Cold winter = good butterfly summer 2010?

[wavelea1]

Hi Susie

The thing that I liked the most was 'still crazy after all these years' - Rock on

Mike

[James M]

Does seem that has been quite a lot of rain in North Africa and more to come by the looks of it, thanks to the jetstream being so far south. I think this bodes well

[Vince Massimo]

Where do the Red Admirals spend their inactive time. On several cold but sunny November days, when it was only 6 degrees in the shade, there were Red Ads feeding on the apples I had placed in the sun. If they chose a deep shady place in a shed, like Peacocks & Small Torts, then they would never know there's a sunny day to be had, let alone get active. So they must be fairly hardy to spend the winter in probably a pretty exposed spot.

Gruditch - I, like Susie, thought they roosted and over-wintered in ivy, but I have seen them finding a night roost in Scots Pine and some garden shrubs. However, if I have a question about butterfly behaviour I go straight to Adrian Hoskins' excellent website http://www.learnaboutbutterflies.com . There he states that, at night, on cold days and during the winter months, Red Admirals roost head-downwards on the trunks or lower branches of oaks, larches and other trees where the bark-like underside of the wings provides them with excellent camouflage.

I have also seen reports, including one from Sunday on the Sussex pages, where they have been found tucked away down rabbit holes.

Cheers,

Vince

Following on from this post which was made on 2nd March, I have just seen a report posted on the Sussex pages from James Giles (Manager of Thursley Common National Nature Reserve) which came in via Michael Blencowe. "On 18th March 12 Red Admiral were seen emerging from a rabbit warren". He adds, "whether they were responding to a nearby fire, either smoke or heat or just coincidence we shall never know".

Interesting.

Cheers,

Vince