ernie f

[millerd]

...Has anyone else seen this strange phenomenon?...

Only today I was following a Meadow Brown along a hedgerow when it dipped behind a bush and re-emerged a second later as a faded Comma. it happens a lot...

Dave

[Wurzel]

Love the Skipper on the Orchid - I could do with that one in my collection Speaking of which you're not paranoid Ernie - over the years there have been a few 'lurkers' on UKB it's a shame as people that genuinely want to marvel at the variation miss out but then keeping 'mum' works out better for the butterfly in the end

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

...Perhaps this delay helps to protect abs or rare species from collectors who are clearly still operating in the UK in 2024.

They're still around, and abs are a favourite quarry. Probably best to err on the side of caution when reporting any you see.

[bugboy]

...Has anyone else seen this strange phenomenon?...

Only today I was following a Meadow Brown along a hedgerow when it dipped behind a bush and re-emerged a second later as a faded Comma. it happens a lot...

Dave

A not unusual phenomenon in August I find. Many a time a single Brown Hairstreak has morphed into half a dozen Gatekeeper right before my eyes

[ernie f]

Locally

Large Blues are starting to increase. Yesterday I saw one and today at the same place I saw three. Even though I was early both days, it was already so warm and sunny they refused to open their wings, even when I purposefully stood between them and the sun so they were in shade they stubbornly refused to play ball.

At home

I found a moth in the sitting room. I think it is 'The Fern'.

And in the garden, a Scarlet Tiger Moth flew through without stopping

I spent a valuable afternoon removing wildlife from my sitting room. First it was that moth, then the cat brought in a live mouse so I had to extricate it from the jaws of the cat and deposit it outside so it could run off then a fly came in and I spent more time than I really wanted to trying to shoo it out of an open window.

Foxy Feature

Same afternoon I heard a loud scream coming from our back garden. I rushed out to find a small fox running away and our cat with a smug look on his face, victorious against this 'puny' opposition.

[David M]

Nice to hear Large Blues are thriving at that site, ernie. I'll have to miss out on them there this year.

[ernie f]

It is most disappointing. Despite some trips locally I have seen very few butterflies, even the more common species are a bit thin on the ground (or in the air) but did see this mating pair of SW Frits. Not my best shot of them - in the past I was able to get a lot closer than this, but still a nice sight to see.

[Wurzel]

Good to see the Large Blues Ernie There was been somewhat of a dearth of butterflies this year hopefully the wetter spring will mean plenty of fodder for the developing cats this season, fingers crossed

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

It is most disappointing. Despite some trips locally I have seen very few butterflies, even the more common species are a bit thin on the ground...

Been a dismal year, ernie, no doubt about it. Same is true throughout much of western Europe (I was reading that butterfly numbers are at their lowest in the Netherlands since 1980).

One keeps hoping things will improve but time is running out!