www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Dust off the walking boots and cameras, folks. Spring is finally on the near horizon!

Red Admiral sighted today (4/3/16) at work, approx 12.30pm. Plenty of sunshine, but a stiff breeze!

I also sighted my 1st Adder(snake) of 2016 yesterday (3/3/16). I was hoping to see a couple of Butterflies, whilst searching for snakes, but it was not to be!...Shows how cold February 2016 was, because for the 1st time in 5 years, i couldnt locate an Adder in the month of February.

Location - Kent. Cheers Paul.

A Comma was seen today, my first butterfly of the year, and the first on Hutchinsons Bank.

Extended lunch break from work today(its good being your own boss sometimes) meant my 1st butterfly photo of the season/year.

A lovely Peacock was sighted on the woodland floor, basking in full sunshine. I managed a couple of shots, but it soon flew off out of sight.

Location - Kent. Time was 1.45pm 11/3/16.

I also located the same male Adder, that i had seen back on the 3/3/16...Another indication that things are hotting up, i sighted active Wood Ants. Cheers Paul.

Peacock.
A photo of the Adder. Image is uncropped.

My first Small Tortoiseshell of 2016 spotted adjacent to my workplace just before midday on Friday 11th March:

My first butterflies of the year at my local spot today.
2 Small Tortoiseshells were seen, both sluggish and vibrating their wings. I got the feeling they had woken up with the early lunchtime sunshine one it had burnt through the morning mist but the subsequent temperature wasn't quite enough to prompt activity. It was warm for me and I was in a T-shirt but it probably wasn't any more than 11 or 12 degrees.

Not sure if it counts as my first butterfly of the year. But I rescued two Peacock from some building work two weeks ago. Yesterday it was warm enough to release them, so I took them out of the fridge and let them go. They were fluttering around the garden all afternoon.

Spring is definitely here. Chiff Chaffs are due this week, so that'll prove it!

My first encounter of the year, here in North London ...

Yesterday (12/3/16) I sighted a Small Tortoiseshell...Time was approx 12.15pm.
It was taking on moisture, from the waters edge, at a local lake.

Location - Kent, cheers Paul.

Ist image is uncropped.

2nd image is cropped some.


Nice to see a couple of Water voles too, also 3 Common Lizards were sighted. Water vole images are uncropped.

Two male Brimstones on my local patch at lunchtime today. Dave

Spring is here ........ a walk in Hayle (West Cornwall) this afternoon produced Peacock 9, Small Tortoiseshell 6 and a single Comma.

First butterflies of 2016 - two male Brimstones patrolling the woodland edge at Kilmersdon cutting (Somerset).

I'm off the mark as well

I saw a Comma in a neighbouring garden yesterday and in exactly the same spot again today. It was attracted to a large clump of flowering heather.

Vince

Some lovely images there, folks!

Not too much to report from south Wales this afternoon. In spite of sunny, benign conditions with 12c temperatures, I only saw two Small Tortoiseshells.

A sunny afternoon in Warrington today and I spotted 5different butterflies and I did get a picture of a coma at gulivers world

14th March Lethen (Highland)
First lep of the year, a Clouded Drab in my new Skinner Trap. If my i/d is wrong and it's NOT a Clouded Drab, then the name Drab is certainly apt.

Jack

Hi Jack,

Your 'Clouded Drab' I think is actually a 'Chestnut', easy to mistake with moths pretty much all being brown at this time of year

From my guide books, I cannot really tell the difference between Clouded Drab and Chestnut.

Here is an unnatural image with highly exaggerated contrast that might show the salient features to enable i/d.



Jack

Hi Jack,
its definately a 'Chestnut', the Ukmoths website has some great identification photos to compare similar species.
Regards
Scott.

Thanks Scott. I'll continue my moth reports in my personal diary.

viewtopic.php?f=29&t=4056&p=108067#p108067

Jack