Found this Small Tortoiseshell hibernating in our shed. Let's hope it makes it through to next spring, for there have been so few about this year, everywhere. In what is officially the all-time worst butterfly season, the Small Tortoiseshell has been the worst hit in our butterfly garden.
Small Tortoiseshell hibernating
An archway into the cottage garden is covered in honeysuckle which right now is in turn covered in Red Admirals feeding on the juicy berries.
Two of the many Red Admirals taking advanatage of the honeysuckle berries
All three Whites (Small, Large, and Green-veined) have suddenly increased their numbers in what I believe to be a third brood. There is also the possibility that these are migrants, particularly the Small, being as over 400 Small Whites were sighted recently flying in from the sea on to the Sussex coast.
Small White nectaring on fox and cubs
As is so often the case, the third (autumn) brood of the Small Copper makes up for the lack of numbers beforehand. In fact, prior to today (4 September) we had only seen one Copper in the garden this year. Today though heralds the start of their third brood, with no less than 4 seen throughout the garden, proving that a few must have been around earlier in the year. A fantastic sight.
Third brood Small Copper nectaring on coreopsis
Well, there may not be many butterflies about this year but its nice to have evening visits from the nearby badger sett, devouring our windfall fruit. Saves us a job, and what a great addition to our garden species list.
badger emerging from sett
sniffing out fallen plums and apples
Brown Argus living dangerously!
Hopefully the dragonfly has already eaten!
Don't shout it too loudly, but we are into double figures with Small Tortoiseshell sightings. Of the eleven seen yesterday, one was a quite noticeable aberration - see photos for comparison. Also out is the autumn brood of their stablemate, the Comma, looking very fresh, and dare I say, autumnal.
First female of the autumn brood Commas
Small Tortoiseshell aberration with much enlarged and darker forewing patch
Typical Small Tortoiseshell
This time last week we were recording up to 60 Peacocks at a time, and then the expected drop in numbers occurred as it does every year, as something triggers the butterflies to enter hibernation. This is odd but perfectly normal for this species. What is not normal is their sudden reversal to decent numbers. After a week of only seeing five or six at a time, today they have re-established themselves, with upwards of 30 being counted. I have never known this before and can only assume that there has been a second flush of later emergences. Whatever the reason, it is great to see them back, brightening up the garden that is so devoid of butterflies in general.
The Peacock bounces back!
Well, wonders never cease! The last thing I was expecting to see in our garden in this summer devoid of butterflies, was a Silver-washed Fritillary. Yet that is exactly what I caught a brief sight of this afternoon, before it rapidly flew off along the adjacent dyke bank, looking for a mate. Amongst a handful of male Common Blues were a couple of females, including this stunning blue form, one of the most striking I've seen.
Silver-washed Fritillary male, feeding on burdock
The blue form of the female Common Blue
Few Painted Ladies are being recorded as yet this year, we have had six with this individual today. He was noticeably darker than the typical colouration, especially along the forewing inner margin and the hindwing was very dusky.
Painted Lady dark individual
Even in this most dreadful summer, something totally unexpected crops up, and hopefully the first two of many. On the 30th June I thought I saw a fleeting glimpse of this wonderful day-flying moth, the Scarlet Tiger, but on the 15th July I had it confirmed with this rather docile specimen allowing me to get in close. I am hoping they have laid eggs on our abundant supplies of comfrey.
Scarlet Tiger - two of these wonderful day-flying moths have been seen so far.
The season remains largely devoid of butterflies almost everywhere, but we have two optimistic bits of news from our garden. First, bucking the trend, is the Large Skipper, which seems to be doing well wherever I visit. Secondly, the White-letter Hairstreaks are here! At least four have been seen around the top of our elms, with one venturing down to just above head height but hiding behind the leaves, making photography impossible. Patience is a virtue....
Male Large Skipper nectaring on cranesbill
White-letter Hairstreak perched atop one of the elms
I've never known such cold, dismal weather in June! Needless to say there are very few butterflies around in the garden, yet the delightful Yellow-barred Longhorn moths are dancing around the shrubs in their various little colonies quite happily.
Yellow-barred Longhorn with its incredibly long antennae
Following on from the Silver Y and Red Admiral sightings, it comes as no surprise that the Queen of all migrant butterflies, the Painted Lady, has now joined us too.
