January 2011

[Bill S]

Thanks all for those pointers. Interesting observation about the shrubs with lichen on, I wondered about whether that could make a difference as right next to the plant where I found the egg was a (much older?) plant covered in lichen.

Thanks again all.

Bill

[Essex Bertie]

[quote="Jack Harrison"]I think we have to go back to earlier discussions about over-wintering Red Admirals.

The commonly touted theory is that with climate change, milder winters have enabled Red Admirals to survive. Surely sightings of the butterfly after an extremely cold spell of weather can put that theory to bed once-and-for-all? In that earlier discussion, I and others had put forward an alternative suggestion which might be worth re-iterating here.

As I understand it, Red Admirals do not attempt deep hibernation as do Peacocks and Tortoiseshells but are intermittently active and need to refuel (take nectar) on a regular basis. The suggestion is that the increased growing in gardens and parks of winter flowering shrubs and other plants might be the clue to the greater success of Red Admirals surviving the winter nowadays.

Jack,
Your theory seems to hold water judging by recent sightings after the coldest December in 100 years. And looking back at our local Cambs & Essex sightings last year, there were very few Red Admirals seen until mid-May, after a long, continuously cold 'old-fashioned' winter. I haven't read your previous discussions on this, but climate change must still play a factor in your theory to some extent, by shortening the winter at either end and providing intermittent milder 'nectaring spells'?
Rob

[Matsukaze]

It is odd that the winter Red Admirals seem to cling to the south coast, and that there are not more reports from around London, where the butterfly would benefit both from the urban heat island effect and from large numbers of winter-flowering shrubs being available.

[Gibster]

It is odd that the winter Red Admirals seem to cling to the south coast, and that there are not more reports from around London, where the butterfly would benefit both from the urban heat island effect and from large numbers of winter-flowering shrubs being available.

In recent years there have been a whole host of invasive species cropping up in the London area. Many of these have arrived naturally and unaided, perhaps due to climate change (just see how many leafmining moth species and plant gall makers have arrived in the last decade!) This is pure speculation on my part - and so probably utter tosh - but maybe there has been a large increase in parasitoids too? Could this account for the lack of records in the Thames Basin area? Or maybe its just the larger number of creepy crawlies such as spiders and cockroaches that infest many parts of the more heavily built-up areas? They all need to eat.

Gibster.

[Susie]

Thanks all for those pointers. Interesting observation about the shrubs with lichen on, I wondered about whether that could make a difference as right next to the plant where I found the egg was a (much older?) plant covered in lichen.

Thanks again all.

Bill

Please ignore all my previous comments about avoiding lichen covered twigs as I went a huntin' today and found an egg on lichen covered spur just a cm long! The hedge had been threshed to within an inch of its life so I was amazed to find anything on it at all.

[Vince Massimo]

I was out today looking for Brown Hairstreak eggs as well. I was not expecting to find any in my part of Surrey and I was correct, even though the habitat was absolutly perfect. Just a couple of ladybirds and an unknown moth larva.

Vince

[Pete Eeles]

Looks like a Drinker moth larva. http://www.ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=5313

Cheers,

- Pete

[David M]

Although I haven't seen a butterfly yet this year, I DID see today a dull coloured moth in the early morning (approx 840am) and a fly at lunchtime.

[Jack Harrison]

Matsukaze:

It is odd that the winter Red Admirals seem to cling to the south coast, and that there are not more reports from around London

Red Admirals migrate south in the autumn. Maybe (and this is just a suggestion) the later ones sense that it’s a bit too late to cross the Channel to continue into the warmer parts of France so give up at the south coast of England and stay here. There could be a similar pattern in France with Red Admirals clinging to the coasts of say Normandy but avoiding inland - and cold - northern parts of France. Can anyone confirm that Red Admirals are indeed seen near northern coasts of France in winter/early spring but not inland?

Jack

[Vince Massimo]

I was out today checking tetrads in the northern part of Sussex for the 2010-2015 Sussex Butterfly Atlas. Most of the eggs found were in conventional locations, but there was a batch of three on a damaged stem which I would have considered to be less than ideally sited. The one on the underside looks a little flat at the base, but I think it is a Brown Hairstreak.

As you would expect

An unusual location

I now understand that as a result of all of today's surveys, the Sussex Team have recorded Brown Hairstreak in just over 200 tetrads.

Vince

[Dave McCormick]

I found a small white chrysalis on a branch of a 10 year old oak tree this morning, so I can count that has my first butterfly sighting of this year.

About Red Admirals overwintering, I have seen them overwinter here in Mountstewart, Co Down, as its a few degrees warmer than nearby areas, forests are damp but past two years I havn't seen any overwintering. I first saw them overwinter here (seen 2 in December of 2006) then seen them until 2008 then since I didn't, but in 2009 there was a huge number of red admirals here (I saw 100+ at two buddliea bushes in early August 2009 along with the large numbers of painted ladies) and was told that those were the largest numbers of both species recorded in Northern Ireland apart from another area having large numbers of Painted Ladies, most came here.

[Gibster]

Out and about in bitterly cold conditions today, searching for WLH eggs. Had to quit after just 40mins due to blue hands! Warmed up in the local pub before changing tack and trying for Brown Hairtreak eggs along a sheltered path between woodland and fields. Success!!! Found on young growth suckering off from main clumps, approx 12 inches above ground level.

Then I noticed a sign notifying the public of clearance work for 3 days next week. Luckily I know the conservation group well, a panicky phonecall resulted in the happy news that they will now bypass the area with eggs and look out for similar growth along the path and leave that too. I tagged one egg for them to look at, no excuses now!

Also, loads of overwintering Coleophora cases on the elms(species unknown, I'm pretty crap with most cases), fewer on the blackthorn. Plus lots of old Emmetia marginea on bramble, Luffia ferchaultella, Proutia betulina and Psyche casta cases on oak trunks and posts, a Bucculatrix ulmella cocoon also on oak, plus feeding signs of Nemapogon clematella in hazel sticks. Not bad for 2 hours on a freezing cold January afternoon.

Gibster.

[Jack Harrison]

Today''s pic -spring is on the way.

When I was a little lad, I used to think these were caterpillars

Jack