www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Slightly ahead of yourself Guy, but I'm with you all the way. Bring it on !.

A brief visit to Abbots Wood this afternoon did not produce the hoped for early Butterfly.
However I did find several colonies of Wood Ants warming up in the sunshine, each a
writhing black mass. No sign of them building their ' compost heap ' type nests yet though.

That's an amazing shot, Trevor. I had no idea ants were active in such swarms at this time of year!

Those Snowdrops make a cracking sight Trevor - I'm going to take the girls out to look for a similar sight this weekend

Have a goodun

Wurzel

DORIS LIFTING HER SKIRT !

This morning I went over to Tide Mills to enjoy the wild weather.
I chose that particular location hoping the waves would be crashing over the Newhaven harbour arm.
Indeed the spectacular seas were breaking right over the lighthouse, completely obscuring it at times.

Trevor.

I stopped off for lunch in Pirbright, Surrey , today and was pleased to see
two male Brimstones patrolling along a garden hedge. The weather was
a perfect 17c. in full sunshine.

Trevor.

I think temperatures have been grossly understated in the forecast for today. We reached 14c in Swansea so I'm fairly confident that somewhere in the UK was 18 or even 19 degrees this afternoon.

Nice to hear the bringer of Spring has visited your garden Trevor . Fingers crossed for the weekend, little L has been practicing her Beano pranks ready

Have a goodun

Wurzel

This afternoon I spent a couple of hours with our very own Wurzel.
After lunch we took a wander up to Great Cheverell church yard, where three very active
Small Tortoiseshells were spotted. Fortunately a few brief landings allowed some photography.
Earlier in the day three male Brimstones were seen in the locality .

My new season has started !.

Trevor.

PS. Good to catch up with you Wurzel .

Great stuff Trevor - those butterflies do look familiar Good to meet up yesterday the girls had a blast, the burger was one of the best I've had in a long time and we got some Small Torts The local graveyard and Lane look like really good 'away from home so not quite so local Patches' We'll need to be sorting out a trip to the Marshie site before you know it

Have a goodun

Wurzel

The bright sunshine this morning was enough to lure me out of the house to look for some more hibernators.
My destination was the old railway in Hailsham. I walked the entire length of the path, up until the old
railway formation disappears into a housing estate, and not a single Butterfly was seen.
The sun was very bright, but the air chilly.
I was about to move on when I spotted a Red Admiral basking on a bramble leaf, then within minutes
the unmistakable sight of a gliding Comma came into view, and this Butterfly was most obliging for the camera.
Quite by chance I then noticed a Peacock high up on a Blackthorn, where I was able to grab a distant shot.
This Butterfly later descended onto an eye level bramble leaf for a better shot.
Also seen were two flyby Brimstones, another Comma, and a second, less colourful Peacock.

Four out of five hibernators in one morning isn't bad going for this stage in March.

Trevor,

I have catching up with other folks diaries and have begun realising this forum will push me hard! You had an excellent start to the year and some great shots. I will get my duck shifted shortly. Off to White Cross Green Wood in Oxfordshire tomorrow, so have high hopes.

Peter

You did alright there Trevor didn't you I still need to try and get shots of Peacocks and Red Admirals . I don't know what it is about me and early Red Admirals but I always struggle with them

Have a goodun

Wurzel

What a feast of colour in these early spring days, Trevor!

These are precious times so early in spring so to get this many opportunities to get out and observe such delights is extremely satisfying.

Let's hope it doesn't go pear-shaped over the next month or so.

Many thanks Peter, Wurzel and David.
Unfortunately there is still plenty of time for things to go pear shaped.
March 27th 2012, deep snow all day in London, I well remember the bus sliding it's way
up\to Alexandra Palace that day.
Still here and now we have Butterflies to delight, and the new season looks promising.

Best wishes,
Trevor.

Great shots Trevor, still waiting to see just one around here, Goldie

The weather this morning looked so promising that all thoughts of chores and shopping went out of the window !.
In fact I went out twice, the old railway in the morning and Abbots wood in the afternoon.
The old railway soon came alive when several Commas and a Peacock put in an appearance, indeed the Peacock
looked particularly colourful nectaring on Celandine . The first Comma found was high up in a tree, and to the
naked eye looked like a dead leaf , but a zoomed image on the camera revealed a basking Comma.

The afternoon visit to Abbots wood revealed yet more Commas, with about twelve seen, and again two Peacocks
were present. A figure appeared from the far end of the ride I was walking along, and it turned out to be
Badger Bob, who later found a Small Tortoiseshell. When we went to relocate the Small Tort all we saw was
a tussle in the air with a Peacock, never to be seen again.

I am sure you'll soon see some Butterflies where you are Goldie.

Trevor.

Of the five hibernating species, the Comma would seem to have come through the winter
very successfully , at least here in East Sussex. I must have seen about fifty in the four days since Monday.
Peacocks have been seen in good numbers, but no where near as many as the Comma.
So far in this part of the World I have seen one Red Admiral, but no Small Tortoiseshell yet.
( I did see three in Wiltshire on Saturday though ). And the Brimstones I have encountered have all been too busy to stop !.

The new season seems to be full of promise,( fingers crossed ).
Trevor.

You've had a very productive few days Trevor, it's nice to see a bit of variety in with the glut of Comma pictures this year. I'm itching to get out for a proper day chasing them but my days off just aren't falling right.

Splendid Commas, Trevor. They are doing well everywhere, but notching up fifty in four days is terrific going - and we're only halfway through March.

Dave