Where are all the butterflies?

[Cleeve Hill]

Yes, it looks more this summer now with plenty of butterflies out and about, amazing what a spell of dry warm weather can do. The dry spell has been perfect timing for the butterflies emerging in July. If this continues it all bodes well for next year.

The rare large blue can be seen in parts of glos, which is a rare event.

[Methuselah]

So far today:

 

3 cabbage whites,

4 small tortoiseshells,

1 red admiral,

1 brown thing that flew to fast,

1 large green/yellow dragonfly...

[Polar Maritime]

Down my local dale it is teeming with Butterfiys. Also wild Pyrimid Orchids and Crickets everywhere, even wild Alpine Strawberry's to nibble on..

[Methuselah]

I remember seeing a purple emperor, on my buddleia, back in 1976. Never saw one before or since!

 

Still, I've never seen a swallowtail!

Edited July 16, 2013 by A Boy Named Sue

[Jax]

Went to  a nature reserve last week and they have dedicated butterfly meadows.

 

http://www.wildlifebcn.org/reserves/summer-leys

 

 

Saw plenty of them there, just none willing to sit still long enough to let me photograph them.

[mushymanrob]

we have a ringlet boom! very rare locally until recently, but last years wet summer has provided a ringlet bonanza this year... remarkable..

 

got a few gatekeepers, commas, small tortoishells, brimstone, speckled wood and holly blue..

 

as yet no peacocks nor admirals, but the budlia is coming out so all eyes on that!

[Methuselah]

Got quite few ringlets down here too, rob...First comma seen today, but only one admiral and one peacock...

[Crepuscular Ray]

I've just seen a peacock on the buddleia. That's the first I've seen here in about 5 years.

[mushymanrob]

lol..after posting what i did yesterday, i walked out into the garden and sure enough, my first peacock of the season feeding on my freshly opened budlia.

[Methuselah]

My buddleia (first year) currently has 6 tortoiseshells and 2 peacocks, an indeterminate number of cabbage whites and umpteen bumble bees on it...What a difference it makes, having all the seasons in the right order!

 

Edit: 8 cabbage whites! 

Edited July 27, 2013 by A Boy Named Sue

[Jax]

My buddleia (first year) currently has 6 tortoiseshells and 2 peacocks, an indeterminate number of cabbage whites and umpteen bumble bees on it...What a difference it makes, having all the seasons in the right order!

 

Edit: 8 cabbage whites! 

My well established bud is pulling in loads of them, just been out there now watching them.

[Methuselah]

My well established bud is pulling in loads of them, just been out there now watching them.

It's brilliant, isn't - like a second childhood! 

[Jax]

3 weeks ago I spent an hour in some local butterfly meadows taking pictures...

 

 

...magic.

Edited July 27, 2013 by Jax

[Methuselah]

Just spent another 10 minutes' sitting with them...Must get the grandkids to the butterfly farm at Bury St Edmonds - if it's still there...

[phil nw.]

I don't know the names of them but next doors Buddleia over hanging our fence at this time of year attracts dozens of them every day-all different colours.

Nice to sit in the garden with a drink watching them-seen more bees too this year,so all very Summery.

[Jax]

Just spent another 10 minutes' sitting with them...Must get the grandkids to the butterfly farm at Bury St Edmonds - if it's still there...

blimey, my younger bro is a grandfather, I do not even have children (that I know of).

[ARTDEMOLE]

Lots of Whites  Gate Keepers and  Meadow Browns here...The Big Butterfly Count is now on until August 1st...

[mushymanrob]

well ... the peacocks have returned with avengance! my buddleia bushes are covered, must have c 60 (i have a long garden and lots of buddleias.) best day by far for many years, wonder where theyve al come from as theres been diddley squat for 7 years...

 

commas are doing ok, gatekeepers are good, odd brimstone, ringlets still around, tortoishells are uncommon, no speckled woods or holly blue yet... had them earlier..

 

no meadow browns, skippers, coppers..

 

loads of white ones

[Jax]

Plenty today have come to visit my Bud too, fantastic to see them in better numbers again.

[mushymanrob]

well ... the peacocks have returned with avengance! my buddleia bushes are covered, must have c 60 (i have a long garden and lots of buddleias.) best day by far for many years, wonder where theyve al come from as theres been diddley squat for 7 years...

 

commas are doing ok, gatekeepers are good, odd brimstone, ringlets still around, tortoishells are uncommon, no speckled woods or holly blue yet... had them earlier..

 

no meadow browns, skippers, coppers..

 

loads of white ones

 

... after posting this i went outside and was greeted by a meadow brown!

[chrcoluk]

in my room

 

I open the front door to let air in at night to cool things down, last 3 days in a row I have had butterflies fly in.

Edited August 2, 2013 by chrcoluk

[4wd]

More than there has been for years here.It shows the problem last year was almost entirely lack of decent weather for breeding and flying about.

[mushymanrob]

got my first red admiral yesterday.

[joggs]

Not an expert on butterflies but seen a hell of a lot of the white ones here in Bingley,west yorks.

[laserguy]

Millions of the blighters around here. Gonna have to chop down that butterfly bush right outside my front door. Bored of 'em now - bring on the daddy long legs - a surefire harbinger of Autumn and 'brighter' days to come.