March 2012

[Jack Harrison]

I have certainly seen what I presumed to be first brood STs (end June) go into a barn, presumably to hibernate.

Quite possibly STs adopt a variety of strategies to best cover a range of weather and maybe even parasitic eventualities (do for example parasites have seasonal fluctuations in abundance?)
Certainly early hibernation for some individual STs is a fact. Another strategy just might be my larva suggestion.

Jack

[millerd]

I think some Peacocks must hibernate soon after emergence as well - in July and August. I always see more in the spring than the summer/autumn these days.

Dave

[David M]

Must admit, I see more Peacocks and Small Tortoiseshells in spring.

[Dave McCormick]

Must admit, I see more Peacocks and Small Tortoiseshells in spring.

I actually see more peacocks in autumn (10 times as many) than I do in spring with the odd one or two about and very few until then.

Anyway, saw no butterflies yet, but hoping in the next few weeks that changes and I can start finding them again.

[Jack Harrison]

Dave from Northern Ireland wrote:

I actually see more peacocks in autumn (10 times as many) than I do in spring with the odd one or two about and very few until then.

But that is how it used to be in England. N.Ireland is nearer the edge of the Peacock's distribution range so the situations/strategies might be different in different places.

Jack

[David M]

N.Ireland is nearer the edge of the Peacock's distribution range so the situations/strategies might be different in different places.

Indeed. Perhaps Peacocks disperse from spring onwards and become more widespread later in the year.

[Lee Hurrell]

Unless you catch Peacocks on a mass emergance day or couple of days, or when a nest of caterpillars make adulthood, (as I may have done a couple of years ago at Bernwood in the summer, when I counted around 20), surely you would normally see more in the Spring when they all come out of hibernation at roughly the same time. Individual insects would go to go to bed at varying times, I would have thought.

Lee

[Dave McCormick]

Dave from Northern Ireland wrote:

I actually see more peacocks in autumn (10 times as many) than I do in spring with the odd one or two about and very few until then.

But that is how it used to be in England. N.Ireland is nearer the edge of the Peacock's distribution range so the situations/strategies might be different in different places.

Jack

The book "Ireland's Butterflies A Review" by David Nash, Trevor Boyd and Deirdre Hardiman shows in Ireland the peak time to see them is between August and September with around 99% of the year numbers being seen at that time, probably all massing together at nectar rich sources like buddliea. There is small peaks at April-June but less that 3/4 as many as seen in August-September. Also says there are sometimes caterpillars found later in the year but no evidence to show they survive long enough to have a second generation.

Its similar for small tortoiseshell, Bigger peak than peacock in late March-May then a large peak into September-October with 99% being reported at that time.

I think the reason I have seen less peacocks than small torts was I was probably thinking of the past 3 years when I have overall seen more small tortoiseshells than peacocks, but I know I saw more peacocks emerging after the winter in 2006. Even saw quite a number in hibernation in corners of old buildings and abandoned glasshouses.

[Wurzel]

Comma, Brimstone and my first Small Tortoiseshell of the year in my back garden today along with another Brimstone at Scats and another at the Wilton Garden Centre.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Lee Hurrell]

My first butterfly of the year today, a Peacock, in Wrotham.

Photo to follow later in my diary.

Lee

[David M]

Comma, Brimstone and my first Small Tortoiseshell of the year in my back garden today along with another Brimstone at Scats and another at the Wilton Garden Centre.

Grr.

Been cloudy all day (again) here in Swansea and I've been itching to get out.

[Jack Harrison]

Nothing seen today in NW Norfolk.

Hopefully I'll be reporting some sightings from Ireland shortly. I'm in Co Cavan for three weeks from next Tuesday. I just happen to be there for St.Patrick's Day next Saturday.

The wiki entry has enable me to do my homework about St.Patrick's Day:

The day is generally characterised by the attendance of church services, wearing of green attire and the lifting of Lenten restrictions on eating and drinking alcohol

Well I won't be going to church, nor will I be wearing green attire. I can hardly lift any Lenten restrictions as I haven't been observing any.

Oh dear, what a boring day in prospect

Jack

[David M]

I can hardly lift any Lenten restrictions as I haven't been observing any.

Oh dear, what a boring day in prospect

Good for you, Jack. I haven't been observing any either.

Have a good trip.

[IAC]

Hi all,
Just to add to the Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock early hibernation question. I have seen the same strategy employed by both species up here in South East Scotland. This seemed to change about 2009-10...for some reason. Peacock are very scarce after August..used to be numerous throughout September...not anymore. I have seen the Small Torts in hibernation in July...seemed wierd at the time. Last year was unusual as some Small Tortoiseshell seemed to produce a second brood that emerged in September.

Iain.

[Hoggers]

Gorgeous day down here in Kent and even more so because I found my first Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock of the year. I saw a Red Admiral in January so I'm now looking for a Brimstone and Comma!

[MikeOxon]

Yippee!!! Brimstones in the garden! My indicator that the 2012 season has begun.

Mike

[Jack Harrison]

11th March Northwest Norfolk:
One each of Brimstone, Peacock and Red Admiral. The Red Admiral was very tatty suggesting that this individual had over-wintered as an adult; it certainly wasn't newly emerged.

Jack

[David M]

After a foggy early morning the sun burned through the clouds by 11am and I spent a couple of hours on my local patch near my workplace at Swansea Vale.

It was only 12-13C but with almost constant sunshine there was a fair bit of butterfly activity - 5 Commas, 3 Small Tortoiseshells and a solitary male Brimstone.

The Brimstone was the first butterfly seen, but (as ever in spring) it was wholly reluctant to settle and spent about 10 minutes energetically circling round a sprawling evergreen shrub on the railway embankment. I took a few 'pot luck' shots and managed to get it in frame in one of them:



A little while later I came across this Comma basking on a discarded piece of wood:



I saw another two Commas in an adjacent field which briefly spiralled into the air before one came back to defend its original territory.

No Peacocks or Red Admirals seen, which was a bit of a surprise.

[Neil Freeman]

Beautiful day here in the midlands with not a cloud in sight all day.

I disturbed a Red Admiral in the back Garden earlier this afternoon which was my first sighting of the year.

Mid afternoon went out to have a look around one of my local spots. I saw 3 Peacocks and 2 Commas, managed to get some photos which I will put in my diary later.

Cheers,

Neil F.

[robpartridge]

Hello,

after such a wonderful day, most of which I spent outside, I'm surprised that my tally was only a single peacock, and that didn't show up until 3 pm!

Rob