www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Sorry for intresting "odd" subject heading. But is this a good year for peacock butterflies. Seen hundreds of caterpillars of them latley and got 16 home to breed. They are almost fully grown and seems that world wide butterflies: wwb.co.uk is selling eggs by 100 as is been so sucessful with them.

Is this a good sign?

All species have huge population fluctuations ~ the once widespread and commom Wall Brown I remember as a boy in the 1940-50s is now a rare sight for me. About 20 years since I've seen one pass through my garden.

Back in 1976, the Marsh Fritillary had a population explosion in Glos. Every field trip turned it up in huge numbers in sites I kept an eye on, including examples in very unlikely localities. In 1977, I saw one fresh example only in all those favoured sites.

That single sighting was in a locality which was once one of the finest hillside localities for the Cotswold race of the Large Blue.

The Small Tortoiseshell is one of our most attractive butterflies ~ often held in less high regard simply because of it usually being so common. I for one rejoice to see 'common' species like the beautiful Common Blue and Peacock this year in such good numbers ~ the latter to my eyes one of the most beautiful insects on the planet.
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We saw these beauties today.

Gruditch