Sightings january 2012

[Jack Harrison]

I'll kick off with this today.

Normalfore, Norfolk

Jack H

[David M]

Nice one, Jack.

Who's going to be first with a live sighting? Surely someone will disturb a Brimstone during January?

[Gibster]

Not a Brimstone, but I did disturb a fine Ypsolopha ustella from it's hiding place on an oak trunk.

Also active larvae of Narycia duplicella and Infurctinea argentimaculella (the latter somewhat rudely extracted from it's tube!) on the same patch of trunk. Still no hairstreak eggs yet...

Gibster.

[Hoggers]

I have just had my Flabber well and truly Gasted!

I'm in Ashford, Kent and we've had a long run of very mild but dull and wet weather. This morning has been different with a blue sky, warm sunshine but a rather chilly breeze.

I took the dog out over some near-by farmland and as I approached the river up flew a RED ADMIRAL ( !! ) in to the cold wind, flew a few feet and landed in exposed,long grass.

I managed to get closer and could see it was an individual in fine condition. It then took off and was carried away in the wind.

My Butterfly Year has begun!

[Millar153]

Congratulations Hoggers!

It has been quite a mild winter so far - sadly not great for bringing Waxwings over!

I could say I saw 2 Cinnabar pupae, 2 Buff Ermine pupae, one Flame Carpet pupa ... but that would be cheating as they're all overwintering in jars of compost in my back yard! I'm going to be a busy 'father' when they all emerge in spring!!!

Samuel

[ChrisC]

nice blog you have there Samuel. i particularly liked "amazingness" great memorable moments that will stay with you for a lifetime.

Chris

[Susie]

As it was so mild and sunny here I thought I would try some butterfly hunting. Unfortunately when I got to my destination it was a good few degrees colder than at home and a chill wind was blowing. Despite that I managed to see a couple of queen bumbles and there were plenty of flowers out including both daffodils and roses blooming. The daphne bholua in the sunshine smelt wonderful.

[Nick Broomer]

I nipped out yesterday and found a few Brown Hairstreaks eggs very close to my home. I only found one there in 2010, on the same group of Blackthorn stems so it looks like things are looking better for the B.H. here.

eggs 001_1.jpg

Here are some pictures.

eggs 003_1_1.jpg

Well, its the closest i`m going to get to a Butterfly in January

eggs 007_1_1.jpg

I also saw a Winter Moth yesterday, which came in to my bathroom.

[Padfield]

Nice find on the home patch, Hideandseek! And interesting that one of them has had algae grow on it since it was laid - I've not seen that before.

A wandering female brown hairstreak laid on my local blackthorn in 2009 and 2010 and in both the following years I was able to monitor them at hatching time and follow the larvae through from first instar onwards. It's worth making a careful note of where the eggs are. I never managed to see them hatch though - I think they did it by night.

And Hoggers - a red admiral on 2nd January ... Well spotted! Let's hope it found a nectar source so it can prolong its life a little.

Guy

[David M]

Well done, Hoggers. That's an early sighting that'll prove almost impossible to better!

I noticed a large fly settled on the south facing wall in my back garden around midday today. It really felt quite mild in the sunshine but when I went to the supermarket at 3pm it was only 5C.

[Nick Broomer]

Hi Guy,

When i found the eggs yesterday it was raining, i found five in total, but i expect there were more as i did`nt check thoroughly. So i went back today to photograph them when the sun was out. The patch of Blackthorn where i found the eggs is very small, 2m. x Im.,and isolated, so i will not forget where they are.
I will try and monitor them. And i would`nt be surprised if the eggs did hatch at night, as the larva feed during the night.

Nick.

[FISHiEE]

Also saw my first of 2012 in the local Garden Centre here in Havant, Hampshire yesterday. A rather worn specimen nectaring on Hyacinths.

Don't think there's much chance of anything today. 40mph winds and tipping it down!

[adrian riley]

I do a transect at Pensthorpe and have been waiting for this pupa to hatch for years. Do you think it is still alive?

[Jack Harrison]

Second hand report from Peter Marren : Brimstone Wilts 8th January.

And well done Adrian for recognising that Pensthorpe pupa. Impressive isn't it?

Off topic — Birds.
At Santon Downham Norfolk (St.Helen's picnic site) 10th January huge flock of Bramblings — and by huge I mean 200 + (one other birder reckoned 500) mixed with Chaffinches. They have been present for some days and are likely to remain for a while yet.

Correction: 199+ as I had forgotten to allow for the one taken by a Sparrowhawk!

Jack

[NickB]

Hi - Well, the sun shone and I went out looking in sheltered spots in the cemetery....and I was not disappointed!
Temp 12.5C and full sun tempted this beauty out to bask...

My first butterfly of 2012!

N

[David M]

You certainly wouldn't guess that photo was taken in winter, Nick.

I'm surprised there haven't been more sightings to be honest. Even night time temperatures are touching double figures so a bit of sunshine during the day ought to tempt out a few individuals.

[Gibster]

Belated Happy New Year All

It's taken 11 days but finally I have a butterfly sighting - two in fact!

Yesterday, 11th Jan, I was wandering Epsom Common when a flash of movement caught my eye...a Red Admiral, flushed from a sunlit head of dead bracken. Amazing, an active Red Admiral in early January! It soon settled and allowed a quick snap with the camera before wheeling upwards into and over birch canopy. Incredibly it was joined by a second Red Admiral and they headed off at quite a height. Superb!

One thing of note (other then the crazily early flight season) is that this particular part of Epsom Common is a long way from any human habitation, outhouses, sheds or even derelict buildings. There are a number of veteran oaks nearby and I can only assume they have been hibernating in a tree hollow? Certainly no rabbits on site, so underground seems unlikely.

My friend also reported a single Red Admiral flying in Kensington Gardens in inner London - also on the 11th. Maybe that individual found a nectar source, the two on Epsom Common must have retired hungry - all I've seen flowering are Common Gorse and the occasional Daisy.

Cheers,

Gibster.

[JohnR]

Went into my greenhouse today to take some voucher photographs of moths from last night's trap only to find a rather nice Peacock sitting on top of my microscope. I couldn't get a decent photo of him as I only had a 2" depth of field on my macro lens (extension tubes - before you ask). He is now tucked up in a nice thick carton to await the spring.

[Jack Harrison]

Nick's Red Admiral looks so very fresh, I have to wonder if it might have just emerged? do we know enough about RA life cycle? It doesn't seem to have a definite period of dormancy (as eg Peacock).

I have yet to see a butterfly this year, but this moth was on the window ledge this morning catching the early sun after overnight dew.

A geometer of some sort but which one?

Jack

[Gibster]

Looks like a male Mottled Umber?