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Saturday 1st of May, Bentley Wood. weather not that great, but still saw 3 Grizzled Skipper, 2 Green-veined White, 2 Large White, 3 Brimstone, 1 Peacock, 1 Speckled Wood, 2 Comma, 1 Red Admiral, and 5 Pearl-bordered Fritillary.

Regards Gruditch

First Glanville Fritillaries of the season at Wheelers Bay Ventnor for me and a Small Copper caeruleopunctata.

Hi all, a quick question if I may?

Here in south London the weather has been pretty awful for the past two days, cold winds, near constant grey skies and much rain, particularly through the nights. I was actually stuck in a hailstorm midday today! And I haven't seen a single butterfly for three days now. Only this afternoon has the sun finally broken through with any genuine suggestion of warmth, although the strong breeze is doing its best to keep temperatures down.

I was just wondering how disasterous the timing of this wintry spell will prove for recently emerged species/early instar larvae...or are they fairly resilient provided we don't suffer below freezing temperatures?

I had been quietly hoping for a 'bumper' season regards butterfly numbers, what with the decent winter and (hopefully!) low number of surviving parasatoids.

Fingers crossed things will pan out just fine???

Seth.

My only sighting for today was a Holly Blue on the cliffs above Meadfoot at Torquay.

Saw a couple of Glanville Fritillaries at Ventnor again today plus a common blue. Also, a Clouded Yellow was about on the cliffs although not seen by me. Photos to follow.

Today I went to Ware cliff near Lyme Regis and the undercliff too I was hoping to see some fritilaries( does any one know if there are any common or rare sightings there?) but I didn't see any. BUT lots of ladies smock = lots of Orange tips, at least 10 of the males and I even got one on my finger(shame I didn't bring my camara). I also saw 1 speckled wood and 2x large whites.

Felix

Lovely day today at Marsland.
A number of firsts for the year for me including Pearl-bordered Frits (been out since 13 April, and now very few smart ones left), lots of very fresh Small Pearl-borderded Frits (First sighting of the year by all accounts), a couple of Wall Brown nearer the sea, and some Holly blues were all firsts for me.
OrangeTips in greater numbers than I can ever recall, and countless Green-veined Whites also. The usual suspects of Speckled Wood, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma and Brimstone all added up to a great day out. Green Hairstreak was number 12, which is a pretty fair count for this early in May.
I met the Warden for the first time, and he showed me some geat new sites in this excellent reserve.

Plenty of Green-veined Whites and Orange-tips on the Somerset Levels today; a few Speckled Woods and the odd Brimstone out as well.

I've only seen one Large White so far - is anyone else seeing low numbers? Surprising as they were in good numbers last summer.

I've only seen one Large White so far - is anyone else seeing low numbers? Surprising as they were in good numbers last summer.

None seen. That's 'cos I nicked them all last year They are currently in my garage as shortly-to-emerge pupae (well I have five looking very healthy and beginning to colour up)

Jack

Matsukaze wrote:I've only seen one Large White so far - is anyone else seeing low numbers? Surprising as they were in good numbers last summer.

I've only seen two, one in Kemsing, Kent and one in Ealing. I think the ones that aren't in Jack's garage have all gone to Ireland to see Dave...

It could be that the cold start to the year has been good for some species (Orange Tip, Brimstone, Small Tortoiseshell - I can't recall seeing such numbers as I have been) and not so for others?

I believe the Large White is also migratory and perhaps we have not yet had the spring influx.

Cheers

Lee

p.s.
Also found first tick of the year this a.m.
Tiny little b****r at the top of my thigh!!!

Roger:

Tiny little b****r at the top of my thigh!!!

It could have been worse - BETWEEN your thighs.

Jack

Glad to hear I'm not the only one to attract deer ticks Roger! The wooded Downs of West Sussex are a known 'hotspot' for the little darlings - and removing them with my German-built tick-extractor is an almost daily job for me in the early part of the year. One of three that got removed this morning had got a little further than Roger's - leftside undercarriage (not nice ).
Neil

You three may have to stop butterflying in your flip-flops and thongs. Gosh! I've just visualised that involuntarily.

Captain Oates lives nearby. This couldn’t possibly be.....?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/glou ... 660449.stm

Jack

Zonda wrote:You three may have to stop butterflying in your flip-flops and thongs.

I used to work for an Australian company new to the UK and they once sent out a memo stating staff were not allowed to wear thongs at work. While a few eyebrows were raised and some female staff (no males that I know of) complained, what they were actually referring to was flip flops, known down under of course as thongs

Lol,, good story Lee.

Rogerdodge wrote:p.s.
Also found first tick of the year this a.m.
Tiny little b****r at the top of my thigh!!!

Roger takes an early lead in the UKB tic championship, again!
I have no desire to take the crown again this year - and since Heddon's Mouth may be off my itinerary (not enough time...), I hope to avoid that distinction!

N
Edit: Sorry, Neil takes an early lead....
You both have my sympathies....

Matsukaze wrote:Plenty of Green-veined Whites and Orange-tips on the Somerset Levels today; a few Speckled Woods and the odd Brimstone out as well.

I've only seen one Large White so far - is anyone else seeing low numbers? Surprising as they were in good numbers last summer.

Despite Jack's best efforts to repopulate East Anglia (with butterflies!) I too have seen very few Large Whites so far and GVW's are far more numerous up here too. I tend to see more Large White IN town, compared to out on my transect, or on butterfly trips etc. This colder weather is probably holding them back too....
Still to see a Red Admiral this year...
N
Nice frits everyone.....I am off to Finland on Friday so will post what it is like there; the Spring has really just started following a long winter with snow on the ground until April up in the wilds of mid-Finland. BBC Weather forecasts 17C (and rain) in Kuopio on Sunday; warmer than here in the UK and I hope it triggers some butterfly action!

Have a good trip Nick, look forward to your photos.

Cheers

Lee