THE RETURN OF THE NYMPHALIDS

On Monday there were at least three different red admirals (Vanessa atalanta) in the CFZ garden. But the big butterfly news is that when David B-P came to take his silly old uncle out for a drive in the mid afternoon, we saw a peacock (Inachis io) on the buddleia planted on the border between his late grandmother's house and the CFZ carport. It is the first peacock that I have seen for several years, and it lifted my spirits greatly.

Still on the subject of Nymphalids, whilst I have only seen two this year (two more than last year or the year before), small tortoiseshells do seem to be making a comeback in parts of the UK. David Lacey writes in the latest ELG Newsletter:

"ALL OF A SUDDEN there is a veritable profusion of Small Tortoiseshells in Durham. The buddleia is all a-flutter. And the first signs of a repeat performance by Peacocks are evident - they seem to be about a fortnight behind the Torts. I wonder if the cold winter killed off parasites but helped the hibernating butterflies to stay inactive until nectar became available. Whatever the explanation is I'm delighted to see these little friends back again in such numbers."