March 2012

[Pete Eeles]

I personally find the mix absolutely fine - especially at this time of year when there's not much going on here

Even in the height of summer, I think that observations made on the continent occasionally give us an insight into possible future events in the British Isles. A case in point is the Painted Lady invasion from a few years ago, first noted by sightings in southern Europe as I recall.

My 2p. And thanks for being such a considerate soul, Guy

Cheers,

- Pete

[Jack Harrison]

I'm more than happy to be forced to dream about Large Tortoiseshells, Camberwell Beauties, Pale Clouded Yellows.

Jack

[Padfield]

Jolly good! N'en parlons plus.

Guy

[marmari]

Ca va,nil points pour vous

[Matsukaze]

First butterfly of the year yesterday - a Red Admiral mixing nectaring from some shrub with small flowers with vigorous purposeful sorties around the nearby area. This is the third or fourth year in a row the first butterfly I have seen has been a Red Admiral.

[David M]

I'm more than happy to be forced to dream about Large Tortoiseshells, Camberwell Beauties, Pale Clouded Yellows.

Me too, especially given that our own sightings are likely to be restricted to the usual 5 early spring suspects.

I wouldn't be unhappy at a 'European Sightings' thread though - I think it's a good idea.

[CFB]

Are Cleopatras early spring butterflies in your area too?

My earliest sighting was March 18, but this is only my third year of noting such things.

Might it be better to limit this thread to UK sightings?

OK Guy, no problem as far as I am concerned.
--
Colin

[CFB]

Oops, I didn't notice the various posts on page 2 of this topic

So perhaps I will post some more sightings
--
Colin

[Paul Harfield]

Believe it or not we had snow briefly today early afternoon here in Hedge End and also in Fareham, even though it was probably nearer 10 than 0 degrees. Later this afternoon the sun came out and with it a Red Admiral sunning itself on the windowsill.

Snow and Red Admirals in the same afternoon, surely this can not be!

[David M]

So perhaps I will post some more sightings

Please feel free

[FISHiEE]

It confuses the hell out of me I must admit! (and also on the county BC sightings pages too!)

If the locations were given it might help avoid the confusion. I was wondering where there had been a Wall Brown sighting already in the UK, but then after a while noticed Colin's location under the Avatar was listed as France so presumed it was from there.

Usually overseas sightings are listed in the Overseas section of the Forum I think?

[Jack Harrison]

FISHiEE

It confuses the hell out of me I must admit! (and also on the county BC sightings pages too!)

I almost always give the location somewhere near the beginning of the text. After all, a sighting might not have been made in my home area.

Anyway, I will in future start a posting in an unambigous manner. eg: "Hunstanton Norfolk 5th March 2012 - 249 Camberwell Beauties plus 12 Large Tortoiseshells".

Jack

[FISHiEE]

Just so long as it's in the post somewhere, so I don't make the drive to Norfolk to track down swallowtails in February say, only to find out they were on the wing in spain!

[millerd]

"Hunstanton Norfolk 5th March 2012 - 249 Camberwell Beauties plus 12 Large Tortoiseshells". Jack

You forgot to mention the squadron of flying pigs migrating south, Jack

Dave

[MikeOxon]

Usually overseas sightings are listed in the Overseas section of the Forum I think?

I agree that, for clarity, it is better to keep the overseas postings separate. If we really do want to mix everything in together, than a very clear headline indicating the Country is essential but, since there is an 'overseas' thread, what's wrong with using it?. I note that no-one posted Wisley butterfly house sightings in the Jan/Feb pages!

I find it useful to use the Monthly sightings as a 'where to go' guide in my local area.

Mike

[Jack Harrison]

Dave

You forgot to mention the squadron of flying pigs migrating south, Jack

Quite deliberately; it would have been inaccurate to describe as a "squadron". Three flying pigs hardly constitutes a squadron does it?

Jack (sorry, for the benefit of ..... I should have added )

[Wildmoreway]

Small Tortoiseshell in the churchyard at Moretonhampstead in Devon on Friday 2nd March, not bad to have a first normal sighting of the year at 650 ft above sea level on Dartmoor. Sadly not the best lens for butterflies but at least it was the first butterfly for my Sony a65 camera

[Jack Harrison]

Nothing much wrong with that photo Torbay Flyer.

To draw a parallel with Red Admiral discussions in another thread, your Small Tort looks immaculate. I have seen pristine Small Totrs in spring and I had previously wondered whether they might be newly emerged rather than be ex-hibernation. I raise the absurd (maybe not so absurd) question: might Small Tortoiseshells, like Red Admirals and Queen of Spains, over-winter in more than one state? Could there be a change evolving in response to climate change?

I will no doubt be ridiculed for this thought but doubtless if someone 100 years ago had suggested that some Red Admirals might pass the winter as slowly developing larvae then that idea would have been summarily dismissed.

Jack

[Wildmoreway]

I was interested in the apparently quick recovery of the ST population from the parasite attacks, my suspicion is that perhaps it is not as "native" to the UK as might be generally percieved and that our population might be depentdant on imigrant butterflies to maintain it., I think that there have already been reports of Speckled Woods apparently being seen at off shore locations already this year and often these long distant migrants are immaculate in appearance. Most of these vanesids are strong flyers so they are all capable of long distance flight.

[Padfield]

Although Jack's speculation is not at all ridiculous, the existence of pristine small tortoiseshells in spring is not so strong evidence as in the case of red admirals. Many small tortoiseshells, like large tortoiseshells, hibernate rather soon after emergence and these ones are naturally in good nick when they wake up agin. Red admirals keep flying until the last possible moment and so a high percentage of them are damaged by the time they bed down for the winter.

Guy