www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Made the most of the astonishing sunshine and dropped into Box Hill and then Denbies. At the first stop, nothing more than a Speckled Wood and a very tired-looking Small Copper. At Denbies, I had to settle for an exclusive diet of Meadow Browns. Despite seeing only five over quite a wide area, somehow two of them had managed to find each other well enough.

Dave

Very surprised to see a male Brimstone on the wing today in Oxfordshire, along with Red Admiral, Green-veined White and Speckled Wood.

The late summer sunshine still held on today on the Isle of Wight,and I was rewarded with a sighting of a Wall on the clifftop at Whale Chine on the southwest coast.
At Clamerkin NT near Yarmouth,small coppers were enjoying the sunshine as well.This pair seemed to be still energetic as the top butterfly in this picture was very busy at wing vibrations.
A sighting of a Clouded Yellow today on the cliffs at the Needles too.

Determined to squeeze the last drop of sunshine out of this last day of summer-in-autumn, I took a walk locally by the River Colne at around 4pm. It was still around 25 degrees, despite the low sun, and the butterflies I saw were pretty active. In a sunny gap in the trees right next the river, I found the air patrolled by three Red Admirals, sparring and spiralling as energetically as their forebears had done in the same spot in July. Two Speckled Woods and a Holly Blue became caught up in the aerial display, certainly to the dismay of the latter, who don't usually get involved in that sort of thing. There has a been one Holly Blue or another in this spot since early April, six months ago now.

Moving on to the open area near the M25, I found that the extensive Small Heath colony was still in evidence, with at least eight individuals seen. Again, these have been around in numbers since April. Finally, back nearly to home, I watched some more Speckled Woods catching the last bit of sun on the ivy. One of them put up a beatiful new Comma, which regained its composure, and then its perch as the restless Speckled Wood moved on.

Well worth the walk, as always.

Dave

3 October 2011
Red Admirals were frequently seen all over the place, but not on all the Ivy as some of this (notably by the Pixie Path) was dominated by wasps. Speckled Woods were also frequent in shady spots. On Mill Hill, 16 Meadow Browns (11 on the lower slopes around midday) were counted on the open downs, and one Large White on the lower slopes. A few Speckled Woods were seen amongst the scrub and half a dozen Red Admirals flew around the large hedge bordering the road north of the bridge. Most of the Red Admirals seen during the day were fluttering around the Ivy, but one around Lancing Railway Station flew all over the place but southwards across the railway line, whereas one seen from Old Shoreham Toll Bridge was seen flying strongly north over the River Adur. A dirty looking Small White Butterfly was seen over Dolphin Road, Shoreham, earlier in the day.
Five species

Adur Butterfly & Large Moth List
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Butterfly-list2011.html

Cheers

Andy Horton
glaucus@hotmail.com
Adur Valley Nature Notes
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2011.html
Adur Valley Nature Notes: September 2011
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Sept2011.html
Sussex Downs Facebook Group
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=111843132181316

2 October 2011
Three crimson-brown medium-large moths flew distinctly in three different locations, the first by the hedgerow bordering the railway line in Dolphin Road, Shoreham, the second on the cyclepath south of the Toll Bridge, Old Shoreham. and the the third on on the Adur Levels beneath Mill Hill, in the pasture used as a car book sale location on summer Sundays. I have identified these moths as most probably the day-flying male Vapourer Moth, Orgyia antiqua, based on past experience, but I have never been able to look at one of these moths settled. A Speckled Wood Butterfly, fluttered over the southern part of Southdown Road (just north of the railway bridge), central Shoreham.

Question: does the observation read right for the Vapourer Moth? Unsure.

1 October 2011
My thermometer recorded 24.5 °C in the shade at 1.00 pm whereas the official air temperature recorded 23.0 °C at 1.00 pm.

Adur Butterfly & Large Moth List
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Butterfly-list2011.html

Cheers

Andy Horton
glaucus@hotmail.com
Adur Valley Nature Notes
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2011.html
Adur Valley Nature Notes: September 2011
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Sept2011.html
Sussex Downs Facebook Group
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=111843132181316

I spent some time today, 4th October, at Great Yarmouth and Gorleston (both unprepossessing towns. Gorleston happens to be my place of birth - don't blame me for that!!!) on the east Norfolk coast. At the harbour entrance on the South Pier, on three occasions, a smallish nymphalid seen coming in from the sea, significantly flying steadily against the wind. The didn't land but I am 99% certain that they were Small Tortoiseshells (definitely NOT Red Admirals). It strikes me as an extraordinary date for (presumably) immigrants.

