millerd

[millerd]

Thanks, all. They are a curious threesome, come to think of it, none of which you'd have seen here 20 years ago. Easy to see all three on the same walk now, and within a minute of leaving the house. How things change. The Kites perch on garden fenceposts, the Parakeets make a thorough mess of garden bird feeders, and the Little Egret, when disturbed, flies off and sits uncomfortably on house roofs doing stork impressions...

Dave

[millerd]

Just spent three days in Yorkshire, heading back down this morning and leaving 4 degrees, fog and pouring rain. Four hours later, back near Heathrow and the sun was shining, the car claimed a healthy 15 degrees and a dash round my local patch turned up the first butterfly of the year - a Peacock over some brambles very close to the M25. No photos, but a definite first sighting for 2018.

Dave

[Andrew555]

Nice one Dave. Now we all have to endure the next few days of fun.

[Neil Freeman]

Good to see you are off the mark Dave

Still nothing for me although there have been a few sightings from the midlands, just mostly during the week when the better weather has occurred and I am stuck in work. I am guessing I won't be seeing any butterflies over the next few days either.

Cheers,

Neil.

[Wurzel]

Congrats on getting started on the 2018 Tally Dave I expect things will accelerate greatly over your way once this, hopefully, final burst of winter passes

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

...a dash round my local patch turned up the first butterfly of the year - a Peacock over some brambles very close to the M25. No photos, but a definite first sighting for 2018.

Good stuff, Dave! First of many, I'm sure. We must be in for a break from all this wintry weather soon? It's starting to get rather depressing.

[millerd]

Thank you all for your encouragement - after the long wait, today provided some proper action!

It was properly sunny, and not too cold at around 11 this morning, so after yesterday's warm but mostly cloudy day, I had hopes that one or two things might have woken up. I was right! Immediately outside the front door, fluttering between a hyacinth and the first of the year's dandelions, was a Small Tortoiseshell.

on the doorstep!

Suitably encouraged and exhilarated, I set off round my usual circuit and quickly encountered a Brimstone, flying energetically along the hedgerow and allowing only the most fleeting and blurred record shots.

Next, a bit further along, was a rather tatty Peacock down on a nettle patch.

The sun then went in for a while, but when it emerged again it drew out another couple of Peacocks (which did not stop for pictures) and along an ivy-covered fence I spotted a splash of orange - a nice Comma, looking barely touched by the ravages of winter and occupying a slot where they are often found just before hibernation.

Another Peacock flew by, and then along the homeward stretch I looked a bit more closely at a pussy-willow coming into flower. There happily nectaring was a brand new freshly emerged male Small White.

This was not something I had really expected to see, but the long spell of cold may well mean everything appears at once.

So - eight butterflies of five species. The season has started!

Dave

[Maximus]

That Small White is a very nice find for this time of year, Dave

Mike

[trevor]

A caption for your first image might read ' I'm waiting on your door step where are you '.
It's great when they come to you !. The Small White was quite a find, and looks brand new.
With the fine weather today we should see more posts on here. Has the season started
or was today just a blip.

Great stuff Dave,
Trevor.

[Neil Freeman]

A nice selection there Dave and a Small White too, just goes to show that given the window of opportunity in the weather they will be out

Cheers,

Neil

[bugboy]

A Small White, wasn't expecting one of them so early this year. My first last year was the 21st March but last year was ridiculously early. Hope he found somewhere to hide tonight before the rain arrives!

[Andrew555]

That's brilliant, nice one Dave. Love the Small White.

[Wurzel]

What a cracking start to the season Dave Hopefully it's a taster of things to come

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Fantastic Dave, that's encouragement for all who've not got any shots yet But a White so soon is great news after the Winter we've had Goldie

[David M]

Well, you had to wait a while, Dave, but you pretty much made up for that wait in the space of a few short hours! A Small White was the icing on the cake, and a warning to me that I should look out for them myself on my patch the next time conditions are suitable.

[millerd]

Thank you all for your comments - it was a great start to the season, but things then ground smartly to a halt! That Small White was a bonus, and it's interesting to see it completely lacked the forewing spot, making it look more like a miniature Large White. Spring Small and GV Whites are often very white - I wonder what the evolutionary reason for this is?

After spending a very soggy and cold Easter in York, things improved on my first day back. Sunshine almost all day today (5th), though not all that warm. Nevertheless, the butterflies responded, and this time there were two Small Tortoiseshells waiting on the grass outside the front door.

Over the course of my usual walk, the overall tally came to a healthy 13, along with four Brimstones, four Peacocks and two Commas.

By midday, the Tortoiseshells had stopped nectaring and were starting to take more interest in each other, and three sets of courting couples were seen altogether.

I saw nowhere near this number of the species back in the summer - they must hide themselves away very smartly after emergence.

Dave

[MikeOxon]

Good to see Small Tortoiseshells around already. It'll be interesting to see how the season develops after such a slow start.

Mike

[trevor]

Lovely Small Tortoiseshells, Dave. Hopefully today wasn't another false start
to the season. My Brimstone of Feb seems an age ago and we've had another
Winter since then !. Holly Blues soon ?.

Here's to Spring ( proper ! ).

Trevor.

[bugboy]

Great stuff Dave, I knew things would perk up when I went back to work. Still, I managed to get my first transects done and recorded a couple of Brimstone. a few of these for those Small Torts though

[Goldie M]

Great shots Dave, I've yet to see a Tortoiseshell so a few greens from me has well Goldie