September 2012

[Jack Harrison]

NW Norfolk 27th September
Red Admiral, Comma, Small Tort, Brimstone, Small White - one of each in garden.

The Brimstone was very docile but perfectly healthy.

And at Bircham Windmill, a nice Weather Cock (sparrow)


Jack

[NickB]

A lovely sunny day - until it clouded over and started raining later. At least a dozen Red Admiral, 5 or 6 Comma, 3+ Small White, with 2 Large White and a single Speckled Wood.

[Cotswold Cockney]

This little beauty spent about an hour nectaring in my garden today.



So freshly emerged, it's wings still not fully dry and stiff and even a small gust of wind would see those new wings flex and bend.

Several whites passed through, been a good September for all three common whites locally and a Comma and peacock also seen.

Next door had a large Buddleia until recently when it was severely pruned. So, that means more butterflies spend time in my garden. Very few Speckled Woods this late summer, early autumn.
.

[David M]

Not yet in Mull: that will be the first week in November.

Ahh. Just in time for the good weather?

[Hoggers]

Sunshine,Blackberries and Butterflies

Six Commas, four Red Admirals

Several Large and Small Whites with a single Brown Argus

All seen on this morning's walk with the dog.

[sahikmet]

Still lots of nectar in the Astars.

[Jack Harrison]

Hunstanton NW Norfolk 29 September. 13 degs C, sunny but breezy
Not specifically looking for butterflies but happened to see one Small White and one Small Tort.

And as DavidM said regarding my move to Mull early Nov:

Ahh. Just in time for the good weather?

Indeed, but I have a major project when I get there. I can find no in-depth analysis of the climate of Mull. I plan to set up what (might be) the island's first weather station and then make a detailed study (perhaps leading to a learned treatise ) into the climate. I am already building my contacts - pilots, land owners, sailors, wildlife experts, etc. Butteflies won't (can't be due to number of species) be a priority but I can't be a 'tourist' on Mull for the rest of my life (nice as that might be) - there is some serious work ahead (well, I'm pretending it will be serious!)

Jack

[Rosalyn]

Best I could do today. Suuny but very windy in Cambs
Woodwalton Marsh, 1 common Blue (tatty) 1 Small White

[David M]

Spent an hour and a half at Kenfig Dunes yesterday. Windy conditions meant that the majority of the butterflies seen were in the sheltered sun-traps near the entrance to the site.

Still plenty of nectar sources available, the most popular of which was the ivy blooms.

8 Commas seen, 3 Red Admirals and 2 Small Whites. I also think I saw a Peacock whilst driving to the site.

[Paul Harfield]

Along my favourite local footpath yesterday, 9 Red Admirals and 5 Commas feasting on the overripe blackberries and the last of the Buddleia flowers. Also seen 2 Speckled Wood and 1 Small White. Not as many as last week but conditions cooler and cloudier.

Red Admiral Hedge End 29.9.2012

[NickB]

- there is some serious work ahead (well, I'm pretending it will be serious!)
Jack

Surely, as Capt'n Jack in CBBC's Balamory, your time will be limited?

N

[jenks]

Sat 29th Sept, the day started bright and sunny, and my butterfly list for the year shows 49 species ! Where to go to see butterflies and, hopefully, bring up the half century? I chose West Williamston in Pembrokeshire in the hope of seeing a late Brown Haistreak. Arrived about 11 am and the first butterflies seen after getting out of the car were 2 Speckled Wood. So at least something was flying. Walking into the reserve there is a hedge of Blackthorn. I noticed the grass here was trampled suggesting people had stood and watched. And I didn`t have to stand and wait very long before a female Brown Hairstreak landed right in front of me !. After a minute or two she spiralled up and over the hedge. I continued my walk down to the saltmarsh where I met Nicki Anderson who helps warden the reserve and maintain it for butterflies. In the next 30 minutes we saw 2 more female B H`s, 1 of which was egg laying on the Blackthorn . Other butterflies seen were Large White 2, Small Tortoiseshell 2, Red Admiral 1, Meadow Brown 1 and a further 1 or 2 Speckled Wood. So, 50 for the year ! My first time here and definately pencilled in as a place to visit again. Thanks to Nicky for pointing out the BH eggs, and the best spots to search for BH. And thanks to David M for providing the inspiration for me to visit here with his updates 2 or 3 weeks ago of this lovely reserve.

From here, after a fish n chips lunch in Pemboke I went to Bosherston pools , just south of the town. This is a flooded valley, artificially created in the mid 19th century by the estate landowner for pleasure, fishing, sport etc. Its a haven for wildlife, birds, butterflies, dragonflies and mammals, including Otter. Still, no chance of seeing one of them at 3 pm was there ? The main pool is crossed by a long straight stone bridge, only some 3 feet above the water. And I noticed a dozen or so people on the bridge pointing and photographing something. An Otter swimming and diving in the pool no more than 50 yards from us. And then it got better ! It swam straight towards us and dived under the bridge ( and under us), re-surfacing some 5-6 feet the other side. Not fazed by all the people watching at all. I`ve seen Otter before but never at such close proximity. The pools had several Common Darter and at least 4 Migrant Hawker dragonflies whizzing about. The woods alongside the pool revealed Speckled Wood and Small Torts and Red Admirals on the flowering Ivy.

So, a life-affirming day when Nature provided views which made the jaw drop. As Elbow would have sung, " Throw those curtains wide, a day like this a year would do me right "

Jenks

[David M]

I'm surprised that this was your first visit to this site, Jenks. Still, you now know just how impressive it is, AND you managed to nail down adult Brown Hairstreaks too!!

I had a feeling they'd still be flying and almost headed down there myself but for the strong wind I encountered on my early morning trip to the paper shop that morning.

You ought to enjoy it more so that I do, since there are many unusual bird species to be found on the salt flats. I'm also pleased you bumped into Nikki Anderson, who does a lot of excellent work on this site and deserves a great deal of credit.

PS: 50 species in this most atrocious of years is mightily impressive. I envy you.