October 2011 sightings

[EricY]

Apologies for posting another non-BF photo but have been hoping to get a Weasel for some years (had a gory stoat pic years ago). This little guy positively begged to have his photo taken. This was at Holme NWT after viewing the Pallas warbler (too fast to get a pic) & an early start in the dark with a torch to see the path down to Snettisham for the high tide wader roost. No Butterflies seen today. Eric

Weasel

[NickB]

The Red Admirals seem to prefer limestone gravestones - Barnack stone or oolite - in the cemetery; I guess the warm stones make ideal places to bask.

More warm sun forecast...
BTW - Nice shot of weasel, Eric!

My recent favourite of RAs posing....

[Ian Pratt]

Several red admirals flying around the Mid Hants Railway near Alresford today.

[m_galathea]

A nymphalid (prob Red Admiral) flying strongly out over the Bristol Channel in light drizzle today from Porthkerry, Glamorgan.

[David M]

It was mild and overcast this morning but the sun kept popping through so I thought I'd have an hour round my local patch to see what was going on.

At 14C I wasn't really expecting to see any butterflies but within 2 minutes of getting out of the car I saw what I thought was a Peacock flying towards a tree. It duly settled but it took my eyes a while to adjust so that I could locate it. It was, in fact, a Red Admiral and is probably the last time I'll see a butterfly in 2011.

[web4160]

Just returned from a week in North Somerset. Still a lot of butterflies about mainly Red Admiral and Specked Wood. Visited Sand Point on Friday 28 October where we saw 3 Red Admiral, 2 Speckled Wood, 1 Small Tortoiseshell and more surprisingly this Small Copper.

[Neil Freeman]

It certainly seems to be the case that the further south you go or nearer to the coast, the more chance you have of finding some butterflies hanging on.
I have seen nothing this month in my part of the Midlands......until this afternoon

Gloomy and wet yesterday and cloudy this morning, the sun finally popped out for half an hour or so around 3 o'clock this afternoon. I was looking out of the window into the back garden when a movement caught my eye. Circling around in a sunny, sheltered corner of the garden was a Red Admiral.

Grabbing my camera, I went out and for 20 mins or so clicked away happily as it kept taking off, having a fly around the garden and settling again in the same area and basking in the sun.

I will put some photos in my diary later when I have had a chance to look through them.

Cheers,

Neil F.

[Padfield]

Apologies for posting another non-BF photo but have been hoping to get a Weasel for some years (had a gory stoat pic years ago). This little guy positively begged to have his photo taken. This was at Holme NWT after viewing the Pallas warbler (too fast to get a pic) & an early start in the dark with a torch to see the path down to Snettisham for the high tide wader roost. No Butterflies seen today. Eric

I love that photo, Eric.

A book I had in my childhood explained how to see and photograph British mammals and its advice for weasels, which I used to great effect (and still do, with stoats in Switzerland), was that their curiosity frequently exceeded their fear. Thus, if you saw one disappear into the grass a good plan was not to sneak off but to stay put and wait for the bold little creature to return and check you out! Your weasel amply proves the wisdom of that book!

Guy

[Padfield]

Apologies for posting another non-BF photo but have been hoping to get a Weasel for some years (had a gory stoat pic years ago). This little guy positively begged to have his photo taken. ... Eric

I love that photo, Eric.

A book I had in my childhood explained how to see and photograph British mammals and its advice for weasels, which I used to great effect (and still do, with stoats in Switzerland), was that their curiosity frequently exceeded their fear. Thus, if you saw one disappear into the grass a good plan was not to sneak off but to stay put and wait for the bold little creature to return and check you out! Your weasel amply proves the wisdom of that book!

Guy

[Piers]

It was, in fact, a Red Admiral and is probably the last time I'll see a butterfly in 2011.

Don't worry David M, there'll be plenty of red admirals around throughout the winter in the south. Grow some Mahonia, they love it as a mid winter nectar source.

Piers.