www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

As its a New Butterfly Year I thought its time to start a Diary at this point.

I start with the last butterfly trip, while not seeing a LTB at the cement works, a Red Admiral helped pass the time.

A great shot to start with MrSpock...and as I'm the first to comment...may your PD live long and prosper ...I'll get me coat

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Welcome aboard the wagon, MrSpock. I'll look forward to reading your reports with interest.

HI MrSpOck,
That's a very worthy find for February !, my first Butterfly last year was an RA
basking at the top of my house on Feb. 17th.

Keep it up !
Trevor.

Glad to see you've started a diary Mr Spock. I'll be expecting to see some wonderful shots from HB later in the season Great image of the RA - I was so busy chatting at Beeding I doubt whether I would have noticed a LTB if it had landed on me

Thanks all

Yes there should be a lot of GFs and Hutchinsons Bank during late May and early June.

I will have my first entomological trip of the year on Friday, as i only have 1 male Eyed Hawk pupa, which will be on show at Wisley for the week, im looking to dig a few Lime Hawks to add to it [they will later be returned to the road where they come from of course] the last time I dug there was about 1995/6. The hibernating GF larvae are staying in the shed, as they are not due to wake up until the end of the month.

There should be some pictures from this weekend on here.

Lifers are now few and far between for me now, Ive seen LTB as larvae, but not as adults, so that would have been the latest lifer, from the male Pale Clouded Yellow seen in 1996 at Noar Hill which was the last one.

UPDATE No Lime Hawk pupae found this time, 2 hatched Lime Hawk pupa were around the same tree, 1 caterpillar was found but put back around the trunk.

Yes! welcome Mr Spock, looking forward to seeing more of your photos in the coming year, Goldie

Here are a few pictures from todays stint at Wisley Butterfly Display.

It was reasonably busy, but not like 2 or 3 years ago when there was a 45 minute queue to get inside, having to spend most of the day behind the table, so managed a 15 minutes in the butterfly display.
The Surrey Butterfly stand in the hatching area at Wisley, is that a Glanville being talked about.
A quiet time at the end of the day.
Assorted Silkmoth [hatched cocoons]
Puss Moth Cocoons, how do they ever hatch through that wood cocoon.
Butterfly pupae hatching cages
Heliconius eggs on Passiflora alata
Heliconius larva on P. alata, either H. numata or H. hecale

The only butterfly i photographed today, picked up off the floor, before it was damaged.

In two years of season tickets to my nearest butterfly house I've never seen a Prepona open its wings like that for a shot! And that was your only adult photo ...

Guy

That's a great shot of the larva Martin and the main reason I returned to Wisley yesterday

Well done with the Red Admiral; and a super picture too.

I'm looking forward to getting the next few weeks under our belts and seeing the Butterflies and Wild Flowers again.

Until then, it's Birds; hopefully our local long-staying Black Redstart will hang around until the Spring.

I visited Hutchinsons Bank today, a site meeting was being held.

here are 2 shots of the reserve one of the Cutting, where most of the Glanvilles are seen in May.
The Glanville caterpillars are starting to wake up, the last 2 years its been 25th February, and the first this afternoon, great timing each year, even the frosty nights dont seem to delay them. A few caterpillars are monitored overwinter in captivity.

I think you must be absolutely right Martin when you surmise that the length of day is a major factor in when they come out of hibernation. Thank you for informing me that they were waking up. A visit to HB is definitely on the cards this season

Looks like an interesting site MrSpock hopefully I'll be able to arrange a visit there this year - it's been a fair few years since my last Glannies

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Todays visit was to Hutchinsons Bank, to look at the Plantain for any of the monitored Glanville caterpillars along the cutting, there is plenty of plantain growing for when they wake up, the webs became invisible in the autumn. I also checked a dis-used golf course area next to Hutchinsons Bank, it looks very good for butterflies, and has lots of young Blackthorn sucker growth. Im sure we will be recording interesting butterflies in the spring.

Today on a bus trip through central Purley, Croydon, Surrey, i managed to get a picture of the mature Elm. At least it has a Lorry to give it scale.
There are still quite a few big Elms left in Croydon most have White Letter Hairstreaks on them

Todays visit was to Hutchinsons Bank, and onto Featherbed Lane Golf Course for a few photos of the new transect. It hasnt been used for Golf for over 3 years now.

I found a WLH egg a few years back on one of the golf courses in that area (Selsdon Park?). This was on just about the only elm I have ever searched in Surrey; I've found 2 in 10 years here in Somerset.

One of the Mature Elms i know is on the main road at Selsdon Park Golf Course, it like most of the trees i know has WLHs.

I wish I could find just one tree with WLH's on MrSpOck I'd be happy, Can't even find them at Gait Barrow if anybody knows where they are up there I'd be happy to hear from them. By the way glad you enjoyed my Tarts, Goldie