October 2009 Sightings

[Jack Harrison]

It's obviously Red Admiral season. Minimum of three in my garden today, 8th October, looking spectacular aganst the deep blue sky as they fed on Ivy.

Jack

[anneke]

During a walk in Cornwall today I saw about 7 Small Coppers, 3 Red Admirals, 1 Comma and 1 Speckled Wood.

Mating Small Coppers

Three's definitely a crowd here.

Red Admiral

[Mikhail]

The first sun for nearly a week and butterflies in abundance. On the Bournemouth cliffs Painted Ladies more numerous than at any time since the May influx, and almost all richly coloured large specimens nectaring on Seaside Daisy and Michaelmas Daisy. Clouded Yellows also at peak numbers: a conservative count of 44 on a walk along the foot of the Boscombe and Southbourne cliffs. Small and Large Whites still plentiful, the latter apparently all males, a strange imbalance I have often seen at this time of year in the past. Also seen a male Common Blue and one Holly Blue, but no Small Coppers. Away from the cliffs several Red Admirals and Speckled Woods and more Painted Ladies on ivy blossom.

Misha

[Frances]

Lots of pristine new Painted Ladies by the coast here in West Cornwall today, after a day of heavy rain yesterday; also some Small Tortoiseshells, Speckled Woods, lots of Red Admirals, some Large Whites - and several perfect Small Coppers on Carn Les Boel. And a Hummingbird Hawkmoth in Penzance on Monday; and half a dozen Peacocks in Polgigga at the weekend.

[Susie]

I can't believe it is October in Sussex, phew what a scorcher! Peacock, red admiral, painted lady and large and small whites around so far today.

[Denise]

Lovely day in Bristol too.
4 Red Admiral, several Large White and singles of Comma, Peacock and Brimstone. All seen in my garden.

Denise

[Dave McCormick]

Cold here and raining. Did manage to see on Red Admiral and one tortrix moth when I was out filming Comorats and Pale Bellied Brent Geese, but thats it, you can really feel the colder weather setting in here.

[Zonda]

Today i flopped along the Dorset coast to the east. Boscombe, Southbourne,,,,, Apache,,,i mean Misha territory. Scrabbled along the Southbourne cliffs by the beach huts, (much to the amusement of my other half and a lady from Kent). These Cloudies have the uncanny knack of making me look foolish. Got some quite good shots of Clouded yellows. Saw several really fresh looking Small coppers,,,and they never nicked me,, There were nice Small Torts, and Small whites, and i saw one Red Addy.

Clouded yellow 002 (att).jpg (194.36 KiB) Viewed 331 times

Clouded yellow 004 (2).jpg (144.27 KiB) Viewed 331 times

Clouded yellow 006 (2).jpg (168.04 KiB) Viewed 331 times

[Vince Massimo]

Hi all,

Nice Clouded Yellow pics Zonda. In case you are interested, all of the shots are of males.

I had a walk down to one of my local sites at Kenley Aerodrome, Surrey in the late afternoon sunshine. There were at least 18 Small Copper buzzing about, half of which were congregated on a clump of Michaelmas Daisey together with a Painted lady and a Red Admiral. Earlier in the day I spotted a Comma and a Large White on a clump of Ivy in a neighbour's garden. Good weather forcast for next week so hopefully the sighting will keep coming.

Male at rest

Female basking

Cheers,

Vince

[Mikhail]

Sorry I didn't see you Zonda. Glad you got some of the Yellows. Painted Lady numbers well down today, except in the Boscombe Cliff Gardens, where there were around 30 on ivy together with several Red Admirals. Don't know where you found those Small Torts. I haven't seen any since August. I forgot to mention yesterday that among the Clouded Yellows was a pair in cop.

Misha

[Lee Hurrell]

Zonda - happy birthday for last week. If I was in the country I'd have sent you a Red Admiral underside!

Nice Clouded Yellows. I finally saw one this year, well lots really, in Spain.

Cheers

Lee

[Zonda]

All males eh, so it was a dog fight i saw, and not some sort of mating ritual. I parked at the Southbourne end Misha. All the Cloudies were in the area behind, and to the side of the beach huts, and on the slope on the north side of the car park. Previously i had walked the cliff top, and seen nothing. I don't know the name of the daisy type flower they were largely dining on, but i think there are some in our garden. Welcome home Lee, i suppose you'll be learning to play the castanets now, and doin those clicky dances all around the kitchen. Glad you enjoyed it, and saw loads of CYs.

[Mikhail]

Zonda, the daisy like flowers are Seaside Daisy Erigeron glaucus. Yesterday there were several Clouded Yellows on the low cliffs to the east of the Bistro on the Beach. It's easier to clamber up there for photography. There were definitely several females about including at least one helice.

Misha

[Mark Senior]

Sussex Kipper reports on the Sussex branch site of Butterfly Conservation of the emergence of a brood of the Queen of Spain Fritillary near Chichester . I am sure he will give a more detailed report on here in due course . A stupendous end to a wonderful butterfly year here in Sussex .

[Dave McCormick]

Sussex Kipper reports on the Sussex branch site of Butterfly Conservation of the emergence of a brood of the Queen of Spain Fritillary near Chichester . I am sure he will give a more detailed report on here in due course . A stupendous end to a wonderful butterfly year here in Sussex .

http://www.learnaboutbutterflies.com/Bu ... 0Diary.htm - there is a photo of the Queen of Spain here, he also says:

Saturday 10th October

On 14th July this year a female Queen of Spain Fritillary was recorded at a small copse in Sussex. Today, thanks to a tip off ( thanks Neil ) I had the great fortune to see the progeny of this female in a field adjoining the copse. We found several field pansy plants in the area, and assume that these were used as the larval foodplant. The butterflies began emerging on 22nd September, with a minimum of 6 adults seen in the last fortnight. Today we saw 2 worn males, nectaring at thistles & dandelion, basking on a path, and at roost on maize. Neil Hulme also found a dead specimen that appeared to have been attacked by a spider.

[Padfield]

This is very exciting! It will be interesting to see if any QoS are seen at the same sites next spring.

In 1996 and 1997 it seemed probable QoS was breeding in Suffolk as large numbers were seen over protracted periods with fresh insects regularly appearing (Stewart, 2001, The Millennium Atlas of Suffolk Butterflies), but in the end nothing came of it. Despite a county total of at least 28 individuals in 1997, the species is still not a resident butterfly there. There's something about the UK that the Queens just don't like - perhaps the damp winters.

Guy

[NickB]

QoS eh! Still surprises to the end! Can't match that here...

Still several Red Admirals around with the odd Painted Lady, Speckled Wood and a few Small Whites yesterday...
nothing exciting
N

[Lee Hurrell]

Nice photo Nick.

I did see a Small White in Greenford yesterday but that's it since I've been back in Blighty.

Cheers

Lee

[Jack Harrison]

I was in “Kipper Country” (Worthing) on Saturday on family matters but did manage to photograph yet another Painted Lady.

But the real interest is this flower that proved to be a potent attractant. There were many growing in the Beach House public park. About 80 cms tall on stiff stems. Perhaps a statice of some sort but far from sure. But clearly a good late season flower for butterflies. It is hardy inland as I have seen it in Wisley RHS gardens a notorious cold location on winter nights.

Jack

[Dave McCormick]

I have not seen Painted Ladies for a long time, but if I'd recommend a plant for butterflies this time of year, it would be red valerian. There are still loads of red valerian here and are still very much in flower, have been for the past two months since they were cut back and came back again.