Very much a resident species, an Orange Tip seen egg-laying on Dames-violet (Sweet Rocket) in between taking nectar from it. A dual purpose plant, a VIP.
Orange Tip laying an egg on Dames-violet.
Painted Lady feeding on crosswort, having just landed from afar.
Following on from my recent post about the dead elm, there is hope yet! The sunshine picked out these new buds developing. Watch this space....
Fingers crossed the elm is making a recovery.
Great to see the first two Small Heath of the year, and not in the meadow, as they usually are.
The first male Common Blue has been seen too.
Nice to see the female and male Orange Tip side by side.
1. Small Heath, nectaring on dusky cranesbill.
2. Common Blue male.
3. Female and male Orange Tip side by side.
Suddenly the migrant Silver Y moth is everywhere! At least 9 seen throughout the garden today, probably more. A couple of fresh Red Admiral have also been seen, indicating that they too have a new wave of migrants coming in on the recent southerly winds.
1. Silver Ys have arrived in numbers from the Continent.
2. In view of the Silver Y immigrants, I am classing the few fresh Red Admiral seen as a new wave of migrants too.
Shocked to realise that the elm at the eastern end of the group appears to have died, with the two next to it looking very threatened. This is most likely the return of Dutch Elm Disease but could be the after effects of the prolonged exposure to strong NE winds last summer. I just hope the rest don't succumb. It would be so ironic having finally got the White-letter Hairstreak butterfly breeding on our elms in recent years.
The affected elm
White-letter Hairstreak perched atop one of the elms last summer
This spring is proving very slow to get properly going! However, since February we have had the occasional sighting of over-wintered butterflies, and on the few proper spring days recently the over-winterers - Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Comma, and Brimstone - have now been joined by the Green-veined White. Curiously, after last year's epic numbers, few Red Admirals are being reported, suggesting that the bulk remigrated south in the autumn.
Green-veined White feeding on herb Robert
Despite my previous comment, the season is not over yet! Unexpectedly, today I saw a third brood male Common Blue feeding on marjoram in our butterfly garden meadow. Despite full sun all day it only reached 12C yet this as yet one-off third brooder was quite happy getting on with its business out of the cool wind. Only other sightings were 4 Red Admirals and a fresh female Small White.
Third brood Common Blue
As the season comes to a halt, I think back over what has been a truly remarkable year for the butterflies, despite the summer being very poor weather-wise overall, in fact a dichotomy that I have never witnessed before. At the end of each season I choose a species for BUTTERFLY OF THE YEAR in our garden, and this year there are so many contenders: Speckled Wood, Holly Blue and Meadow Brown by far their best year to date; Brown Argus for its amazing second brood comeback; Peacock for recovering where its stablemate the Small Tortoiseshell failed; but the most obvious choice has to be the ubiquitous Red Admiral for its nationwide spectacular year. However, as with extremely abundant Painted Lady years (hardly any seen this year!) I am reluctant to award the title to the species with it being primarily a migrant. It most certainly deserves a very special mention, but overall I think, taking the whole picture into account, butterfly of the year has to be the Speckled Wood.
Butterfly of the year - the SPECKLED WOOD. In greater numbers than ever before and truly at home throughout the garden.
What a glorious spectacle the colourful Zinnia makes in our butterfly garden. Brimstones in particular love them, some staying on the same flowerhead for over half an hour.
Female Brimstone sitting pretty amongst a riot of Zinnia colour
Male Brimstone dropping in to join his female friend on the Zinnia
2023 is proving to be a remarkable year for most species. There are though always exceptions to every rule, and in this case the Small Tortoiseshell has had (so far) a very poor year. They do however have another brood yet, from which they will overwinter and breed in the spring. This is the first of the new brood.
A classic colour combination with the Small Tortoiseshell on French marigolds
The buddleia mint in the garden has suddenly erupted with an abundance of nectar, attracting many different species and not all are butterflies.
Small Heath enjoying the buddleia mint
The Brown Argus on this photo is a slight aberration - the giveaway figure of eight spots are absent
It was back in 2020 when we last had any sightings of this dainty, charismatic day-flying moth in the garden - welcome back to the Latticed Heath.
Latticed Heath - an interesting day-flying moth
A beautiful dark variation of what are usually very pale - the hutchinsoni portion of the Comma summer brood that breed the autumn brood. Not quite an aberration (at least I don't think so) but very striking nevertheless.
