April 2014

[Neil Hulme]

Hi David,
Just posting now!
BWs, Neil

[David M]

Sigh!!

Let me guess? You've beaten the rest of the country to it?

[Vince Massimo]

I have spent the last two days observing egg laying behaviour of my local Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell populations. The "golden hours" for egg laying activity are noon to 2pm on sunny nettle beds where larval webs have been found on previous years. Although females of both species were out in good numbers, only Peacocks were observed in the act of depositing eggs. They seemed to make their choice of host plant more readily than Small Tortoiseshells.

On 16th April I found my first Peacock engaged in egg laying at 1pm, but I moved on to check another area. At 1.20 I saw another Peacock characteristically fluttering over a nettle bed and she soon settled into position to lay. It was not until she had stopped flicking her wings that I realised there was already another butterfly there. Both females calmly tolerated each other for the 45 minutes it took to lay their eggs.

Peacocks egg laying - Coulsdon, Surrey 16-April-2014

I checked the eggs as soon as they had both left and found that a tiny parasitic wasp was already taking advantage.

Peacock (double egg mass) - Coulsdon, Surrey 16-April-2014

Parasitic wasp on Peacock egg mass - Coulsdon, Surrey 16-April-2014

I was out again today (17th April) and found my first egg laying Peacock at 12.10. Ten minutes later I encountered another pair sharing the same leaf, but they were both spooked by a small spider before many eggs could be laid.

Vince

[Cotswold Cockney]

Also, most curiously of all, this egg

IMG_9341.JPG

It was sitting in the middle of a field all alone, not in a nest,faint pale blue, undamaged, fairly warm and not a bird in sight. If anyone has an idea what bird it is I'd love to know.

Best Wishes

Hoggers

Over the years, seen this several times. Even the occasional Starling egg on my garden path.

In a remote and steeply wooded slope between Painswick Beacon and Robinswood Hill just south of Gloucester, during my schooldays when I cycled or walked everywhere, I came across a large egg on a woodland path. About the size of a Buzzard's egg but not as rounded.That part of Glos was very remote back then and was prior to the M5 Motorway being built which now dominates the area. Still plenty of bird life but no Lapwing small colonies in the fields alongside the M5 now.

Yesterday in the warm sunshine as I worked on my car, I soon lost count of the Holly Blues passing through my garden. Mostly males looking for females. I did see one female who was inspecting the shrubs in the garden for a minute or two. There's a berry bearing Holly in the next garden with branches reaching over the wall and fence. That is not in flower yet. The females usually lay close to the flowers in mid-May and the larvae feed on the green immature berries as they develop.

Owing to a large extension built to the house, we've lost a lot of garden. I feared our resident breeding Speckled Woods may desert with all the alterations, Found the pupae on fences and even under my greenhouse eaves several times in the past. Pleased to see more than one freshly emerged male in the past week. No females yet which is usually the case. Glad they are still about. Few whites also seen. Just two or three. Small Whites I suspect but not positively IDed.

Also in my double garage a female Peacock and Queen wasp. Maybe a passing Peacock roosted overnight or one who roosted up in the rafters over winter. I once found one hibernating inside the top of a car tyre leaning against my garage wall. Perfect camoflage against the black rubber.. Good to see so much insect activity in the garden. My son visited our own little nature reserve in the west of the county and reported lots of Butterfly activity including a pairs of Orange Tips. Saw a female pass through the garden this week in the sunshine. I have found their pupae in the garden but, no idea what their larvae feed on. Possibly the diminutive "Cresslike weed" I've seen GV-Whites laying on in the past.

Oh yes, a month ago I bought two dozen Buckthorn bare root seedlings and planted most of those in our reserve. Kept two potted up at home as a control and those look like starting to leaf now. Good. Hope all the others thrive. Previously only one larger bush there that I planted and only seen a single Brimstone larva on it. Hope to now attract more of a favourite spring Butterfly.

[adrian riley]

Who's going to be the first to record PBF?

Got to be any day now.

Hi, David
PBF recorded from Devon and Sussex (and, I believe, Cornwall) already.
Adrian Riley
http://www.bugalert.net

[Pete Eeles]

I checked the eggs as soon as they had both left and found that a tiny parasitic wasp was already taking advantage.

Superb observations, Vince, as ever!

