Garden Orange Tips.

Butterfly sightings in the garden have been disappointing so far, with only several Small White and a passing Holly Blue.However, I have a impressive honesty plant in flower at the moment and I was hoping that this would attract the Orange Tip.So at the weekend I was pleased to see a male flying around the garden.Unfortunately he was in a hurry and with other things on his mind he quickly passed on.Two more visits of male Orange Tip's that day had the same result, so I feared that my flowering plant would not be a success.

I did not need to worry as today a female Orange Tip took great interest in the flowers and laid eggs among the blooms.

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.

Old and New.

The last several days have continued to be cold for this time of the year.However new emergent and old overwintering butterflies are appearing without delay.A first visit this season on Monday last, to a favourite butterfly spot at Whiteways Quarry produced a very active Small White.Today at the same location under showery skies, there was a Small Tortoiseshell enjoying the sunny spells.If the weather warms up soon I am certain that the first new butterflies will be seen here at Whiteways.

Butterflies After Water in our Drought-like Weather.

In Bouldnor Forest there is a collection of scrape-like ponds which are a remnant of oil exploration.They have become home for several species of dragonfly and now a water source for butterflies in this prolonged dry spell.It is maybe not unusual to see butterflies at damp patches in order to access salts, but it is always good to see a species that is not easily seen on the ground.This Purple Hairstreak seems to be a regular visitor at this water source at present as one was seen at the same location a week ago.

The nearest oak trees are just a stones throw away,as can be noted in the photograph below.Other butterflies after moisture at the same time were a White Admiral and a Small White. 

Spring Gets Underway.

Spring it seems has finally arrived and in the garden a first of the year Small White. A visit to my local copse was rewarded with another first of the season,a Speckled Wood. As the warm and sunny weather is promised for the rest of the week it looks as though more species will be out and about.

Speckled Woods & Peacocks On Show.

It was a lovely sunny spring afternoon although the butterflies did not seem to be much in evidence during my walk in Walters Copse at Newtown.Still,at least six Speckled Wood had claimed several sun dappled  spots in the wood and I had a glimpse of a Small/Green-veined White as it flew along a ride as I entered the Copse.
The Peacock seems to be very abundant this year and they are a regular sight here.Male Peacock butterflies set up their territories on the ground often in a sunny location at the end of a woodland ride and I came across one such spot in the copse today.The male(pictured below on the left of the photo) had attracted a female and he was gently opening and closing his wings in a courtship ritual while edging as close as possible to her.An example of this behaviour can been seen HERE The display abruptly ended when she flew off into the high branches of a nearby tree swiftly followed by the male.In contrast to the prevalence of the Peacock,the Red Admiral is a rare sight at the moment so I was glad to have a single sighting.Another all too brief sighting was a Holly Blue flying busily along a sunny track.

Circus Maximus.

The site of  ancient Rome's chariot racing stadium,Circus Maximus is in the centre of the city between the Palatine and Aventine Hills.It measured over 2000 feet in length and just under 400 feet in width and today is a public park.During a short stay in the city last weekend,I was pleased to see at least eight species of butterfly here as I strolled along the grassy banks of the Circus that in the days of the Roman Empire could accommodate well over 100,000 spectators.Quite a selection of wild plants grow here and they still attract butterflies at this time of year,especially in the warm sunshine that we enjoyed on our visit.

Whites were numerous,such as Bath,Large and Small White,together with several Clouded Yellow that all flew along the slopes searching out the small flowers, while Common Blue,Small Copper,Small Heath,Mallow Skipper,and Geranium Bronze seemed to find their own spot amongst the grass and plants.

The grassy slopes of the Circus Maximus

Bright & Beautiful.

With autumn here any nectar rich flowering plants in the garden are now attracting butterflies. Along with the reliable Red Admiral. I am still seeing the odd Speckled Wood,an occasional Painted Lady stopping off to feed on the buddleia,Large and Small Whites,and today this very colourful Small Copper.A very recent emergence by the look of it with bright markings. Individuals from later broods such as this tend to be often larger and brighter.This one also has a slight row blue dots on the hindwings of the form caeruleopunctata.   

Waiting for the New Arrivals.

A morning visit to Whiteways Quarry did not discover any new emergent butterflies today.The lone Grizzled Skipper should very soon be joined by other skippers,several Green Hairstreaks,,and  butterflies including the Small Blue.

A Small White was also seen enjoying the early warmth of the sun.

Garden Visitors.

Following a wet and windy night, today dawned with clear skies and it was not long before the sun shone in a blue sky.Not surprisingly then,that I recorded my first butterflies of the year in my garden around midday.A pristine Small White flew in but not finding any flowers it liked,sunned itself high up on one of our leafy bushes.This was quickly followed by a handsome male Brimstone that settled nearby but at a lower level.The third species of the day was a Peacock butterfly,again enjoying the sun on one of our paving stones.

Perhaps the best sighting was a Hummingbird Hawk Moth that spent some time nectaring from our primroses.

A Small White and a Small Yellow.

This Small White has fallen prey to a Crab Spider.There is just one species of this spider in the UK apparently belonging the genus Misumena. The spider has the ability to change colour from white,to pale green,and yellow.This allows the spider to match its background, as it sits motionless on a flower bloom awaiting a victim which it pounces on and grasps with its crab-like front legs.

Slow Going.

I must say that my spring sightings of newly emerged butterflies have been poor so far with just a couple of Small Whites to date.However a stroll around my local copse at Newtown today did produce at least three Speckled Wood and a possible female Orange Tip having an aerial duel with a Brimstone, before they both flew off at speed.Of course I may have been mistaken as my 'Orange Tip' could have been just another Small White.

Still the weather this week is settled and we are hoping for some near summer temperatures.So things are set to improve.

Drifts of Fleabane.

Maybe due to the prolonged summer weather we have enjoyed over the last two months,the drifts of fleabane are extensive in our local hedgerows and woods.This has continued to attract the summer butterflies in good numbers.

Yesterday at Walters Copse,Newtown  it seemed most of the high summer butterflies were on show and sightings of the Clouded Yellow have certainly increased.The Large and Small White continues to be prolific and in the copse I was treated to a male Chalk-hill Blue that had no doubt wandered from the Downs.