Comma form hutchinsoni very heavily marked
15.7.23 Despite the gales, the White-letter Hairstreak has chosen to come down from the elms to feed from two of its favoured nectar plants. On a day when one expects to see very little in the garden, this has to be a very special moment.
White-letter Hairstreak feeding from its favourite nectar plant, hemp agrimony
White-letter Hairstreak feeding from ragwort
Here's a conundrum for the butterfly enthusiasts out there! This slightly faded Lycaenid has been seen in our butterfly garden meadow for the last few days, in exactly the same spot, to which it always returns. Typical of the male Brown Argus, which I initially thought it was, due to its small size, silvery sheen in flight, and its antics. It even favours feeding from the Argus foodplant, dove's-foot cranesbill. However, having taken pictures of it, despite there being no blue at all on the upper wings, again suggesting Brown Argus, the giveaway difference between Brown Argus and female Common Blue is the underside hind wing 'figure of eight' spots. They are not there!! This must be a female Common Blue after all! Then why does it continue to behave like a male Brown Argus, even chasing off other passing insects? Such a shame both species are in short supply in the meadow this brood, otherwise we would know for certain once other Argus were present. Any thoughts anyone?
1. Nectaring on dove's-foot cranesbill, its larval foodplant in our garden
2. The underside of our mystery butterfly, without the figure of eight
3. Brown Argus underside showing the distinctive figure of eight spotting.
Although primarily designed as a butterfly garden, we like to think of it as a piece of countryside on our very own doorstep, and it has certainly had a knock-on effect over the years of bringing in all sorts of wildlife, birds in particular. But it has taken 26 years before the local swans decided to actually build a nest on our bit of the dyke bank that runs adjacent to the meadow. And today the first cygnets hatched!
Swans with newborn cygnets
Although still remaining a very late season, the springtime butterflies are overall performing quite well, especially the Holly Blue which looks set to be having its best spring brood to date.
Female Holly Blue basking on bramble leaves
Today I witnessed a remarkable spectacle in the garden. No less than four male Brimstones were in close chase of a female and she eventually settled in low vegetation, open-winged and raising her abdomen in the typical rejection manner because she had already mated. All four males nevertheless swooned over her until two eventually gave up and flew off, leaving the remaining two somewhat confused, one carrying on as if his friend was the female, who sat there open-winged BUT with no raised abdomen - that would have been too much!!
1. Three of the four male Brimstones in pursuit of the female
2. The two confused males
10.5.23 The magnificent Emperor Moth, still flying in May due to the late season. They never feed as adults, their sole purpose is to mate, as here. The female is the larger, greyer moth. We have had them in our butterfly garden which is why I'm including them, but it's not the right habitat for them really. These were seen on heathland in Woodhall Spa, not too far from us.
Emperor Moths mating
Spring WAS just around the corner but now it seems we have to endure a week or so of winter weather in March before returning to "normal". This photo was taken on the 21st February with the elms nicely starting to flower, giving something for the baby White-letter Hairstreak caterpillars something to munch on prior to the leaves emerging. I just hope the flowers and the caterpillars don't suffer from the return to winter.
Elm flowers in mid February
Well, it may not class as being officially the first butterfly of 2023 to be seen in our butterfly garden, because we accidentally disturbed it. Nevertheless, it was good to see a male Brimstone flying around, looking for a place to re-enter hibernation following its abrupt disturbance from its comfy privet hedge abode by our electric hedge trimmer! Sorry, Mr. Brimstone, but management work has to be carried out! I watched him resettle down in a conifer hedge but it doesn't give him the excellent camouflage that privet does. Hopefully he will settle back into his hibernation until spring properly arrives.
Brimstone (male) having being rudely interrupted from his hibernation.
What absolutely wonderful Indian Summer weather. Over the last few days our garden has been blessed with Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Comma, Brimstone, Speckled Wood, Large White, Small White, and a most gorgeous Small Copper of the blue spotted variety.
Blue spotted variety of the Small Copper ab. caeruleopunctata
We've been down to the clover field for one last visit before it gets cut. We may never see another spectacle like this in our lifetime. At the final count the numbers had risen to an unbelievable minimum of 60. Yes, sixty!, with at least 3 helice females present. The highlight of my personal butterfly year. The general consensus is that earlier migrants found the field, laid eggs, and these are their subsequent offspring.
Clouded Yellows ensuring the continuation of the species. 'Just hang on in there, babe!'
