The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Grid Ref: SE 847092

Mid-afternoon.

Brimstone - 1 [first butterfly seen in 2006]

Cheers

Holly Blue - 1
Large White - 2

Seen in back garden this afternoon.

The Holly Blue is about ten days earlier than last year.

Seen yesterday[11th] :

Speckled Wood - 1
Common Blue - 1

Ringlet - 1

There seems far less in the garden than last year. The buddleahs should be flowering any day, so I'm hoping for an increase soooon.

A breath of fresh air in the back garden after another few days in hospital produced a bit better count as follows:

Gatekeeper - 3
Red Admiral - 1
Comma - 1
Meadow Brown - 1

There is no place like home

July 14th

Red Admiral - 1
Large White - 1
Gatekeeper - 2

Cheers

Holly Blue - 2 [on the ivy]
Comma - 1
Large White - 2
Ringlet - 1
Red Admiral - 2
Gatekeeper - 1

Seen the two Holly Blue again today [19th]

Cheers

Best day this year.

Peacock - 7
Gatekeeper - 2
Small Tortoiseshell - 4
Small White - 1
Large White - 2
Red Admiral - 2
Holly Blue - 1

Cheers

Before the rain came:

Peacock - 12 [seven on one buddleah and five on another]
Red Admiral - 1
Large White - 1
Gatekeeper - 1

Peacock - 7
Gatekeeper - 2
Small Tortoiseshell - 2
Small White - 3
Large White - 1
Red Admiral - 1
Meadow Brown - 1
Holly Blue - 1

Although I cannot get out birding, watching the above in garden is for me far more rewarding!

Way above the garden I counted almost 40 Swifts and a few gulls having fun!

Cheers

July 24th

Peacock - 12
Painted Lady - 2
Red Admiral - 1
Small Tortoiseshell - 2
Large White - 2
Gatekeeper - 1
Small White - 1
Holly Blue - 1

July 26th

Holly Blue - 1
Peacock - 9
Large White - 1
Small White - 4
Gatekeeper - 1
Painted Lady - 4
Small Tortoiseshell - 1
Red Admiral - 1

Cheers

August 3rd

Red Admiral - 2
P.Lady - 3
S.Tortoiseshell - 1
S.White - 4
L.White - 2
Green-veined White - 1 [after seeing one close up in April 2007]

ID required on the following: a tatty looking butterfly off-white in color, with three dark smudges on each rear wing, with a dark smudge or spot on the outer edge of each wing. each wing is lightly veined, at rest the wings are open, it looks to be 40 - 50 mm wingspan. It is certainly larger than a small white and smaller than a large white. It was on the Periwinkle and some type of yellow wild flower. Watched it for twenty minutes in the sun. On the rear of it there are no markings at all. I've looked in my books and can't get anything like it. HELP!!!!!!!!!

Max,

We can only really consider 4 white/off - white butterflies in the UK:

1. Female Brimstone (often mistaken for a Large White in flight) definitely no dark smudges on the wings, and anyway adult Brimstones always hold their wings together when feeding or at rest.
2. Large White
3. Small White
4. Green-veined White.

So, your butterfly has to be one of these last three.

If there are none of the deep veins of the GVW (and you say the specimen was only lightly veined), then you are left with LW or SW.

Do remember that there are large Small Whites and small Large Whites, if you see what I mean. Second brood females of both species are often heavily marked with black and grey, and are darker than males. Neither has markings on the undersides of hindwings.

It sounds to me, Max, that you had a tatty specimen of a female LW or SW.

Regards,

Freddy

Max,

Green Veined White Pieris napi


Trev

Hello Freddy & Trev,

Late getting back to you, the ill health is a pain in the butt!

Thanks for the info', not seen said subject since.

August 17th

Red Admiral - 1
Comma - 1

Not much to write home about, but after staring at four walls for weeks on end, it was great to get home and in the garden.