February 2011

[JohnR]

Here's the second brimstone that I saw today. Grabbed the camera, pointed, pressed the button, waited whilst it autofocused and here's this month's competition winner for the worst ever image.

It's yellow and it flies

Gruditch will be proud of me!

[NickB]

...and my first Brimstones of the year too. Out on the Fleam Dyke...

Fleam Dyke: First butterfly...

....after the clouds lifted and for an hour, whilst the sun shone and the breeze died, two male Brimstones patrolled the bank of the Dyke. Both were very interested in one particular clump of brush and made repeated sorties down into the tangle, where I suspect they could detect a female ready to emerge; one took the sun for a while next to it...

Oh, for some more warm and sunny days; like Vince, it was only when the temperature hit 13C to 14C and the breeze died that the Brimstones were active. Later, even though the sun was shining, the breeze was just too cool for any more action.
N

[59 SPECIES]

Great stuff guys. There's nothing quite like it is there. I was hoping for my first Brimstone here in the Lincoln area today, but alas nothing. It was nice to see a couple of bees though. I still think I'll be waiting until mid to late March for that first sighting. Still just that bit too early, but what a cracking day it was and a real tonic.

[David M]

You lucky person! I've seen how it's been 15C in some parts today. Sadly, in Swansea, whilst the temperature was 11-12C, it was grey and damp throughout.

[Neil Hulme]

Hi all,
Delighted to join today's Brimmy Club myself . First butterfly of the season for me - and it stopped for a photo too!
Neil

[Trev Sawyer]

Kicked off my butterfly year today with the sighting of a Brimstone in my village at lunchtime. It was flitting along the roadside verge a few miles west of Cambridge. Also managed to find some Elm and Oak, but after spending an hour looking, I found no signs of hairstreak eggs . Later, I had a wander around the "Cambridge 800 Wood" where 15,000 trees were planted to commemorate the 800th year of the University of Cambridge (http://www.lockhart-garratt.co.uk/cases ... php?cid=11). It is a bit early yet, but when the trees grow a bit more, I will be looking there for hairstreaks too.

Trev

[Charles Nicol]

i had a look around the local Butterfly hotspots today but not a sausage

Charles

[felix123]

Spring has Sprung! Saw 3 Small tortoishell also a Brimstone in Morcombelake today, It felt like heaven!

Lots of Crocus and Daffodil flowering now in our area!

Felix

[JohnR]

We obviously know nothing about butterflies. The following is from the RHS website.

Cold winter boosts butterfly numbers
11 February 2011

Some of Britain's rarest butterflies are increasing in numbers and may have a better long-term chance of survival following this winter's prolonged cold snap.

In Scotland, the pearl bordered fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne), has been found alive and well in several previously undiscovered colonies in the Scottish Highlands to the west of Dingwall. The pearl bordered fritillary is one of the most rapidly declining butterflies in Britain and Ireland, with populations falling by more than 60% over the 20 years to 2004, when the last population survey was done. In Scotland the situation is less severe, although numbers have still dropped by a third.

Graham Findlay, of the Forestry Commission, said the cold winter has reduced incidence of disease and viral attacks on caterpillars, allowing them to hibernate in safety.

'It's a fantastic find,' he said. 'We counted more than 20 individuals on the wing in one small, open patch.'

Meanwhile on Exmoor in Devon, two rare butterflies, the heath fritillary and the marsh fritillary, have been seen in increasing numbers, while the National Trust has recorded the highest-ever populations of large blue butterflies at Collard Hill, their open-access site in Somerset. Matthew Oates, Nature Conservation Advisor to the Trust, said the cold winters have allowed wild creatures to hibernate properly.

'For the first time in a generation we have experienced a traditional year of weather and our wildlife has mostly responded favourably,' he said.

[Piers]

We obviously know nothing about butterflies. The following is from the RHS website.

I concur with the general synopsis John. The signs are that this Spring could be amazing for certain species. Just wait until the Marsh Frits emerge, if the weather is favourable for swift larval development in the preceding months they are going to reach pest levels on some sites..!

Felix.

[NickB]

...let us hope we don't have a "traditional" cold and wet Spring/early Summer, then......

[Piers]

First oil beetle of the year in the garden today. Unusually early by anyone's standards.

Felix.

[JohnR]

First oil beetle of the year in the garden today. Unusually early by anyone's standards.
Felix.

Would that be a Muammar al-Gaddafi ?

[Gibster]

Felix wrote:
First oil beetle of the year in the garden today. Unusually early by anyone's standards.
Felix.


Would that be a Muammar al-Gaddafi ?

He said 'oil beetle' not 'soldier beetle'. Rhagonycha fulva is one such, commonly known as The Bloodsucker. Seems more fitting perhaps?

[geoff]

A bit late in reporting this, but last Thursday I was down at Langstone Harbour in Hampshire. It was a very warm day, peaking at around 15C.
Having just seen a Little Egret, then a Kingfisher, we then spotted a Small Tortoiseshell, my first butterfly of the year. I was expecting to see a Brimstone first, but given the scarcity of small torts recently, this is more pleasing.
Geoff

[Zonda]

First oil beetle of the year in the garden today. Unusually early by anyone's standards.

I have them too, watched two in cop yesterday, i looked away of course.

[Piers]

That's very interesting Z. Around here their hosts (oil beetles are pseudoparasites) are nowhere to be seen therefore the females will not be able to lay...

[Zonda]

I do have many solitary bees in my grassy places, and woody places, this includes my lawns.

[Piers]

Flying now????

[Zonda]

Flying now????

No, not flying now. I was just reflecting on the reason for the presence of the Meloe in my garden. I think that they may have been fooled by a mild spell. Be nice to get an ID of the beetles to species level, and likewise the Colletes bees in my lawn. Don't the Meloe lay their eggs on the young of the bees, i know little about it.