Our final search for the Clouded Yellows
Today I disturbed a resting Vestal moth in the meadow and managed this record shot of it before it vanished into the undergrowth. Like most moths these fly at night, it is a migrant species and is being recorded in large numbers this year in the south of England. So I consider myself lucky to stumble across it in the daytime.
The migrant Vestal moth
I thought I'd put a few more shots on of the Clouded Yellows before the fields are cut. It may be years before we see them around here again. Of the four fields that have had the special clover/vetch/trefoil mix, only the one near us has attracted the butterfly.
A couple of Clouded Yellows having a meet up over a clover lunch
A rare open-winged shot of a male Clouded Yellow
Helice female being serenaded by a male
The Clouded Yellows are like miniature AA vans speeding across the field.... see what I did there!
Following on from my recent post on the neighbouring Clouded Yellows, I can now say with certainty that there is at least one of the helice form amongst them. This only occurs in the female, roughly one in ten. These are much paler, almost a white ground colour but still as beautiful when seen with wings open, which can be done if you are very lucky with a fast shutter speed as the butterfly takes off. Clouded Yellows rarely show their uppersides when settled, which is a great shame.
helice form of the female Clouded Yellow
The other evening Ros and I discovered that the large field just down the lane from us is an environmental stewardship scheme, comprised of red clover, vetches, and bird's-foot trefoil. There are two more even larger fields sowed similarly in the village. One of the main larval foodplants of the rare migrant Clouded Yellow is indeed clover. Today, almost as expected, we found at least 6 fresh Clouded Yellows bobbing around our neighbouring field, possibly more, and I think one was of the white form, helice. We only have until next week before the crop has to be cut, but I managed a few shots in the meantime. After all the searching I've done over the last few years for them, and they crop up - in numbers - almost on our doorstep. How ironic!
Clouded Yellow nectaring on bird's-foot trefoil
Clouded Yellow nectaring on purple vetch
Spot the Clouded Yellow. The clover field just down from our garden
The Small Copper is having a poor year nationwide, so it's good to see females of the newly emerged third brood already busy laying eggs on the sorrel in the meadow.
Small Copper egg-laying on common sorrel
Stokesia - one of a handful of emergency nectar plants brought into the meadow to give the remaining butterflies (of which there are quite good numbers still) some additional nectar supplies because of the drought conditions. The Common Blue likes it and decided to tell the world!
Male Common Blue feeding on stokesia
Must check out the info first!
The Small Heath continues to better its regained foothold with us - we are in double figures now! Today, I noticed something different about one of them. On closer examination it had a smaller, extra spot on the forewing. Despite not being spectacular, it is in fact a recognised aberration, known as ab. biocellata.
A typical Small Heath with the one spot per forewing
Small Heath aberration with tiny extra spot under the main one
Nationwide it is an excellent year for the migrant Humming-bird Hawk-moth that flies in the daytime, zooming around at breakneck speed, then hovering above a flower, in this case Verbena bonariensis, sucking out the nectar through its long proboscis, just like the Humming-bird that it is named after. We've had up to 6 at a time recently in the garden. It is rare to see them settled, but the second shot shows that they do actually rest!
1. Humming-bird Hawk-moth hovering above verbena bonariensis, taking nectar in flight
2. A rare sight to see a Hummer settled. This one has chosen this tree for roosting overnight
Suddenly Speckled Woods are everywhere in the garden! I suppose being a shade loving butterfly they were just waiting for the heatwave to pass. Amazing really how resilient and adaptive butterflies are.
Male Speckled Wood perched in a bush waiting to pounce on any females flying past!
A sign of autumn approaching as the Comma takes to deriving nourishment from fruit.
Comma feeding from blackberries
First seen in the garden last summer, the exquisite Willow Emerald damselfly continues to bless us with its presence, and is still around in reasonable numbers.
Second year for the Willow Emerald damselfly
As hoped, the second brood of the Small Heath is picking up from where the first brood left off. Up to six are being seen together at any one time. This is very encouraging and 2022 could very well see this little butterfly firmly established with us again.
Second brood Small Heath feeding on marjoram
A bonus of having the White-letter Hairstreak in your garden is that you are likely to see them nectaring on unusual plants, like this globe thistle.
White-letter Hairstreak feeding on globe thistle
Needs must. They will find moisture/minerals somewhere in this drought.... Purple Hairstreak taking goodness from an acorn on one of our oaks.
