www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

As winter fast approaches, yesterday here in Bristol, we had all four seasons.
The day started with a slight frost, followed by glorious sunshine. Then thunder and hail, followed by a few flakes of snow quickly turning to rain.
This morning we have had a heavy frost and at 7am it was -2.
My last butterfly sighting was on Sunday 26th (Red Admiral) and it was the same day as my first sighting of the "winter collection" of birds. A stunning male Brambling on my feeder. Very early sighting, as I don't normally get them until February.

Cheers
Denise

Edit :- and now I have 2 male Blackcaps

Hi Denise,

You are very lucky to see Bramblings and the Blackcaps, I have noticed a lots of Redwings eating the Haw berries, poor Blackbirds will have to look else where. We also had hailstones yesterday and its bitterly cold. I suppose Winter is on its way.
Regards Shirley

Hi Shirley,

I too have seen Redwing and Fieldfare in the area, but not in my garden... yet.
Last winter I had a male Reed Bunting There are no lakes that are local to me so this was a bit strange. It was here on and off for weeks.
I travelled to Norfolk for a weekends birding last January and saw the American White-crowned Sparrow. I was rather hoping that my Reed bunting was something more exotic, but it was just in a strange plumage. (The feather tips had not worn off to produce that very striking dark head) By late March it was looking like a common or garden variety

Anything to keep us sane until the spring and more butterflies.
By the way, the temperature has risen to a scorching 6 degrees, and I have seen 2 fast flying Red Admiral this morning.

Denise

Weathers a bit crazy here in Northern Ireland. I have not seen a butterfly since middle/end of september. We have rain some sun, cold snow and hail yesterday. I have been watching the local water birds, curlews, canadian brent geese. Seems we have canadain brent this year instead of the usual ones from russia direction. These ones are a little lighter coloured than normal. Wondered why I was seeing them a little earlier than usual.

Watching squirrels gather nuts for winter too, its nice. I saw a pair last week fighting over a nut and you could hear them making noises, pitty I did not have my camera then. Also, yesterday a pareguine falcon crashed into our front window on our house, but don't worry, it was unharmed. There is a shoot here that started last weekened and my dad thinks one of the shooters might have clipped it on the wing and thats why it crashed, it was a little wary when flying, but seemd alright in general.

Hey everyone!
Talking of crazy weather, in Harpenden and the surrounding areas have had snow!! And a decent amount - snowball fights, snow angels, snowmen etc. However driving home in it was awful, bad visability and car skiding around. AND all this weather caused a 16 power cut over night with temperatures below 0 and frost forming on the windows, and we are still without internet and TV

Continuing...
Im using my mobile
there is still snow on the ground! I'll post up photos when i can.
Any one else with snow?
Take care everyone
Em

No

Gruditch

After all of this, i didnt want the snow, you can have it gruditch!
Day 4: still no real internet and no tv. Eletricity to the house - it comes and goes.
Snow in oct!! Is that normal?!?

Right, I am back online properly now!

Here are some of the photos

Snow falling in the garden a few minutes after the power went out.
And the following morning when it was warmer outside than in the house! So I went out for a walk because I was all stiff from a very cold night.
The local field And the snow covered fields, which I am sure are beautiful!
I still can't believe it
Em

Hi Em,

It looks as though Christmas has come rather sooner that expected, lovely photos. We've had loads of very cold rain. I have noticed that Snowdon mountain has got snow on it. Regards Shirley

I can imagine the snow looks beautiful, but I'm not to impressed with it at this time of the year It caused to many problems!

Oh well, doesn't stop it from being beautiful Even though it's slush at the moment, which is even more fun to throw at my brother

How would this cold, cold weather affect the over-winter butterflies?

Em

The last time I remember seeing substantial snow so early in the south east was back in the winter of 1962-1963. That was by far the most severe winter of my lifetime.

Snow this early .... it's a sign I tell you ... we're all doomed...
.

Cotswold Cockney wrote: we're all doomed...

Makes me wonder if there is any more to come...

wow, interesting snow. It seems as if its going backwards here. (or something like that) we had summer, then winter and now it feels autumn. Its warmer past few days than its has been as last week was snow, hail and cold, now it feels a few degress warmer than it was. Last few days I have even seen people out walking about in their tee-shirts and short sleave shirts and tops, even some guy in a convertable car with top down racing down road last night. Its cold at night here, but not too bad during day. Mostly sunny at moment where I live.