www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Susie wrote:Disturbed a peacock basking this morning while out with the dog and then a red admiral in cranleigh on the way into work at lunchtime.

I fancied someone might see butterflies today. Even in south Wales it was benign and sunny. If I'd had the day off I'd have definitely gone for a stroll to take a look for them.

I had 4 Commas and a male Brimstone at my local reserve in Coulsdon, Surrey at lunchtime today. Temperature was approximately 10 degrees with light winds. Earlier in the week I found 2 fresh Red-green Carpet moths (one outside and one inside).
It's a new one for me and the books say that it's an Autumn species, occurring in September and October and hibernating as an adult.

Vince

Got a surprise when I went to get my hair cut this morning in Clydach. I parked my car at the Forge cafe and there was a Red Admiral fluttering about amongst the nettles next to the river. It then flew onto a the leg of a wooden bench to try and get some warmth - shame I didn't have my camera.

13 November 2013
One sunny still day with hardly a breeze, A Red Admiral flew across a very crowded Adur Ferry Bridge and a short time after one flew across the River Adur adjacent to the very new bridge. http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Butterfly-list2013.html

Hi there. This little fellow flew into my kitchen 3:30pm yesterday. The Peacock and I both live in York.

sue_marie wrote:Hi there. This little fellow flew into my kitchen 3:30pm yesterday. The Peacock and I both live in York.

Wow. This species is normally in deep sleep by now. Hope he/she got back outside again to find a suitable hibernation spot.

Hi. After taking the photo I left the room briefly and when I came back a few minutes later it was nowhere in sight. This morning though it was on my window again so I carefully put it in my dry shed and left the door open for it to leave if it wanted. It's not where I left it now (a few hours later) so hopefully has found a nice place to hibernate because I've closed the shed door.

sue_marie wrote:Hi. After taking the photo I left the room briefly and when I came back a few minutes later it was nowhere in sight. This morning though it was on my window again so I carefully put it in my dry shed and left the door open for it to leave if it wanted. It's not where I left it now (a few hours later) so hopefully has found a nice place to hibernate because I've closed the shed door.

Supremely well done! It'd better find somewhere soon as Tuesday sees the first Arctic blast of winter according to the Met Office.

Yesterday at Dungeness I saw a Small Copper And a Clouded Yellow Happy Hunting

Hoggers

A Small Tortoiseshell was seen in East Linton, south-east Scotland yesterday.

A Red Admiral early afternoon flying along Seaford seafront.

http://bobsbutterflies.blogspot.com

27 November 2013
A most unexpected discovery was a Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly asleep on my bedroom wall. Without my spectacles on I thought it must have been a spider and I gave it a nudge. Sleepily, I cupped it in my hand as I did not recognise it as a butterfly at first. It was after I recognised what it was and I took the butterfly to my small empty plastic aquarium tank in my bathroom. Then the butterfly came to life and flew around the light bulb. I caught it again and by midday the butterfly is resting with its wings closed in the small aquarium. It looked worn but it did not appear to have any obvious damage.

Purple hairstreak egg on an oak bud in Bath today - the first I have found for a couple of years. Now all the leaves have fallen it is a good time to look and maybe they have had a good year locally.

One from Shetland (not mine):




https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =1&theater

Looks like a Yellow-legged Tortoiseshell Nymphalis xanthomelas.

M.

Mikhail wrote:Looks like a Yellow-legged Tortoiseshell Nymphalis xanthomelas.

M.

Extraordinary

Well of course this must be suspicious on many counts. It look very much dead to me - no antennae.

I doubt it's a deliberate fraud, more likely a confusion resulting for a butterfly found abroad and brought back home. Or something like that.

Jack

Jack Harrison wrote:Well of course this must be suspicious on many counts. It look very much dead to me - no antennae.

I doubt it's a deliberate fraud, more likely a confusion resulting for a butterfly found abroad and brought back home. Or something like that.

Jack

Well spotted early on a Monday morning. Found in an imported wood pile, Shetlands.

Depending where the imported wood came from so offer two possibilities.

Yellow-legged Tortoiseshell Nymphalis xanthomelas originating Scandinavia
or (unlikely) the very similar
Compton Tortoiseshell Nymphalis vaualbum possibly imported from Canada.

Sadly of course, in neither case would it be a natural arrival so nothing to get too excited about.

Jack