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| Peacock at Glamis Castle Scotland |
After the brilliant spring in 2018, this year saw very little action in the way of butterflies for the first four months. My butterfly monitoring started in April and my sheets were empty other than the odd bumblebee to record. Like last year I will note each months high points and then give you the total of species spotted at this end of this post. I had 21 species to beat from last year. Will I do it?
April
As I say a very slow start, just my old faithful Speckled Woods that have several preferred spots in my field and near my house. It wasn't until a trip to the Loire later in the month that things started to pick up. One sunny morning we came across a meadow with Orange Tips darting from flower to flower. On the ground, in its usual basking position, a Wall. A trip to Giverny gave us a very special siting. Dutifully queuing up to enter Monet's garden we were entertained by a very special Scarce Swallowtail. A real beauty.
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| Speckled Wood |
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| Orange Tip |
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| Wall |
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| Scarce Swallotail |
May
Back home and a little more warmth started to bring out the sun loving creatures. Very late compared to last year Small and Large White butterflies appeared. They were soon followed by the first Red Admirals and Holly Blues. Walking along the cliffs at Gronez I spotted another first for me. A Green Hairstreak on the gorse. Along with the Hairstreak lots of Meadow Browns , Walls and Commas were about.
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| Small White |
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| Comma |
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| Red Admiral |
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| Holly Blue |
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| Green Hairstreak |
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| Meadow Brown |
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| Wall |
June
Speckled woods continued to be the most frequent visitor to the garden and the butterfly field along with a few Small Whites. We had to wait for a visit to England to have butterflies of a different species. On the TV I had recently enjoyed a programme about the journey of the Painted Lady butterfly from Morocco. The vast flight it undertakes going via Spain and then the UK. We stayed a few days in Tring and it was lovely to spot my first Painted Lady on a walk through fields. As if that wasn't enough I went on to spot my first Marbled White on the same day.
Later in June a Small Tortoiseshell and a Meadow Brown appeared in one of the many National Trust gardens that we viewed.
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| Meadow Brown |
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| Painted Lady |
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| Small Tortoiseshell |
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| Marbled White |
Meadow Browns continued to appear during the first week of this month along with more Painted Ladies and my first Ringlet . The Ringlet was found in grassland as we strolled around the vast grounds of Ickworth House in Suffolk
Back home and more Commas were discovered along with many Gatekeepers on the clifftop paths. Gatekeepers are very mobile and a real struggle to photograph. One special moment happened on one of my volunteer mornings at the Mill. In the herb garden a Small Copper stayed for ages sunning itself. A perfect photo opportunity. Later in the month a Large Skipper appeared in my field or it could have been a Silver-Spotted Skipper. What do my experts think?
Top spot of the month was a rather faded White Admiral in St Catherine's Woods. The previous year I had spotted one but this time I managed to capture it on camera. A very happy moment as they are very rare in Jersey. Red Admirals were two a penny this month.
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| Ringlet |
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| Ringlet |
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| Comma |
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| Gatekeeper |
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| Small Copper |
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| Large Skipper of Silver-Spotted Skipper |
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| White Admiral |
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| Red Admiral |
August
Painted Ladies ruled the roost this month. They were everywhere to be seen. My first Small Tortoiseshell in my butterfly field too. Large Whites were everywhere and Graylings appeared on the granite clifftops at Grosnez. More walls and Holly Blues.
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| Holly Blue |
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| Wall |
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| Painted Lady |
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| Large White |
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| Grayling |
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| Small Tortoiseshell |
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| Painted Lady |
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| Painted Lady |
September
It took a trip to Scotland in September for me to see my first Peacock of the year. One of my favourite butterflies and sadly absent from Jersey for the last couple years. Painted Ladies had made their way up to Scotland too, along with Small Coppers, Commas and lots of Red Admirals. Near Aviemore, alongside a small loch, I came across a very faded Ringlet or possibly a Scotch Argus. Any ideas?
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| Peacock |
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| Comma |
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| Painted Lady |
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| Ringlet or Scotch Argus |
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| Small Copper |
October
A very wet October and butterflies diminished rapidly. Just the Small and Large Whites and the continued presence of The Painted Ladies. Not forgetting a valient showing of my lovely Speckled Woods.
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| Speckled Wood |
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| Large White |
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| Painted Lady |
So another year coming to a close and definitely the year of the Painted Lady. Will she back be again next year or will weather conditions once again change the dynamics of what will appear. As for my total number of Species. Well the answer is 22 and possibly 23 if my ringlet is a Scotch Argus. Certainly one more than last year.
What will be the top butterfly next year? Hopefully you have all been busy planting butterfly friendly plants for food and nectar. Have you spotted anything unusual this year?
Barbara xxx
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