www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Yesterday morning I posted a question about two Tortoiseshells (?) apparently hibernating in the corner of my bedroom. As the day went on it proved to be the hottest of the year so far - and the two butterflies woke up, flew to a window and were assisted to find the way out! One had only been there for two or three days, but the other had been sitting on the ceiling for at least five weeks - why?

Linda

I can only assume that they're in "hibernation mode" - probably triggered by the decreasing day length. However, when the temperature does get up, they'll become active again. Which is why those that roost in heating buildings have a real problem and often dry out and die. In the wild, they'd be using hollow trees, outhouses etc.

Then again - they do brighten up the winter. I remember, as a small boy, watching Small Tortoiseshells flying around inside a very large church every Sunday!

Cheers,

- Pete

Your 'bedroom' butterflies were probably only sleeping and not quite ready for hibernation. It's been a good summer for most garden butterflies and Peacocks in my area have been in better numbers than usual. After feeding for most of the day on the Buddleia spikes, which are begining to go over on most of those bushes in local gardens including my own, I've noticed several Peacocks attempting to enter the house via open windows as the sun goes down and temperatures start to drop towards late afternoon early evening. I scared them away as the house is not an ideal place to sleep overnight or hibernate over the winter as it is simply too warm for them.

As a boy I visited relatives who lived in a house on the Gloster Aircraft Factory's Aerodrome in the early 1950s. They worked there. There were some concrete defence 'pill boxes' on the aerodrome with slot windows ( for rifles ) in the walls. I entered one in mid winter back then and looking up at the ceiling, noticed one corner was black with hibernating Peacocks and Small Tortoiseshells. I cannot think of a better hibernation site for them as the ultra thick concrete walls ensured a very stable temperature environment from late summer untilthe spring. The aerodrome, factory and pill boxes no longer exist ~ large industrial and housing estates there now. Marsh Fritillaries were found on parts of the huge flat area that once was the aerodrome.... and the aerodrome south of Gloucester known as Moreton valence ~ the main runway now part of the main M5 carriageway. Driving off at junction 12, to the side of the off ramp, still there is a large tarmac circle where as a boy, I remember the Gloster Javelins being parked after their maiden flights from the factory.

I have sometimes witnessed Peacocks enter the gaps in the Cotswold stone walls around local fields. In Sussex, I saw Peacocks enter Rabbit Holes in one of my favourite Blue localities....

An old worn car tyre leant against a wall behind my garage for several months revealed a hibernating Peacock inside the top of the tyre when I decided to dispose of the old tyre. I left it in place until the insect moved on. I have seen a Small Tortoiseshell turn sideways and squeeze between the weather boards and bricks just below the roof of my garage. Loking at the very slim clearance between the boards and the bricks, I'm suprised that even a butterfly could pass through ~ but they did. I sometimes find a dead one on the floor later. More often than not though, I find one flying against the garage window when the warmer temperatures of spring arrive... nice to release them then... We all try to do our bit...