Moth trap in my garden at Leigh Park. I had my moth trap on overnight in my garden at Leigh Park and caught 30 species. Some of the goodies included a superb Scarce Merveille du Jour a new species for the garden, Privet Hawk-moth, Elephant Hawk-moth, Burnished Brass, 8 L-album Wainscot, Beautiful Hook-tip and Pebble Hook-tip etc. [Posted by Barry Collins]
First Butterfly of the Year: Leigh Park. Had my first butterfly of the year, a male Brimstone on my camellia bush in my garden at Leigh Park. [Posted by Barry Collins]
First sightings. Attending the funeral service of our former Area Group stalwart Dr Theo Roberts at Cosham today, a Peacock was noticed desperately trying to exit through a church window. Having exhausted itself by the end of the service, it was easily captured by hand and released; my first butterfly of the year. Meanwhile at Great Fontley a Red Admiral was observed nectaring on Bergenia, aka 'Elephant's Ears' by Jenny Mallett. [Posted by Andrew Brookes]
Monks Walk, Frater Fields & Woods, Gosport. It was sunny, cool-breezy but 11 degrees Celsius between 1245-1340 when I walked over the few non-soggy places of Monks Walk this afternoon. Both found basking in warm and protected glades, a Red Admiral (my first 2022 sighting) and a Comma were recorded. The Red Admiral - a male - was in very good condition for its hibernation and tolerated a close approach. Then it flew up and settled on my hat! Even when gently removing it the butterfly remained static and I was able to get up close and personal - with my camera annoyingly held in the other hand! The Comma was on the southern side of Heritage Way in what I call "Comma Corner" and there it basked. Total: Red Admiral (1)(M); Comma (1). [Posted by Francis Plowman]
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| Red Admiral (male) Photo © Francis Plowman | Same butterfly Photo © Francis Plowman | Comma Photo © Francis Plowman |
first butterfly of the year: North Baddesley. first butterfly of the year Red Admiral seen here today at my reserve in North Baddesley and first lizard. checked all the sheds and found 4 Peacock,3 Small Tortoiseshell and 1 herald moth all hibernating. [Posted by Kevin Ross]
Small Tortoiseshell House Guest!. This Small Tortoiseshell appeared to be booking in for bed and breakfast! Shelter from the storm, perhaps? [Posted by Kevin Freeborn]
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| My Small Tortoiseshell house guest Photo © Kevin Freeborn |
First Sighting of 2022: Waterlooville. Today I saw my first butterfly sighting of the year. In bright sunshine in my sister's garden at Elizabeth Road, Waterlooville a male Brimstone was in flight, the temperature reached 12°C. [Posted by Roy Symonds]
Red Admiral feast. Having seen a Red Admiral nectaring on Daphne bholua 'Jacqueline Postill' in our Chandlers Ford garden in the morning, we decided to take a trip to the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, near Braishfield, to make the most of the winter sunshine. It was only 10oC, but we were pleased to find at least 6 Red Admirals nectaring on assorted plants in the 'Winter Garden'. The first two we saw were imbibing nectar from the flowers of Edgworthia chrysantha (Photo 1), the third was on Lonicera x purpusii (Winter honeysuckle) (Photo 2). After this we found the fourth and fifth taking nectar from the early flowering heather, Erica carnea (Photo 3), and the final one was on Daphne Bholua (see posting on 17 Jan for image of this flower). If you're interested in winter flowering plants to attract insects, all of those listed are good for butterflies, bumblebees and other insects. [Posted by Andy Barker]
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| Red Admiral on Edgworthia Photo © Andy Barker | Red Admiral on Lonicera x purpusii Photo © Andy Barker | Red Admiral on Erica carnea Photo © Andy Barker |
Monks Walk, Frater Fields & Woods, Gosport. With the temperature standing at 13 degrees Celsius under warm sunshine there surely had to be a chance of seeing my first butterfly of the year at Monks Walk; and so it proved. At 13:30 a Comma made its welcome appearance and settled on a path to bask in the sunshine. Its appearance is 14 days earlier than my first butterfly sighting here in 2021 and 18 days earlier than last year's first Comma at this location. [Posted by Francis Plowman]
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| Photo © Francis Plowman |
Peacock in hibernation, Fordingbridge. One sleepy (but definitely alive) Peacock found in an outhouse in a private home in Fordingbridge! [Posted by Francis Plowman]
White-letter Hairstreak eggs. An afternoon egg-search at a roadside White-letter Hairstreak colony that I have been watching for about 30 years, near Hursley, proved successful. The favoured elm tree at this locality is probably about 7-8 metres high, but the challenge is finding low branches that can be inspected. In total, two eggs were found in a 25 minute search of the accessible SE side of the tree. The first of these was about 2 metres above ground level, and the second was slightly higher at about 3 metres. Both were on the youngest growth, thin hairy twigs. [Posted by Andy Barker]
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| White-letter Hairstreak egg 1 Photo © Andy Barker | White-letter Hairstreak egg 1 (close-up) Photo © Andy Barker | White-letter Hairstreak egg 2 Photo © Andy Barker |