Cloudy Weather Restricts Butterfly Sightings.

Weather conditions today were not ideal with what can be described as cloudy but bright.There was just the odd short sunny period to encourage the butterflies and consequently numbers were low.However the White Admiral made several appearances feeding on bramble flowers.I hoped to register a first Silver-washed Fritillary of the year but none were forthcoming.Species to see today in Bouldnor Forest included Meadow Brown,Large Skipper, a Painted Lady,and a seemingly recently emerged Comma.

Large Tortoiseshell on Show.

A first visit of the season today to Bouldnor Forest at Yarmouth produced this magnificent Large Tortoiseshell.Observed flitting along a forest track,not hanging around unfortunately and quickly disappearing into the trees.Other butterflies on display were several Brimstone and Commas.Also  Peacock and a Red Admiral.

Note; Sightings of this species have been numerous on the Isle of Wight over the last month leading to the expectation that the Large Tortoiseshell has now become a resident species in the UK.

Painted Ladies Back on the Buddleia.

Now that the Buddleia Bush in my garden is in full flower there is always a good chance that one of the first to feed on the nectar will be a Painted Lady. Sure enough  the first individual appeared today along with Peacock,Red Admiral,Comma,Brimstone,and Whites.

Spring has Sprung.

The almost summerlike weather continues and another spring butterfly was seen enjoying the warm sunshine in my garden today. A first sighting of this Comma which spent some considerable time basking  in a particularly sunny spot. 

A Slow Start to the Spring Emergence.

With the first appearance of the Green Hairstreak at Whiteway's on the 23rd of this month,I would have expected to see other spring species following very soon afterwards at this site. However to date the Green Hairstreak is still a lone occupant. As the weather is now it seems improving, I am hopeful that everything will quickly catch  up.

With little new to see at  Whiteway's today I visited Bouldnor Forest and all was quiet with just four species on show. Brimstone male's were evident along with this female resting on a bramble in the sun. Several Speckled Wood were recorded  as well as a first Comma sighting of the year.

Spring Butterflies Thin on the Ground.

Following a short cold snap,today's sunshine and mild temperature encouraged me to pay a second visit of the year to Bouldnor Forest. Immediately on entering the forest I was passed by a very fast flying male Brimstone but just a few yards farther on I came across this Speckled Wood butterfly. This is a first sighting of the season of this species for me and it obligingly settled on the side of the track for a few seconds. The only other butterfly encountered was a Comma, and it was not until I was returning that a rather tatty Red Admiral appeared on the track.This was followed by a second Speckled Wood fluttering around and landing in a sunny spot.

 

More Spring Butterflies.

It is always a treat to see a Small Tortoiseshell at this time of the year and yesterday  this individual appeared in my garden to enjoy the morning spring sunshine.

A first of the season lunchtime visit to Bouldnor Forest,Yarmouth yielded numerous Brimstone sightings.All were males and they hurriedly flew from primrose to primrose in their search for nectar. Other species on show were the ever reliable Comma  and Peacock.

Plenty of Comma's On Show Today.

 My first butterfly sighting of the year  was a Red Admiral that I disturbed while it was enjoying the sunshine in my garden yesterday. A first outing of 2022 was taken today with an afternoon walk through Walters Copse at Newtown.

It was a fabulous early spring day with full sun and a temperature of around 16 celsius.Immediately on entering the copse I came across a Comma and during the visit at least eight other individuals were encountered. It was not until leaving that I saw one other species, a Peaccok.

  

A Walk in the Woods.

Although not as warm as the last few days, it was nevertheless a lovely early spring day and the butterflies responded to the sunshine at Bouldnor. I was disappointed not to see any new emergent butterflies but the hibernators were on show with numerous sightings of Peacock, five Comma, three Red Admiral, and  two male Brimstone. One of the latter spent some time flitting from flower to flower enjoying the many primrose plants along the track.

Summer Butterflies Around the Buddleia.

Further to my recent post on our garden buddleia bush,it is still attracting the butterflies and today another Dark Green Fritillary flew in.Like other species it nectared on the blooms before resting close by, along with several Red Admirals and the ever dependable Peacock and Comma.
Of course there are always dangers and this Large White chose the wrong time to land on this bloom.A crab spider was ready and waiting for it's next meal.

The Butterfly Bush Attracts the Visitors.

