www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

It's been a shocking September just about everywhere, and October doesn't look to be starting off too well either!

Let's hope we can have a few more mild, sunny days to witness the last butterflies before the winter period begins.

Don't think there will be much to report on the first day, Dave!

After Sunday 1st, there's quite a lot of sunshine in the forecast round here at the moment (though quite windy and not especially warm at a max of 17ish degrees) - here's hoping there will still be things to see. As an aside, there were only five days in September when I didn't see a butterfly at some point somewhere... It can't have been all bad. I think the Southeast has fared better than elsewhere as is often the case.

Dave

millerd wrote:...I think the Southeast has fared better than elsewhere as is often the case.

Don't I know it!

Swansea is on roughly the same line of latitude as London yet we may as well be 200 miles further north! It's been atrocious here, with barely an opportunity to get out for an hour, much less a whole day.

I do hope we're not in for another mild, stormy winter. A good spell of very cold weather is firmly on my Christmas wish list.

Never mind Swansea , I'm just the other side of London from millerd (Dave) yet I could also be 200 miles north, the difference from one side of the M25 to the other has been remarkable- for all the wrong reasons! Oh the joys of the British climate!

essexbuzzard wrote:Never mind Swansea , I'm just the other side of London from millerd (Dave) yet I could also be 200 miles north, the difference from one side of the M25 to the other has been remarkable- for all the wrong reasons! Oh the joys of the British climate!

Same in north east London, Essex. I think his proximity to Heathrow is his secret weapon, the 'heat island' effect

In most if not all Scotland, Small Tortoiseshell is single brooded, unlike the south where it is double.
Here near Nairn (56.5 north), Torties emerged in late July and soon vanished. Many were observed trying to come indoors or into outhouses for hibernation. But today, two very fresh individuals were seen in my garden. They were busy feeding and showed no signs of trying to go into hibernation quarters. It is of course impossible to prove, but my feeling is that these were second generation. That isn’t really too surprising given the benign climate in and around the Moray Firth. The white wing margins give the impression that the butterfly has been PhotoShopped onto a background. Not so. I suspect an effect of the very low lighting.
October isn’t the normal time for a Dandelion to be in flower but is a result of the mowing regime

Also a couple of Red Admirals looking very pretty against a Michaelmas Daisy. This two-year old plant (not especially cheap but a “named” form – sadly I’ve forgotten the name!) has been stunning and later this year will be divided into three or four new plants.Jack

Long Tailed Blue.

Not sure if reported anywhere else but a Long Tailed Blue was photographed at Sandwich Bay on the 28th September (see the Observatory web site). The weather forecast for the rest of this week does not bode well for its rediscovery.

18 Red Admirals and 8 Commas counted on an ivy bush in my garden near Cirencester on Saturday; an amazing sight!

Flutter on!

After finding 2 or 3 female Small Coppers in a small area on my local patch last Thursday I decided to search for eggs at this spot today. I did look for them on Thursday without success. There is much low-growing Sheep's Sorrel around but I did't really know exactly where to look so I was struggling. After over an hour I eventually found one. It was on a south-west facing bank but sheltered from woodland on the western side some 10-20 metres away.

ATB

Peter

8 Red Admirals and a single Comma seen today on a ramble around the Gilwern Area.

Monday 2nd October.
Heavy duty logging activity ,In the local wood this afternoon (Orlestone forest ),hope they sort the paths out when they,ve finished !! Still managed
4 Peacocks ,2 Comma, a very fresh Small White ,and likewise a Green- vein. Stomping back to the car along the churned up path, I spied a weather-beaten Speckled wood and just as I reached the car, a cracking fresh Small Copper.
Regards Allan.W.

Sham Castle field, Bath. 2 Red Admirals nectaring, 2 Speckled Woods spiralling around each other, 1 unidentified white in the distance.

Eighty plus Red Admirals and seven Comma's munching on ivy blossom in north Durham yesterday morning. Never seen so many in one place.

Rivoldini wrote:Eighty plus Red Admirals and seven Comma's munching on ivy blossom in north Durham yesterday morning. Never seen so many in one place.

Wow. I see them in low double figures sometimes but never anything approaching that many. Must have been a mesmerising sight.

Crikey! Like David, I've seen twenty or so in one spot, but eighty plus is amazing! There are several more in that photo you haven't circled as well... They are having a good end-of-season flourish.

Dave

I thought i'd done well to find around 20 Red Ads; feeding on Ivy a year or two back ,but 80 + is quite amazing ,What a site that must be......Thanks for posting Rivoldini . Regards Allan.W.

A day off today so we decided to head to Winchelsea Beach ,and enter The Rye Harbour nature reserve ,from the Winchelsea end ,very bright but also very breezy ,still managed to see a Small Heath ,a Comma ,a few Whites,Peacocks and Red Admirals ,plus several
50+ "Charms " of Goldfinch . On our return walk we decided to walk along the bungalow lane ..... pleased we did ,we found 4 Clouded Yellows,
Red Admirals (on Ivy) numerous Small Whites ,a couple of Large Whites ,and a single Painted Lady ,but alas no Long tailed blues on the Pea clumps along the lane !
On to Dungeness for a lunch break , then a couple of short walks ,re-found the Common Blue AB; from a few days back ,but unfortunately now a mere ghost ! managed to find 12 Small Coppers ,the one I,ve posted is the same insect that Hoggers posted in his diary today (second to last ) I think ?? also saw a very unusual individual ,that appeared to have only a couple of spots on each forewing ,never got a shot ,unfortunately . Good numbers of fresh Common Blues on the wing ,one of the males was very small (see pic) but in mint condition. Also seen were two or three absolutely beaten and bashed Brown Argus ,a few Whites ,2 Small Heath.
But the highlight ,was at least 10 Clouded Yellows ,mainly along the power station fence, a joy to watch ! managed to see 4 at once
So a very rewarding trip out. Regards Allan.W.

After doing a few jobs for the father in law at Dymchurch we made our way home via Dungeness (of course !) after a bite to eat ,the weather had changed and had become rather cloudy ,so the hoped for Clouded Yellows failed to show (bar one ,very worn individual )
a couple of Common Blues ,and six Small Coppers ,again the one I,ve posted looks identical ,to the Blue spot posted by Hoggers a day or two back !
But undoubtably my star find ,along the power station fence was a female Red -veined Darter (dragonfly) really pleased ,and a first for me ! Regards Allan.W.

Beautiful caeruleopunctata there, Allan. The season is still going strong down your way!