HarassedDad
Norfolk County Butterfly Recorder
Just to let folk know that the first Swallowtails of the season were seen yesterday - beating last year's first date by 5 days! Three were seen by Horning Church by a very experienced observer.
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Norfolk Butterflies and Moths (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Birding Bob
- Start date
NoSpringChicken
Well-known member
There were loads of tiny blue butterflies today at Strumpshaw beside the road leading to Buckenham Marshes. They were approximately 20mm across with their wings open and the underwings were beautifully marked with rings. They look like Common Blues from a quick scan of web images. Is this likely to be correct? I can post some photos in a couple of days when I have processed the files.
Ron
Ron
HarassedDad
Norfolk County Butterfly Recorder
Did they have orange spots on the undersides? There are four species of blue in Norfolk, but Chalkhill Blue is only known from Warham Camp, and Silver-studded is at just 6 heathland sites. (and both aren't out for another month or so) So anywhere else you only have to worry about Common Blue and Holly Blue. Holly has a plain blue underside with black speckles, while the common has orange rings on the outer edges. This is assuming you've seen a blue upperside - since Brown Argus has a very similar underside to Common Blue. (And of course female common blues can be very brown ie similar to Brown Argus. )
Incidently, found Wall Brown all over TG5005 today - a new square for them and a healthy population (8 seen despite showers). Also 2 Hairy Dragonflies there.
Incidently, found Wall Brown all over TG5005 today - a new square for them and a healthy population (8 seen despite showers). Also 2 Hairy Dragonflies there.
NoSpringChicken
Well-known member
Thanks for the info HarrassedDad. It sounds as if they were almost certainly Common Blues as the undersides of the wings did have coloured spots on them and were definitely not blue. It's handy to know that there are only two Blues to choose from. I will post some photos tomorrow, as they were settling on some beautiful white star like flowers, which I would like identifying too if possible.
Many thanks.
Ron
Many thanks.
Ron
NoSpringChicken
Well-known member
Here are some photos of the probable Common Blues at Strumpshaw on Saturday. The one on the right seems a bit browner than the other one with extra markings on the wings. Could this be a female? I think I have now identified the flowers as Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum.) Apparently the flowers close up on dull days, giving it the nickname Sleepy Dick!
In addition to these there were lots of Orange Tips, three or four Brimstones and a couple of Speckled Woods.
Ron
In addition to these there were lots of Orange Tips, three or four Brimstones and a couple of Speckled Woods.
Ron
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Lightthiscandle
David Bryant
HarassedDad
Norfolk County Butterfly Recorder
Yep, they're common blues - first two are males, third is a female
Incidently, while I'm here: there's a butterfly walk on saturday on mousehold heath, Norwich - hopefully for green hairstreak. Meet at Zaks carpark at 10am
Incidently, while I'm here: there's a butterfly walk on saturday on mousehold heath, Norwich - hopefully for green hairstreak. Meet at Zaks carpark at 10am
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HarassedDad
Norfolk County Butterfly Recorder
Well, the Mousehold meeting went extremely well. From a small area immediately around the Vinegar pond last year, the Green Hairstreaks have expanded across almost all of Mousehold. At least 10 seen, from near Gilman Road to near to Zaks - and we met someone who had seen 30 the previous day including some across the road at the Pitch and Putt. So the new management plan has suceeded very well. Also seen: a single Silver Y, several Brown Silver Lines and numerous other insects. Driving back afterwards a young Roe Deer was seen crossing the road by the Prison.
Meanwhile, in Italy and Spain yesterday somewhere close to a million Painted Ladies were counted moving North. If the weather holds, we may be in for the most spectacular butterfly migration event for a decade.To quote a guy from Trieste "we are talking about many, many millions of Painted Ladies moving north on a front at least 100km wide (and probably much more). I've lived in Italy for nigh-on 20 years and I've never seen anything like it in that time."
Meanwhile, in Italy and Spain yesterday somewhere close to a million Painted Ladies were counted moving North. If the weather holds, we may be in for the most spectacular butterfly migration event for a decade.To quote a guy from Trieste "we are talking about many, many millions of Painted Ladies moving north on a front at least 100km wide (and probably much more). I've lived in Italy for nigh-on 20 years and I've never seen anything like it in that time."
Huge numbers of painted ladies passed through North Norfolk this afternoon. At Swanton Novers the movement started about 1.00 pm ( though there had been a trickle through the morning ) By 2.00 they were pouring through two wide rides in the woods all passing from east to west. They averaged 8 per minuet for about 3 hours before the flow slackened , but they were still trickling through at 7.00 pm. I was doing a butterfly survey and got 104 with in the 5m survey box in about an hour, though probably 3-4,000 passed through , maybe many more. I was told even move were passing along the coast with one friend telling me he had 40 per minuet at one time near Cley. As the sun started to set some of the stone tracks were covered with then basking on the warm ground. Also had my first red admiral of the year which probably came in with the painted ladies.
