March 2012

[Padfield]

Melecta albifrons?

Guy

[Susie]

Guy is of course right.

It's a cleptoparasite of my favourite, the hairy footed flower bee. I get it in the garden too.

[NickB]

Melecta albifrons?

Guy

Yes, thanks, Guy & Susie - All the images I've seen suggest that....
A female, possibly?
There are certainly plenty of Hairy-footed flower bees zipping around on the violets to suggest it is in the right place!

[Susie]

Yes, a female.

[Vince Massimo]

I was on my way to the local allotments to see if any Whites were flying when I was distracted by a Red Admiral fluttering in a nettle bed. It turned out to be an ovipositing female and I watched as she placed little jade-coloured barrel-shaped eggs on selected leaves. When she had moved on I did a quick scan with my new Pentax Papilio's and counted at least 14 eggs. One leaf had 3 eggs on it.

3 Red Admiral ova - Caterham, Surrey 20-March-2012

She was a very worn and tatty individual, indicating (to me) that she had over-wintered rather than freshly hatched.

My first nettle-stings of the year

Vince

[MikeOxon]

Spotted my first Holly Blue this year in my Oxfordshire garden this afternoon.

Officially, the first day of Spring!

Mike

[David M]

Spotted my first Holly Blue this year in my Oxfordshire garden this afternoon.

Excellent sighting, Mike. If the forecast is correct and we're in for a mild weekend I think we could all see significant adult stage activity.

[NickB]

Not butterflies but a flower .. blooming cuckoo flower! You know what that means, keep your eyes peeled for orange tips, chaps. With the weather forecast for the week set fair I wouldn't be surprised if one was seen.

Yes, I'll give it no more than 10 days before someone comes up with a male Orange Tip sighting....closely followed by Large, Small & Green-Veined White.

According to BC Towers, first Orange-tip seen 11th March, Derbyshire....

[A_T]

Couple of small tortoiseshells seen locally yesterday - my first butterflies of the year apart from those hibernating in my house.

[Hoggers]

A nice Spring Mix today :

Red Admiral

One of 6 Commas

And a Gorgeous Brimstone

[marmari]

This time last year, that is the 23rd March, I made a visit to Compton Chine clifftop to look for Glanville Fritillary webs.Quite a few were to be seen then in a very small area just north of the Compton Bay carpark.
Today I visited the same spot and found just one web.The caterpillars were on the small size.I hope all this is not a bad omen for 2012,although I am certainly not in the know about such things and the Glanville Fritillary habitat is spread all along the Islands southern coastline.
A trip today to Woodhouse Copse produced a hatful of Commas,a Speckled Wood and a male Brimstone.

[Wurzel]

Peacock and 2 Small Tortoiseshell at lunchtime today at Pewsey Vale School


Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Susie]

Brimstone in Cranleigh, Surrey

[NickB]

3 Comma and 1 male Brimstone earlier; then 2 Peacock and 2 more Comma on pussy willow during a bike ride later.

A variety of food sources available these days....

[Butterfly Gardener]

I'm getting very jealous!

[Jack Harrison]

Ireland, co Cavan (update 22nd March)

Very little to report from here with rather cold and cloudy weather. So far just two Small Tortoiseshells beside Lough Ramor, Virginia co Cavan.

Some nice birds though. The very smart Hooded Crows replace our English black ones which apparently are "twitchers's birds" here - other way round of course in England. On the coast of County Louth Pale bellied Brent Geese are the usual form (Black bellied in much of England). Goldcrests are remarkably abundant and widespread.

Jack

[Gibster]

Ten mile stroll between Kingston and Epsom via the Hogsmill River corridor finally added Peacock to the year, several in fact including sparring males. Just one male Brimstone, plus several Commas including an egglaying female and a single Small Tortoiseshell. No Whites yet, but a total of 18 contacts with Kingfishers, I think probably 5 individuals in total including a pair copulating right in front of me! And where was the camera? Indoors of course!!

A male Hairy-footed Bee at Winter Heliotrope was the first one I've knowingly seen this year. I could get into bees...

Cheers,

Gibster.

[David M]

And where was the camera? Indoors of course!!

You should know better, Seth!

[Glostopcat]

Wednesday 21st March, my first sighting of the season a male brimstone butterfly at lunchtime in Bourton-on-the-Water in Gloucestershire

[John W]

A couple of Peacocks and Small Tortoiseshells, and a Brimstone, during a brief lunch time stroll at Mill Hill in Shoreham today.