For various reasons this is my first diary entry of 2015. My last butterfly sighting was a Red Admiral on 13.12.2014. Nothing much to report for January and February except for captive rearing of some late Red Admiral larvae, but more details of that in later posts. My wifes ill health has been occupying me much of the time but thankfully there have been windows of opportunity. However, my laptop completely failed several weeks ago and I have just got full laptop useage again (thanks to my brother for sorting it). I have also had an SD memory card fail on me, losing many of my reared Red Admiral pictures.
It will take me a while to get up to speed with others doings on here, but for now a quick catch up with my own butterfly antics over the last few weeks:
Saturday 7.3.2015 Hedge End
The weathermen had promised 'springlike' weather so I was determined to get out and hopefully get my first sighting of the year. The footpaths around my house have seen some fairly drastic tree felling and shrub removal over the winter and the council seem to have gone all artistic. At the moment it all looks fairly bleak, but I am sure it will grow back eventually. The weather did not disappoint and a mild and sunny day ensued. I did not have to walk very far before I came across my first butterfly of the year, a Small Tortoiseshell. As I walked the path several more appeared at evenly spaced intervals using some of the freshly cut wood and chippings to bask upon. Further down a male Brimstone breezed past me without stopping to introduce himself. A great start to my 4th butterfly year
![P1030986.JPG (755.11 KiB) Viewed 880 times First butterfly of the year](./files/thumb_11661_9320aed5eb2c56a97f015a3930cc4ff3)
- First butterfly of the year
![P1030997.JPG (1.18 MiB) Viewed 880 times The council seem to have gone mad removing trees and shrubs. 2 months ago this area was wooded, it is now completely open.](./files/thumb_11661_4dc7a65b552c8a9b276eb247215873ab)
- The council seem to have gone mad removing trees and shrubs. 2 months ago this area was wooded, it is now completely open.
![P1030900.JPG (1.01 MiB) Viewed 880 times The council have gone all artistic on us. This wall was almost completely obscured before a thick band of shrubbery was removed. I personally think it was better as it was](./files/thumb_11661_32b9817cf95e67791c3607eb3e527b0f)
- The council have gone all artistic on us. This wall was almost completely obscured before a thick band of shrubbery was removed. I personally think it was better as it was
Sunday 22.3.2015 Bitterne
Another sunny day. Unfortunately I was involved in my sons football during the best of the sunshine. A white of some description fluttered along the edge of the football ground, but I was too far away to make a positive id. I imagined in my mind that it was the first Orange Tip of the year but who knows
![Wink :wink:](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
On my return from football I went out for an hour but at 3pm I would have been very lucky to see anything as it had already started to cool down. Needless to say I saw no butterflies at all.
Thursday 26.3.2015
Isnt it always the case that most of the decent weather conditions seem to occur whilst we are at work
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_sad.gif)
Today was no different but a very warm day meant my drive from Farlington to Farnborough up the A3 was brightened up by at least 5 male Brimstone
Monday 30.3.2105 Knowle Village/Aytesbury Copse/Heytesbury Farm
I took a day off from work really to get some 'me' time after a hectic few weeks. Hoping for good weather it did not look too good, but miraculously on the day I awoke to clear blue skies if a little breezy. I had planned an early walk with my brother and later a more leisurely look for butterflies. We set off before 9 and not expecting any butterflies that early I left my camera in the car, stupid of me of course. Surprisingly a Small Tortoiseshell appeared fluttering across the path at 9am. After an hour my brother left me to it and I retraced our steps (with camera) and caught up with what I assume to be the same Small Tortoiseshell from earlier still fluttering around in the same location.
![P1040145.JPG (741.35 KiB) Viewed 880 times Small Tortoiseshell](./files/thumb_11661_e933c22206e534feec83694faa9d7ce6)
- Small Tortoiseshell
In the next hour and a half I notched up a couple more Small Tortoiseshell, a male Brimstone and my first Red Admiral and Peacocks of the year. I was a little dismayed to find that an area in which I had found so much butterfly interest last year had been desecrated by the tracks of some heavy machinery and logging operations. The tracks going right through an area where White Admirals were found. I spent some time, unsuccessfully looking for White Admiral larvae. They definitely inhabit this area and there is what I assume to be some likely looking Honeysuckle plants in the shade. At 11.30 the sky clouded over and I called it a day.
![P1040161.JPG (856.62 KiB) Viewed 880 times Peacock](./files/thumb_11661_d07964cfd4307a805ea58e53884a26ec)
- Peacock
![P1040167.JPG (1000.63 KiB) Viewed 880 times Hopefully there will still be plenty of butterfly activity in this location after some recent logging operations](./files/thumb_11661_ab610b45ae3603843e984a95824a1b15)
- Hopefully there will still be plenty of butterfly activity in this location after some recent logging operations