www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Hi Susie,
I see the Common or Garden Hairstreak has returned.
BWs, Neil

Susie wrote:When I get to the stage where I can't see enough butterflies in the UK I hope to be in a position to be able to go butterflying abroad

With around 20,000 species in the world, may you live long and prosper

Neil Hulme wrote:Hi Susie,
I see the Common or Garden Hairstreak has returned.
BWs, Neil

Yeah, pesky things eat my blackthorn. I must get the insecticide out

MikeOxon wrote:

Susie wrote:When I get to the stage where I can't see enough butterflies in the UK I hope to be in a position to be able to go butterflying abroad

With around 20,000 species in the world, may you live long and prosper

I plan on sticking around for quite some time, but I think that's a tad on the optimistic side, Mike

Thanks Badgerbob

CJB wrote:Hi Susie,

And I thought my garden was productive!?!?

I have had 20 species in the garden but if my memory serves me right you also had a European Swallowtail!?

Amazing.

Flutter on!

CJB

Yes, you are right. Unfortunately the Swallowtail flew over, never to be seen again (so far!). I have plenty of fennel in the garden just in case ... now wouldn't that be amazing to add to the list of breeding butterflies in the garden.

Oh for a garden tick like that Mind you I'd just like a garden to start with Great shots BTW

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Two brown hairstreaks flying around the canopy of my local master tree this morning.

I've been trying to think of all the butterflies I have seen in my garden and put together a list. I think this is the lot but may add to it if I remember more. I've put an asterisk by the ones I know breed here or have bred here in the past.

Garden list:

Orange tip*
Green veined white*
small white*
large white*
brimstone*

Small skipper
large skipper
Comma
meadow brown
gate keeper
speckled wood

small copper

common blue*
holly blue*

painted lady
Small tortoiseshell
red admiral
peacock

silver washed fritillary(*possibly!)

purple hairstreak*
brown hairstreak*

Continental swallowtail (it may have only flown over - but I'm counting it!)

no comma?

cracking list, both breeding and non-breeding.....

A list that would be quite creditable for a large country estate - perhaps that's what you have?

Mike

ChrisC wrote:no Comma?

cracking list, both breeding and non-breeding.....

Well spotted. I have edited the list to include comma.

MikeOxon wrote:A list that would be quite creditable for a large country estate - perhaps that's what you have?

Mike

Unfortunately not! Just a smallish garden with too many plants

There is a busy road nearby which makes it noisy so I don't spend as much time there as I might otherwise and probably miss a lot as a result.

I don't get many butterflies, but I am pleased by the variety of that list.

I know of people a mile away from me to the north and the south who have both had purple emperor in the garden. Now that would be a garden tick to be proud of but I think I live just that bit too far from woodland to ever be that lucky.

I had a brief trip to Steyning late this afternoon. Unfortunately it was overcast there and there was very little flying. I saw a few meadow brown, a small heath, a common blue, and a few red admirals. Can't win 'em all.

Bertha is here. I wonder how many butterflies will be around after she's gone

Hi Susie,

Not sure what it is like down your way but we have had a morning of heavy rain here in the midlands but it seems to be easing off now. I can even see a bit of blue sky, only a bit but just about enough to make a sailor a pair of trousers

By the way, congratulations on completing your challenge.

Cheers,

Neil.

Thank you.

It's been a tad wet and windy here too but dry now and the sun's come out

I can even see a bit of blue sky, only a bit but just about enough to make a sailor a pair of trousers

I love that, never heard that expression before!

You're far too young, Susie

(oops, sorry, Neil )

Dave

http://youtu.be/cJfSflPQKVg

I'm not a fan of people breeding butterflies at home generally but this is really cute. Not sure if the boy will end up a fan of butterflies or scarred for life though!

This afternoon summer came back for a while. At my local patch I've not seen a brown hairsteak since Saturday although there are loads of eggs. I took the hound to Southwater Country Park thinking that he'd be allowed to walk free but saw that dogs have to be kept on lead until the end of the month and he does love to swim so took him to the area of fields adjacent to the overflow carpark where a stream gives him the opportunity to have a splash about. I hit hairstreak gold here withhin the first few minutes I had seen three brown hairstreaks, more than any other single species I saw while there I am sure that brown hairstreak are hugely under recorded in the area, everywhere seems to have blackthorn hedges and ash trees and is perfect habitat.

The red admirals are still showing really well in the garden. Dead heading the buddleias earlier in the summer has paid off and most are having a second flowering

Brown hairstreak seen just now flying the length of the football pitch near the master tree.