Strange butterfly year so far.........

[George]

Has anyone else noticed what a strange start to this butterfly year we are having or is it just in the East Midlands! Usually see quite a few Commas but have seen none at all this year. On the other hand there have been loads of Speckled Woods & Holly Blues - even one female (Holly Blue) ovipositing in my garden yesterday! Also on my local patch there are usually Dingy Skippers and Common Blues by now but not one this year yet!

So - no Commas or Small Tortoiseshells but plenty of Holly Blues and Speckled Woods (seems to have become a garden butterfly now!)

Anyone else noticed any odd things?

Cheers
George

[Dave McCormick]

I have noticed some strange things latley too. I have noticed in past month or so, more holly blues than I have ever seen. I watched 6 yesterday and 3 mating pairs and a few females egg laying. (all on same holly bush)

1 small copper in an area I have never seen before, in my grans glasshouse, where no docks anywhere near as far as I know. More speckled woods everywhere (they appeared in early March last year and only appeared in April here) and loads of GV Whites at my local patch. No holly blues at the patch I found them first time last year, or no orange tips their either and there was quite a number last year there and area has not changed since then.

Anf first time I have seen a Holly blue in my garden before too. And first comma spotted in Nothern Ireland (well Co Down as far as I know, their may have been a couple other sightings)for 10-11 years and only the one time did I see it.

And bigger moths appearing now, a couple of weeks ago I seen none and now quite a number at my window in evening.

[George]

Hi,

I have found a Dingy Skipper at last - my local colony are 2-3 weeks later this year. Still no Commas or Small Tortoiseshells, in fact during a walk in the area the most common butterfly was Dingy Skipper!!

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[Matsukaze]

Strange indeed, I have seen just one Comma so far, one Common Blue (and that was dying), and no Small Coppers. Yet the whites are doing reasonably and Holly blue very well.

Small Tortoiseshell is pretty much absent - just one away from a couple of nearby meadows where I am walking a transect and where it is the most common butterfly so far!

[chanandler04]

I visited a site last week, which i did a lot of work at last year for my dissertation, where previously there had been plenty of commas and ringlets and didnt see a single comma or ringlet, however i did see a couple of brimstones, orange tips and green veined whites.

Also i visited south stacks on Anglesey and saw plenty of common blues so I think they'll be ok

[Rogerdodge]

.....and didnt see a single comma or ringlet

I don't think you should expect a Ringlet for another 2-3 weeks.

Roger