www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Susie wrote: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

Interesting, Susie.

I must try that myself next year.

I'm down in Bognor this weekend enjoying a soul weekender and during a stroll along the prom in lovely sunshine today saw quite a few red admirals flying along the sea edge. They didn't seem to be flying out to sea or in from the sea, just along.

Yesterday I took the pup to Cissbury Ring and was surprised by how many butterflies were around so this morning, finding I had some time on my hands, I went back with my camera. I didn't see any clouded yellows as I did on Monday but there were still small copper, common blue, brown argus, small heath, speckled wood, red admiral, meadow brown and wall - quite a respectable tally for this time of year!

Susie I'm with envey, your photo is lovely of the CB but for you to see so many different Butterflies, Well! it's amazing I bet you were very pleased Goldie

Rather a belated post but last Saturday 4 October I saw a brown hairstreak flying strongly while I was out walking the dog. It is probably the last I'll see this year and has made for a very long season for them.

I saw a wall yesterday at pitch hill in Surrey and a red admiral today close to home. Butterflies are still about but not for too much longer I think.

Red admiral and small white in the village this morning.

Red admirals still on the wing
I think leaving some fruit on the pear tree helps when there isn't much nectar about.

I'm sure you're right, Susie. Round here, windfall apples are undoubtedly the main draw for red admirals and I see them around the apple trees (which seem to grow wild in the meadows) on my early morning dog walks even when the temperature has barely crept above zero.

Guy

Yes, any old fruit seems to be an attraction to Red Admirals and other insects. My father had loads of Red Admirals coming to the fallen Yew berries in his garden in the Scottish Borders. They even came on quite cool, overcast days!

Definitely fruit trees seems to be something worth having to provide them with a food source (as well as ourselves). Saw more red admirals today.

On Monday I went to Stonehenge to see the solstice celebrations. It's the first time I've been and it certainly was an interesting experience! Does anyone know what the site is like for butterflies in the summer?

Happy Christmas to you all and best wishes for 2015.

My Larkhill stop off is about 30 seconds drive away so it's pretty good with good numbers of skippers, browns, whites and blues. I had my first Larkhill Greenstreak this year and a Purple Emperor was recorded at the Larkhill camp. Some of the areas of the surrounding Plain have huger numbers of Dark Gren Frits and Marshies and there are sites nearby where you can pick up Adonis and Chalkhills plus Shipton Bellinger is about 20 minutes away as is my Duke site
I know what you mean about the Solstice I took the girls the year it snowed and it was weird, odd, magical and awe inspiring all at the same time. We managed to get right into the circle and my older daughter kept pointing out the 'wizards'. I found it was the closest I've ever come to a spiritual sensation
I hope you had a great Xmas and the rest of the festivities will be cracking too

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Thanks wurzel! Sounds like a great area

Stonehenge certainly was interesting, you weren't anyone if you weren't wearing a cloak and funny head gear seemed compulsory too I loved every minute of it, although there were too many people there for it to feel spiritual for an introvert like me. Give me a site like Kingley Vale any day. It certainly is special though. I can't wait to go back.

Have a wonderful Christmas too

Kingley Vale..... now there's a place, in amoung the ancient yews..now that is an experience...

I'd have never thought of you as spiritual, Chris. Perhaps you found your inner druid

Some of the characters from Stonehenge

I hope everyone is having a lovely Christmas

I went to Petworth Park this afternoon for a bracing walk with the family. The hound found something by one of the large ant hills and he made a sharpish exit after giving it a sniff so I went in to investigate. Click on the short video if you want to see what it was ....

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10 ... 6205880133

I'm surprised that reptile is still active in these cold conditions. I trust the pooch came out unscathed?

Thank you for asking, David. Yes, Billy is fine. He is a very bright dog and gave it plenty of space once he realised what it was. He's wise beyond his years at times.