Jack

Adur Butterfly Flight Times
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Butterflies1X2009.htm

The Hampshire BC website has a report of a Duke of Burgundy seen at Old Winchester Hill on Sunday 2nd... Also eleven Clouded Yellows down at Southbourne .

Dave

I forgot to mention - I was up on Crib Y Garth (Cat's Back or Black Hill) - on the far eastern side of the Brecon Beacons on Saturday. There were about 8 Red Admirals at the top of the ridge (640 metres). Not sure if they were just flying over or liked it there as it was very hot and sunny. And any good weather seems a distant memory now

Michael

Michaeljf wrote:I forgot to mention - I was up on Crib Y Garth (Cat's Back or Black Hill) - on the far eastern side of the Brecon Beacons on Saturday. There were about 8 Red Admirals at the top of the ridge (640 metres). Not sure if they were just flying over or liked it there as it was very hot and sunny. And any good weather seems a distant memory now

Michael

Maybe they were hilltopping, Michael. I saw this phenomenon in France whereby certain species seem to be drawn to the highest points of local elevation.

In 2009, I recall my first butterfly of the year was a Red Admiral seen at the summit of the Sugar Loaf in Abergavenny on 15th March. Ordinarily, given the relatively cool conditions (rendered even more extreme by 580m altitude), this would seem a bizarre place to see a butterfly. However, I feel there is a definite propensity for some species to seek out these high points - maybe it has something to do with attracting mates.

I wrote this in my diary earlier in the year:

Co.Cavan Ireland 7th August.
Another addition to my Irish list:
Painted Lady. One was seen “hill-topping” on the highest hill in the county, 340 metres above sea level.

I can't be sure, but that might have been the only Painted Lady I saw anywhere in the British Isles in 2011.

Jack

I have had the good fortune to be in western France since last week and have seen some lovely butterflies- photos to follow. Best are the clouded and pale clouded yellows, geranium bronzes and a new one for me, a sooty copper this morning. Also lots of peacocks, red admirals, speckled woods, one comma, one small heath, many hummingbird hawkmoths, large whites and adonis and common blues.

See below for article on a 'presumably' migrant Monarch being seen in Dorset on 29th September (though I know this is now a 'last month' sighting).
Did this already get covered here? I know I'm not paying much attention but I haven't seen it elswhere when I had a quick look at news and sightings etc.

Michael

http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=2915

I didn't put anything in the forums. Just Twitter and Facebook.

Cheers,

- Pete

As a follow up to my report from last Tuesday:
viewtopic.php?t=5763&start=1000#p52157
about (presumed) Small Tortoiseshells coming in off the sea, another sighting today 7th October with positive i/d this time - Small Tort.

Location west Norfolk on southern edge of The Wash at Admiralty Point, flying in off the salt marsh in a southerly direction with wind more-or-less behind it.
This might not be a true immigrant as the Lincolnshire Coast (Skegness/Gibraltar Point area) was immediately upwind.

Jack

A few hours of warm sunshine today down here in Kent brought me a Red Admiral, Speckled Wood, Peacock and around ten Small Whites.
On an Ornithological note, I've seen my first Redwings of Winter too.

A small, but dedicated group of Sussex Branch BC members attended the first work party of the "winter" at the Park Corner Heath Reserve, carrying out coppicing to improve the habitat for Pearl Bordered and Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary. As the morning wore on the sun appeared and everyone was sweating in teeshirts. Apart from a nice new clearing, the highlights were a Speckled Wood and a Red Admiral plus a female Migrant Hawker.
One member brought a small moth he had trapped during the week and released it after showing it to an appreciative audience. This was Hymenia recurvalis, a rare migrant pyralid from North Africa which came up with the recent warm southerly winds. There were less than 50 UK records prior to the latest influx. It is a pest in many of the places it occurs, where the larvae do great damage to beet crops.
Winter work parties are on the second Sunday of the month .

Vince

A burst of warm sunshine (over 20 degrees again today) enticed me out at lunchtime today. My local patch was full of Red Admirals again - I counted over 25 in twenty minutes of walking and at one point could see seven at once. Many seemed freshly emerged. They were nearly matched in numbers by Speckled Woods, some of which were noticeably small. The only other butterflies seen were a Holly Blue and a Small White. The former was flying in and around a holly tree overgrown with ivy and surrounded by brambles - which after all must constitute ideal habitat for the species.

Apologies for more Red Admiral pictures, but they are splendid creatures, and would rate as Butterfly of the Year in these parts.

Dave

Birding today 9th October at Titchwell.
Highlight of the day was a real Heron, the Grey sort, not the ubiquitous Little Egret. And to think that a mere 15 years ago, Little Egrets were rare.

Warm but cloudy weather and the only insect of note was a Common Darter.

Jack