Actually, I've been thinking about butterflies more than moths myself, after a sunny day which brought out plenty of them including this Small Copper perching close to an early windfall which looks like a demented smiley ball. The butterfly was one of a dozen or more frisking about and taking an encouraging interest in one another. We should have plenty more next year.
There were also plenty of Speckled Woods, Gatekeepers, Meadow Browns and Holly Blues, plus the occasional Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell. I wonder, however, if others are experiencing a shortage of the usual, beautifully-coloured Vanessids this year. Our buddleias are at their best now, but I have seen only one Red Admiral and the others are sparse compared with recent years. The weather has been a bit odd which may have affected their cycle. But there are plenty of nettles about - their food plant - so perhaps it's just a matter of being patient.
2 comments:
Hi martin, no you're not the only one, i've seen only a handful of solitary red admirals on the buddleias this year, most worrying. I've also seen none of their furry caterpillars on nettles either.
Small coppers are one of my absolute favourites, such a pretty, jolly little butterfly
Hi there
Mmmm interesting. I hope it's not going to be a washout of the big, bright, familiar ones.
Yes I like Small Coppers v much. I'd love to see a Large one. I think they've reintroduced them at Wicken Fen and maybe one or two other fenland places - a Dutch variant rather than the English original, which was hunted to extinction by collectors (one of the rare examples of that actually happening for definite). But very fine.
All v best
M
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