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Hi! Had my first Painted Lady for the year today it was sunning itself in my garden here in Carlisle Cumbria.
Our re intros of Marsh Fritillarys at Finglandrigg nr Carlisle are doing very well I had 14, but counts into the 20s have been made, a good walk but worth it, lots of Small Heath also in the same field also Wall brown in the immediate area.
Ian

I also saw my first Painted Lady of the year today, in Somerset.

Good news about the fritillaries!

Me too

in Hemel this morning

Me three, but this is the best I could manage

Last year, painted ladies reached us here in Switzerland en masse on 17th May and I presume they reached England a little after that (though some individuals obviously got there earlier). From 17th May onwards they were very common everywhere around me. In 2005 I didn't see my first Swiss individual until August, I think (I saw a few in Spain in July) - it was a bad year for them. That was also a bad year for clouded yellows. This year they arrived on 22nd May but in very small numbers and I have only seen a handful so far. This one was flying yesterday:



I find painted ladies very interesting, because their success one year has no effect at all on their presence the following year. So far as anyone knows, none survive the return journey south to their breeding grounds in Africa so all the summer activity in Europe comes to nothing. But if there is a significant warming over the next century I imagine painted ladies will be among the first species to extend their resident range.

Guy

Last year, painted ladies reached us here in Switzerland en masse on 17th May and I presume they reached England a little after that (though some individuals obviously got there earlier). From 17th May onwards they were very common everywhere around me. In 2005 I didn't see my first Swiss individual until August, I think (I saw a few in Spain in July) - it was a bad year for them. That was also a bad year for clouded yellows. This year they arrived on 22nd May but in very small numbers and I have only seen a handful so far.

This corresponds well to the Painted Ladies I've seen in the past 3 years, with a couple of weeks' lag to cover the extra distance north.

In 2005 I saw one, all year - strangely enough in Staffordshire in early September which was as far north as I got that year.

In 2006, plenty in late May/June.

This year, the first yesterday, a second today.

I wonder when i'll see them in Northern Ireland? Last year it was near July before I saw them and their was a fair number as I recall. I bread 10 to adults.

Seen one today, Mountstewart, Northern ireland. Enjoy:



It seemed to love nectaring from the red valerian that covered the top of this old wall. Never stopped long ernough for a decent pic.

Saw my first Yesterday on Lewis (Outer Hebrides). I wasn't there previously so can't comment on when they arrived but they were there in large numbers all over the Northern part of the island. Only other species seen was Green-viened White (abundant).

Cheers

John