www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Several Small Whites, 10+ RA nectaring on buddleia and ivy, a few Speckies and an aged male Holly Blue this morning; quite overcast since then, but warm....

Back in Chester this week, visiting my parents. The stunning weather conditions on Monday brought out butterfly numbers never seen before in my parents garden. A grand total of 11 Small Tortoiseshell were counted at one time, all nectaring voraciously on Bowles Mauve Wallflowers.

I vaguely remember seeing numerous Small Tortoishell in the same garden when I was a child, around 20 years ago, but never so many as 11. My parents have been lucky to see one or two each year this past ten years as numbers crashed. This is despite next foors garden becoming very overgrown with nettles. Seems like this years odd weather has reduced the parasite attack on the Small Tortoishell.

This butterfly season gets stranger and stranger!

Forty plus Red Admirals on a single Buddleia today.

Perseus wrote:Forty plus Red Admirals on a single Buddleia today.

Good Lord! Fair play to you for being able to count them!

David M wrote:

Perseus wrote:Forty plus Red Admirals on a single Buddleia today.

Good Lord! Fair play to you for being able to count them!

It was an estimate. I counted up to about thirty.

I stopped in at Samphire Hoe, Dover this morning. The Buddleia was busy with Red Admirals, Small and Large Whites and Small Tortoiseshells: Lots of Common Blues: A few Adonis Blues: And a Small Heath: Activity in my garden still centres around the Buddleia ( 5 Red Admirals, 2 Small Tortoiseshells and a Peacock this morning ) but my plum tree has begun to draw a crowd, with 4 Red Admirals, 2 Speckled Woods and 2 Commas this afternoon. These two had a tussle over a plum and the Comma won: I'll have to make sure some are left for me!

North Wootton, Norfolk. Purple Hairstreaks. Still flying over the ash & oak at 1800 hours just beyond the fence - an amazingly late date, 5th September.

Countless Red Admirals today in public gardens Hunstanton + Peacocks, Torties and Whites. Brimstone yesterday, 4th Sept (normally in bed for the winter by this date). Also a few late Meadow Browns locally.

Jack

After a very poor year and being completely absent for months at a time Speckled Woods have made a welcome return to my locality. Still Peacocks around though less in number than a few weeks ago, plenty of Whites, a few Red Admirals and Small Tortoiseshells.

Lovely photo of a speckled wood - very fresh.

Out on the bike this morning - as well as a Kingfisher - several pristine Small Tortoiseshell (the odd Red Admiral and Comma, with several Common Blue, Small Heath and Small White).
Also a Light Emerald moth plus the inevitable Silver-Ys.

I went back to Lydden Nature Reserve at Temple Ewell this morning. The Chalkhill Blues and Silver Spotted Skippers were noticeably absent but there was still plenty to see. Lots of Meadow Browns, a Comma, Small Whites, a Large White Adonis Blues ( I saw about 20 ) Small Heaths, Red Admirals ( 3 ), numerous Common Blues and Brown Argus It made for an enjoyable morning surrounded by butterflies and wild flowers with gathering Swallows twittering in the sky.

Monarch in Dorset as posted on Birdguides website.

Insect News: in Dorset, the Monarch still on buddleia at the ornamental park in Easton, Portland at 11:40

And photo at: http://cholseywildlife.blogspot.co.uk/

Thx to Mark Colvin for pointing this out.

Cheers,

- Pete

Wouldn't you just Know it, the day I come back from a week in Dorset and a Monarch shows up not far from where we were

Mind you, I cannot complain about the week i have just had, glorious weather and an explosion of butterflies

Highlights of the week for me were,

- Hundreds of Adonis Blues at Ballard Down, Durlston Country Park and Bindon Hill, Lulworth.

- Lulworth Skippers at Durlston still about in fair numbers even if looking a bit 'aged'.

- Red Admirals everywhere including hundreds on the heather at Studland.

- Small Tortoiseshells in the kind of numbers that I have not seen for years.

- A couple of Clouded Yellows, one on Bindon Hill and one on Ballard Down. Unfortunatly neither settled for photos but just seeing them made the week for me

- Sitting on Bindon Hill looking down at Lulworth Cove and being absolutely surrounded by butterflies of all colours, a magical experience

Loads of photos to sort through and notes to check of where and when stuff was seen. I will post updates in my diary over the next few days.

Neil F.

Just got back from a visit to Portland in Dorset for the Monarch that was found today.

It was nectaring on a buddleia in a small park/patch of open ground off Park Estate Road near the Health Centre in Easton, Portland. It looked a bit worse for wear but was still stunning to see in the sunshine. It dwarfed the nearby Red Admirals and Painted Lady.

There has been an influx of American wading birds into the UK after last week's bad weather so it may have some chance of being a genuine migrant.

Paul Luxton wrote:Just got back from a visit to Portland in Dorset for the Monarch that was found today.

It was nectaring on a buddleia in a small park/patch of open ground off Park Estate Road near the Health Centre in Easton, Portland. It looked a bit worse for wear but was still stunning to see in the sunshine. It dwarfed the nearby Red Admirals and Painted Lady.

There has been an influx of American wading birds into the UK after last week's bad weather so it may have some chance of being a genuine migrant.

Excellent stuff and many thanks for the report.

I suspect we may get a few more of these visitors given the hurricanes that have swept along the east coast of the US lately.

And here's me getting excited over a Painted Lady on a nearby buddleia this morning!

From a few days ago.

Today. Four butterflies, two species.

Only three can be seen on my computer. Maybe more on wide screen ?

4 September 2012




About forty Red Admiral Butterflies congregated around a single Buddleia bush by the buffer stop (north of the Riverbank Industrial Estate) west Shoreham.

At least 30 Adonis blues (m & f) on Bonchurch Down this morning in good condition plus several meadow browns, one small heath, one red admiral, one large white and several brown argus.
PS Red squirrels seen this morning to add to the fun!