Wurzel wrote:Great report Bugboy - but don't let you bosses find out that you're wandering around butterflying when you should be tucked up in bed with Man Flu
I don't think anyone's having as good a year as yourself Bugboy
- you're managing to be in the right place at the right time, long may it continue for you
Have a goodun
Wurzel
Haha, I did actually try to have a quiet day in bed, bloody neighbours! I hope you're right Wurzel
11th April, North Stoke again
I’d been toying with going for another shot at a Large Tortoiseshell since last week but with a third sighting my destination on Tuesday was sealed. I was also curious to see what the place was like in decent weather, having seen just 3 butterflies there in the entire day last time so it was another crack of dawn start. The journey was, this time, relatively pleasant, no hidden surprises from my friends on Southern Rail and of course no getting lost this time
.
I arrived at around 9.45 just in time to find the first butterflies awakening, Green-veined Whites seemed to be the early risers, with a few Orange-tips mixed in.
I had the place to myself so I slowly make my way along the path scanning every available tree trunk and the path in front for any patch of tawny orange, but apart from a single Comma which caused a momentary heart palpitation, there was nothing. I did have a holly Blue sit for me although he decided not to open for me
It didn’t take too long for more hopeful people to turn up, virtually every single one looking longingly up into the tree covered bank. I did recognise one chap paying a lot of attention to the large patches of nettle beds, our own Vince was successfully looking for Red Admiral larvae that had made it through the winter.
The day was hotting up significantly as we wandered up and down the path, certainly getting close to 20 degrees, and the butterflies were responding very positively. Brimstones began to appear and we found three fresh Small Coppers, my first of the year, buzzing around a secluded corner, one of whom was a most vibrant colour.
Peacock numbers grew by the minute with several females observed searching for that one particular nettle leaf on which to deposit their eggs. There were also a couple of Small Tortoiseshells doing the same and a couple of Red Admirals.
- Ovipositing Red Admiral
- Red Admiral egg
One particular Peacock stood out from the crowd, the amount of iridescence on the forewing tips made it look really quite stunning, the pictures I managed really don’t do it justice at all!
Looking around you’d think there was plenty of nettle to go around but Vince called me over when he noticed a Small Tortoiseshell had decided the ONLY leaf that she could find that was good enough for her eggs was already occupied. This seemed to be a minor detail to her and we watched as she settled down next to the Peacock to add her own eggs to the batch. A fascinating bit of behaviour.
This particular sprig of nettle was on the edge of a small open patch in the middle of the bed. This open patch we summised would be heating up in the sun and as the heat rose it would be warming up the underside of the leaf and therefore the eggs, a little natural incubator for them. It’s interesting to note that the other Peacock females we observed seemed particularly interested in nettles in similar positions, particularly leaves that overhung these small open patches.
Another thing I was hoping to find today was Orange-tip in cop, something I’ve yet to see.
Thankfully Vince was on hand to end this embarrassingly gaping hole in my butterfly experiences. Unfortunately, the pair he had found had decided the best place to do the deed was up a tree on the side of the bank in the wind. Due to the wind, they also seemed to be doing some sort of butterfly karma sutra
.
I’m not sure how they remained attached for so long but in the end, they called it a day with him flying off, leaving the female to have a little post coital snack only for a male GVW to clumsily blunder into her
.
Despite the lack of any Tortoiseshells of the Large persuasion it was a thoroughly good day, I just wish there were sites as bountiful as this on my doorstep!