Neil Freeman

[Wurzel]

Great shots of the garden birds Neil Do you shoot through the window because if you do how do you not get the sheen/misting?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Lovely bird images, Neil, particularly the Blackbird doing its impression of a hummingbird! Hopefully it won't be long before the first butterfly makes an appearance in your garden, though I suspect you might find a few moths should you put your trap out over the next few days.

[Neil Freeman]

Yes Wurzel, the bird shots were taken through the window. I just try and get an angle which minimises any reflection or sheen but with varying degrees of success.

I see what you mean about the blackbird's hummingbird impression David . I was tempted into putting the moth trap out earlier in the week with limited success, see below.

Friday 15th February.

I see the warm spring-like weather has brought some butterflies out today with sightings from all over the country, mostly Brimstones from what I have seen but with a fair scattering of Red Admirals and also some Small Tortoiseshells and Peacocks which is good to see after their poor showing last summer. I have not yet seen any myself but it is nevertheless good to see those reported as it shows that the dark days of winter are (hopefully) coming to an end.

On Wednesday night (13th Feb.) a bit more cloud built up which meant that the overnight temperature wouldn't drop too low and I was tempted to put the moth trap out in the garden for just the second time this year, the first time being in mid January which resulted in a blank. I didn't get much this time either but another blank was just avoided with a couple of micros, my first moths of 2019 - a nicely marked Acleris cristana and another Acleris species which I have yet to confirm it's ID.

Acleris cristana - Coverdale 13.02.2019

Acleris cristana overwinters as an adult and is a very variable species which comes in many colour forms, compare the one above with the one below trapped in April last year.

Acleris cristana - Coverdale 18.04.2018

It would be easy to mistake these for two entirely different species and is one of the things which I find makes moths - both macros and micros - so fascinating, but also challenging with so many species that vary so much within a single species but also with separate species that closely resemble each other.

I have seen lots of reports of spring moth species over the past few days and with some overnight cloud cover forecast for the weekend I may well put the trap out again soon.

Bye for now,

Neil.

[Wurzel]

They could be so easily (mis)identified as two species Neil - what are the defining features used to identify them as one For my money I reckon the first is the more attractive form - possibly because I've been reading a bit too much Tolkien/Harry Potter but I swear it looks like an Orc/Troll face

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Those are very contrasting features for closely related species, Neil. I enjoy your moth returns...hopefully there'll be good opportunities for you over the next few nights, with mild temperatures and decent cloud cover.

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Wurzel, narrow shoulders and concave leading edge to the forewing are indicators but the defining feature is a raised 'scale tuft' in the center of each forewing. This can just be made out in my photos above but is more obvious in the side view below. There is a better view of this feature in a photo at this link https://ukmoths.org.uk/species/acleris-cristana

Acleris cristana - Coverdale 13.02.2019

Thanks David, not just closely related but the exact same species. I had a couple more moths at the weekend...

Saturday 16th February

After a gloriously sunny day last Friday the weekend turned cloudier here but at least that meant that we had a reasonable night on Saturday with temps just dropping down to around 8c which tempted me to run the moth trap again and was rewarded with a couple of macros...'proper' moths to some .

The Dotted Border is a species that overwinter as a pupa underground and is one of the first ones to emerge as opposed to overwintering as an adult. This is a common moth but only the second I have had in my garden, the first being in early March last year.

Dotted Border - Coverdale 16.02.2019

I also had my first Common Quaker of the year. This common and widespread species is another that overwinters as a pupa underground and this one on Saturday is a good couple of weeks earlier than my first last year...although just 1 day earlier than 2017.

Common Quaker - Coverdale 16.02.2019

Since the weekend it has been rather wet and windy here again and a bit colder albeit still fairly mild for the time of year but it looks like it may be warming up a bit again by the end of the week.

Bye for now,

Neil.

[Wurzel]

Cheers for the ID I had a look at your photos and now you've pointed them out those 'scale tufts' are quote noticeable, especially from the side It's great when you can pick up the little ID tricks

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Neil Freeman]

Cheers Wurzel, once you know what to look for that one is probably one of the easier micros to ID.

Friday 22nd February - Earliest ever.

I have said a few times before that February is never a butterfly month for me around my local patch...well that finally changed this afternoon.

Yesterday (Thursday 21st) was a cracking day with clear blue skies and 16c still showing on my car display on my way home from work at around 4.30pm. After a chilly night and foggy morning it cleared up by the time I finished work today at lunchtime and by the time we popped round to see my Mom this afternoon it was feeling very pleasant again.
Having seen plenty of butterflies reported over the past few days I decided to have a look around the park by my Mom's house to see if anything was about, although I thought it would be a bit of a long shot still as, like I said before, I don't see butterflies in February around here.

I had just finished checking the best sheltered sunny spots without success and had just started to head back when I spotted a dark shape flit past me and settle about twenty yards away between some clumps of grass. Sneaking up I found a Small Tortoiseshell , my first butterfly of 2019 and the first one I have ever seen in February.

Small Tortoiseshell - Langley Hall 22.02.2019

In fact looking back at my records this is my earliest sighting by a couple of weeks, the previous being in 2014 (March 9th – Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock) and my usual first sightings falling between 22nd to 25th of March.

Back home a bit later in the afternoon I decided to make the most of the nice sunny afternoon and have a walk down to check out the rough ground by the local park where had seen my first butterflies last year (March 25th – Comma and Small Tortoiseshell).

There is a sheltered bank of brambles here which I headed for and on approach I spotted a bright orange shape standing out against the background vegetation, a Comma basking in the afternoon sun .

