March 2012

[Hugh Middleton]

Oh what a glorious day. An early afternoon stroll (in shorts ) through the Lincolnshire Limewoods produced my first butterflies of the year - three Brimstone and a Peacock.
Home to see England beat France and now the moth traps on............. oh joy.

Hugh

[IAC]

Hi all,
Up here in South East Scotland a lovely sunny day saw 3 Comma, 2 Small Tortoiseshell and a Peacock along the banks of the River Whiteadder south of Chirnside. If it stays sunny there will be good numbers about.

Iain.

[MikeOxon]

From reading the previous posts, I think many of us were shaking off the 'winter blues' today!

After seeing a couple of Brimstones in my garden late morning, I went to my local BBOWT reserve at Dry Sandford Pit, Cothill, Oxon, to see what was on the wing in the sun trap below the old quarry face. To my surprise, there were no Brimstones but this was made up for by several Commas and a Peacock.

The visit also gave me an opportunity to try out the close-focus capability of my Nikon 300f/4 lens, which I had bought mainly for bird-in-flight photography. In fact, it proved very capable as a close-up lens and its long working distance proved to be a considerable advantage on this occasion, as early Spring butterflies always seem to be extremely flighty and do not allow a close approach.

The Peacock was very accommodating and showed both upper and underside views:

Dry Sandford Pit, Cothill, Oxon - 11 March 2012
Nikon D300s with 300f4 lens+1.4X TC - 1/750s@f/8 ISO400

Dry Sandford Pit, Cothill, Oxon - 11 March 2012
Nikon D300s with 300f4 lens+1.4X TC - 1/250s@f/8 ISO400

There were several Commas, which occasionally engaged in high airborne jousts. I cropped one of my photos to show the reduced 'brush foot', which gives the Nymphalidae their name:

Dry Sandford Pit, Cothill, Oxon - 11 March 2012
Nikon D300s with 300f4 lens+1.4X TC - 1/350s@f/9.5 ISO400

Dry Sandford Pit, Cothill, Oxon - 11 March 2012
Nikon D300s with 300f4 lens+1.4X TC - 1/350s@f/11 ISO400 (enlarged)

Mike

[Jack Harrison]

Vincent has been busy with his paintbrush today recording the wildlife in NW Norfolk (courtesy Dynamic Auto Painter as recommended by — I think it was — Mike Oxon.)

What silly fun! Jack

[Paul Harfield]

A gorgeous day today and the first time I have been out for the sole purpose of butterfly watching, albeit for an hour or so early afternoon round local footpaths near my home. I was rewarded with 5 sightings. A Comma glided toward me as I set off not 2 minutes from home. Then at the farthest extent of my walk from Hedge End to Botley two butterflies spiralled upward into the sky in a duel too distant to get a positive id. I did a second pass of this spot a little later and found another Comma basking on a fence post, so I think quite likely that the duelling pair were Commas, maybe even the same individual. I did get a photo of this last individual but too poor to post here

The first sighting of the day was not at home and was actually too brief and short to get a positive id. A butterfly flitted across the front of my car as I pulled away from the inlaws down in Woodlands near Ashhurst in the New Forest. It was the wrong colour to be a Brimstone, too small to be Peacock or Red Admiral and the flight was all wrong to be a Comma or Small Tortoiseshell. If it were a month or so later I would say most likely a Speckled Wood but surely it is too early. Of course I will never know for sure but has anyone else seen Speckled Wood this early

[David M]

Looks like just about everyone's seen Commas today!

[John W]

Looks like just about everyone's seen Commas today!

Yes I saw my first butterfly of the year today (Sunday), a Comma, at the BC reserve at Park Corner Heath. It's good to be back!

[Mikhail]

The first sighting of the day was not at home and was actually too brief and short to get a positive id. A butterfly flitted across the front of my car as I pulled away from the inlaws down in Woodlands near Ashhurst in the New Forest. It was the wrong colour to be a Brimstone, too small to be Peacock or Red Admiral and the flight was all wrong to be a Comma or Small Tortoiseshell. If it were a month or so later I would say most likely a Speckled Wood but surely it is too early. Of course I will never know for sure but has anyone else seen Speckled Wood this early

I suspect it was a day-flying moth, the Orange Underwing Archiearis parthenias, often mistaken for a butterfly at this time of year.

[Willrow]

First sighting of the year, at an elevation of approximately 1700 feet ASL in the Black Mountains, South Wales, a pair of Small Tortoiseshell danced skywards in the beautiful mid-day sunshine. By coincidence at around the same time 35 miles away to the west my wife also saw her first butterflies of the year a pair of...yep, you guessed it...Small Tortoiseshell, I believe 'bragging rights' should officially go to her on this occasion as she was about ten minutes ahead of me...but I ain't gonna tell her

Bill

[Gibster]

Had a male Brimstone swoop past my head and away up the path this afternoon, my first of the year. Despite the fact that I was fully expecting to see one anyway, given the glorious sunny conditions, it still managed to make me gasp as it swept by. Like a silent stealth ninja (but much more yellow!!!)

You just gotta love this crazy mad passion we share!!

Gibster.

[Susie]

Still seen nowt. Gutted. I'm only posting this so you can feel even more smug.

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Susie,

I was feeling just like that last week reading about other peoples sightings.... until Sunday when I had my own firsts of the year. I am sure you will soon see something.

Neil F.

[Susie]

Bless you, Neil, I'm sure your right. My post was very light hearted.

[David M]

Susie, by Thursday it could be 18c in your part of the world so you can pretty much guarantee a sighting then.

[NickB]

My second species of 2012 - a Comma basking in the weak sun...

[Butterfly Gardener]

I had my first sighting of the year on feb 24th but have seen nothing since. I'm getting a bit agitated I do live a bit further North than some of you though.

[Gibster]

Managed 3 male Brimstones and 2 Commas on Epsom Common today. Kinda expected to see more, it was really quite warm in sheltered spots. Still no sign of any Peacocks though, which seems a bit odd...

Also 7 Adders, 2 Grass Snakes, 3 Common Lizards, 1 Red-eared Terrapin, 2 Smooth Newts, noisily mating Common Toads and the first few hundred hatched Common Frog tadpoles. All in all a Herptastic Day!!!

Still having LOTS of problems with identifying any bee that isn't a Buff-tailed or Honey though

Gibster.

[David M]

Surprised there wasn't a glut of butterfly activity today. The temperature reached 19C not too far away from where you were, Seth.

[NickB]

Only one fly-by on the edge of Epping Forest today with my son and sister - a Peacock, I think.
Looking forward to seeing my first Holly Blue of the year - by past performance - only 2 weeks and 4 days to go......
N
You just gotta love this crazy mad passion we share!!
Quite right Seth; we're all as sane as the next man......

[Vince Massimo]

Surprised there wasn't a glut of butterfly activity today. The temperature reached 19C...............

Yes strange indeed, particularly Mark Colvin's lack of sightings in Oaken Wood. I have been seeing good numbers at all of my local sites every time the temperature exceeded 15 degrees. On 15th March I visited Hutchinson's Bank, Addington, Surrey, an area of chalk grassland managed by the London Wildlife Trust. With the temperature estimated at 18 degrees I saw 14 Brimstones (all male), 14 Commas, 12 Small Tortoiseshells and 2 Peacocks between 1pm and 3.30pm. Also my first Bee-fly of the year. Still no Red Admirals though.............

Small Tortoiseshell - Addington, Surrey 15-March-2012

Comma - Addington, Surrey 15-March-2012

The immanent change in the weather will now put things on hold for a while.

Vince