millerd

[Wurzel]

That is a cracking Comma Dave and I love the shot of the Red Admiral next to the Passion Vine Finally got a November butterfly today, no shots though but still great to see. It was flying around a large growth of Ivy so I was confident that it'll be alright when the temperature drops

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

A Comma a week into November is no mean feat, Dave. Looking forward to seeing your montage of gorgeous Holly Blues - is your 'special' individual to be presented when the 'Favourites' thread gets to 'H'?

[millerd]

Well Trevor, after finding nothing yesterday on a promising sunny day, I reckon my local diva has got herself poised for the aria with lungs full and is just waiting for the conductor's baton... I reckon Commas are light sleepers round here, since I saw one in December in 2018, and they were up and about in February this year.

Cheers, Wurzel - good to see you clocked up a November butterfly. It's quite a normal occurrence these days it seems.

November Commas are a regular thing hereabouts, David - but then so are Holly Blues in recent years, though not (so far) in 2019 it would appear! When I've run out of new sightings I shall put together a Holly Blue special, featuring all three broods - it won't be long coming I suspect.
Hmmm - I reckon the "Favourites" thread will get round to this species on 1st December... That's near enough. What I've kept back is nothing spectacular, just a serendipitous juxtaposition! (I don't often get to use two of my favourite words together - and they are perfectly describing themselves at the same time! )

Dave

[millerd]

Well Trevor, after finding nothing yesterday on a promising sunny day, I reckon my local diva has got herself poised for the aria with lungs full and is just waiting for the conductor's baton...

It turns out that she wasn't actually quite ready to burst forth into choral virtuosity...

Seen basking high up in a tree today (11th November) was a Red Admiral.

It was quite sunny, but there was a chilly wind blowing from the north.

Dave

[trevor]

Your Red Admiral popped out during an intermission in her performance, Dave !.
Well found.

Trevor.

[David M]

..It turns out that she wasn't actually quite ready to burst forth into choral virtuosity...

LOL. That'll teach you!

Given recent history, Dave, I think it likely that there will be continued sightings on your patch until the first serious frosts.

[Wurzel]

Great to see that the Mezzo Soprano had a touch of the laryngitis Dave What do reckon the chances are of a December butterfly

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

It was a piece of luck, Trevor - I just happened to look up and there it was.

Still no frost here, David, not quite... However, it is decidedly cold now, even when the sun shines for a couple of hours as it did yesterday and again today. The wind was a bit sharper today and before the cloud and rain arrived at lunchtime, I not suprisingly didn't see any butterflies. I think our operatic prima donna is just clearing her throat now...

However, the day was not without something lepidopterous... Down on the white dead-nettles (some of which remain in flower) I saw something move. Close examination revealed this caterpillar, remarkably spiny and cactus-like.

I am guessing it is a Tiger moth of some sort, but I'm not sure which. Others have recently posted photos of Ruby Tiger cats, so that's a possibility, but there were a few Jersey Tigers around here this summer, so maybe that's an alternative.

Any ideas, anyone?

Dave

[Wurzel]

I reckon it could be a Ruby Tiger as well Dave as a quick spin through Goggle showed up a few that looked as dark as that one . The Jersey Tiger Moth cats are almost as bright as the imago

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Cheers, Wurzel - I suspect that's what it is then.

The way things have been since then, the chances of anything more have pretty well disappeared. There have been spells of sunshine early on, but it has always fizzled out by lunchtime and temperatures have not been above 10 degrees. We have come close to a bit of ground frost, but not quite - none of the plants has shown any signs of frost yet. However, it looks as if Monday night may change that.

On my recent walks I still keep an eye out for that little unusual something, and consequently investigate any possibility of a surprise butterfly. This means a number of false alarms, but for a moment the other day, I did think I'd found something. Gleaming silvery Holly Blues with their wings closed become camouflaged against the shiny leaves of holly and ivy, and I've also found that they are adept at mimicking the white smear of a bird dropping. This does mean of course that the reverse becomes true too - a bird dropping can mimic a butterfly.

By taking the photo, I've obviously concentrated on the subject, but at a casual glance you can see how you could be fooled.

Dave

[Wurzel]

I had to do a double take with that one Dave A quick glance and it was a Holly Blue and then a proper look and it was something else not quite so nice I've been caught out by various leaves and things over the years, generally when a glimpse is caught out of the corner of your eye Still it keeps you on your toes

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

...Gleaming silvery Holly Blues with their wings closed become camouflaged against the shiny leaves of holly and ivy, and I've also found that they are adept at mimicking the white smear of a bird dropping. This does mean of course that the reverse becomes true too - a bird dropping can mimic a butterfly.

