The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Following my first two species of the year, I had a Small Tortoiseshell settled on a fence in the sun in my Bracebridge Heath garden today.

1. 20 Feb - Brimstone (male) on Mexican Orange Blossom and Ivy.

2. 09 Mar - Peacock (2)
........... - Brimstone (male)

12 Mar... - Peacock on trellis

3. 16 Mar - Small Tortoiseshell
............- Peacock

Freddy

The first butterflies since Sun 16 March were noted in the garden today, including sunning themselves on fencing :

4. 29 Mar - Comma on Mahonia
............ -Small Tortoiseshell (3) on Mahonia, Iberis and Aubretia
........... - Peacock (2) on Mahonia.

Freddy

More butterflies in the garden in the sun this afternoon :

5. 31 Mar - Small White on Iberis
............ - Brimstone, male and female, finally spiralling up, up and away
............ - Small Tortoiseshell (3) on Grape Hyacinth and Mahonia
............ - Peacock.

Freddy

5 species in the welcome sunshine today (Wednesday) :

6. 09 April - Large White (male) on Viburnum, Mahonia and Rosemary

- Small White on Rosemary and Mexican Orange blossom
- Peacock (3) on Grape Hyacinth, Erica and Cherry blossom
- Small Tortoiseshells (2) on Aubretia and Grape Hyacinth
- Brimstone (2) (male) on Aubretia, Hyacinth and Honesty.

Freddy

Nowt in mine, but seems a very good year for my Honesty ( no pun intended).

Regards

Max

_________________
GETTING OLD HAS IT'S ADVANTAGES BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY ARE lol

Bad luck, Max. I assume you didn't have our BBH sunshine and distinct lack of wind yesterday - unless you fell asleep in the garden.

This morning one brave Peacock appeared in the garden about 10.00 but soon vanished as clouds and wind arrived.

I'm hoping for an early and extended visit from an Orange Tip once more of my Honesty is in flower.

I trust you invested in some Marjoram plants - further to our exchange of posts a year or two back, especially if you want those Gatekeepers in the summer.

Freddy

Another fine,sunny morning and afternoon with just patchy cloud :

7. 11 April - Green-veined White on Iberis and Rosemary

- Small Tortoiseshell (5) on Rosemary and Aubretia
- Peacock (3) on Grape Hyacinth, Mexican Orange blossom and Iberis
- Brimstone (male) on Forsythia and Ivy
- Large White on Rosemary and Ivy
- Small White on Mexican Orange blossom and Iberis.

Freddy

Hello Freddy,

Aye it was cloudy.

Been too busy watching the juvenile Blackies and parents. Seems as if I'm going to have another excellent year for them. There has two broods of two in front garden and one brood in back garden, now the female is sitting on nest in front garden Holly, so before end of April that's four broods but think the second brood in front garden possible bit the dust but not sure. Just looked out front lounge window and the parents are hacking at a fat ball with two juvs watching .

Got a pair of Wood Pigeon nesting in conifer.

In regards to Marjoram when I lost the plants Colin gave me due to frost I didn't replace them.

My armchair faces the front garden and the kitchen faces the back, so that's maybe why I see very little unless in kitchen. Plus the Photinia is now blocking most of my view out rear lounge window but the colour is fantastic.

Had a good show from the forsythia but never seen owt on it.

Last two days had a white? of some kind at end of garden.

I have rosemary, lavender plus lots of others too numerous to mention.

Yesterday spotted the Welsh Poppy had one flower open, checking last years notes that's three weeks earlier, and that was from a cutting of the original.

Not complaining the garden at both front and rear is a picture and if the flyby's come all well and good, if not still well happy.

Good luck!

Regards

Max

_________________
GETTING OLD HAS IT'S ADVANTAGES BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY ARE lol

Pleased to see in the garden in the bright sunshine early afternoon :

8. 24 Apr - Holly Blue - patrolling along the Hawthorn hedge

Also :

Small White (2)
Small Tortoiseshell
Peacock

Hoping for Orange Tip in the next week or two and also Speckled Wood.

Freddy

Back from holiday and cutting the lawn this afternoon in the occasional sunshine - seen :

9. 05 May - Orange Tip male on Iberis
- Brimstone female on Mexican Orange blossom
- Green-veined White
- Small White.

Freddy

A few visitors to the garden this afternoon in the sunshine :

Holly Blue
Orange Tip, male (2 earlier in the week)
Large White
Small White
Green-veined White.

Speckled Wood is late in the garden this year.

Freddy

10. 25 May - Common Blue female, on Calendula.
- Spp Whites.

Freddy

11. 08 June - Speckled Wood. In fact 2 interacting in the sunshine in the traditional garden area by the Pergola and Sunflowers. They were the only butterflies seen in the garden today.

Visitors over the next month or so will hopefully include Meadow Brown, Ringlet and Gatekeeper, with a Skipper as a bonus.

Freddy

12.- 18 June -Ringlet. Fresh male settled on bush, showing almost black upperwings with distinctive white fringes.

...-Speckled Wood. Arriving on 8th June, it puts in daily appearances in the sun in its favourite haunt by the Pergola.

Freddy

13. Meadow Brown - jinking over the lawn today (Mon).
....Speckled Wood still around.

No spp Whites seen in the garden since early June although I had a male Brimstone on 9th June.

Freddy