Pauline

[Goldie M]

Hi! Pauline, fantastic shots of the Admiral

There's a program on tele tonight or tomorrow night that reminds me of you, it's all about the beginnings of "Chester Zoo"
I wondered if you've watched it It's been great , it's a true story as well Goldie

[Pauline]

Thank you Wurzel - I hope to see you at the Social too but it is very much dependent on the animal situation at the time. Sadly, I shall have to give the show this weekend a miss

I appreciate the reassurance Mike/Neil. I would have blamed myself (obviously) if she had been compromised in any way tho' I have no idea what happened to the antennae.

Thank you too David - there have been some lovely autumnal butterfly shots posted recently so I guess looking back over them will help get thru' the Winter.

I appreciate that Guy. Re WA, I am not too sure. They wrapped themselves up in leaves which have since died and gone brown so I am unsure whether the larva have perished too. I have not wanted to disturb the situation but I feel sure that in this mild sunny weather they would have made an appearance if all was OK as the rest of the plant is still growing

You do make me smile and cheer me up Goldie . I have not seen that programme but I have read about it - all I can say is that I haven't got any bears - yet! Lucky (rabbit) is doing great - gone from 610gms to 930gms (just hope she's not pregnant ). A poor photo of her in her temporary run and my cat Jaffa in one of the rabbit's new toys

Foxy has had a stroke and needs regular attention so I have been confined to the garden. I have not even had time to photograph the selection of butterflies appearing daily including Red Admirals, Comma, a Brimstone, Small Tortoiseshell and several Speckled Wood. The last 2 have regularly been landing on the lawn, perhaps for moisture? I have managed a few shots of the resident moth larva. There has been some debate as to whether they are poplar or sallow kittens - or one of each. Perhaps this might aid identification?

One has now pupated and had I not seen this happen over the space of a few hours, I doubt whether I would even have recognised it as a pupa - hence I have marked the spot.

I had hoped to see the Starfish fungi this year but that is looking very unlikely too. However, I have noticed a variety of interesting fungi in the garden this year, but below is the only shot taken so far:

[Goldie M]

Pauline your cat as stolen the show for me That picture should be entered into a competition

Hope the animals get better soon Goldie

[Pauline]

Thank you so much Goldie - wish we could meet up sometime.

I am struggling to keep my diary going now (sleeping in kennels, no hot water ) but a few images from today:

[Wurzel]

Stunning images Pauline You kept those ones quiet

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Maximus]

Yes Pauline, lovely images you did keep them quiet whats the story behind them

[Pauline]

Thank you both. I didn't deliberately keep them quiet. They were part of the original gift (the Black Hairstreaks) but I had given up hope of receiving them as it is so late in the year. It is such a pity as the Everlasting Pea I had grown in anticipation has died back and I am having to beg some from neighbours - the weather also leaves something to be desired. More of them later.

Prompted by Guy's recent query about my WA cats I thought I should take another look. I am delighted to report that at least one of them is alive altho' it is still ever so tiny:

[Goldie M]

Those photo's are great Pauline, you really are Zoological I'd love to see your place and animals, who needs Butterfly houses, you've got it all Goldie

[Pauline]

Thank you Goldie. Most of the time it is chaotic and unpredictable here (as I'm sure those who have visited could confirm) but if you are ever anywhere near (I am on the borders of Hants, Surrey and Sussex) you would definitely be most welcome.

I have checked the Honeysuckle yet again and can still only find one tiny little WA cat .... the leaves they wrapped themselves in are still there so who knows???

Still on the subject of 'little'uns' I was fortunate to witness one of the LTB emerge. Unfortunately, as previously mentioned, this was on one of the darkest days indoors, with thunder crashing outside and rain lashing down. With such poor light I needed to adjust settings on the camera, try to grab my tripod, work out how to use the flash, whilst trying to get a few shots before the event was well and truly over. I didn't do it justice but it was great to see - just like a little alien emerging For the record:

[Pauline]

It has been difficult in this weather to get any half decent shots of the LTB - still trying, but the best of the bunch so far ....

[Padfield]

I'm very interested to see your white admiral caterpillars, Pauline. You call them 'tiny' - but from their appearance they are at least fully grown second instar, so 8mm or so? In the wild, many of the caterpillars I have been following have disappeared and I am not sure if it is because they have snuck off to hibernate or because they are dead. That should become apparent in the winter, when the leaves have fallen.

Guy

[Pauline]

Thank you for your interest Guy. The WA cat is approx. 3 mm (if that). You might remember that I posted a photo on 4 August this year of them beginning to construct their hibernaculum:

A few days later they disappeared and their little shelters turned brown. Despite checking from time to time during the recent warm weather I did not see them again and had assumed they had perished. Prompted by your recent query I resolved to check again but it was not until I was covering up the LTB in the recent thunderstorm that I spotted the cat. The brown shrivelled leaf was sodden and looked in danger of being washed away so I brought the pot in for a few hours and it was then that I noticed all the slugs - the pot had not been given any protection. Given the tiny size of the cat (which is clearly way behind 'wild' individuals in terms of development) I am wondering if I should take any action such as keeping the plant indoors for a while - tho' I am not sure if potted wild honeysuckle will thrive indoors. I am mindful of the Hairstreaks and how they developed too fast. If I am responsible in some way for the WA retarded development should I try to rectify this? Any advice would be appreciated.