By taking the photo, I've obviously concentrated on the subject, but at a casual glance you can see how you could be fooled.

It's surprising to hear how things have dropped off so suddenly in your area, Dave. It's not as if there has been any serious cold weather.

I get what you mean regarding the 'bird dropping' camouflage. I spent some while the other day concentrating on a butterfly shaped brown patch but closer inspection revealed it to be a dead leaf.

We observant butterfly aficionados can have our attention caught by just about anything.

[bugboy]

I agree with that being a Ruby Tiger caterpillar. It fits in with it's lifecycle too, hibernating as a full grown cat.

[millerd]

Cheers, all. Ruby Tiger it is.

No sign of anything else now until today (not even any camouflaged bird poo), and this next sighting doesn't really count.

On a grey and miserable afternoon (Sunday 24th November), though the temperature had scraped its way up to 11 degrees, I became aware of something fluttering at the window. This turned out to be a Small Tortoiseshell, wakened from sleeping in some dark and cool corner of the house perhaps by the slight rise in temperature. I set about releasing it, as at least the weather looks relatively benign for a day or two and it stands a chance of finding somewhere else to hibernate. I haven't seen any of this species since the middle of August, so it had been tucked away for several months already. I hope it survives.

I managed a rather poor record shot before stopping the butterfly from damaging itself in vain fluttering against the glass.

Dave

[trevor]

I can actually claim a Christmas Day Small Tort sighting, in similar circumstances to yours.
I thought it was dead, but it fluttered off my hand and landed back onto the carpet.
This was at the Bell Inn, Wiltshire. Not unfortunately at home in Sussex.

All the best,
Trevor.

[Wurzel]

Fingers crossed for the Small Tort Dave - it should be okay as there must be a shed or two locally that it could sneak into

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

It's been quite mild lately, Dave, so hopefully your Tortoiseshell will have been able to find a more suitable spot to overwinter. I'm already looking forward to seeing them again in around 3 months time.

[Goldie M]

Hi! Dave, I was surprised when early in Spring this year when I entered my Green house a Small Tort suddenly came out of one of my plant pots and quickly disappeared out through the door I usually leave the window open in there in October and November just in case one needs shelter for a while but it's the first time i've actually seen one in there
Hope your Tort manages to survive Goldie

[millerd]

Interesting comments, everyone!

The common thread appears to be that butterflies encountered in this way are almost invariably Small Tortoiseshells. The species seems to be particularly attracted to hibernating in homes and sheds, and no doubt makes its way in when we all have doors and windows wide open in high summer. It obviously doesn't take much of an uward swing in temperature to rouse them. I commented in the spring that numbers of Small Tortoiseshells seem to appear on the first sunny Sunday, coinciding with the emergence of fleets of lawn mowers and other garden equipment from sheds: perhaps one factor in the worrying decline in this species' numbers is its association with human beings and their habits?

Dave

[millerd]

Wednesday 27th November.

It would appear that the recent cold and wet has caused my local generously-proportioned songstress to contract laryngitis...

The weather has been milder for a few days, but far from sunny. However, after a very damp start today, things cleared up at around half past nine and the sun appeared. The winds were light, and temperatures may well have touched the dizzy heights of 13 degrees. Not one to miss the slightest opportunity, I set off onto my local patch and plodded across the muddy grass. It was only a matter of minutes before I caught sight of a Red Admiral basking on the brambles.

It was quite active in the sunshine, and moved several times before settling again for a while on the fresh nettle growth (no frost here to set this back as yet).

I carried on round the wooded edge of the lake, which does very well for morning sun throughout the year and a few minutes later my eye was caught by a fluttering silvery shape. I followed it down to the grass, where it revealed itself to be a Holly Blue.

The butterfly was restless (I think it was a male) and moved on a bit to another spot low dow before taking off to a much higher location amidst nearby ivy-festooned ash trees.

This is by some margin the latest I have seen the species (the previous record I think was 16th November in 2017) and even by my rather unusual standards was a bit of a surprise considering the weeks of distinctly indifferent weather recently. The last Holly Blues I saw before this one were on 31st October - and the last free-flying butterfly was on 11th November.

By eleven o'clock the clouds were building, and by noon it was raining once again.

Dave