The Spanish and Italian painted ladies Harassed dad talked about cant be here yet so it looks as though we could be at the start of a major migration if the weather is favourable
The Spanish and Italian painted ladies Harassed dad talked about cant be here yet so it looks as though we could be at the start of a major migration if the weather is favourable
Irene Boston
Well-known member
Fascinating Painted Lady spectacle - and these may be silly questions but here goes:
What triggers such numbers to migrate?
Or is it the fact that such numbers are around that has triggered the migration through lack of enough food where they originate from?
And, as someone may have mentioned already, when do they stop? How far north is this likely to go?
Or do they just disperse gradually as they go through 'new' areas?
Sorry for all the questions but I find it fascinating and I'd like to understand a bit more why it happens.
Thanks
Irene
What triggers such numbers to migrate?
Or is it the fact that such numbers are around that has triggered the migration through lack of enough food where they originate from?
And, as someone may have mentioned already, when do they stop? How far north is this likely to go?
Or do they just disperse gradually as they go through 'new' areas?
Sorry for all the questions but I find it fascinating and I'd like to understand a bit more why it happens.
Thanks
Irene
This time it was the high rainfall in the Sahara desert that promoted the immigration. Normally it is the high numbers of breeding butterflies and there is not enough food so they migrate northwards, Normally Painted Ladies migrate late June but the high rainfall triggered this immigration. These butterflies will have come from South Africa at first
HarassedDad
Norfolk County Butterfly Recorder
I think it was more that high rainfall led to a blooming of the sahara - extra foodplants, allowing far more caterpillars to survive. Given that each adult female can lay 400 eggs - of which only 2 normally survive to breed - even a slight improvement in survival can produce huge booms in numbers. Last year hardly any PL's made it to Britain because of an unseasonal cold front in north africa which killed lots before they made it to Europe.
the adults that made it through the rains are pale and washed out and a bit tatty - they've been arriving in small numbers for the last month. There's a new generation, which bred after, now coming through - they are bright and fresh and flying fast.
They fly like mad until their food reserves start to drop, then they start settling down and feeding (and breeding). That's usually three days solid flying for the average adult - of course how far they get depends on where they started. Their offspring will be emerging in July, so there will be another boom then - depending on availability of foodplants (mainly thistles, burdock and nettles). Expect spiky black caterpillars in a month's time.
Co-incidently, the North American population is also undergoing a mass migration event, with large numbers moving north into california from mexico as we speak.
the adults that made it through the rains are pale and washed out and a bit tatty - they've been arriving in small numbers for the last month. There's a new generation, which bred after, now coming through - they are bright and fresh and flying fast.
They fly like mad until their food reserves start to drop, then they start settling down and feeding (and breeding). That's usually three days solid flying for the average adult - of course how far they get depends on where they started. Their offspring will be emerging in July, so there will be another boom then - depending on availability of foodplants (mainly thistles, burdock and nettles). Expect spiky black caterpillars in a month's time.
Co-incidently, the North American population is also undergoing a mass migration event, with large numbers moving north into california from mexico as we speak.
Irene Boston
Well-known member
Many thanks Harassed Dad for taking the time to post that explanation - amazing and fascinating stuff.
One more question if I may (sorry!), do they migrate over the sea at fairly high levels or low down? If the latter, it must be quite a sight if you're on the south coast and see waves coming in off the sea.
Irene
One more question if I may (sorry!), do they migrate over the sea at fairly high levels or low down? If the latter, it must be quite a sight if you're on the south coast and see waves coming in off the sea.
Irene
major wildlife
Registered Member
HarassedDad
Norfolk County Butterfly Recorder
They usually come in at around head height - but even though there's a lot of them coming in they are rarely in masses - more of a steady stream of ones and twos. So you don't get to look out to sea and see a dark cloud of butterflies approaching - which is a shame.
Lightthiscandle
David Bryant
Painted Ladies
Got back from Berkshire on Wednesday: there were PLs absolutely all over the place! Cookham & Marlow were dripping with them! So I was pleased to see that they seem to have followed me up the A11: there's been a dozen or so in my garden today! (Blofield Heath)
Got back from Berkshire on Wednesday: there were PLs absolutely all over the place! Cookham & Marlow were dripping with them! So I was pleased to see that they seem to have followed me up the A11: there's been a dozen or so in my garden today! (Blofield Heath)
matt green
Norfolkman gone walkabout
Even more Painted Ladies!!
Lost accurate count of them after double figures (including some in pairs) in my own sleepy corner of south Norfolk, nice to catch up with them on a late afternoon walk about the village since being out of the county for the last few days!
No idea what the moth is?
Matt
Lost accurate count of them after double figures (including some in pairs) in my own sleepy corner of south Norfolk, nice to catch up with them on a late afternoon walk about the village since being out of the county for the last few days!
No idea what the moth is?
Matt
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HarassedDad
Norfolk County Butterfly Recorder
Silver-ground carpet I think.
Swallowtails now reported from Strumpshaw, How Hill, and Upton Fen. Anyone seen them elsewhere?
