October 2011 sightings

[Hugh Middleton]

Seven Red Admirals brightened up a blustery and almost birdless morning today at Gibraltar Point.

Hugh

[Reddog]

I went for a walk with my dog to Otterspool park Liverpool and saw two Red Admirals basking in the sun and out of the strong wind.

[millerd]

A Red Admiral seen today on a flowering shrub next to my office just north of Heathrow. Sunny, but only about 11 degrees at the time.

Dave

[Nick Broomer]

Yesterday the 19th Oct. saw a Small Copper and a Red Admiral in my garden at lunch time.

Nick

[EricY]

After a good frost last night I went on a 6mile walk with the NWT round Brandon Country pk/Thetford forest. 2 Red Admirals mid morning in forest rides & pm on restored heathland just 1 small copper. Highlight though was a female Adder in a sheltered spot. Unexpected after last nights frost. Eric

Female Adder Oct 20th, showing that dark eye

[NickB]

A day by the sea-side at Dunwich Heath and Minsmere with Phil & Rosalyn

5 or 6 Red Admirals in the woods and edge of the Heath.

A Godwit of some sort on the RSPB reserve - lots of LBJ's twittering and cheeping in the bushes.
N

[Hoggers]

Down here in Ashford, Kent I took my dogs out and saw Two Red Admirals in this mornings warm sunshine but no other butterflies.

[essexbuzzard]

Yesterday 20 October, saw 4 Red Admiral chasing each other at Madron carn,near Penzance,plus two others at the keepers cottage nearby. They often congregate at rocky outcrops like this, perhaps they make a good mating area as there are often Painted Ladies there,but none today.
Regards,Mark.

[Gibster]

Just back from 10 days at Par in south Cornwall. There are LOTS of Red Admirals still on the wing down there, along with lesser numbers of Speckled Woods. Best find was a single Crimson Speckled at Gribben Head. Naturally it posed on my nose for a pic

Interestingly we saw a Red Admiral sunning itself from the middle of a solar panel. The day was just starting to warm up after a cloudy start. Very clever or just coincidence???

Gibster.

[David M]

Interestingly we saw a Red Admiral sunning itself from the middle of a solar panel. The day was just starting to warm up after a cloudy start. Very clever or just coincidence???

They'll always seek out the best heat source - I've seen them on the windows at work when the air temperature has been less than optimal. We are housed in a large building comprising at least 3/4 glass panelling and all kinds of insects settle on the windows facing the sun.

[NickB]

Several Red Admiral sunning and nectaring around the ivy this morning...

(...Out with the Tamron 90mm + 1.4xTC)

[millerd]

A lovely sunny day today, but cool and increasingly breezy. Nevertheless, I found a Speckled Wood sunning itself by the River Colne this morning, and a female Meadow Brown braving the wind at Denbies this afternoon. I saw my first Meadow Brown on 29th May - five months ago. This seems an astonishingly long flight period for what is supposed to be a single-brooded butterfly.

Dave

[MikeOxon]

Another brilliant sunny day over Oxfordshire produced just one Red Admiral along the Roman Road leading onto Otmoor from Beckley.

It was a very obliging individual, intent on soaking up as much as possible of the afternoon sun, and allowed a close approach, first opening its wings flat and then closing them for a view of the underside.

Roman Road, Otmoor, Oxon - 22nd Oct 2011
Nikon D300s with Tamron 90mm - 1/125s@f/16 ISO400

Roman Road, Otmoor, Oxon - 22nd Oct 2011
Nikon D300s with Tamron 90mm - 1/180s@f/13 ISO400

Mike

[Susie]

We've been sitting in stationary traffic on M23 for half an hour but there is a small copper in the central reservation.

[Hoggers]

This Red Admiral was soaking up the sun in my garden this afternoon

[David M]

I was hoping to maybe see a Red Admiral or two here in Swansea today as the temperature crept up to 17.5C in the mid-afternoon. Nothing doing though, sadly, and with colder weather with gales forecast I fear my next sighting could well be 5 whole months away!

[millerd]

Lured by the possibility of Clouded Yellows and a walk in the sun on a different set of Downs, I drove down to Cissbury today. Not having Neil's skill and patience, I didn't see any Yellows, but I did come across several Red Admirals, Meadow Browns and Speckled Woods. All were in sheltered corners, for despite the warm sun it was very breezy up there. I spoke to someone who had seen a Small Copper up on the top of the hill, and more unusually a Brimstone.

Dave

[John W]

I too visited Cissbury Ring this afternoon to look for the Clouded Yellows - which turned out to be wild geese! The photographic highlight of the trip was this remarkably fresh looking female Meadow Brown. I also saw a Speckled Wood and an incredibly battered Painted Lady. Later I bumped into Colin Knight and we had a brief chat about our highlights of the season.

[Jack Harrison]

John W saw:

remarkably fresh looking female Meadow Brown.

The life cycle of the MB could certainly benefit from study. It is not reliably know to be double brooded (Guy: Is it always single in Switzerland or is the situation just as confusing there?) I offer the suggestion that the larvae hibernate whenever the weather becomes too cold regardless of the state of development of the larvae. So some might hibernate when tiny, others when quite big. It is of course possible that (like some other browns) that a few individuals might spend two winters in hibernation.

Just my ideas of course but there perhaps could be some debate.

Jack

[Gibster]

Led a bird walk to Hayling Island today. Whilst cowering in the blustery conditions we noted a white butterfly battling northwards and inland, distant but it looked good for a Small White. A while later we noticed a second individual, again battling inland. I realise that Small Whites should be pupa at the moment, but that's what they looked like. Other than that we had several confirmed Red Admirals in the more sheltered areas.

Gibster.