The invasion of the Painted Lady butterfly

Butterflies and moths

The highlight of the month (May) was the invasion by the Painted Lady butterfly. Locally, first noted on the 22nd, a record of a single individual, in many years this would be the annual total for this species. What followed was extraordinary nationally and locally. Tens of thousands were reported coming in off the sea along the south and east coasts and spreading across the country. Daily records of local totals for Painted Lady were: 1, 10, 7, 9, 31, 3, 92, 56 and 51. A count from a fixed position recorded 47 individuals all heading west within 20 minutes!

Painted Lady Butterfly 01

Moth and butterfly numbers increased markedly towards the end of the month, with the hot settled weather. Fifteen species of butterflies were recorded, apart from the Painted Lady invasion. Another point of interest was only a single record of a Red Admiral so far this year. As mentioned in a previous report this species has only recently become a resident species all year round due to milder winters, and as winter 2009 was unusually cold compared to recent years, the over wintering individuals were killed off. The population is therefore once again dependent upon continental migrants arriving.

The following are a selection of the more photogenic moth species recorded this month.

Green Silver Lines Moth

Coxcomb Prominent Moth

Birds

On the bird front the last of the commoner summer migrants put in an appearance: Swift on the 4th, Wheatear on the 7th, Cuckoo on the 14th and 30th and the latest to arrive, as usual, was the Spotted Flycatcher on the 21st. Unfortunately the cuckoo's visits were transient, males calling briefly before moving on. As per usual red kite and buzzards were regularly recorded, as were the resident Little Owls.

Wild flowers

Bluebells flowered well this year, not all flowers are blue, white ones do occur naturally in wild populations.

Native bluebell

Another variety of bluebell is starting to occur in the wild, that being the introduced Spanish Bluebell, a species which can hybridise with our native one and also out-compete it eventually replacing it in some woods.

The native species is distinctly more delicate in appearance and has its bell shaped flowers hanging on one side from an arching steam, unlike the Spanish variety which stands more erect and bell shaped flowers spread evenly around the stem.

Spanish Bluebell

Mammals

Mammal records were restricted to the usual species rabbits, muntjac deer, squirrel and hare. The photo has a male hare following a female. They were so intent upon themselves that they allowed a very close approach.

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