Butterflies

Common Swallowtail for you, Pip! Funny year, this year - the Scarce Swallowtails (despite the name) are usually more common - but this year it's been t'other way round!

 

Famtastic photo, Hy. I haven't seen any Swallowtails or Scarce Swallowtails yet, just the Monarchs, Clouded Yellows and Whites.

 

Stunning picture Hyla
Up here in the NW of England we to are having a funny year. Very few cabbage whites,the odd small tortoise shell,usually seen a painted lady by now,no sign of commas yet and the summer batch of peacocks are nowhere to be seen.

The year started so promisingly with very early peacocks and speckled woods,thought we were in for another fantastic butterfly year,not up to now. Still time yet.

Fortunate enough to see a humming bird hawk moth last year,as were many people in England,hopefully I will see one again this year. Two were spotted in E Yorks in early April.

Tiggs&Oscar, keep your eyes peeled for some of the larger night flyers. Let us know what you come across.

[ 23. June 2007, 09:50 AM: Message edited by: pip ]

 

One of these! Not a wonderful pic, but they move faster than my rather basic digi compact can focus!!!

 

Thats the one Hyla, hundreds of sightings across England last year,compared to the handful annualy reported.

I saw mine drinking from wreath flowers in the grounds of Preston crematorium.

 

I thought it was so much wet weather. I too have plants usually covered with butterflies and the verbena bonariensis is usually a draw - lots of bees though. I'm hoping that when the Buddleias flower [only buds yet] some will come.

 

I hope it's just the wet spell - and not people killing caterpillars!

I have loads of bees too, and a few moths - some more butterflies would be good though.

 

During the hot dry April we had, I saw quite a few butterflys - red admiral, peacock, gatekeeper, yellow brimstone - but its been so wet since I came back from Scotland, haven't seen any more

 

Butterfly ID please.........

 

Looks like it's on a Lantana ... I'm new at this, is it a Hummingbird Hawkmoth? Just a guess.

 

Vanessa cardui - the Painted Lady. (An easy one for a change!!!)

LoL - we "crossed in the post"!

You can tell flutterbys from moffs by the antennae. On a moth, they look like fern fronds, but on on a butterfly - like Terry Pratchett's wizard's staff - they have a knob on the end...

 

Hyla, just seen you swallowtail, thats a fantastic butterfly, it looks unreal, as all the good ones do.

 

That doesn't look at all like a Vanessa cardui - the Painted Lady to me! Just had another look in my book. Obviously quite different looking with the wings closed! Sheesh, do I have a lot to learn! :rolleyes:

I don't want to get into this discussion about what their antennae look like! :eek:

Who is Terry Pratchett, pray tell?

 

Thank you my leaned friend ............and LoL X