Butterflies

[Sagitar]

We haven't seen many butterflies in our garden yet this year. Perhaps because the Muntjac are stripping it bare.

However, they have yet to touch the Lavender and we had a couple of Small Tortoiseshells feeding on it this afternoon.

[Sveti]

Beautiful picture, Sagitar.

I haven't seen hardly any either, and I've got one of those butterfly attractant units in the garden too.

[SCRABBLER]

With regard to the backdrop to the Ampthill Newsweek 11th August: this year, we seem to have had an explosion of butterflies of all hues and sizes.
The Whites have been in abundance, but there have been Skippers, Brimstones, Holly Blues, Red Admirals, however, as yet I have not seen a Painted Lady,
and only one Peacock. Everywhere you look this Summer they have been present in large numbers. And has anyone noticed that flies and wasps have not
been about in the numbers that they have been in past years?

[oceanbreeze]

We too have had a mass of butterflies. Also, yesterday, a lot of young wasps on our kitchen bay tree in the courtyard.

[Sagitar]

With regard to the backdrop to the Ampthill Newsweek 11th August: this year, we seem to have had an explosion of butterflies of all hues and sizes.
The Whites have been in abundance, but there have been Skippers, Brimstones, Holly Blues, Red Admirals, however, as yet I have not seen a Painted Lady,
and only one Peacock. Everywhere you look this Summer they have been present in large numbers. And has anyone noticed that flies and wasps have not
been about in the numbers that they have been in past years?

Our experience is very similar. Earlier in the year we saw a lot of Small Tortoiseshells and there are still a few about. We have seen a few Commas, but very randomly. My neighbours on either side each have Buddleias in their gardens and for the past two weeks there has been a mass of Peacocks on them, smaller numbers of Red Admirals and the occasional Painted Lady hiding among them and difficult to spot. There have been lots of white Butterflies in the garden all through the summer. They have been feeding on the lavender recently. I notice clear differences of size and shades of colour in the whites but I don't really understand the significance.

[SCRABBLER]

I notice clear differences of size and shades of colour in the whites but I don't really understand the significance.

There are around 6 different types of white butterfly which are almost identical at a glimpse. Large Whites have two or three dark spots on their wings, and the tips of their wings are slightly shaded darkly grey to white (Cabbage Whites to you and me). Smaller, are the Wood Whites ( almost all white), and then you get Small White with small black spots on the
wings. Brimstones - which are part of the White family, are tinted pale yellow and lastly Green-veined Whites, and Orange tips.
But of whatever hue you see, I think that all Butterflies are an absolute joy.

[SCRABBLER]

At noon I was sitting in my bedroom looking out of the window, and there on the ivy flowers was a Red Admiral and (I think) a Painted Lady.
The sun was playing on the Ivy and I suppose opening up the flowers - it was such a lovely surprise to see these two butterflies, especially as we
are beginning to think of the Winter coming along. The Ivy was playing host to a lot of what seemed to be hover flies and one or two small worker
bees. Sagitar would have had a "field day" with his camera, had he been here.

[Sagitar]

This year we have seen hardly any butterflies in the garden. Yesterday I saw a single solitary Peacock and this morning, on my way back from shopping, I saw a Red Admiral on a Buddleia in Brewery Lane. Our neighbours have a magnificent Buddleia but it has been bare of butterflies throughout its flowering.

[groutman]

At noon I was sitting in my bedroom looking out of the window, Sagitar would have had a "field day" with his camera, had he been here.

Oooer Missus!

I think this is not quite what you meant!

This is what some newspapers do - they are the words you said, but, when edited, appear to say something else.

[CraftsbyCarolyn]

I was sad to see one had made it into our conservatory and I just couldn't encourage him to go out, far too high for me to get to him as well. If only I had kept a fishing net

Lovely photo

[oceanbreeze]

We have a mass of cabbage whites in our NN garden at the moment, but a walk into the fields has revealed Commas, Peacocks, and Meadow browns.

[Sagitar]

A couple of days ago I saw this Small Tortoiseshell in the garden. It's the first we have seen this year; normally we see dozens of them.
You can see that it is very poor condition with faded colours and damaged wings.
I wonder if it has only just made its migration journey?

[CraftsbyCarolyn]

there was something on radio the other day that there is a mystery why there are are a lot less butterflies this year, even though the weather was perfect for them this year.