www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

This year seems to be the year when we're all noticing fewer butterflies. Various species have been mentioned on various threads as "low in numbers this year" including Speckled Wood and Silver Studded Blue. However a butterfly that seems to have escaped notice is the Small Copper. So far this year I have seen 2 Small Coppers - both on the same day and at the same site -and that is it! I haven't noticed that many references to them either on the UKB threads or the sightings section on Butterfly Conservation.

So where are they? Should we be concerned or is everyone else seeing loads of the little blighters and it's just me that is experiencing the dearth?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

I've seen only three - one at Mill Hill and two sparring at Ryton. None at Denbies on any visit yet, which is unusual.

Dave

I have seen one at Brown Moss in Shropshire.

I saw Small Copper on both my visits to Denbies this year, but that was back in late April-early May, one the first time and two the second. Since then I've only seen one, at Fairmile Common with the Silver-studded Blues a couple of weeks ago.

I can't say I've been struck with a lack of Small Coppers, I always see them in ones and twos anyway. It's the common whites I'm noticing the lack of at the moment. I haven't seen one for about a month. Maybe they are still between broods and running late like everything else.

Good point raised! I'm struggling to remember when I last saw a Small Copper; in fact, I think I've only seen a handful all year.

When I went to Norfolk for the last week in May I saw a dozen or more of what would have been the first brood, usually 2 or 3 at most places that we went to.
I did not see any at my local spots, but then again I did not manage to get out to look much.

Checking my notes, last year I only saw a couple of first brood locally and second brood from 23rd July. I have just checked the Warkwickshire BC 2011 report and peak count date was 28th July.
I remember at the time they were being seen anything up to 2 weeks earlier than this further south.

Second brood should only really be appearing from around now and like a lot of species this year I would guess that they will probably be a bit late.

Cheers,

Neil F.

I havent' seen a single one this year so far. I shall keep an eye out for some when I visit Prestbury Hill again this weekend, in past years i've seen some on the heather and around the gorse bushes at the top of the Masts Field close to the masts

None for me so far this year. Hopefully the second brood will be more successful!

I saw several on my local patch in May and they were late compared with the previous three years. Today I saw two in different areas and both look freshly emerged: To be honest, up there I normally see more Blues and occasionally Brown Argus and I have only seen one lonely blue but, I was away at the beginning of June so am assuming they emerged then! It seems like a fabulous year for large & small Skippers, I have never seen so many!

Have to echo your concern Wurzel . Normally I see Small Coppers in 2's and 3's (and sometimes in bigger numbers) often without going out of my way to look for them. This year I've seen one, on a windswept Denbies in April. Since then, nothing . I suspect that as often we get pre-occupied with the rare and more 'exotic' stuff and the common ones just slip off the radar. Mildheart's dearth of the common white species illustrates the point.

Thanks for the pic ChrissyM. I am going to make a point of it to check out one of my favourite areas Denbies, for one of my favourite butterflies. Here's hoping more sightings of this charismatic and photogenic little butterfly come in.

Yes, it's the same up here. I have seen one in East Lothian and one in the Scottish Borders. I'm not that surprised as I usually associate them with warm sunny days! Very few whites just now as well.

Two more butterflies that seem to be very thin on the ground are Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell. I've yet to see a new generation Peacock this year and as for Small Tortoiseshell, I've only seen one all year, in April in Sheffield. Still waiting for a local one! Compare that to their relatives Red Admiral and Comma, which are more or less at normal levels.

...yet to see a new generation Peacock this year

A bit early still, even if this were a "normal" year, My guess is another fortnight to wait this year.

Jack

Just seen my first Small Cooper of the year, a nice fresh specimen. Seen on the outskirts of Ipswich on the Martlesham heathlands. Not such a problem with Speckled Woods, there seems plenty more of them in the same area.
I must agree with Wurzel though. I have normally seen plenty more by now.

Kev

I can add to my further post with some better news.
During a walk through Westleton Common, Suffolk yesterday, I'm glad to report good numbers of Small Coppers.
Counted almost 20 during a 90 minute stop.

Regards Kev

Mildheart wrote:Two more butterflies that seem to be very thin on the ground are Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell. I've yet to see a new generation Peacock this year and as for Small Tortoiseshell, I've only seen one all year, in April in Sheffield. Still waiting for a local one! Compare that to their relatives Red Admiral and Comma, which are more or less at normal levels.

Will vary around the country but the peacocks here in Somerset have another week to 10 days before emerging (I've been following a mass of caterpillars I found). I keep hearing reports of low numbers and the decline of the small tortoiseshell, I think they've all moved to the farm I live on We have a rough area behind some farm buildings and the thistles are covered in st's , I've never seen so many in one place.
As for the small copper, I saw a couple at the end of May, but none since. What I haven't seen this year is a common blue or brown argus, which is highly unusual. I have also been watching a master oak at the edge of the woods but no sign of any purple hairstreaks this year.
Another butterfly doing well is the ringlet, massive numbers about, seems to have overtaken the gatekeeper here and they are certainly not short of numbers.

Rebecca wrote:I keep hearing reports of low numbers and the decline of the small tortoiseshell, I think they've all moved to the farm I live on We have a rough area behind some farm buildings and the thistles are covered in st's , I've never seen so many in one place.

Can you send em back to Surrey I have to agree with Mildheart, a rarer butterfly around these parts. Thistles covered with Small torts was something last experienced in my childhood in the Northeast.

I do agree about the Purple Haristreaks, seen more emperors that streaks this season. Perhaps the bad year is due to parasitism?

One Small Copper at Papercourt water meadows yesterday - my first of the new brood. A few more whites around now, still infrequent but numbers beginning to build.

Just the two this year for me on a sunny day in cumbria in june