Although not my favourite garden shrub,Buddleia is a must for attracting butterflies and other insects.The plant in our garden has now been in full bloom for a week and the fragrant and nectar rich flowers have so far tempted a variety of butterfly species.Today it played host to a rather belated first sight of the year in the form of a Small Tortoiseshell. It would regularly rest from feeding to sun itself on the garden fence and then return for more.

Other butterflies seen on the buddleia flowers this week have included Peacock,Red Admiral,Comma,Large and Small White,Large Skipper,Meadow Brown,Marbled White,and a Dark Green Fritillary.The latter was the first ever sighting in the garden.

A Small White on the Rocks.

It looks as though the 2020 season will be confined to garden sightings due of course, to the Coronavirus pandemic.The recent weather has been disappointing with a cold north-easterly wind, although it has remained dry with some sunshine.However much warmer conditions are promised for the forthcoming weekend and next week so I am hopeful that the butterflies will be out and about.

The last few days have produced just one Peacock and one Comma in my back garden but today in the front garden I saw my first Small White of the year.Although no big deal, it was good to see a new emergent as it flitted around over our garden stones looking for some warmth in the overcast conditions.

Weather Perks Up & Butterflies Respond.

Today we enjoyed  the first true spring day of the year with plenty of warm sunshine, and the butterflies certainly responded. A first Brimstone, and two duelling Comma's appeared in my garden this morning.A lunchtime visit to Walter's Copse at Newtown produced four Peacock,seven Comma,and three flyby Brimstone.

Primrose rides at Walter's Copse

Painted Lady Invasion Pays Dividends.

I could not ignore the well publicised influx of Painted Ladies to our shores since May.Now at the start of August, many newly emerged offspring are gracing our gardens and countryside with at least one sighting of this beautiful butterfly every time one is out and about.With the buddleia in full bloom it is a magnet for Painted Ladies as well as other summer species.The plant in our garden has attracted at least four Painted Ladies at any one time since yesterday, along with Red Admiral,Comma,and Peacock.

Just the Usual Suspects.

With the spring weather warming up over the last few days and set to continue,I was very hopeful of seeing the first newly emerged butterflies of the year today.

Speckled Wood and Orange Tip have already been sighted on the Isle of Wight and an afternoon walk through Bouldnor Forest and later Walters Copse at Newtown proved to be a disappointment as I failed to see any of these two species.Still,the usual suspects were out and about.Male Brimstone forever on the move, along with several basking Comma,a Red Admiral or two on the tracks,and good numbers of Peacock.The latter it seemed always to be found close to  Pussy Willow which is now flowering in our damp woods.

First Butterflies of the Year as the Fine Weather Continues.

The very mild weather continues and temperatures reached nearly 20 Celsius today.A first trip of the year to Walters Copse,Newtown owned by the National Trust resulted in five Comma butterflies and at least four Brimstone.The Commas were basking in their usual spots, namely sunny and sheltered rides whereas the male Brimstone flew energetically about looking for females, pausing briefly to nectar on the few primrose flowers and enjoying a sunny location.

Spring Returns for One Day Only.

With the prospect of yet more cold weather on the way this week,today was perhaps only the second springlike day of the year.This sunny and warmish morning heralded the first butterfly of the season in the garden.The ever reliable Peacock appeared in the flower border close to the rear of the house where it nectared on the perennial wallflower 'bowles mauve',a real favourite it seems for butterflies.

Later,a walk around my local copse at Newtown saw an increase in the number of butterflies compared to last week's visit.Although the species were the same,more Comma,Brimstone,and Peacock were on the wing.It seems that the weather is not yet right for new emergents .and it could be another couple of weeks before the first of them will be seen locally.

Springlike Temperatures Encourage First Butterflies of the Season.

A soggy walk through my local copse today produced my first butterflies of the season.The cold wind had abated and the sun was shining with a temperature of 13 degrees centigrade.There were at least five Comma together with two Peacock and a bright male Brimstone. 

  

On The Up.

A further visit to Walters Copse today saw an increase in butterfly sightings compared with a fortnight ago despite a brisk easterly wind.However in some spots of the copse it was sheltered away from  the cool breeze and became relatively warm in the sunshine.Best of all was the number of Brimstone, reaching double figures as the males patrolled the rides on the lookout for females.Occasionally they took time out to visit the many primrose plants that now bloom throughout the copse.Unfortunately I did not encounter any new spring  emergents, as the only other butterflies on the wing were Peacock and Commas.