Purple Hairstreak obtaining nourishment from an acorn.
Imagine my surprise and joy when I came across a pristine female Silver-washed Fritillary in the garden, especially as the previous day the ones I had seen in a Lincolnshire nature reserve were very worn. Even better was the fact that she was furtively flying low along the path edges, hopefully seeking out violets growing near trees. They lay their eggs on the lower tree trunks, and the emerging caterpillars make their way to the violets. I have high hopes that this sighting is a harbinger of them being the next to become a resident species with us.
female Silver-washed Fritillary basking
AT LAST: THE WHITE-LETTER HAIRSTREAK
Following years of speculation of unconfirmed possible sightings, we now have definite confirmation that the rare and elusive White-letter Hairstreak has joined the ranks of the species present in our butterfly garden. They are largely arboreal but do occasionally come down from the elm trees to feed on flowers, especially bramble, marjoram, and their favourite hemp agrimony. They also like sucking up honey dew on the leaves of the ash, as this one was doing. Three have been seen so far. Here's hoping this is the start of our very own colony, alongside the Purple Hairstreak.
White-letter Hairstreak in an ash tree
More or less the same colour, very different size. The Large Skipper is certainly not a a large butterfly, even when compared to the Comma, which I would say is a medium sized species. Good to see them together.
Comma and Large Skipper
Verbena bonariensis is really pulling in the butterflies at the moment. With multiple exposures I inadvertently caught this Comma taking off, legs withdrawn but proboscis still extended.
Comma captured in flight
The recent hot weather has brought an influx of migrants over. I saw 5 Humming-bird Hawk-moths together, 10 Silver Ys, 18 Red Admirals, and 5 Painted Ladies including this bedraggled specimen.
It's a long flight from Africa!
I was absolutely thrilled to see this Small Heath for, whatever reason, doing what they normally never do - open their wings fully when settled. One of those moments you either capture or is lost for ever.
Rare shot of Small Heath open-winged
I was totally unaware of the other wildlife in this photo whilst taking it of the Meadow Brown. A real ox-eye daisy habitat!
the ox-eye insect habitat
The enigmatic Humming-bird Hawk-moth, a migrant species seen most years feeding in our butterfly garden, favouring red valerian. They hover above the flowers, the wings vibrating at fantastic speed, hence them being not in sharp focus. Such fun to watch!
Humming-bird Hawk-moth
For just a few days each year we see the completely bizarre Yellow-barred Longhorn moths around shaded shrubs, the males of which have incredibly long antennae.
Yellow-barred Longhorn
A classic combination of sheer beauty: Small Tortoiseshell on the VIP plant Dame's-violet.
Small Tortoiseshell on dame's-violet
I was rather taken by this shot of a Small Heath in our meadow. I thought it very artistic and called it SMALL HEATH IN A MEADOW. To the point!
SMALL HEATH IN A MEADOW.
A THEORY ON THE RED ADMIRAL. It always amazes me that year after year in our one acre butterfly garden, a male Red Admiral will take up his territory in exactly the same area of our woodland garden, around a bramble thicket. I had accepted this simply as a coincidence but on the 16th May 2022 I thought differently. I was standing at the other end of our land and observed a fast flying Red Admiral coming in over the garden from the south-east, continuing towards the woodland garden. I followed suit and sure enough a Red Admiral was in position around the brambles. Was it the one I had just seen? I hadn't noticed any others that day. It is still there two days later. This made me wonder: could these exact spots be somehow inbuilt into the progeny of these previous migrants, so that they have a specific destination? There is another area of our garden where the exact same thing happens each year, but even more interesting was a thought invoked from decades ago involving a former place of work. I remember in my lunch hour taking a walk outside to a wild strip of land beside the building, rich in wild flowers. Every year there was this one Red Admiral there without fail. Then the strip got concreted over, yet the Red Admiral still returned, despite there being nothing for them any more. Food for thought....
The bramble thicket in question
The exquisiite markings of the Red Admiral underside
SMALL HEATH SEEN LAYING EGGS! Following on from the Small Heath having its best year to date with us last year, albeit still in low numbers, I was recently thrilled to watch, out of the four seen so far this spring, a female actually laying eggs on some very sparse fine grasses on our rockery.
