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29 Jul 06 - 05:01 AM (#1796057) Subject: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: Liz the Squeak I'm so chuffed (UK speak for pleased, happy, proud, excited, amazed and stunned all at once) with my latest sightings that I thought we could share. I have a white buddliea bush which attracts moths as well as butterflies but this week I've been stunned at the sheer numbers of butterflies visiting it. For instance, today (Saturday, warm, sunny) there were, at the same time: 1 Red Admiral 2 Cabbage Whites 12 Painted Ladies Here is a good site showing a dozen of the most common in the UK/Europe. The Painted Lady is a migratory butterfly living in Europe most of the time. Although I've seen a few in Britain before, never have I seen them in such numbers at one time - and on one plant! LTS |
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29 Jul 06 - 08:47 AM (#1796128) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: Firecat Oh, wow! You are so lucky! Jealousjealousjealousjealousjealous. All we get round here are Cabbage Whites, Red Admirals and Peacocks, and there's not been many around that I've seen. |
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29 Jul 06 - 12:58 PM (#1796249) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: skipy I saw a red admiral once, we where on a canal trip and he got sun stroke. Skipy |
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29 Jul 06 - 01:19 PM (#1796260) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: harpmaker And of course the budlia bush is also known as the butterfly bush. We also have loads of butterflies Liz, but I did notice early on in spring seeing cabbage whites, and I thought it a bit strange as we only usualy see them from mid summer on. But this year is very different. We also have load and loads of moths, Quite extrordinary, must be down to the weather. Climate change? John in Beverley.UK |
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29 Jul 06 - 01:24 PM (#1796264) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: Rumncoke I have been turning off the fly zapper for several weeks as it had been zapping so many lepidops whenever I open the kitchen window. The first Painted Lady I saw a little while ago has now been joined by lots more. I notice that unlike our native species they take fright very quickly. |
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29 Jul 06 - 11:53 PM (#1796604) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: GUEST,.gargoyle THIS WEEK:
A bushel full of cabbage whites with a cluster of sulphers.
Three Tiger-swallowtail
Four Vicerory
Several dozen Monarch (there is a difference)
Several dozen Morning Cloak
Four Painted Ladies
Two peculiar, unidentified baby-blues
Sincerely,
Do you want to capture, kill and swap? Will trade a Morarch for one of your Red Admirals. |
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30 Jul 06 - 12:07 AM (#1796613) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: GUEST,Jon Saw a peacock on our buddleia today. First one I've seen this year. Also a couple of small blue ones, a few small tortoiseshells and a lot of cabbage whites. Haven't seen any Red Admirals this year. |
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30 Jul 06 - 12:16 AM (#1796615) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: Ferrara Jon, where do you live? All I remember noticing so far in our yard (Maryland) are cabbage whites, a few sulphurs (not sure which ones), skippers, and lots of tiger swallowtails. There was one lovely black-colored swallowtail but it may have been a melanistic female tiger swallowtail (the mimic the pipevine swallowtails which are poisonous.) Every year the tiger swallowtails practically patrol the butterfly bushes to keep off other large butterflies. Sigh.... |
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30 Jul 06 - 12:24 AM (#1796621) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: GUEST,Jon Norfolk, UK Ferrara. As far as I know, we only have this swallowtail in the UK. They can be found on the Norfolk Broads - not that far from me - all have to go and look one year as I've never seen a live one. |
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30 Jul 06 - 05:45 AM (#1796717) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: GUEST, Topsie Spotted a large, pale butterfly/moth (too far away to identify) flying away from the London Butterfly House recently. If it lands on someone's buddleia they may get a nice surprise. |
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30 Jul 06 - 06:47 AM (#1796738) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: Liz the Squeak There's a London Butterfly house??? Why have I never heard of this? I love butterflies and am desperate for things to do with the child (other than throwing her off Tower Bridge or into the lion cage at the zoo) this summer.... I shall instigate a search pronto! LTS |
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30 Jul 06 - 06:50 AM (#1796741) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: Liz the Squeak Damnation.. no sooner do I find a place than this happens.... But we will be visiting some time this summer. LTS |