Cheers,

- Pete

[badgerbob]

Just returned from checking my Wall Brown pupa. There were 4 freshly emerged Wall Brown as well as an early Small Heath. Excellent morning with lots of interest with moths and birds also good. Photos on the PD when the computer is mended!!

[Mikhail]

Sorry to bore you with more Clouded Yellows, but I couldn't resist this pair on 17 April. Many people have remarked on the scarcity of Red Admirals this spring; my only sighting this year was in early March. However, on 16 April I spotted this folded leaf which contained a plump Red Admiral caterpillar, which is probably indicative of overwintering in the larval stage once again.

[Jack Harrison]

Isle of Mull

Finally some sightings on 18th April in Tobermory Two Tortoiseshells seen by wife. She is now "my eyes" as my own vision is not what it was.

Jack

[David M]

Plenty of butterfly activity between noon and 1.30 in the woodland at Parkmill on the Gower, Swansea.

Peacocks were ubiquitous and seem to be having a tremendous spring, but the real surprise of the day was the sighting of a male Clouded Yellow. He was a bit faded and was flying rather weakly for this species, so perhaps he's managed to successfully overwinter here in south Wales (not impossible as we've only had a handful of mild frosts).

Totals seen were:

Peacock 15-20
Green Veined White 10-15
Small Tortoiseshell 8-12
Brimstone 5 (including 1 female)
Orange Tip 5 (all male)
Large White 1
Red Admiral 1
Comma 1
Clouded Yellow 1

[legless2007]

What a day. I walked up to the Butterfly Conservation Prestbury Hill reserves looking for Green Hairstreaks (found them!).

20+ Green Hairstreaks
5 Orange Tips (male)
2 Peacocks
1 Small Tortoiseshell
1 Green Veined White

On the walk back down through the woods to Prestbury there were 10+ Speckled Woods and a good number of Orange Tips (again, all male)

Jo

[Hoggers]

Handfuls and Handfuls of Coppers at Dungeness today

Best Wishes

Hoggers

[Pete Eeles]

Sorry to bore you with more Clouded Yellows, but I couldn't resist this pair on 17 April. Many people have remarked on the scarcity of Red Admirals this spring; my only sighting this year was in early March. However, on 16 April I spotted this folded leaf which contained a plump Red Admiral caterpillar, which is probably indicative of overwintering in the larval stage once again.

Excellent obs, Michael!

Cheers,

- Pete

[Lee Hurrell]

Nothing Green, Hairy, Streaky, Dingy or Grizzled in and around Howell Hill, Ewell, Surrey this afternoon. Actually quite chilly when the sun went in. I was also scouting for Hairstreak locations for later in the year; all 4 Surrey Hairstreaks have been recorded here.

Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Speckled Wood, Small White and Orange Tip seen.

I also found 4 Small Tortoiseshell larval nests within very close proximity of each other, which I will be monitoring.

Report to follow in due course in my diary.

Lee

[downland boy]

I took a break from working in the woods this afternoon to wander around looking for White Admiral larvae. The photo shows a 3rd instar larva at rest on a honeysuckle stem near Bedgebury in Kent.

[Pawpawsaurus]

The photo shows a 3rd instar larva at rest on a honeysuckle stem near Bedgebury in Kent.

Well done, you.

I've searched for these in a Hertfordshire wood for the past two years and found nothing. I've not looked yet this year because I assumed it was too early for the larvae to be a reasonable size. Your image has fired up my enthusiasm.

Paul

[David M]

I took a break from working in the woods this afternoon to wander around looking for White Admiral larvae. The photo shows a 3rd instar larva at rest on a honeysuckle stem near Bedgebury in Kent.

Great image, Downland Boy.

[William]

I took a break from working in the woods this afternoon to wander around looking for White Admiral larvae. The photo shows a 3rd instar larva at rest on a honeysuckle stem near Bedgebury in Kent.

Magnificent - not a larva one often sees photos of

[Neil Hulme]

Admirable! Great find and image.
BWs, Neil

[David M]

Two hours spent on the lower slopes of Kilvey Hill, Swansea, and the adjacent cemetery produced the following:

Speckled Wood 40-60
Green Veined White 10-20
Holly Blue 6
Peacock 4
Small White 3
Large White 1
Small Copper 1
Small Tortoiseshell 1