The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Freddy,

If you remember last year I couldn't get a Gatekeeper in garden for love nor money, so here is hoping!

Max

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

A new garden tick this morning, butterfly no 25, what i thought was a small skipper was in fact an essex skipper, excellent, plus meadow browns, ringlet and small tortoiseshells on the marjoram.

Colin.

I've had a couple of visits from Large Skipper in the garden recently but no Small or Essex. Things are picking up a bit now with 2 Ringlets this past week or so along with Speckled Wood and Small Tortoiseshell plus a Hummingbird Hawkmoth nectaring on Lavender.
My Marjoram should be flowering any day now and that should bring some good news.

Regards

Freddy

First of the buddleah flowered today [the original one] so here is hoping.

Max

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

Update : Mon 19 July

The better weather of the last two days ( Sun 18 / Mon 19 Jul ) has brought some more butterflies into the garden ( 10 species ) :

4 Small Tortoiseshell
2 Peacock
2 Comma
Meadow Brown
Gatekeeper (here's rooting for you, too, Max )
2 Small Skippers
plus Holly Blue and the 3 Whites ( sounds like a non-PC jazz group )

The Holly Blue is a new emergence and was seen flying around the Ivy at the bottom of the garden. It is on the flowers of the Ivy that most of the midsummer eggs will be laid, unlike in Spring when the commonest host plant is Holly - hence the common name.

Regards,

Freddy

What a nice surprise to find 10 species of butterfly also in my garden after work, maybe things are picking up.
Peacocks
Small tortoiseshells
Small and large skipper
Gatekeepers
Meadow browns
Small and gv whites
Red admiral
and a grayling on the buddleia my second for the garden.

Colin.

Colin,
I keep looking out for Red Admiral in the garden but with no success so far this year.

As for Grayling, what a terrific 'garden' butterfly ..... there can't be many in LINCS with that butterfly on their garden list.

Regards,

Freddy

Update Sun 1st August

In the second half of July there were good numbers of
Small Tortoiseshell
Peacock
Comma
and some welcome visits by
Essex Skipper (on Lavender).
Meadow Brown and
Gatekeeper both peaked at only 3, plus
2 Holly Blue and the occasional
Silver y.

Regards,

Freddy

Update Wed 1st September.

August should have been the height of summer but was noted for its low temperatures. It was, in fact, the coldest UK August for 17 years, marked by a complete absence of really hot days.
However, the month began with some welcome 'new' garden butterflies to join the 3 Whites et al :

2x Common Blue males on Marjoram - 2nd
Brown Argus (a tiny individual ) also on Marjoram - 2nd
with regular further Common Blue (male) visits up to 10th.
Holly Blue peaked at 4 - from 7th to 19th, but 2 or 3 carried on appearing until the end of the month.
Peacock and Gatekeeper were regulars up to 19th and Speckled Wood appeared on 10th.
Small Tortoiseshell appeared on/off throughout the month.
Red Admiral flitted around daily (when sunny) from 21st.
Finally, a Painted Lady put in an unexpected appearance on Buddleia on 31 August and 1st September.

Regards,

Freddy

Update - Sun 3rd October.

September began with a lone Painted Lady continuing from August. Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma and the 3 Whites appeared throughout the month in fine weather. Holly Blues were conspicuous until mid-month and Speckled Woods put in an occasional appearance.

The last week of September was mainly damp and, not surprisingly, the colder days were marked by a complete absence of butterflies, despite the presence of blooming Buddleia, Sunflowers and Sedum 'Autumn Joy '. Let's hope a number of butterflies hang on for any fine days in October.

Meanwhile I'm off to Andalusia on a (mainly) butterfly trip on 9th October ( there could still be some 15 species around, including the Plain Tiger - the Andalusian version of the Monarch), although I'm sure the occasional bird will catch my eye.

Hasta la vista,

Freddy