www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Hi,

One Red Admiral seen fluttering around high up in the trees on Tues 18 Nov @ Willsbridge Mill.

hopefully finding crevice to habinate be4 weekends cold snap

Out today in the Fens near Cottenham cycling along a sheltered drove - a Peacock!
Won't win any beauty competitions, but still flying...!
(Blowing a gale and no more than 6C; in the shelter of the drove, a few degrees warmer along the bottom of the hedge in the sun....)
N

That one had better find shelter fast or it's a gonner. Great spot, Nick.

I think sometimes we under estimate the number of butterflies that are flying throughout the UK on any given day!
There must be something flying somewhere nearly every day of the year....
All it seems to take is a few sunny hours and some sheltered place and a Peacock or Red Admiral or possibly Comma will be out!
N

I've never seen a late comma. I think once they go under then that's it until spring, although before your spot I would have said the same of peacocks. I did see a very early brimstone last February though. It fluttered around a bit, decided that it was too cold then went back to its roost in the ivy.

I find commas very 'well-behaved' too. Perhaps it is because they hibernate in natural locations. Peacocks often hibernate in places where they can be disturbed by human activity over the winter, like heating suddenly being turned on in an outhouse or studio.

Guy

Yes - I too thought that Commas were "predictable"....however, local reports in Cambridgeshire still show them active up to last Saturday too!
I guess because we have had no prolonged cold periods - temperatures have been up and down recently - butterflies have yet to decide that "Winter" has actually arrived and are still in the torpid stage. Or is this what we should expect from now on - that there will be no real "hibernation" just periods of inactivity between emergences in warm spells? I wonder what this means longer-term - what happens to these emergees? Do they survive to breed early in the season or are they doomed to perish as they use up their reserves? What effect might this have on overall populations? (So many questions! I guess this is why we are all fascinated with our subject!)
N

Saw one small totoiseshell in my house today, its now hibernating in my butterfly breeding area and I will make sure it does not dry up and stays alive over winter

Small Tortoiseshell on Wednesday near Pill, across the Avon Gorge from Bristol - the latest I have seen one.

god they need to get warm, freezin now

Hello,

16 November 2008
A Red Admiral Butterfly fluttered around the south-facing shop fronts at the western end of Shoreham High Street around midday.

This was the last one of the year.

heers

Andy Horton
glaucus@hotmail.com
Adur Valley Nature Notes
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2007.html
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2008.html
Adur Valley Nature Notes: December 2008
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Dec2008.html

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