Garden sighting of Holly Blue. Back garden:Havant.
A female Holly Blue spent most of Sunday afternoon in my garden; it spent most of the time trying to extract the maximum warmth from the hazy sunshine. [Posted by Alan Wingrove]
Monks Walk, Frater Fields & Woods, Gosport. It was 15 degrees Celsius in warm sunshine from 1155-1300 as I circled around Monks Walk. In the main (butterfly meadow) a Red Admiral landed on my left forearm which was rather decent of it then perched nearby for photographs. The insect had distinctive wing damage which allowed me to identify it again over 40 minutes later - and at some further distance over woods and hedges - as it once again alighted upon me. This time it favoured my lower leg and sunned itself happily for 4 minutes before flying away. (Must use that aftershave again!) By some act of contortion (which I fear put off a couple of folk walking their dog nearby) I managed to get a selfie of sorts! A rather fresh looking Speckled Wood (female) was my first November sighting of this species which was also sunning itself in an oak tree. Totals: Red Admiral (4); Speckled Wood (F)(1). [Posted by Francis Plowman]
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| Red Admiral not socially distanced on my leg!! Photo © Francis Plowman | Speckled Wood female Photo © Francis Plowman | Red Admiral in fine fettle Photo © Francis Plowman |
Red Admiral at Hillier Gardens. Despite the overnight frost we were hopeful that the cool but sunny conditions would tempt a butterfly out for some nectar. Our visit to Hillier Gardens, Braishfield, only produced a single Red Admiral flying around the flowers and then resting on the leaves of a Mahonia. It was a pristine individual and although we didn't see it nectar it brightened what was already a beautiful day. [Posted by Andy Barker]
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| Red Admiral on Mahonia Photo © Andy Barker |
Meonshore to Brownwich Cliffs, Titchfield Haven. A glorious day of full sunshine, hardly a puff of breeze - only one place to go! Ostensibly to check-out Clouded Yellow the walk was the cliff path from the Meon Shore to Brownwich cliffs and back (1145-1315; 11-12 deg C). Three butterflies graced our walk; a male Brimstone in the bushes/grasses on the fringes of Meon Shore itself, then at the Brownwich cliffs area a pristine Peacock landed and started basking. In the same location along came the Small Copper and posed for the camera in the shore-line grasses. No Clouded Yellow nor, surprisingly, Red Admiral but three sightings in early November can't be all bad. [Posted by Francis Plowman]
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| Brimstone male Photo © Francis Plowman | Peacock Photo © Francis Plowman | Small Copper Photo © Francis Plowman |
Beacon Hill Exton. The last day before lock down and I decided to go for a walk on top of the downs at Exton, and the warmth of the weather brought out a Comma on some bramble, and a Brimstone, settled on some Beech stumps. They are at the moment cutting down a lot of the Ash die back trees, which will open up the woodland at the top of the main footpath on the site. There are plenty of Herdwick Sheep and Cows munching away on the grassland, keeping the sward short. It will be interesting to see how well the Silver-Spotted Skipper does at this site in the next few seasons. I've never seen so many Red Kites and Buzzards inter-acting with each other today the thermals were just right, and there were 6-8 Red Kites and at least 4 Buzzards all in a group, a wonderful sight. [Posted by Ashley Whitlock]
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| Brimstone Photo © Ashley Whitlock | Comma Photo © Ashley Whitlock | Red Kite Photo © Ashley Whitlock |
Monks Walk, Frater Fields & Woods, Gosport. Finally! The sun came out this morning and for an hour from 1130 I checked-out the sheltered places and there found butterflies. It was 12 deg C but the considerable breeze made it feel much colder. Four Red Admiral were found in varying condition and two out of the four were feeding on ivy floret. Nice to record butterfly colour as we translate into the cools of Autumn and particularly the foreboding gloom of another national lockdown. Stay safe everyone! Totals: Red Admiral (4) [Posted by Francis Plowman]
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| Pristine Red Admiral Photo © Francis Plowman | Nectar in the November sunshine! Photo © Francis Plowman | Not so pristine Red Admiral Photo © Francis Plowman |