November 2021
Re: November 2021
Friday 19th - solitary Red Admiral seen nectaring from hebe at Limeslade Bay, Gower:
Re: November 2021
Incredible sightings, Vince, and fabulously posed too.Vince Massimo wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 3:57 pmMy local butterfly hot spot in Crawley produced a surprising 3 Speckled Woods at 12.30 today.
![Mr. Green :mrgreen:](./images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif)
- Padfield
- Administrator
- Posts: 8214
- Joined: Sun Nov 05, 2006 10:19 pm
- Location: Leysin, Switzerland
- Contact:
Re: November 2021
Yesterday a heavily gravid female red admiral appeared in our Woodbridge garden. I kept my distance, hoping she would lay some eggs, and sure enough there were eggs on the freshest, youngest nettles today:
![Image](https://www.guypadfield.com/images2021/atalanta22nov2021a.jpg)
There are five eggs in this picture:
![Image](https://www.guypadfield.com/images2021/atalantaeggs23nov2021a.jpg)
This is one of them:
![Image](https://www.guypadfield.com/images2021/atalantaegg23nov2021a.jpg)
Whether any will hatch, with the cold weather and snow forecast for the next week, is not certain.
Guy
![Image](https://www.guypadfield.com/images2021/atalanta22nov2021a.jpg)
There are five eggs in this picture:
![Image](https://www.guypadfield.com/images2021/atalantaeggs23nov2021a.jpg)
This is one of them:
![Image](https://www.guypadfield.com/images2021/atalantaegg23nov2021a.jpg)
Whether any will hatch, with the cold weather and snow forecast for the next week, is not certain.
Guy
Guy's Butterflies: https://www.guypadfield.com
The Butterflies of Villars-Gryon : https://www.guypadfield.com/villarsgryonbook.html
The Butterflies of Villars-Gryon : https://www.guypadfield.com/villarsgryonbook.html
- Vince Massimo
- Administrator & Stock Contributor
- Posts: 1856
- Joined: Sat Aug 16, 2008 7:36 pm
- Location: Crawley, Sussex
Re: November 2021
Keep an eye on those eggs, Guy. In 2017 I monitored eggs laid in November that hatched in January and February 2018 (in the wild) and March (in captivity).
Vince
Vince
Re: November 2021
A lovely Red Admiral in warm sunshine this morning, nectaring on Buddleia weyeriana .Glad I didn’t prune too soon!
Re: November 2021
25 November - whilst watching birds moving along our garden hedgerow, I was very surprised to be attacked by a Red Admiral, which flew at speed towards me causing me to duck, then disappeared somewhere into the bright low sun.
- Vince Massimo
- Administrator & Stock Contributor
- Posts: 1856
- Joined: Sat Aug 16, 2008 7:36 pm
- Location: Crawley, Sussex
Re: November 2021
Seen in the Crawley hot-spot today at 12.30 - 1 Speckled Wood (male #1 as seen on 23rd) and 1 Red Admiral.
The previous report for 23rd November is here: https://ukbutterflies.co.uk/phpBB/viewt ... 20#p167351
Temperature was 7C or 8C with no wind in this sheltered spot.
I suspect that this will be the last sighting this year of this species in this location.
Vince
The previous report for 23rd November is here: https://ukbutterflies.co.uk/phpBB/viewt ... 20#p167351
Temperature was 7C or 8C with no wind in this sheltered spot.
I suspect that this will be the last sighting this year of this species in this location.
Vince
- Padfield
- Administrator
- Posts: 8214
- Joined: Sun Nov 05, 2006 10:19 pm
- Location: Leysin, Switzerland
- Contact:
Re: November 2021
Thanks Vince. I didn't know red admiral eggs could remain viable after so long unhatched.Vince Massimo wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 10:19 pm Keep an eye on those eggs, Guy. In 2017 I monitored eggs laid in November that hatched in January and February 2018 (in the wild) and March (in captivity).
Vince
I went to look for more today and found plenty. Then I spotted what to the naked eye looked like a hatching egg. On examining the photo, I see it is a hymenopterid, apparently crawling out of an egg. Can anyone explain what's really going on here? Sorry for the awful pictures - the eggs were already in the shade when I took these and the flash only reaches the leaf if I pull right back ...
![Image](https://www.guypadfield.com/images2021/hymenopterid25nov2021a.jpg)
![Image](https://www.guypadfield.com/images2021/hymenopterid25nov2021b.jpg)
Guy
Guy's Butterflies: https://www.guypadfield.com
The Butterflies of Villars-Gryon : https://www.guypadfield.com/villarsgryonbook.html
The Butterflies of Villars-Gryon : https://www.guypadfield.com/villarsgryonbook.html
Re: November 2021
Can't rule out a December sighting of this species, Vince. Neither of the individuals recorded look to be on their last legs. It would be an incredible thing to see a Speckled Wood in that month of the year!Vince Massimo wrote: ↑Thu Nov 25, 2021 2:10 pmSeen in the Crawley hot-spot today at 12.30 - 1 Speckled Wood (male #1 as seen on 23rd)..
Re: November 2021
Sunday 21st - 3 Red Admirals seen at Whiteford Burrows on the NW Gower coast:
- Padfield
- Administrator
- Posts: 8214
- Joined: Sun Nov 05, 2006 10:19 pm
- Location: Leysin, Switzerland
- Contact:
Re: November 2021
A garden red admiral this morning, after a very heavy frost and while the ambient temperature was still just 3°C:
![Image](https://www.guypadfield.com/images2021/atalanta29nov2021a.jpg)
![Image](https://www.guypadfield.com/images2021/atalanta29nov2021b.jpg)
![Image](https://www.guypadfield.com/images2021/atalanta29nov2021c.jpg)
This is the same female I saw on 23rd, now with a much diminished abdomen - so she's laid a lot of eggs!
Guy
![Image](https://www.guypadfield.com/images2021/atalanta29nov2021a.jpg)
![Image](https://www.guypadfield.com/images2021/atalanta29nov2021b.jpg)
![Image](https://www.guypadfield.com/images2021/atalanta29nov2021c.jpg)
This is the same female I saw on 23rd, now with a much diminished abdomen - so she's laid a lot of eggs!
Guy
Guy's Butterflies: https://www.guypadfield.com
The Butterflies of Villars-Gryon : https://www.guypadfield.com/villarsgryonbook.html
The Butterflies of Villars-Gryon : https://www.guypadfield.com/villarsgryonbook.html
Re: November 2021
Amazing statistic, Guy!
![Shocked :shock:](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)
I normally don't bother searching for butterflies unless the air temperature is at least 7°c. Maybe I should reassess that?
- Vince Massimo
- Administrator & Stock Contributor
- Posts: 1856
- Joined: Sat Aug 16, 2008 7:36 pm
- Location: Crawley, Sussex
Re: November 2021
That's a great sighting, Guy. The fact that she has reappeared is a sign that she has been roosting locally, probably in a very sheltered place which gets morning sunshine. She could possibly overwinter there, so it would worth checking the same spot in the garden on any day when the sun has been out all morning. She has nettles in your garden which she can use for egg laying if the temperature is high enough in December, but she will need energy, so I suggest some pieces of over-ripe apple or something similarly tempting (like half a plum) hung on the fence where she has been perching.
Vince
Re: November 2021
Monday 22nd - Two Red Admirals seen in Park Wood, Gower:
Re: November 2021
Thursday 25th - single Comma seen in Worcester Woods Country Park: