www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Location: Abbeydale, Glos. Today:

I'll start it off ~ two Red Admirals, one Speckled Wood ( found their pupae on my fence in the past ); two Gatekeepers and one Holly Blue. Weather poorish with heavy showers interspersed with warm sunshine.

My back garden is a modest size and further reduced since building a double garage at the bottom alongside the single one already there. I'm also interested in old cars. Whilst in the garage this afternoon with the door wide open, a male Peacock entered and settled down under the tiles of the pitched roof. I left the door open but, I never saw it fly out. One winter, I discovered a couple hibernating in an old worn car tyre propped against a brick wall.

So, what butterfly visitors come to your garden ~ no cheating mind! Only genuine examples please..

I'll have to go a long way to top friends in Surrey and Hampshire. Both sexes of Purple Emperor visit most flight seasons there and the occasional freshly emerged Pine Hawk breeding on the large mature pines in their garden.

Truthfully, even though I am sorrounded by butterflies, they never stop in my garden for some reason. Seem caterpillars of speckled wood in past and last thing I saw was a buff ermine.

I live among fairly unintensive farmland in North Yorks, I have a smallish garden, but have many flowers that attract butterflies. So far this year I've seen Red Admiral, Tortoiseshell, Wall, Meadow Brown, Small & Green-veined White and Orange-tip. Not a huge amount, but chuffed about the wall!

Location Alice Holt, Farnham, Surrey
Yesterday,
Meadow brown
Gatekeeper
Small white.
Peacock.
Small Tortoiseshell.

+Over the last year.
Purple hairstreak.
Silverwashed Frit.
Speckled wood.
Large white.
Green V white
Comma
Red Admiral
Brimstone
Ringlet.
Large skipper.
Small skipper
Orange tip.
Marbled white
Holly blue
Painted lady
White Admiral

I live in the suburbs in Hemel with a small garden although there are plenty of flowers as my wife is keen to garden. Yesterday there was a peacock, red admiral, small white, green veined white, holly blue.
However I've kept a garden list for a number of years and there has been: Speckled wood, red admiral, small tortoiseshell, peacock, large white, small white, green veined white, orange tip, brimstone, common blue, holly blue, painted lady.

We also keep an eye on the birds and the current total stands at over 50 if we include our airspace

Cheers
Dave

My garden is in the NW London suburbs. So not many. We do get passing Whites and occasional Red Admirals though - especially when the ivy flowers in the autumn. Seen Speckled Woods, Commas and Holly Blues too. Plus Gatekeepers basking on the Ivy on the trellis.

The most interesting one this year was a female Small White laying eggs all over a pot of Nasturtiums. I think the eggs have hatched now as they have vanished, and some of the leaves have started to show signs of being nibbled. I guess the caterpillars will be easier to spot when they get bigger.

This year I found Horse Chestnut Leaf Miner moths in the conker tree. Also seen Least Carpets and other moths on the hedge in the front. Bigger moths do come and visit if I leave my curtains open after dark, attracted to the room light. I've occasionally left the window open on warm evenings and had quite a few interesting ones fly in. Not many evenings warm enough for that this year.

That's about it however. Nearest nature reserve is several miles away (Barnhill). The local park is definitely not managed with butterflies in mind.

-Mike

I too live in the NW London suburbs. Today I have seen Red Admiral, Small White, Peacock and Brimstone (see photo)

In the past I have seen

Comma
Small Tortoiseshell
Large White
Green-veined White
Orange Tip
Holly Blue
Gatekeeper

Martin.



Martin.

I live in Burnley in Lancashire. It's been raining today so nothing about. So far this year we have seen in our garden which borders onto open moorland the following:

Small Tortoiseshell
Red Admiral
Peacock
Holly Blue
Orange Tip
Large White
Small White

Interestingly the recent sighting of ringlets in East Lancashire is about 1/2 mile from where we live not sure if they are likely to wander this far!

David

My garden is on the northern edge of Llanelli, Carmarthenshire.
This year I have seen in the garden:

Small Skipper
Large White
Small White
Orange Tip
Green-veined White
Holly Blue
Small Tortoiseshell
Comma
Red Admiral
Peacock
Speckled Wood
Meadow Brown

Still hoping for Gatekeeper and Large Skipper!
Ringlet

Today in my Garden (all visited Buddleia one time, at least) :

Green-veined white (first for my Garden),
Small Tortoiseshell,
2+ Speckled wood,

Also 2+ Blue-tailed Damselfly.

Nick.

In my garden?

Well, I live on the ground floor of a small block of flats. I do have a small patch of 'communal' grass and a heather border outside my window, and I have seen a few things there this summer.

In terms of discarded potato crisps packets, the family Walkers has been well represented. The species Cheese 'n Onion particularly so; a few Bovril and, from its colouration, a possible Salt 'n Vinegar, but I only glimpsed the shimmering underside.

In the world of drinks packaging, variants of Ribena have been doing well. Also a crushed can of Carlsberg, a predictable migrant.

But it's not all bad news! The managing agents have neglected their maintenance duties and in recent weeks the grass outside my window has been overtaken by all manner of weeds and wild flowers. On my return from work the other day I saw a puzzled-looking Meadow Brown fluttering about this patch. I seized the opportunity and ran in to fetch camera. As I came back out I had just been preceded by my neighbour, who was settling down for a spot of sunbathing. She and I have never got on that well. My case comes up next Friday

Bryan

@ Bryan...

Martin.

today, more small tortoiseshells than I have seen in a long while, seems a population explosion happened this year here. 20+ passed through in 2-3 hours I think. Not very well, so can't go to far, so watching what flies past in my garden.

Dave McCormick wrote: Not very well, so can't go to far, so watching what flies past in my garden.

Hope you feel better soon Dave...

Martin.

Cheers Martin. Think its to do with going out too much and I hurt my left side and strined some muscles. Well, the garden is all I can go to for next few days. Saw a yellow-tail moth last night in it. Few about my area.

Today in my Garden produced a Large white, a Comma, a Small tortoiseshell and a Red admiral, all feeding on the Buddleia.

Nick.