Small Heath laying eggs
Yesterday was a special day, it being the first time during a lifetime interest in butterflies, that I had witnessed a pair of Brimstones mating. It was instantaneous - she was flying along minding her own business when he plummeted out of nowhere, forced her to the ground, and they immediately paired in low vegetation. No courtship! Normally mating occurs high up in a bush where they are safely concealed. Amazingly, only minutes before I had witnessed another female actually laying eggs on alder buckthorn.
Brimstone egg-laying on alder buckthorn
Brimstones mating underneath a garlic mustard leaf.
The Peacock has now joined the rest of the adult hibernators, all starting to show in decent numbers now. We just need the weather to be that tad warmer to get things going properly. But a Small White nevertheless joined the clan today.
Comma feeding on pussy willow
Peacock basking on bare ground
Small White feeding on vinca
OUR 25 YEAR CELEBRATION HAS BEGUN!
2022 marks our 25th anniversary year since creating 'A Home For Butterflies'. A special year indeed and the season is off to a good start today with three seen of the possible five species that hibernate as adult butterflies, so are always the first to show.
Comma basking in the spring sunshine
First male Brimstone of the year
Small Tortoiseshell fresh out of hibernation feeding from blackthorn blossom
This autumn is spectacular for its tree colours as well as being one of the warmest and sunniest Novembers on record. Here are a selection of autumnal colours from the garden.
Cherry and maple combination
Spindle Tree autumn colour
Spindle tree fruits
vibrant beech leaves
Another record broken! Today's sighting - 19.11.21 - of a Red Admiral is the latest date for one in our garden. It was seen nectaring on the excellent buddleia variety weyeriana - a hybrid between b. davidii and b. globosa, renowned for its long flowering season, right into the proper frosts, and therefore ideal for the late butterflies.
Red Admiral feeding on late flowering buddleia weyeriana
End of an era. The two weeping willows have had to be drastically cut back for safety as well as aesthetic reasons. We shall miss their grace and welcome shade but they'll grow back, perhaps sooner than we think.
1 Before
2 After
I can't get over this year, butterfly wise. From all accounts it has been a rather disappointing season, very likely down to the weather conditions of April and May, plus the dreary August, and Butterfly Conservation are saying that their annual big butterfly count produced the worst numbers ever. Yet our garden has gone totally against the grain, with many species having their best year so far. Overall, it has without doubt been our most successful year to date.
The highlight has to be the unexpected discovery of Purple Hairstreak on site, which we now know for certain have bred, having recently found six overwintering eggs on oak buds, their stems being blown off in the wind.
I still have a strong inkling that amongst the Hairstreaks seen flying around the oak, ash, and elm tops, a few were White-letter but I never confirmed it. Fingers crossed!
Here is the full list of all the 2021 accolades:
SIX-SPOT BURNET
This day-flying moth had its third year in a row of best year to date, but this year was phenomenal, with an overall total just short of 200. They were so numerous that we had to transfer a good deal of them to a nearby large meadow, in case they ate all the foodplant, bird's-foot trefoil, shared with the Common Blue.
ESSEX SKIPPER
Its third best year.
LARGE SKIPPER
At last a much waited for return to 'normal' numbers. Its second best year.
BRIMSTONE
The highest count at any one time and its third best year.
SMALL COPPER
Its second best year to date.
BROWN ARGUS
Faring better than its stablemate the Common Blue, it had its third best season.
PURPLE HAIRSTREAK
See comments above.
RED ADMIRAL
Best year to date.
SMALL TORTOISESHELL
With only being four short of the 2003 all time best yearly total of 364, I am classing this year as its joint best year ever.
GATEKEEPER
Best year to date.
SMALL HEATH
Still low numbers but showing a dramatic return towards recolonisation.
PURPLE HAISTREAK the highlight of the year
SMALL HEATH a very important species to have making a comeback
The pair of weeping willows in the pond garden were really weeping today as they took on major damage from a sudden storm. Many large branches were snapped off - very severe pruning!
Storm damage
Storm damage
In this record breaking year it is sad to report that one of the few butterflies that has not done very well at all is the enigmatic Comma. However, with the autumn brood now getting established, it looks like the Comma is at last making its presence felt. I saw 4 today, not great numbers, but the Comma is never found in great gatherings like the other Nymphalids. I am optimistic.
Comma feasting on ice plant (Sedum spectabile)
Our two regular migrants - Painted Lady (left) and Red Admiral, enjoying the nectar of Michaelmas Daisy.
