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Inspired by NearbyWild on twitter to get out in the garden just before the big autumnal rain this morning, I made a couple of happy discoveries.

First, clipping the wisteria to lessen the leaf fall, I hacked back a bit far and uncovered a Red Admiral upside down and clearly resting, with closed wings, possibly planning to overwinter there? I'm sure I've seen it under that exact patch before. Went indoors mortified for having disturbed it and on coming out of the house again, only just saw it jump off my pale blue jumper and back into another patch of wisteria and hide. (Hadn't even spotted it land on me!) I will definitely leave that patch unclipped. And have put an old rotting apple nearby in case it wants to feed up before hibernating again.

Second, on inspecting the Comma chrysalis on the Nettle stem which I've now put safely in the shed for shelter, I was delighted to see that the chrysalis seems a lighter, rustier brown again (less dark and shrivelled looking than it was) and also that the gold dots on it's side are brighter. These golden dots, here pictured on a different chrysalis earlier this year, have been intriguing me all season. Finally today has moved me to google them, and they sound like they could be O2 portals for the caterpillar inside? What a mysterious process their life cycle is.

Hi, CJAnnie, and a warm welcome to UKB!

Interesting observations of the Red Admiral: they are very light sleepers compared to true hibernating species like Peacocks, Commas and Small Tortoiseshells, so I suspect that as soon as the sun returns (tomorrow, even) it will be up and about and looking for some ivy or other late flowers to nectar on (or rotting fruit as you suggest). As long as it doesn't get really cold and there's some sunshine, Red Admirals can be active on almost any day of the year. However, I've noticed that they appear to have favoured sheltered roosting spots to which they return overnight, and in inclement weather, so maybe your wisteria is such a spot.

Hopefully the next sunny spell will also trigger the emergence of your Comma. A few new ones do seem to still be appearing near me and there's still time for it to feed up before hibernation. Also, that's fascinating info about the shiny spots on the chrysalis - I'd always just dismissed them as being part of the overall camouflage rather than having a specific function. Always something new to discover!

Looking forward to your future posts and observations,

Cheers,

Dave

Welcome from me as well CJAnnie As Dave says interesting observations especially the info on the Comma chrysalis - I'd never really thought about it before so now I've got something to look into during the winter months Looking forward to your next posting

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

That's a nice way to start, CJAnnie; an image of a pupa in the wild.

It'll likely give way to a butterfly emergence very soon, and hopefully the resulting adult will successfully hibernate and go on to breed next spring.

Thanks for all the lovely replies, info and advice! Lovely surprise!
I didn't know that Red Admirals 'stay awake' all winter - but did sense this one might have a home here in the garden - that's great to know.
Thank again!

No sightings at all myself until this weekend, down in Somerset - a wonderful Speckled Wood! Enjoying his territory in my father in law's garden. Here captured in the Eleagnus Augustifolia, with difficulty, poor shot I'm afraid!
Meanwhile I have embarked on Project Speckled Wood in my own garden. to try and encourage them/one/ a paid next year. Got a effectively a shady clearing, with a birch tree, several Viburnum but only one useful one, a Guelder Rose I've just planted. I know an Eleagnus would work, haven't sourced one yet (Peat free).

I have been busy though campaigning on the peat free front - especially online and for COP26. Twitter @cj_annie
I was so inspired by a Gardening for Butterflies seminar given by Butterfly Conservation last year, and the Irish wildlife gardener presenter saying best thing you can do is go Peat Free. So I've tried!

By the way the Comma chrysallis is still in the shed, out of this wind, looking small and dull again....seems to go through phases and will shelter it for now. Been planting bulbs and looking forward to Spring, already!

Hopefully that Specklie manged to avoid some the deluges that we had today over in neighbouring Wiltshire Annie - the temperatures look reasonable so there might be a few butterflies flying this week still

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

A Hallowe'en Speckled Wood is a nice sighting, Annie. I hope your plan to attract them pays off.

I'm surprised the Comma pupa is still there. By rights the adult should have emerged by now.

Thanks for replies!
Good to know some species still on the wing!
Not sure this chrysallis will hatch now, will keep an eye...

Hi and HNY 22 to all - hope this is the right way forward, posting a reply...If not apols!
Just wanted to say that even with the knowledge gained here that Red Admirals could still be flying in winter, I was still very surprised to see one, clinging to the bird table, in the rain!
I'm afraid to say i got some old apple and coaxed it onto that, and put them both in a Sage bush for more shelter. The Butterfly had disappeared a little later so it was still mobile. I wonder if that was the wrong thing to do??

I've also found a few caterpillars, as yet unidentified and not very good photos - one on my Hellebores and one in some leaves which I put back of course.

I guess the chrysalis Commas must have hatched, as the cocoons themselves all disappeared from the Nettles? But reading an entry by Benjamin it's possible, not....

Anyway looking forward to next Spring and Summer and things getting a bit warmer and brighter again.
Cheers!

Happy New Year CJAnnie That's definitely a way to get the year started CJAnnie - a Red Admiral It will hopefully have found somewhere out of the way to settle back down for a snooze before the next reasonably warm, sunny day wakes it up. I sometimes wonder as well if they can get woken up by noisy neighbours?
I'm going to take a massive guess and go for that cat being an Angle Shades moth I'm probably wrong but worth a punt anyway

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

CJAnnie wrote: ↑Sat Jan 08, 2022 5:53 pm...I'm afraid to say i got some old apple and coaxed it onto that, and put them both in a Sage bush for more shelter. The Butterfly had disappeared a little later so it was still mobile. I wonder if that was the wrong thing to do??

Nothing wrong with that, Annie. It would have supplied the butterfly with a fructose hit which it probably appreciated given the near absence of nectar sources at this time of year.

There may be a few more flying about this week given the mild forecast. Light winds and a bit of sunshine are all that's required.

Thank you - reassurance appreciated