Last butterfly of the year 2024 (1 Viewer)

[dantheman]

Meant to start this thread a month or two back when better chances of more random butterfly species about.


1 Red Admiral today flying on a roadside hedge on a grey day near Falmouth.

 

[Richard Prior]

In a spell of mild sunny weather here so still quite a bit of activity, in what has been a poor year for the species a Painted Lady was a late surprise on 13th, this week we’ve had Red Admiral migration continuing plus the odd Small Tortoiseshell and Large White.
Yesterday I had a bit of a puzzler when what I first thought was a female Common Blue was fluttering about near our geranium balcony boxes, but it looked wrong on a closer look. I therefore took a quick photo with my phone and put it through iNaturalist which came up with an answer. I was still confused though as it didn’t feature in either my Collins guide to Butterflies of Britain and Europe (er, 1977 edition) or my Mitchell Beazley pocket guide (much newer(!)1982 publication 😬). No doubt you more serious butts experts will know it straightaway (phone pic attached), I clearly need to update my guidebooks!

 

[Scridifer]

Mild here too, along with the Red Admirals still plenty of Clouded Yellows, Wall Brown, Queen of Spain, Brown Argus, Large & Small White, Small Copper and the odd Common and Lang's Short-tailed Blues. No Geraniums though ( although it has made its way into the far SW of the country).

Chris

 

[aeshna5]

Had Red Admiral (& 2 Migrant Hawkers) in the brief sunshine yesterday.

Speckled Wood on Sunday.

 

[Xenospiza]

One European Peacock and several Red Admirals and Small Whites last Saturday.

 

[earthdragon64]

I've not seen a butterfly since a Peacock in the garden on the 2nd of October.

 

[Georgebirds]

I saw a Peacock this morning, back and forth through my open barn doorway so possibly looking for a nice hibernation space.

 

[SimonLS]

Red Admiral today. Perched in the sun along my road in Essex,

 

[Farnboro John]

Red Admiral flitting across Farnborough on a cool grey day. Tough butterflies Red Ads are!

John

 

[KenM]

Almost as tough Small White this pm.👍

 

[Xenospiza]

In very sunny but rather birdless weather today, two Peacocks, two Small Whites and a Red Admiral.

 

[Richard Prior]

In very sunny but rather birdless weather today, two Peacocks, two Small Whites and a Red Admiral.

More of the same type of weather here today too X, a Red Admiral and more surprisingly a Small Copper!

 

[Scridifer]

Did a transect walk for eBMS this morning. Despite the mercury only reaching 8-9 °C wall to wall sunshine and lack of a breeze brought 55 butterflies, in decreasing numbers from 15 Clouded Yellows through Small White, Small Copper, Red Admiral, Queen of Spain, Wall Brown, Brown Argus and Small Heath to single examples of Large White and Common Blue.

Chris

 

[Richard Prior]

Tomorrow (Monday 11th) looks like the last day before we finally lose the dawn to dusk sunshine, on our walk last Wednesday 6th we saw 2 more Clouded Yellow and a presumed male Common Blue, this morning a very late Brown Hairstreak (thanks Southern Viking for confirming) and another pesky Geranium Bronze!

 

[Farnboro John]

Red Admiral whirring along the cliffs at Seaford Head this morning. Pied Wheatear doing the same, only showing very intermittently and don't hang about if there's a shout!

John

 

[dantheman]

2 Red Admiral in Falmouth in the vicinity of the maritime museum on the 7th November (Thursday).


(Definitely not Rear Admirals)

 

[Jos Stratford]

a very late Brown Hairstreak

Far from common in Lithuania, this species is however typically a late species on the wing here, often in September or even October.

As for butterflies in general, third week of October is generally the very end of the season in Lithuania, I have only ever seen butterflies on the wing once in November (and that was on the first two days of the month). This year's final butterflies were Pale Clouded Yellows on 18 October, Red Admiral and Small White on the 22nd. Did however have Hummingbird Hawk Moths on 23 and 26th October, by far my latest ever for these.

 

[Jos Stratford]

....another pesky Geranium Bronze!

Hopefully left in peace 🙂

 

[Richard Prior]

Hopefully left in peace 🙂

Actually I shot it (but with the camera ) but message received Jos - I suppose I'm like the butterfly, an alien invasive species (being of English origin) that should be tolerated!

 

[Andy Lakin]

Single butterfly Sp today on local patch South Yorkshire (too far away to id) and a single dragonfly also too distant to id.