Painted Lady and Red Admiral
BELATED REPORT OF VALEZINA SILVER-WASHED FRITILLARY
Of all the surprises we've had in the garden this year (and there have been many) the one that remained a total mystery was on the 29th July, and is described here from my diary notes..
Really surprised to not see any Silver-washed Fritillaries in the garden yet this year, even if only passing through. However, something really unusual was seen today...... The day has been poor weather-wise, and windy. As I turned into the front of a large bramble thicket in the woodland garden, I briefly saw something huge fly off from the bramble, disturbed by my presence. It was very Nymphalid like in its flight, very much like a female Silver-washed but totally the wrong colouring. It had a chequered type patterning, almost appearing greyish-white and black, but it was such a fleeting sighting and I could not find it again. I checked online for large black/white moths, and came up with nothing. Bearing in mind how my Oxfordshire 2015 unexpected sightings of Valezina initially made me think “what on earth was that?”, then perhaps a faded one would have a similar effect. I say this because of some photos I have since come across online of faded, paler Valezinas. It is only since viewing these images that I have finally decided that what I did see that day was indeed a pale Valezina form of the Silver-washed Fritillary. A few Valezinas were recorded from Lincolnshire last year so it is highly feasible.
In strong colonies between 5 and 15% of females are the variant known as Valezina. I was fortunate in 2015 to photograph the typical and Valezina forms side by side in the Bernwood forest complex. I have also included a photo of a pale specimen (courtesy of Butterfly Conservation) which is what I believe I saw.
Silver-washed Fritillary females - typical form (left) and Valezina when fresh.
Pale, faded Valezina - our mystery butterfly?
Yet another species to break their population records here! This time it is the Red Admiral. The best daily count of 61 in 2019 remains the highest, but there is plenty of time left this year for the Red Admiral to beat that. Highest count yet this year is 54. However, the actual annual total has already been beaten, with the current total standing at 141 (2019 record was 129).
Red Admiral, latest species for best year ever
A visit to Chambers Farm Wood to see the Brown Hairstreak resulted in a much more exciting find, a Speckled Wood. But this was no ordinary Speckled Wood, it was a female aberration with much reduced markings. She stayed on Devil's-bit Scabious for a while before moving on to a low level shrub, then investigated the grasses, hopefully egg-laying. Eventually she flew up into the trees and vanished. Fortunately, Pete Smith, co-author of the new Butterflies of Lincolnshire book, was passing by and he was most enthralled by it. He later wrote on the Butterfly Conservation Lincolnshire branch website: Had a great day at Chambers Farm Wood, with Brown Hairstreak in good numbers, but the undoubted highlight was an extreme aberration of the Speckled Wood, very well spotted by Phil Bowler, who kindly drew it to the attention of myself and Adrian Royle. Almost completely lacking in markings, it was a most dramatic looking female. I am not sure what it is, but the closest I can get to an ID is that it could be a particularly extreme example of ab.saturatior. Failing that, we should probably name it in honour of its finder, and allocate it the name of ab. bowlerii!
Normal female Speckled Wood
Aberration saturatior
Well, this is proving to be an exceptional year in the garden for records being broken. Latest to add to the list is the Small Tortoiseshell , having a remarkable season just like the old days! Its previous highest daily count of 203 back in 2013 has been massively beaten by yesterday's amazing second brood count of 275, which interestingly was exactly level with the 2003 second brood total. We only need to see another four newcomers to beat the 2003 annual record (hibernators, plus first and second broods) of 364.
Small Tortoiseshell in record breaking numbers
Lots of good stuff going on in the garden. The main news is the sighting of two Small Heath today. This may not sound much at all, but two is excellent in recent years (see current status for more info). We only had one in the first brood earlier this year.
It is also good to see the Brimstone doing well. It looks set to have one of its best years ever here. I saw five together on one phlox plant yesterday, I've never seen five together here before on one plant.
Another butterfly looking set to break its records is the Small Copper. Unlike its relatives the Common Blue and Brown Argus (both also having a very good year) it is more of a loner, so to see twelve together is excellent!
Small Heath feeding on marjoram
Male Brimstone feasting on Zinnia
Small Copper feeding on fleabane
Following on from the 27th July update, I can now say that the Willow Emerald damselfly has a proper presence on site, it was not just the one-off sighting. We have quite a few various willows throughout the garden, and today I noticed a few damselflies close to most of them, in the nearby bushes. Hopefully it will breed with us and establish a permanent colony.
