Late Butterflies

alex mclennan · Post by **alex mclennan** » Tue Nov 07, 2006 8:34 pm

I've had between 1 and 4 red admirals every day this month until today when I drew a blank.

Simon C · Post by **Simon C** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 1:34 pm

One red admiral today. As with the last few I've seen, it was not far from late flowering ivy.

Saw three at the weekend, including - wait for the drum roll - one with white spots on the red bands. That's my first and only, since I've started looking. If the statistics of smallish numbers can be relied upon, this variation seems to be well below 10% of the population locally (1 in 34 to be exact).

Simon C

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 3:04 pm

On my regular commute from Shrewsbury to Leeds at luchtime today, in beautiful crisp autumn weather I saw a Red Admiral fly past my windscreen.

I then stopped at Prees Heath to check out the conservation work of the West Midland Branch this year. Wow! What a transformation!! I've visited the site once or twice to see the Silver-studded blues in previous years and it is now unrecognisable. It was once scattered with rubbish, the result of fly-tipping, but is now almost immaculate.Well done guys.... oh yeah, and I saw a Brimstone while I was there.

Simon C · Post by **Simon C** » Tue Nov 14, 2006 12:17 pm

This one kept me company whilst tidying the garden on Saturday. I've got an awful feeling it could be the last butterfly photo of the year.

Incidentally, I have found this shrub (Choysia Ternata Sundance) attracts several butterfly species: red admiral, tortoiseshell, small and large white, brimstone, comma, gatekeeper, meadow brown and small copper all seem to enjoy sitting on it and basking, but they don't appear to feed at the flowers. It is regularly used early and late in the season - the yellow leaves are quite the brightest thing in the garden then. The shrub has a peculiar smell also - not quite sure if I like it, actually - which might attract the butterflies.

Simon C

Post by **Padfield** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 11:17 am

My father found a holly blue in Woodbridge, Suffolk, yesterday, 16th November. I presume this is a third brood, since the second brood already looks a little weary when I visit Suffolk at the end of August.

Guy

eccles · Post by **eccles** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 12:31 am

I spotted a red admiral flying over a garden towards the sun just after midday today, east of Bristol.

Simon C · Post by **Simon C** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 10:21 am

Also a red admiral heading west out of Bath, around 11ish.

Unlikely to be the same one seen by eccles, unless it really got a move on.

Simon C

Chris and Juliet · Post by **Chris and Juliet** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 8:10 pm

We emailed this Sussex sighting for Sunday 19 November 2006: A very washed out Painted Lady sunning itself on a grave in Church Norton Churchyard. Also 3 Red Admirals in the location. (Chris and Juliet Moore)

Whilst Red Admirals have been seen since, has anyone seen a later Painted Lady?

Danny · Post by **Danny** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 2:33 pm

Hey Chris and Juliet! Since you're in Horsham, you might know me! I'm the bloke who sits and sings in the town every other Saturday (I kid you not).

No Painted Ladies, but I did see a red admiral in Newhaven allotments on Sunday 26th November along with a Harlequin Ladybird. Actually my daughter found the ladybird (she's 5) and offered it some aphids which were feeding on weed roots. The ladybird ignored them.

Danny

Simon C · Post by **Simon C** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 5:15 pm

I'm intrigued.

Is this before or after closing time?

Simon C

Mike Young · Post by **Mike Young** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 9:33 pm

Had a flying Red Admiral in the garden yesterday, looked in quite good nick as well.

Gwenhwyfar · Post by **Gwenhwyfar** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 6:37 am

I saw a Red Admiral two days ago, in good condition also.

Simon C · Post by **Simon C** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 10:22 am

I was unduly pessimistic in my previous posting on 14th Nov. On Dec 2nd this peacock was sunbathing on the front wall and feeding from a hebe that still has many purple flowers on it. The sun was strong enough to cast shadows, but it was surprisingly cold for a butterfly to be in flight.

Simon C

Matsukaze · Post by **Matsukaze** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 9:20 pm

Still a few Red Admirals about - two near Camerton, Somerset, on Sunday 3rd (also a queen bumblebee!)

Not sure if it's a late autumn or an early spring, but it doesn't have much of a wintery feel yet.

Matsukaze · Post by **Matsukaze** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 7:40 pm

Red Admiral, in good condition, at the Slimbridge Wildfowl Trust reserve today.

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 6:34 pm

My mother claims that a Painted Lady added a bit of interest to an otherwise boring concert at St Chads in Shrewsbury last Saturday. It drifted down from the cloisters apparently and fluttered around the windows for a while before ascending back up to the roof.

She's also removed a peacock and a small tortoiseshell from the house this week.

Post by **Padfield** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 7:10 pm

I've been following these late sightings with interest and although it's not strictly UK I thought you might be interested too in what's happening here in Switzerland, as confirmation that this is an exceptional (= psycho) year. This wall brown was flying happily on 15th December near Martigny (at c.550m altitude) and there were two clouded yellows at the same site.

.
I didn't chase it for a better picture because I figured it only had a few hours to enjoy its day - the shadow of the mountains reached its bit of hot rock by 3.25pm. To the best of my knowledge, walls don't emerge in winter in Switzerland at all - though Lafranchis (2000 - the French guide) mentions they emerge exceptionally in the Midi region of France in mid-winter.

Simon C · Post by **Simon C** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 8:56 am

Red Admiral seen on Sunday around midday, as we went to collect a Christmas tree from the local farmer in Weston, west Bath.

Simon C

Late Butterflies

Holly blue - 16th November

Latest Sightings - Painted Lady

Painted Lady