  At just 8C, I suspect that will be a slow process.

Good luck with those, Jack, as ever.

[millerd]

Despite cool conditions, in an all-too brief spell of early sunshine today (10th) another Holly Blue opened up for me.

Seven species altogether, the majority of which were Peacocks.

A full report in my PD: https://ukbutterflies.co.uk/phpBB/viewt ... 20#p184354

Dave

[David M]

Tuesday 9th, Park Wood, Gower:

Peacock 5
Green Veined White 1
Comma 1
Holly Blue 1

[David Lazarus]

Finally, the Orange-tip have begun to emerge here in Chelmsford with 3 males sighted near the Cuckoo Flower Cardamine pratensis on the flood plain - all far too busy searching to pose for a portrait. 19 C temperatures and a gentle breeze brought a response from the butterflies whose activity lasted past 4 o'clock.

Highlights, the smallest of Small Whites during a season of small Small Whites was the first of 7 seen this morning - so cute!

Small White 11/04/2024 Garden, Meadgate

I watched a pair of Green-veined White courting briefly before being the first in cop photograph of 2024 hosted by a bulbous Buttercup Ranunculus bulbosus with the male left and the female right [3 in total]:

Green-veined White in cop 11/04/2024 Baddow Meads

and an hour later they were getting comfortable:

Green-veined White in cop 11/04/2024 Baddow Meads

Small Tortoiseshell - good numbers again - 11

Small Tortoiseshell 11/04/2024 Baddow Meads

Peacock continuing to flourish with another 20 sightings:

Peacock 11/04/2024 Baddow Hall Park

Comma 4

Comma 11/04/2024 Meadgate Fields Open Space

Brimstone 3 the flowering short turf with Lawn Daisy Bellis perennis and Dandelion Taraxcum officinale season providing plentiful nectar

Brimstone 11/04/2024 Baddow Hall Park

And a Large White.

I also saw my second sighting of a Painted Lady [with a possible third]

A good butterflying day with 53 seen of 9 species missing a sighting of a Speckled Wood [which was strange] to make it all 10 of 2024. Still no Holly Blues here - but soon I feel.

[aeshna5]

Mild, calm & largely overcast here in west London suburbs yesterday & my first garden Holly Blue of the season after seeing one at Kew a couple of weeks back.

In a local park in the morning 2 Speckled Woods & a Peacock.

[Allan.W.]

This morning at Dungeness (Kent ) in warm (15-16c) with a slight breeze ,we found our first Small Coppers of the year ,6 in all.
We also had our first Large White ( a fem) and single Red Ad and Small Tort .

Later ,had another visit to a few sections of Orlestone . around 20-25 Peacock ,similar number of Brimstone ,4 Comma and around 8 O-tips ......including these three .

Allan.W.

[David M]

Great sightings, Allan. I'll be on the lookout for Small Copper when I next get out. They're usually quite early round here.