They are instantly recognisable by the iridescent green body, the white patches near the tips of each wing, and the way they hold their wings open, like butterflies.
Willow Emerald damselfly
The Gatekeeper is having an excellent year in the garden, far surpassing its comrades the Meadow Brown and Ringlet. Numbers are easing off now but it has recorded its highest to date on site. However, I think 2004 will still retain the title of its best year due to that year having a higher daily count.
Gatekeeper highest numbers to date
Yesterday I had yet another of those being in the right place at the right time moments, when I stumbled across a very special damselfly that settled in front of me on the beech hedge, which is situated under a scarlet willow tree. I only had my small travel camera with me at the time and managed this shot (attached) which is not my usual standard but hopefully a decent record shot. We needed confirmation that this was indeed, as expected, a Willow Emerald, a recent UK colonist but as yet not many seen in Lincolnshire. I wrote to the recorder at the British Dragonfly Society, who is coordinating a special project to keep tracks on this incredible natural colonisation in the last few years. He replied, confirming it is a female Willow Emerald. He states that the species has only been in Lincolnshire for a couple of years, and is still quite patchily distributed; "your sighting turns out to be a new area record, so well done!"
Hopefully we will see more and get a proper picture!
Willow Emerald damselfly
Following on from our report the other day that Purple Hairstreaks are making their home here, I am since seeing regular comings and goings high up in the trees, so you can imagine my joy when this delightful beauty dropped out of the trees right in front of me.
female Purple Hairstreak basking low down on dogwood
Two potential new species in the garden today, one for certain.
Sitting in the woodland garden peering into the trees, I was of the impression (and subsequently still am) that I had seen a White-letter Hairstreak on the elm/ash merge. White-letters use elm as their larval foodplant. Shortly afterwards I had two totally unexpected but confirmed sightings of Purple Hairstreak around the ash and oak (oak being their larval foodplant). Although the Purple was an amazing surprise, the White-letter has been expected for years. I have been looking out for them all the time we have been here (24 years) as there is plenty of neighbourhood elm. In more recent years we have developed a good stand of our own maturing, flowering elm. But still no White-letters. Until today maybe. Now that would be really special: two new Hairstreak species on one day!
White-letter Hairstreak
Purple Hairstreak
Today I came a cross a charming aberration of the Ringlet in the garden. My eyes were drawn to this particular male Ringlet as it fluttered around the garden, and when it settled I could see why... introducing the Black-tipped Ringlet! This aberration not only has the cute black tip, but the upperside spotting is virtually absent. Underside markings are totally normal. I have included a photo of a normal male for comparison.
Ringlet m upp basking on ground flora 1-7-17
Black-tipped Ringlet
We are experiencing a major population explosion of Six-spot burnet moths. Since 2019 it has had record breaking years here but this year is so numerous that I have had to transfer many of them to a nearby meadow to prevent the larval foodplant - bird's-foot trefoil, also the foodplant of the Common Blue - from being decimated! We have had a high count of 87 on the 2nd of July, but the overall total is now 175 and still rising! Phenomenal for our small meadow.
Six-spot burnet moths
On the 11th July 2020 the new brood of Brimstones were first seen. Which means that the one seen still flying today could have lived for exactly a year as an adult butterfly. Yet, ironically on this date it almost came to a sticky end. It settled on a tall spike of purple loosestrife and was immediately pounced on by a patrolling Brown Hawker dragonfly. Somehow the Brimstone escaped its clutches and thankfully lives for another day. This is the rather ragged old timer photographed on scabious shortly afterwards.
Brimstone on Scabious
Well, as pleasant as the lovely June weather was, we are now back to similar weather to what we had in May: cool and wet. I'm receiving notifications form many places, even major nature reserves, that butterfly numbers are in general very low.
However, as with most things in life, there is an exception to the rule, and the exception here is the Large Skipper. This particular species has been struggling here for the last few years, worryingly so. Yet in this of all years, it has bounced back and is experiencing its best numbers for many years, being found in all the different areas of the garden. As the photo shows, mating is taking place too.
Large Skippers mating
Following the wettest and coldest May on record, the butterflies are very far behind and in low numbers. Hopefully with this lovely June weather, things will pick up soon.
Watch this space.