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30 Jul 06 - 07:10 AM (#1796754) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: Liz the Squeak Todays' score is down on the Painted Ladies but they've been joined by 2 Red Admirals... obviously word gets round! LTS Garg... this is a Watching challenge, not a Catching challenge.. I know most of the letters are the same but I like my butterflies flying freely, not pinned to a piece of card. Should I find one deceased of natural causes then maybe I'll reconsider. |
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30 Jul 06 - 07:35 AM (#1796763) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: Jos You'll love it Liz. I discovered it more than twenty years ago and was very upset recently to find it is likely to close. |
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30 Jul 06 - 08:30 AM (#1796785) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: Nigel Parsons From Cardiff (South Wales), seen in the garden this week: Peacock; Cabbage White; Large White. Seen out on the hills above Cardiff this week: Hedge Brown; Brimstone CHEERS Nigel |
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30 Jul 06 - 09:08 AM (#1796806) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: GUEST,Jon Just been outside towards the "butterfly bush". Seen 3 red admiral, 3 peacock, 2 painted lady, 1 unknown - small brown. I can't count the whites there are loads around and have been for some time. Always are here but at least we've done a better job of netting the brassica this year... |
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30 Jul 06 - 11:57 AM (#1796948) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: Firecat Must talk parentals into letting me go to Butterfly House. Or the one at Roundhay (if it's still there). I didn't get called Miss Butterfly by a kid who couldn't remember my name for nothing! |
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30 Jul 06 - 02:29 PM (#1797057) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: GUEST,Guest Today; Numerous Red admirals; 1 Painted Lady; 3 Speckled Wood; Numerous Peacock and one very beautiful Brimstone on runner bean flowers-- one Hummingbird Hawk Moth and all in sunny Cheshire. |
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30 Jul 06 - 02:49 PM (#1797070) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: greg stephens Stoke, England. An excellent year, all the usual suspects(Tortoiseshells,Red Admirals, Peacocks). Plus loads of painted Ladies. And most unusually, just before the others all appeared, a very large number indeed of Commas. these were unusual here five years ago, but have incresed hugely and this year easily outnumbered red Admirals and Tortoiseshells. peacocks have been the commonest on the buddleia, though overall in the garden this year the Speckled Woods have been the most generally common, over the whole summer. They arent interested in the buddleias, for some reason. A few Blues, not a lot this year. A few years back we had a Whiteletter Hairstreak in the garden, only spotted that the once. Out in the country, of course, there are loads of other ones, which we saw at the weekend. |
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30 Jul 06 - 05:16 PM (#1797175) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: open mike i have buddileas too and have seen Monarch, Tiger Swallowtail, Zebra Swallowtail,. (is that what the yellow and the white varieties are called?) also sulphur, mourning cloak, checkered, and others. also have been seeing a moth with black wings, blue and black striped body and orange marks on wings.. for the next challenge let's have a slug and snail watching challenge the hard part woudl be to sit still long enough to watch them. |
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30 Jul 06 - 06:16 PM (#1797224) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: GUEST, Topsie The little slugs in my garden go pretty fast - I reckon you could use them as racing slugs. And the big ones are veritable houdinis. I collected some up and put them in a bucket, thinking I would take them and release them somewhere a long way from my beans and potatoes. I put a sieve over the top to (as I thought) keep them in. When I came back one was half way through one of the sieve holes - big fat slug fore and aft, and a very thin, moving, waist. |
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31 Jul 06 - 04:33 AM (#1797460) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: Liz the Squeak I live on a migratory trail for snails so I have no problem. Just wait for the rain and they come out in their dozens! Oddly enough.. I've not seen a single small Tortoishell this year.... one of the commonest butterflies and I've not seen one. Should see plenty of other species today though, we're off to the butterfly house as mentioned above! LTS |
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31 Jul 06 - 10:40 AM (#1797707) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: Divis Sweeney Hasn't been great so far over here yet. Speckled woods, Ringlets and Meadow Browns along with the Whites, Large and small. Never saw one Orange Tip this Spring. I prefer Moths, great selection so far this year. |
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31 Jul 06 - 10:46 AM (#1797713) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: GUEST,Jon Seen less today, a couple of painted ladies and 1 peacock. The whites still around of course. |
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31 Jul 06 - 10:51 AM (#1797718) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: Divis Sweeney We tend to get the Peacocks and Admirals in September for the Apple harvest. Painted Ladies rare. Great selection of Butterflies found in the Burren here in Ireland. Saw many fritillaries here. |
