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Numbers of Butterflies

BijdezeeBijdezee Posts: 1,484
in Wildlife gardening
Are you noticing a big upsurge in the numbers of butterflies in this hot spell? Most I've seen here so far. Not much room on the Echinacea broom right now..
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  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    I've not noticed butterfly numbers up, but I've never seen so many dragon/damselflies .
    Devon.
  • JellyfireJellyfire Posts: 1,139
    Lovely @Bijdezee, I love commas, and I agree there is a definite increase here, I can see at least 4 or 5 on the wing everywhere I look. Far more than usual. I Took a few seconds video on the wildflowers yesterday as there were so many. Difficult to see any other than the whites on it, but there were skippers, meadow browns, gatekeepers, ringlets all fluttering around on this one little patch https://youtu.be/x0J-OxQB9Kg
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    In the Midlands, where I live in a village surrounded by fields, this year is slow. The whites are starting to appear , but the little blues have disappeared.  No sign of peacock or red admirals yet.
  • JellyfireJellyfire Posts: 1,139
    edited July 2018
    We always do the Big Butterfly Count every year, so that will be a good chance to see if they are up or not. Well worth signing up for or downloading the app for anybody intersted. 
    It starts on 20th June until 12th August, and you can do as many counts as you like within that period 

    https://www.bigbutterflycount.org

    (actually looks like you can do counts now on the website)
  • BijdezeeBijdezee Posts: 1,484
    That's lovely JEllyfire, all those wild flowers. Ive seen ringlets and holly blue plus the usual small and large whites, painted lady, red admirals and loads of peacock butterflies. I think its because there is a bank of nettles behind our back fence along the dykes.

    Reminds me that i must drag hubby out for a walk around the area, see what else i can find. He says im obsessed with it, probably right. 


  • BijdezeeBijdezee Posts: 1,484

    I would do the count but being in Belgium would rule me out i think. 
  • JellyfireJellyfire Posts: 1,139
    Ah yep maybe not then Bijdezee, although you can still use the app to log sightings in belgium, so who knows, you could have your own little niche survey! 

    For anyone not seeing many at the moment, it could be that the 'June Lull', which is a quiet period between broods, is late this year after the cold late spring, you might find they pick up a lot in the next couple of weeks
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    edited July 2018

    Hail the sailors of the skies

    lycaena of the gramin seas

    sails unbattened over waves

     

    Hail the wide hespirid skipper

    seeking gorse shores clouded yellow

    over dappled heath and heather

     

    Ho the silverwashed flotilla

    the pierid wash of shine fritilla

     

    Hail the pearldown chalkhill fleet  

    over speckled wood, meliae,

    ivy, holly, ash and alder

     

    Over march and marsh and mallow

    light the argus meadow sweet




  • Guernsey Donkey2Guernsey Donkey2 Posts: 6,713
    We have had red admirals, meadow brown, speckled wood, white (not sure which), the small common blue, holly blue, painted lady and a fritillary (not sure which one).  I am hoping to see some wall browns but none so far.
  • BijdezeeBijdezee Posts: 1,484
    I havent seen a fritillary here yet Guernsey. They are lovely. 
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