Lack of Butterflies?

[ladyhawk]

Is it just me or is there a lack of butterfly's this year only seen a few this year disappointed not seen any Painted ladies or Peacock's yet








the Small heath was at the local nature reserve

[captaincarot]

1 painted lady for me plenty of peacocks too this year and about 100 peacock catterpillars on the nettles too today so not so bad round here

[aeshna5]

I'm afraid your Small Heath is infact a much more common Meadow Brown!

I've been lucky to see good numbers of butterflies, though some of the garden species like some of the vanessids maybe fewer, though Red Admirals seem around in good numbers.

Painted Ladies aren't resident, so we are reliant on conditions elsewhere to have a good season with these as happened a couple of years back.

I've only seen one this year + only c5 last year, though some people in the south-west have done better.

[nightshade]

So far this year I have seen about 10 butterflies _including_ those in North and South Devon , Moths are at a premium and I am checking e-bay for a hedgehog!

[captaincarot]

i've inspected loads of ragwort so far but until today not one cinnabar catterpillar now i've seen about 30, i've seen more spoonbills than hedgehogs this year,

though hummingbird hawkmoth has turned up 3 times in my garden in july

[shenk1]

We've got more Gatekeepers than you can shake a stick at, quite a few whites and even a few ringlets + others but the tortoiseshells,admirals and peacocks are few and far between even now the budds flowering

[captaincarot]

plenty of small tortoiseshell admiral and peacocks at old moor, though my tortoiseshell record was 19 in a 2 hour walk near home 15 of those at the same time

[htcdude]

Originally Posted by captaincarot

i've inspected loads of ragwort so far but until today not one cinnabar catterpillar now i've seen about 30, i've seen more spoonbills than hedgehogs this year,

Likewise. I was over Richmond Park at the weekend and had over 50 caterpillars!

Nige

[htcdude]

Going to 2 local patches I get lots of Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper at one site, and an abundance of Whites at the other. Speckled Wood is another one that seems to be doing well at the moment as well.

Nige

[ladyhawk]

Sorry got my Butterfly mixed up thanks for pointing that out to