honorary butterfly species!

Simon C · Post by **Simon C** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 12:30 pm

Exceptional numbers of Peacock butterflies around Bath at the moment.

Also, many patches of green alkanet are being devoured by caterpillars of the day-flying Scarlet Tiger moth - promises to be a good year for them. Not quite in the same league as Peacocks maybe, but at the risk of being controversial, IMO equal to many butterflies!

Simon C

eccles · Post by **eccles** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 6:10 pm

Yes, in my little patch at Willsbridge I've seen many peacocks today, maybe eight or nine, about half a dozen brimstones and a few commas. Plus one or two whites. I wasn't sure last week what they were but I got a close look at one today nectaring off dandelion - it's a small white.

Matsukaze · Post by **Matsukaze** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 2:55 pm

39 Peacocks in the last two days around Radstock.

Scarlet Tiger did very well last year and has been on the increase in the Bristol/Bath area for a while. It seems to like damp, wooded/scrubby places with glades - Lord's Wood and the disused railway lines about Radstock seem to suit it, for instance.

Dave McCormick · Post by **Dave McCormick** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 3:14 pm

Yes it seems that peacocks and Small tortoiseshells are doing well so far. I have seen around 10 Small Tortoiseshell and around 8-9 peacocks so far.

Matsukaze · Post by **Matsukaze** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 6:33 pm

30+ Scarlet Tiger larvae found today demolishing a patch of comfrey(?) at Combe Hay, south of Bath.

Dave McCormick · Post by **Dave McCormick** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 7:11 pm

Went a walk in a farmers set aside field and saw around 6 small tortoiseshell, 2 peacock and 3 Twenty plume moths, Mountstewart, Co Down Northern Ireland.

eccles · Post by **eccles** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 4:12 pm

Bannerdown Common was a good place for scarler tiget last year.

markatbath · Post by **markatbath** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 9:55 am

lots of scarlet tigers around Browns Folly last year , its also a good site for green hairstreaks as is bannerdown
mark

Matsukaze · Post by **Matsukaze** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 6:15 pm

I found Green Hairstreaks at Cleaves Wood last year, when I was trying to rediscover the Duke of Burgundy which bred there not that long ago. It usually seems to be the way with the Green Hairstreak - I find it when I am looking for something else, but when I look for it deliberately it is nowhere to be seen...

Dave McCormick · Post by **Dave McCormick** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 7:08 pm

One good place to see Common Blue in Northern Ireland is a "white spots country park" formally "Lead Mines" at Calndyboy between Newtownards and Bangor Co Down. I went there near every year and its a good area of unspoiled area. It also has loads of six spot burnet as well. Also a large number of Red Admrial I have seen there too.