www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Yes, those little white bits are eggs

The Sussex BC annual newsletter dropped through my letter box the other day and I read it this evening. Well done to all involved for s good read with lots of interesting reports.

Just going back to your super fungi shots - I think we should always remind people that there are several very toxic species in UK, so don't nibble anything you are not really sure about.

I mention this because I once had an alarming conversation with a Scout leader, who had taken some boys out picking mushrooms to eat. I casually commented that he must know his species well, to know which are not poisonous. His reply "not in this country" shook me to the core. !!!!!!

Some people seem to think there is nothing dangerous out there in the British countryside.

Mike

I saw an interesting and 'rather worrying' article on the BBC the other day. It would appear that wild mushrooms are now being massively over harvested on a near commercial scale. They are worth a lot to the restaurant trade, and thanks to cookery programs it's become very trendy to 'forage' amongst enthusiastic foodies. Now rather than an occasional forager harmlessly gathering a few wild mushrooms for their own consumption there are a lot more "money oriented individuals" out with bin liners picking everything in sight, including some of the poisonous variates that they presumably sort out when they get home. Alarmingly this would suggest that they don't really know what they're picking!

Even more seriously these Fungi are very important for maintaining a healthy ecosystem and this increasing trend in the 'over harvesting' of Fungi is harming this delicate balance.

I had no absolutely no idea this was going on, I guess if there's easy money to be made there will always be some ready and willing to exploit it.

I saw that too. Although some areas are affected hopefully there will always be quiet places where they still flourish.

I took the woofer to the seaside today and saw a red admiral

I hope you're right Susie, people can be very selfish at times. Seeing a Red Admiral at the beach sounds very right and proper, did you name it Nelson

No, Marko Ramius

Two butterflies seen on Wednesday and a peacock found hibernating in the woodshed yesterday.

Peacock from Saturday. Probably my last butterfly of the year.

I've been thinking about next year already. Hopefully it will be better than this one and I'll tackle the challenge of 44 species! I did actually see 44 this year if I include the long tailed blues

Susie wrote:I did actually see 44 this year if I include the long tailed blues

Absolutely bona fide sighting too, Susie. I only wish I could have seen them.

44 is excellent going if you don't travel more than an hour and a half's drive from your 'territory'. Just shows how 'fecund' your immediate area is for our beloved UK butterflies.

David M wrote:

Susie wrote:I did actually see 44 this year if I include the long tailed blues

Absolutely bona fide sighting too, Susie. I only wish I could have seen them.

44 is excellent going if you don't travel more than an hour and a half's drive from your 'territory'. Just shows how 'fecund' your immediate area is for our beloved UK butterflies.

I think everything I saw was within a 45 minute drive. I am indeed blessed living in Sussex

Forty Four is excellent going , I picked up 46 this year but that was with Lulworth Skipper and I have Marshies nearby. Tell you what I'll swap you those two for the Long-Tails and a Wood White? I know some good sites if you can risk straying into Hampshire, though I try not too

Have a goodun

Wurzel

I'm definitely planning to visit Hampshire next year, Wurzel. Its a lovely county and I've still never seen lulworth skipper so that's definitely on my wish list

If your every planning a trip in this direction at the right time of year I'll happily show you wood white.

We've had some wild weather over the last few days. I imagine there will have been a fair few hibernating butterflies disturbed which won't see next spring.

Yesterday we took a walk to Pitch Hill in Peaslake, Surrey, as it was a lovely sunny day. The Surrey Hills seems to have it's own weather at times and we went through thick fog before coming back to the sunshine. There was a lot of standing water about and the storm's presence was still felt by the number of trees down which were as many as I have ever seen.

View from Pitch Hill across Surrey/Sussex with bank of fog in the middle Fallen trees in the Hurtwood at Pitch Hill

2014 and 44 species to see ... Let the challenge begin!

so, which 14 are you going to miss out?

Why not go for 45, Susie, to eclipse last year's excellent total?

David M wrote:Why not go for 45, Susie, to eclipse last year's excellent total?

Because I won't be 45 this year, David

MikeOxon wrote:so, which 14 are you going to miss out?

The tricky ones!