2014 - Butterfly winners and losers....

[David M]

Been quite a bizarre season has 2014.

The spring of 2013 was unprecedentedly cold and many species seemed to suffer, only for warm conditions in summer to turn it into an almost 'golden' year.

Of course, last winter was as mild as most of us have ever experienced. The temptation was obviously to believe that this year would be similarly advantageous for our winged friends.

Sadly, although not disastrous, 2014 has proved to be fairly nondescript as regards butterfly numbers. In spite of a much better than average summer, I'm struggling to think of more than a handful of species that have really responded.

Here is my take on the top 3 butterfly winners and losers from 2014:

Winners

1. Clouded Yellow

The mild winter saw quite a few survive and they seem to have been a regular feature in the southernmost areas of England from mid-summer onwards. There have been no reports of mass immigrations however, so one suspects that most of the individuals recorded have been 'home-grown'

2. Green Hairstreak

Maybe it's just me, but Green Hairstreaks, from late April through to June have been ubiquitous. Has the mild winter been advantageous to them?

3. Peaccock

This species was around in silly numbers in late summer of 2013. My experience this year has been of far, far better numbers in spring, and a decent showing in mid to late summer.

Losers

1. Large White

What has happened to this butterfly? I saw no more than 60-80 ALL YEAR, and many of those were females patrolling the cabbage patch belonging to my neighbours in August.

2. Small Copper

This species had a nightmare 2012, but rebounded in 2013, only to become scarce again this year. I know that a few coastal sites have continued to see decent numbers but for me, this has been a highly disappointing year for this lovely butterfly.

3. High Brown Fritillary

Few people have this species on their doorstep, but the last Welsh site for this butterfly is less than half an hour's drive from my door. I can't comment generally but numbers have been way, way down on 2013, in spite of the intensive conservation work that took place in the early part of 2014.

[Paul Harfield]

Based on my own 'non expert' observations

I agree with you David that Green Hairstreak had a good year, very numerous at my local site. Winners on my patch were also Small Tortoiseshell again building on their performance in 2013. Common Blues seemed to do well at all the sites I have visited. Speckled Wood seemed to have a fantastic year, all stages found in my garden again this year

I too only saw a handful of Large Whites this year, in fact I think I have seen more larvae than adults. I saw very few Small Heath this year but maybe I just did not look at the right time Comma seemed to do well at the beginning of the year but the late summer Commas have been very few and far between.

[millerd]

Again, based on wholly unscientific observation and gut feeling...

Did well:

1. Speckled Wood
Plenty seen locally from April onwards, especially in September.

2. Green Hairstreak
Definitely better in all of the haunts I visit regularly, and amazing numbers on a Wiltshire hillside with the Marsh Fritillaries

3. Small/Essex Skipper
Again, mostly a local impression, and one bolstered by seeing vast numbers at the Hampton Court Flower Show!

Not such a good showing:

1. Comma
Local numbers down at all times of the year - can't think of a reason why

2. White Admiral
Definitely a poor year in all the spots I normally find them

3. Small Copper
The first season I have failed to see any on my local patch in nearly ten years

Generally, though, most things were down on last year.

Dave

[Matsukaze]

Good years - Small Tortoiseshell, Small Copper (yes, locally abundant in places here), Small White, White-letter Hairstreak, Gatekeeper, Essex Skipper

Bad years - Holly Blue, Large White

[NickMorgan]

Interesting one, and quite difficult to answer.

Winners:
1. The biggest winner by far for us was the Speckled Wood. Having only been here for five years, it was probably the most numerous butterfly here in September.
2. Probably the Large White, which was here in far greater numbers than usual. However, I fear for it next year as all of the caterpillars in the garden perished with the cold August/September weather.
3. Peacocks - we had an enormous number of them here in August, although the population quickly dropped.
4. (if I may!) Commas had their best year ever here.

Losers:
1. Holly Blue. The one colony we had here appears to have been lost with none recorded this year.
2. I don't think there were any other losers here. Everything else did really well!

New ones:
1. Green Hairstreaks found in the Lammermuir Hills on the western edge of East Lothian.
2. Large Skippers moved up the east coast into East Lothian.

[essexbuzzard]

WINNERS: Spring Species. Wall. Yellow-legged Torts!

Losers: Holly Blue,Adonis Blue.

Holly Blue virtually absent. Visited several Adonis sites. Lower numbers at all than for many years.

[nomad]

In my travels in Wiltshire the winners were

Green Hairstreak. Amazing numbers on some sites, at an isolated North Wiltshire site, they have spread all along a old drove road. Every Stinging Nettle patch had them.

Speckled Wood. Greater numbers this year in all the woods.

Red Admiral. Large numbers this year, they seem to be everywhere, saw quite a few yesterday November 1st.

Losers.

Small Copper. Was not seen in some of its local sites-very few and far between.

Comma. Numbers were way down this year.

[peterc]

Winners for me in the Stevenage area, Hertfordshire :

Red Admiral
Small Tortoiseshell
Marbled White
Ringlet

Losers:

Purple Hairstreak
Silver-washed Fritillary
Meadow Brown
Large White on my transect but plentiful at Norton Green

Peter

[kevling]

In the Ipswich and surrounding area I did not see a significant drop in Large White and in fact have had a succesful programme of breeding in my garden over the past three months. I have also had a reasonable year with Small Coppers on the heathlands around Ipswich & Woodbridge. Also they were a numorous species in the Yorkshire Moors too whilst I holidayed there.
Other winners for me were Red Admirals. Seemed like I was transported back to my childhood, where I saw them almost everytime I ventured out.
I saw an increase in Skippers too, with large grass areas of Ipswich's parks being allowed to grow wild.
Clouded Yellows on the suffolk coast were also high this year, with up to 30 being counted in a small area at one time.

Losers for me were White Admirals. Only a couple seen in my local hotspot (in contrast to 2013).


Regards Kev