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06 Aug 06 - 03:57 AM (#1802559) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: harpmaker Theres just been a bloke on the news this morning from the London butterfly house, he said the reason for the large numbers is three months of continual warm weather. Ideal conditions for breeding and feeding. He went on to say; "butterfly numbers have been in decline for many years" |
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06 Aug 06 - 04:32 AM (#1802566) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: bfdk We've plenty of Cabbage Whites around here at present, mainly the small and big whites, but also the green-veined whites. I see a fair number of Peacocks (Inachis Io), and I've seen Painted Ladies (Vanessa Cardui) and Admirals (Vanessa Atalanta). I've seen a few Small Tortoiseshells (Aglais urticae), but there ought to be plenty, because a few weeks ago there were bundles of their larvae crawling on nettles all over the place. I've seen one single Orange Tip (Anthocharis cardamines) male. I've seen a few of the small blues, but I've no idea which subspecies they were. Now, I'm looking forward to seeing which species I shall come across in the USA :-) Best wishes, Bente |
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06 Aug 06 - 12:34 PM (#1802748) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: Liz the Squeak There was a small blue one flitting around today, but the painted ladies don't like the cooler, rainy weather we've had recently. Just wish I could find my butterfly book now.... LTS |
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07 Aug 06 - 08:18 AM (#1803363) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: Mo the caller We get the little blue ones (holly blue?) too. In Cheshire |
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07 Aug 06 - 08:47 AM (#1803388) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: Divis Sweeney North of Ireland Sightings for August 2006 Date Species Location 02/08/2006 Large White (10) Crossgar, Co. Down 02/08/2006 Common Blue (1) Crossgar, Co. Down 02/08/2006 Green-veined White (4) Crossgar, Co. Down 02/08/2006 Ringlet (2) Crossgar, Co. Down 02/08/2006 Meadow Brown (3) Crossgar, Co. Down 02/08/2006 Speckled Wood (1) Crossgar, Co. Down 02/08/2006 Small Tortoiseshell (5) Crossgar, Co. Down 02/08/2006 Red Admiral (12) Crossgar, Co. Down 02/08/2006 Peacock (19) Crossgar, Co. Down 03/08/2006 Meadow Brown (203) Murlough Co. Down 03/08/2006 Grayling (6) Murlough Co. Down 03/08/2006 Small Copper (4) Murlough Co. Down 03/08/2006 Common Blue (18) Murlough Co. Down 03/08/2006 Red Admiral (16) Murlough Co. Down 03/08/2006 Peacock (25) Murlough Co. Down 03/08/2006 Dark Green Fritillary (4Murlough Co. Down 03/08/2006 Small White (7) Murlough Co. Down 03/08/2006 Small White (12) St. John's Pt., Co. Down 03/08/2006 Scarce Silver Y (1) Murlough Co. Down 03/08/2006 Silver Y (3) Murlough Co. Down 03/08/2006 Speckled Wood (4) Murlough NNR, Co. Down 03/08/2006 Clouded Yellow (1) St. John's Pt., Co. Down 03/08/2006 Large White (13) St. John's Pt., Co. Down 03/08/2006 Painted Lady (9) Tyrella House, Co. Down 03/08/2006 Small Tortoiseshell (7) Murlough Co. Down 03/08/2006 Painted Lady (12) Murlough Co. Down 03/08/2006 Ringlet (2) Murlough Co. Down 03/08/2006 Small Heath (47) Murlough Co. Down 03/08/2006 Six-spot Burnet (192) Murlough Co. Down 05/08/2006 Silver-washed Fritillary (2) Trassey Road, Co. Down 05/08/2006 Silver Y (28) Bohill Forest Co. Down 05/08/2006 Painted Lady (9) Bohill Forest NNR, Co. Down 05/08/2006 Peacock (30) Bohill Forest Co. Down 05/08/2006 Small Copper (14) Bohill Forest Co. Down including 2 of the blue sotted form |
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07 Aug 06 - 03:18 PM (#1803703) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: sian, west wales I'm not good at moths and butterflies, but I had one in the bathroom a few weeks ago which was lovely. I don't know what it is though. If I've done it right, there's a photo of it here . There's a butterfly place in Menai Bridge, Anglesey, but I've never been. It's called Pili Palas as a Welsh/English play on words. "Pilipala" is one Welsh word for butterfly. sian |
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07 Aug 06 - 03:38 PM (#1803719) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: Liz the Squeak Sian - your file is coming up as inaccessible... any chance of a written description? LTS |
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07 Aug 06 - 03:48 PM (#1803728) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: Divis Sweeney Same for me Liz, can't see it and now I am nosey to see it ! Please Sian can you describe it thanks. |
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07 Aug 06 - 04:18 PM (#1803761) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: GUEST,Jon Sian, in North Wales, there also a a butterfly place in Conwy. Started by a morris dancer even! I've not seen much over the last few days, couple of peacocks and painted ladies plus a few whites. Drifting way OT, but the most interesting "flying creature" to me I saw this weekend was a brown long eared bat. Pip found it on the ground in daytime. It had no obvious signs of injury and we hoped for a night-time release but the poor thing died. |
