Matthew Oates
Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2023 4:14 pm
I venture to explain something to the great man. However, I'll be brave:
Matthew writes:
So let's offer a hypothesis. They came from Brest Peninsula, France and flew at 10 mph through the air. With a 20 mph wind behind them, that would mean 30 mph over the water (airspeed and ground speed in pilot jargon) thus from Brest to South Devon would have taken 6 hours. They might have originated further away, such as Northwest Spain, perhaps 14 hours flying time away.
But no reason why they shouldn't still be in pristine condition when they arrive in Devon
Jack
Matthew writes:
Butterfly wings normally only get damaged when they become in contact with something solid, such as vegetation. The wear and tear in free air will be minimal."Red Admirals...Devon...off the sea...Nearly all these invaders were in pristine condition, begging the question of where they had come from."
So let's offer a hypothesis. They came from Brest Peninsula, France and flew at 10 mph through the air. With a 20 mph wind behind them, that would mean 30 mph over the water (airspeed and ground speed in pilot jargon) thus from Brest to South Devon would have taken 6 hours. They might have originated further away, such as Northwest Spain, perhaps 14 hours flying time away.
But no reason why they shouldn't still be in pristine condition when they arrive in Devon
Jack