www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Its hard to believe that my East Hampshire garden that just days ago had Brimstones flying over a carpet of primroses, Peacocks dodging around the daffodils and an odd Comma exploring the golden catkins of goat willow is now....

Under a carpet of snow over 5 mm deep.

cold here, slight snow, sunny though, but cold. Wonder how this cold spell will affect the butterflies being found now?

To respond to Dave's query as to how today's snow will affect butterflies - well I keep old diaries. It was 1989 when Hampshire last had significant snowfall in April - a good 5 cm came down at 7pm on the 5th April. I remember it well. It covered the blue bell flowers in my local wood in the hour I was out for a walk.

So I have just been having a look at the Hants report for 1989 - yes I keep those too! Interestingly the report does not mention the 5th April snow so I do not know whetehr it was as widespread as todays fall.

So Speckled Wood - at the three sites mentioned with records since 1984 SPW had their best year ever in 1989.

Small Tortoiseshells were down at two out of three sites & overall were described as disappointing despite the long hot summer. Yes the summer of 1989 was a good one with above average temperatures. Not that I am making any predictions for 2008...... But if its a good summer remember you read it here first

Brimstone at some sites were good some not so good. But the report tells of a pair found mating at Parnholt Wood on 26th March were observed regularly & did not seperate until 10th April so the snow did not put them off


Small White had a good year but Green-veined were regarded as having mixed fortunes.

Orange Tips - the first was seen at Porton Down on 26th March & was the earliest Hampshire sighting. ( previously 31/3/1920) But given poor weather generally in early April were not regularly seen until the 18th /19th April.

And to end on a positive note Holly Blue numbers showed a real resurgence in 1989 & it received Hampshire's Butterfly of the Year Award

So I hope that is of interest but really it does not answer Dave's question. We shall have to wait & see!

Lynn wrote:And to end on a positive note Holly Blue numbers showed a real resurgence in 1989 & it received Hampshire's Butterfly of the Year Award

I have an interesting theory... maybe some butterflies are much better equipped to survive the harsh conditions than their parasites. So when there is late snow and frosts, the wasp that parasitises the Holly Blue perish, allowing the butterflies to flourish.

If the Small Tortoiseshell is indeed being blighted by a parasitic wasp, maybe this weather will be its saviour?

Regards, Chris

That's a great theory Chris, lets hope it works!

Martin.

I wonder if precociousness is partly genetically determined. Last year things emerged very early and were highly successful. This year some things have been inappropriately early, despite the weather - perhaps they are the offspring of last year's selection?

We have now had snow almost continuously since mid-March, and mostly bad weather before that in March. This very protracted period of cold does seem to have kept numbers down on the days they have been able to fly. Here's my morning walk today:



Not really a butterfly paradise...

Guy

Well Guy's dog looked a lot calmer in the snow than my mad Jack Russell but I guess he /she is a bit more used to the snow than mine, who at 4 years old has scarcely seen snow!

Yesterday was sunny & warm & I did see my first Orange Tip of the year. However I saw only one peacock & no Brimstones.
I do hope thatthey were not killed by Sunday's snow. Shall be looking extra hard today!

Here's a shot of mine from April 6th. I went to see the opening round of the British Superbike championship at Brands Hatch, Kent...needless to say it was postponed untill May.



Martin.

Hello,

6 April 2008

No butterflies were recorded. I looked. I wanted a Peacock in the snow.

A surprise snowfall continued through the morning to a measured depth of 75 mm on the pavement outside my home in residential Shoreham. The Met Office recorded temperature plummeted from 4° C at 9:00 am to 0° C freezing point from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, rising to 3° C by 6:00 pm. My quick temperature reading was 5.5° C at 10:00 am.
As the temperature rose during the day most of snow in town melted leaving a patchy and thin layer on the downs, all the snow fell from the trees, although on the downs there was a remnant of snow on north facing trunks in the afternoon.

Adur Butterfly & Large Moth List
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Butterfly-list2008.html

Cheers

Andy Horton
glaucus@hotmail.com
Adur Valley Nature Notes
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2007.html
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2008.html
Adur Valley Nature Notes: April 2008
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/April2008.html

Perseus wrote:I wanted a Peacock in the snow.

I've never seen a peacock on snow but small tortoiseshells regularly fly here when there is thick snow around. If they make the mistake of landing on the snow when clouds come over they are doomed - without the radiant heat their temperature plummets.

This photo was taken on 20th March 2006. The butterfly had landed on a ski piste and I moved it after taking the picture.



Guy

Yeah 6th April was remarkable in NW London too. I have my own snow pics from that day at http://piccies.flybywire.org.uk/Weather/index.html - 3rd row down for 3 rows. I believe the snow even stuck on the beaches on the south coast!

Unsurprisingly I saw not butterflies that day. Wow amazing to see a Small Tortoiseshell on ice Padfield. The closest story I know is a friend once seeing a Red Admiral flying over frost covered brambles.

-Mike