Comma - Wagon Lane 22.02.2019

I then carried on along the hedge line here which separates the area of rough ground from some football pitches and was just circling back when I spotted a Small Tortoiseshell flitting slowly along the hedge and settling every few yards. I managed a couple of photos before it flew up and disappeared over the other side of the hedge.

Small Tortoiseshell - Wagon Lane 22.02.2019

By now the sun was getting lower and you could feel the air temperature dropping so I headed home.

So then, not just one, but three February butterflies this afternoon and the weekend is looking promising too. Hard to believe that this time last year we were just about to get some heavy snow into the first week of March.

Bye for now,

Neil.

[trevor]

Well done, Neil, what a fantastic February haul, especially the Small Tortoiseshells,
which were something of a rarity around here last year.
As for the weather, it's your turn for some sun, we've had days of grey gloom on the South coast.

Good news from the Midlands!.
Keep well,
Trevor.

[Wurzel]

Cracking stuff Neil I was hoping for some Small Torts today but as I didn't get any I'll just enjoy yours from yesterday instead It's all kicking off now - brill

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

It's been great hasn't it, Neil? I've never known such a benign spell of weather in the UK so early in the year. I reckon these are the kind of conditions normally seen in the southern half of France in late February, although this year (according to Chris Jackson) plenty of places have seen temperatures in the low 20s!!

Lovely to see a couple of Torties round your way; it's the only species I've yet to see on the wing so far.....hopefully today!

[ernie f]

Stunning pics, Neil. You can kind of forget how colourful our springtime butterflies can be (or should that by our wintertime butterflies?)

[millerd]

That second Small Tortoiseshell in particular is a lovely insect, Neil - I'm glad you've broken your February Duck at last.

Dave

[Neil Freeman]

Thanks all, it was certainly uplifting to see the butterflies but for me it does seem a bit strange to be seeing butterflies in February.

Sunday 24th February.

A glorious weekend with Saturday proved to be the best day around here but unfortunately by the time I had some spare time in the afternoon I had missed the best part of the day and didn't have enough time left to go anywhere. I had earlier spent some time in the garden but this early in the year the sun is not yet high enough to peep above the trees and shrubs for long enough to really warm it up.

On getting up and opening the curtains on Sunday morning I was greeted with thick fog which took until late morning to lift. Once this had dispersed it quickly turned into another lovely day and I was determined to get out for an hour in the afternoon to check out my local site at Bickenhill.

I arrived at about 1.30pm and proceeded to do my usual circuit of the site but it quickly became apparent that despite the warm sun some of my usual route was still in some shade and felt somewhat cooler. I had never been here this early in the year before, usually my first visits are about a month later and I was surprised how much different it felt with the sun still so much lower in the sky. I also noticed that the blackthorn that is usually in blossom here when I come in the spring only had the smallest buds and looked weeks away from flowering. In fact there was a distinct lack of nectar sources here with just one small dandelion found in flower across the site.

I had almost completed my circuit without seeing any butterflies when I put up a Comma from close to the path in front of me. It didn't go far and settled again on some grass stems where it seemed content to soak up the sun and didn't seemed inclined to take to the air again, so after taking some photos I left it basking in peace.

Comma - Bickenhill 24.02.2019

Comma - Bickenhill 24.02.2019

Given the numbers of butterflies I have seen reported from elsewhere over the weekend, including other parts of the midlands, it was a bit disappointing not to find any other butterflies but I reckon that a cold previous night and the thick fog for most of the morning had cooled things down somewhat and not left enough time to warm things up enough in the afternoon to get anything flying. The single Comma that I did see did not seem interested in flying, rather preferring to just sit there basking. I also had to remind myself that we are still in February and in any other year I still would not have expected to see anything.

Back to work today (Monday) after another cold night and a frost this morning before it turned into another cracking day from what I saw of it. By the time next weekend arrives it looks as if things will have cooled down again and become a bit more unsettled (That's if I believe the forecasts).

Bye for now,

Neil.

[bugboy]

Thanks all, it was certainly uplifting to see the butterflies but for me it does seem a bit strange to be seeing butterflies in February.

Even down my way it's a bit odd seeing butterflies this early in the year. Maybe the odd Brimstone on an odd warm day but around 20 individuals over the weekend whilst wandering around in a t-shirt in the middle of February, weird!

[Wurzel]

Don't do it Neil...don't believe the forecast! Whilst it is great to be seeing butterflies after the winter I am a bit concerned that it could be too much of a good thing this early? I reckon the butterflies round your way are being much more sensible

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

It's still very early, Neil, so I wouldn't be too disappointed at numbers right now. Brimstones and Commas appear to be the commonest encountered round my way, but the others are still thin on the ground.

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Bugboy, It wasn't quite warm enough to leave my jacket at home here on Sunday due to some lingering coolness in the air from the earlier thick fog but certainly much warmer than it should be at this time of year.

Cheers Wurzel, I know what you mean about being concerned about maybe too much of a good thing too soon. I seem to remember other early springs which have fizzled out and led to lacklustre summers.

I wasn't too disappointed David, after all I had never seen any Butterflies in February before. In hindsight I reckon I would have done better going out on Saturday but I just ran out of time.

Cheers,

Neil.

[Goldie M]

Lovely Comma shots Neill, the weather's been great,I hope to make the best of to day before we're back to normal Goldie

[Neil Freeman]

Thanks Goldie

No more butterflies for me this week as I have been stuck in work and the weather has now returned to more like normal for the time of year albeit still a bit on the mild side.
It looks like being a rather wet and windy weekend as well.

Cheers,

Neil.