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07 Aug 06 - 05:44 PM (#1803886) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: sian, west wales OK - it's basic wing colour is white, but with an orange-yellow top half of the central body. At rest, it holds it's wings out flat. It has remarkable black markings. If you can picture it, the very edges of the wings are black, then its as though there are black spots touching the black edge, almost giving a scalloped effect. Then above the scallop is a second row of black spots which follows the line of the wings' edges, but not touching the second row of spots. Oh heck. If anyone has an email they can PM me, I'll send the jpeg! sian |
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07 Aug 06 - 09:31 PM (#1804039) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: EBarnacle This has been a great year for flutterbyes in the New York City area. I have not seen so many in years. I don't worry about what they are as long as they can make the right matchup on their own. I just enjoy their beauty. |
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08 Aug 06 - 05:16 AM (#1804208) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: GUEST, Topsie Not strictly butterflies, but I've been seeing some spectacular dragonflies recently. |
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08 Aug 06 - 05:32 AM (#1804214) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: sian, west wales I've sent Divis a photo of 'my' example. Don't expect it to be any great rarity, but I hope he can identify it, just to assuage my curiosity. Otherwise, I haven't seen a vast number around here although there's a lot of buddliea around. (Why do they sell this stuff in nurseries? It's a weed here and grows out of every loose roof tile and crack in the pavement. Pretty, though.) sian |
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08 Aug 06 - 06:22 AM (#1804229) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: Divis Sweeney Just replied to your email sian, it's a Magpie Moth, (Eurrhypara hortulata). Wingspan 24-28 mm. This is one of the most familiar of the Pyralidae, with its yellowish body parts and black-and-white patterned wings. It is very common in the southern half of Britain, becoming less so further north, and flies in June and July. Little beauty, thanks for sharing this with us. Divis. |
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08 Aug 06 - 06:38 AM (#1804237) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: GUEST,Jon Interesting pretty looking thing. I only know about 6 butterflies and as far as moths are concerned, I never get further than "it's a moth" with anything I've ever seen. The only exception was one we found last year or the year before. Looked it up because it was so big. Turned out to be a Privet hawk moth |
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08 Aug 06 - 07:01 AM (#1804251) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: Divis Sweeney Nice find Jon. Really I find that moths are a lot more interesting. I have a very old collection of both displayed in frames. Yes you may say this is horrible, but they date back to 1918 onwards. A display like this developes peoples awareness of both. I bought them at auction a lifetime ago. If you are as sad as me, sometime leave an outside light on after 10pm for a few hours and inspect the area around it to see the beauty it can attract. |
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08 Aug 06 - 07:59 AM (#1804280) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: sian, west wales Thanks Divis. I did think it was lovely. The wing pattern was remarkable - looked like a frilly lace skirt. sian |
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08 Aug 06 - 09:46 AM (#1804340) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: GUEST,Jon I'll give that a try one evening this week, DS. |
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09 Aug 06 - 07:57 PM (#1805727) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: Joybell It's not quite butterfly and moth time here yet. A few cabbage whites have been hovering hopefully around the vegie patch. We get some lovely moths and some big interesting ones like the Bogong Moth that migrates hundreds of miles across the state to Mount Bogong. Many of the Australian moths have yet to be named. Anyone can get their name attached to them. That would be fun. It's a matter of going through the routine. Cheers, Joy |
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09 Aug 06 - 07:59 PM (#1805729) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: Divis Sweeney Your country was some of the most beautiful moths Joybell. |
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10 Aug 06 - 02:50 PM (#1806525) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: Mo the caller We used to find a lot of the Privet Hawk Moth caterpillars in my London childhood, not seen any in Cheshire, but maybe I haven't been looking (I used to walk home from school past streets of privet hedged gardens). That Magpie Moth does look pretty but is caterpiilars can strip gooseberry bushes completely bare of all leaves. |
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10 Aug 06 - 02:52 PM (#1806527) Subject: RE: BS: Butterfly watching challenge From: SINSULL We had some pretty yellow butterflies in NYC who would land on anything red. It was fun to sit outside in a red shirt and count how many landed. Sometimes 8-10 at a time. |