[Padfield]

I don't know the answer to your questions, Pauline (though my instinct is to say don't bring them in!), but if it puts your mind at rest, there are still some wild cats in my woods that are only about 4mm long. The cats will have chosen their hibernating leaves with an eye on various factors - including aspect, shade &c., and if you go moving the pots into different situations you risk changing all these things.

Guy

[Wurzel]

Fantastic Long-tail Blue shots Pauline - even if you're not too sure about them, I am WRT the Cats - I reckon (obviously with no knowledge whatsoever) that it would be best to leave them out as that's what they're used to?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Pauline]

Those are certainly good points to remember for the future Guy but I seem to remember that this potted Honeysuckle has already been moved several times as I was given advice about how/where best to keep them, eg. keep in shade, not too much sun etc. The pot was also moved from the protective cage when I had doubts about the survival of the cats so for about 6 weeks it has been tucked under a hedge. Nevertheless, the recent ongoing rain totally saturated the hibernaculum causing it to 'collapse'. As there is now no cavity for the cat to retreat into, having had a bite to eat he returns and sits on top of it, totally exposed I'm out of my depths yet again

You are very kind Wurzel and I appreciate your advice. I am still trying to get some decent shots when I have time which seems to be most days now, as I am STILL trying to get some hot water. It has now been 3 weeks and the 3rd plumber is due today, the previous 2 having given up!!! (You were right A.). So here goes, in no particular order:

[Pete Eeles]

I'm out of my depths yet again

We all make mistakes, Pauline, but if you're out of your depth, then why don't you release your cats back into the wild where they have a chance of surviving?

Cheers,

- Pete

[Pauline]

Are you suggesting that I uproot the potted Honeysuckle Pete and replant it somewhere else or simply transfer the cats to Honeysuckle growing elsewhere? It has been left in natural conditions for weeks and the storms seem to have wrecked the hibernaculum. I am still looking forward to seeing your guidelines on rearing .

[Pete Eeles]

From what you've written, it seems like the plant isn't up to the job, although I'm not sure if it's the plant itself or its position. If the former, then a new plant is needed. Either way, since we don't know, the best chance of survival for them might be putting the cats back from whence they came.

I'm writing the captive rearing article right now, but it won't go into species-specifics and may not, therefore, answer your questions.

Cheers,

- Pete

[Padfield]

IF you follow Pete's suggestion of returning them to the wild - and I have no opinion either way on that - it will be important to recce any potential new home very carefully. In my woods, honeysuckle more exposed to the sun is already largely wilted/leafless and any cats that used to be on it are no longer in evidence - presumably in hibernation. However, in shadier areas there are still lush leaves and some quite small cats. I would suggest (a) only moving them to a plant where there is already evidence of camilla cats, so you know it is appropriate in general, and (b) going for the lusher plants in more shade, so your little cats can feed and get their strength back before expending their energy on hibernaculum building again. I think that if you do this it would have to be very soon. My main reservation is that the cats shore up any leaves they rest on or intend to hibernate in with silk to prevent them dropping (and I think they also have a kind of silk road map of their local patch) - so there's quite a lot for them to do before they can bed down safely. The low temperatures at this time of year mean they do everything very slowly and it's a bit of a race against time.

Guy

[Pauline]

Thank you Guy for your constructive and thoughtful comments - much appreciated.

We all make mistakes, Pauline,

I am not sure that I have made a mistake Pete - I have followed your earlier advice to keep plant and cats in the shade and purchased the booklet you recommended but it does not go into the level of detail I clearly need.

it seems like the plant isn't up to the job,

The plant (to my inexperienced eye) looks quite healthy albeit only about 15" high (see below)

I have marked the area of the 'failed' hibernaculum and where the cat currently is.

Given Guy's comments regarding the size of some of the wild cats it would seem that I should not be concerned about the size of my cat but I AM concerned that the inclement weather seems to have destroyed his shelter and as Guy has indicated the cats are moving ever so slowly now - it is still raining heavily here hence I have brought the pot indoors. I am assuming that this could happen 'in the wild' in very inclement weather and may not be the result of anything I have done.

So, my dilemma was/is - do I keep the pot indoors for a little while to give the cat a chance to feed up and create a new home or let him take a chance outside with no shelter, low temperatures and totally exposed? Added to that, I don't know how the plant will cope indoors, albeit in a cool-ish conservatory.

why don't you release your cats back into the wild where they have a chance of surviving?

we all know the perils faced by cats in the wild Pete so it is disappointing that you seem to think I can't do better than those odds especially with the help and support of the UKbutts members. I am really only trying to do my best, learning as I go with support from yourselves and totally fascinated by the process.