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A few Whites down by the Thames at Runnymede this afternoon. There is a lot of thistle flowering for the second time near the river, and plenty of red clover in the field landward of the main road. Warm in sheltered sunny spots, but overall very chilly. No evidence of overnight frost hereabouts.

Dave

Two red admirals were flying very low and fast along the coast at Goring this afternoon. One bravely headed out to sea. Perhaps it saw the weather forecast for later this week and headed across to France while the going was still good.

Lunchtime - Surprised to see a single Red Admiral flying in the Lime Avenue leading to the Mill Road Cemetery despite the cold weather....

NickB wrote:Lunchtime - Surprised to see a single Red Admiral flying in the Lime Avenue leading to the Mill Road Cemetery despite the cold weather....

Although it's gone cold (about 11C here today in Swansea), it doesn't actually feel too bad in sunny, sheltered spots. I'm sure there will still be a butterfly or three out and about (although that may change as the weekend looms with its promised sub-zero temperatures).

There was an absolutely perfect red admiral feeding on buddleia,vebena bonariensis and michelmas daisy in the garden this afternoon. It was lovely to see such a fresh and strong flying butterfly.

Almost perfect Speckled Wood in Hollicocmbe Park near Paignton, looks like the same individual I saw earlier in the week.

I photographed a female Holly Blue in my garden in South Somerset this afternoon, feeding on an ivy flower:
I also saw a Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell. I have never seen a Holly Blue so late in the year.

hystrix wrote:I photographed a female Holly Blue in my garden in South Somerset this afternoon, feeding on an ivy flower:

DSC03424_edited-1.jpg

You lucky fellow. I've been waiting all my life to see a female Holly Blue posing with wings open. I'd happily take it in August, never mind the back end of October!

There was a small copper flying around when I went for a walk in some local fields this afternoon. There was a solitary buttercup left and it managed to find it.

I also saw a small copper sunning itself in a rabbit scratching in the middle of a field in SW Surrey. Its colour was so bright it must be a recent emergence.

Saw loads of butterflies today - Scare Swallowtail, Large Copper, Large White, Small White, Brimstone, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Peacock, Wall?, Meadow Brown?, Painted Lady?, Small Blue?, Small Copper? and a few un-id's ......
.... all in the floral pictures in the Fitzwilliam Museum, dating from the mid-1600's to the late 1800's....
Worth a look if you are in Cambridge or up for the BC AGM weekend....How many species can you identify?
I need Guy for the difficult id work.....

hystrix wrote:I photographed a female Holly Blue in my garden in South Somerset this afternoon, feeding on an ivy flower:

DSC03424_edited-1.jpg

I also saw a Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell. I have never seen a Holly Blue so late in the year.

Chances are she may have also been egg-laying. I have found their eggs on the flowers of Ivy just like those. I've also seen them laying on the growing tips of Virginia Creeper growing on a sunny wall but in the high summer. The V. creeper growing over much of my garage has lost half its leaves already ... all a brilliant Crimson and some are white. It will be bare soon and not suitable for holly blue ova. Twenty feet away there is a mature female holly bush where i've seen females laying in May and June and found the larvae on it later.
..

Nick wrote:

.... all in the floral pictures in the Fitzwilliam Museum, dating from the mid-1600's to the late 1800's....

I presume you aren't allowed to take photos to help with i/d - or are you? I do know that you're not supposed to knock over precious antique vases
(Explanation for those whom don't know what I'm talking about: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4708494.stm)

Jack

Jack Harrison wrote:....presume you aren't allowed to take photos to help with i/d - or are you? ......
Jack

No photos! And there is so much varnish on some that it is difficult to see the detail; or they are too high to see properly.....
It passed the time whilst my mother had a look round
(And I didn't touch that vase...honest )
N

I was out today, haven't seen a butterfly in ages so have not been around, but I did see a good condition red admiral feeding on ivy near my house, warm in sun but cold in shade.

Freshwater on the Isle of Wight and a very sunny and warmish afternoon,a Red Admiral fliting around my front garden.

Likely Red Admiral or Peacock flew overhead as I travelled allong the A27 near Portsmouth around 11:00 this morning and then a Red Admiral fluttering around inside the garden centre at Hillier Gardens near Romsey (Shopping for my new garden I am begining to unbury!).

First butterflies I have seen in ages... first time I have been outside much in ages due to work and the shrotening days grr!!

....first time I have been outside much in ages due to work and the shortening days grr!!...

I wear my pedant's hat. The days have been shortening since the summer solstice on 21st June and will get longer again after the winter solstice on 21st December.

But a little know fact is that the earliest sunset is not on the shortest day but several days earlier (at my latitude of 52 degs north is in fact on or about 13th December)

Explanation:
http://www.nmm.ac.uk/rog/2008/12/earlie ... rther.html

Jack

Another Red Admiral - up in the sunny side of a pine tree yesterday...
N

saw a red admiral today on my post round flying from a garden, sunny but only bout 9 c