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Showing posts from April, 2019

Tuesday 30th April 2019

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Butterfly Species: Brimstone (4) Orange Tip (4) Peacock (1) Holly Blue (1) Speckled Wood (1) Female Brimstone - Midford 30-04-2019 The weather was good for my last trip along the path in the month of April. Fine, sunny and temperature hovering around 15c. This time last year I saw Brimstone, Comma, Holly Blue, Orange Tip and Speckled Wood. No Comma this time but all the others were to be seen in various sections of the path. The above picture is a female I found nectaring near Midford. Nearby is a Buckthorn bush, one of a few I have managed to find along this section of the cycleway. This is the Brimstone's primary foodplant. I have yet to find any Brimstone eggs on the Buckthorn but there is still time. The Brimstone butterflies should still be flying well into May. Peacock - Midford 30-04-2019 The Peacock butterfly I came across was looking very worn and battered so I would be surprised to see this species again before the next generation appears later in the su...

Saturday 27th April 2019

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Radstock to Kilmersdon - Butterfly Species: None recorded. Beech Leaves On Saturday 27th April I was attending a family wedding in Bath and Rob Ladd was out on the cycle-path between Radstock and Kilmerston. It was a cold day in Bath with temperatures reaching a high of 10c during the midday period and it wasn't much better in Radstock. Rob reported 'a cool, strong breeze and 12c' which is not good butterfly weather! Warmth is an important precursor to butterfly flight. Some species are better that others in getting airborne in cold weather, but most don't fly if the ambient temperature is below 13c. Indeed, the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme advises Transect walkers to stay at home if the temperature is below this level. Although I think it was unlucky not to see any butterflies on the wing, Rob's experience seems to bear this out.

New Horizons

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Over the past year I have been surveying just one stretch of path designated a Greener Greenway by Sustrans. There are many more miles of path in the the Bath area which I would like to survey for butterflies and happily I have been joined by another volunteer to do just that. Rob Ladd has offered to survey an interesting looking stretch of path that runs south from Radstock towards Kilmersdon. This route is almost entirely rural and runs adjacent to the type of countryside that would provide good habitat for butterflies. Rob's First count was on Thursday 18th April between Radstock and Kilmersdon Sewage works.  His report is below... Weather overcast from 10.00 to 10.30 and then sunny until 11.30. temperature about 15 degrees.  Peacock (2) Brimstone (2) Orange Tip (3) Small white (2) Closer to home, Frank another volunteer is also on the lookout for me as he travels along the paths near Bath. Frank reported... Lyncombe Vale (between two tunnels) – Holly Blue ...

Saturday 20th April 2019

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Butterfly Species: Speckled Wood (9) Brimstone (8) Small White (2) Orange Tip (2) Speckled Wood - Midford, 20th April 2019 A nice warm sunny afternoon with temperatures hovering around 22c was the backdrop to my trip down the path. There were fewer butterflies than I expected given the conditions. Sometimes this  happens. It's almost as if it is too hot. However as I progressed down the path towards Midford the first Brimstone of the day, and one of eight altogether,  made an appearance. Speckled Wood butterflies were fluttering gently in the shady areas. These are now in full flight and the commonest butterfly today. Garlic Mustard Plant and Orange Tip egg on flower head ( top, left and below) I only saw Two Orange Tip butterflies on this trip. I saw my first along this stretch on the 11th April. Last year, I first recorded this species on the 26th April a full two weeks later. The principle food-plant is Garlic Mustard and the females will lay their Orange s...

Thursday April 11th 2019

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Butterfly Species: Brimstone (4) Orange Tip (2) Peacock (2) Speckled Wood (3) The weather was fine and sunny with a maximum temperature of 11c as I set of along the path today. The low temperatures were a concern as butterflies need warmth to fly. At this time of year I would have preferred the temperature to be a degree or two higher to stimulate more butterflies into flight. However, the strong sun and sheltered habitat encouraged a number of butterflies to show themselves. Brimstone Butterfly - Midford 11th April 2019 The male Brimstones were as busy as ever, tacking along the cycleway in search of females and nectar. The former were nowhere to be seen. Female Brimstones are usually later to emerge from hibernation but I would expect to see them at this stage of the season. Seeing the first Speckled Wood butterflies of the year came as no surprise. These butterflies hibernate as both pupae and larvae. The butterflies emerging now are likely those which over-wintered ...