• ABOUT
  • BIRDING 2018
  • Birding 2019
  • BLOG POSTS
  • Butterflies 2018
  • Resources

earthstar

~ a celebration of nature

earthstar

Tag Archives: Brimstone butterfly

86/366 Dandelions and Brimstones

26 Thursday Mar 2020

Posted by sconzani in insects, nature, spring, wildflowers

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Brimstone, Brimstone butterfly, British butterflies, British wildflowers, dandelion, Gonepteryx rhamni, Grangemoor Park

Here’s why it should be an offence to cut, spray or otherwise destroy blooming wildflowers – in this case, Dandelions, in particular.

200326 brimstone (1)

During yesterday’s daily exercise walk around Grangemoor Park I saw at least five Brimstone butterflies. These were all males, newly emerged from hibernation and already flying frantically back and forth along their chosen path-sides and hedgerows, seeking out females to mate with.

200326 brimstone (2)

As there aren’t yet many wildflowers in bloom at Grangemoor, when it came time to refuel for their next patrol flight, every single one of these Brimstones stopped and supped on Dandelion nectar. In fact, once I twigged to what they were doing, I took to checking every Dandelion I saw, just in case it held a butterfly. So, please, PLEASE, leave your Dandelions for the insects to feed on.

200326 brimstone (3)

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Like this:

Like Loading...

140/365 The battle of the Brimstones

20 Monday May 2019

Posted by sconzani in 365DaysWildin2019, insects, nature

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

#365DaysWild, Brimstone, Brimstone butterfly, British butterflies, butterfly, butterfly courtship, male butterflies contesting a female

This female Brimstone butterfly is minding her own business, having a drink, and has no idea she is about to be tackled from behind by two male Brimstones.

190520 brimstones (1)

After some mid-air tussling, she lands on a leaf and seems receptive to mating but which male will get to do the honours?

190520 brimstones (2)

The males engage in an aerial battle, while she waits with closed wings.

190520 brimstones (3)

The dominant male lands next to the female and seems to try to force her wings apart.

190520 brimstones (4)

She opens her wings and you can almost see the glint in his eye!

190520 brimstones (5)

But, before he has time to mount the female, the second male returns to try his luck once more. The female closes her wings and the male tries again to force them open.

190520 brimstones (6)

Now both males are holding her wings down but they continue to battle over who is dominant.

190520 brimstones (7)

More male tussling follows, at which point the female gets fed up with waiting and flies off, the two males in hot pursuit.

190520 brimstones (8)

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Like this:

Like Loading...

135/365 Green hairstreak et al

15 Wednesday May 2019

Posted by sconzani in insects, nature

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Brimstone butterfly, British butterflies, Green hairstreak, Kent butterflies, Peacock butterfly, Small copper, Wall brown, Wall butterfly

I was hoping to see several different butterfly species during our days in Kent but the weather was mostly against us – we had, at various times, gale-force winds, squally rain showers, and batterings of hail, and it was generally quite cool. I was quite hopeful, though, when we arrived at Cliffe Pools on our last day, as the sun came out to play and the paths were mostly enclosed by sheltering trees and low scrub. It was by sheer chance, though, that I managed to spot my first ever Green hairstreaks – two butterflies were swirling around each other, disputing territory, and I immediately realised they were something different.

190515 green hairstreak (1)

Luckily, I kept an eye on them, as their camouflage is so good that they’re incredibly difficult to spot once they’ve landed on a bush.

190515 green hairstreak (3)

Plus, they often do this thing where they angle their wings to one side, presumably to make themselves look even more like a leaf.

190515 green hairstreak (2)

I also saw my first Wall brown butterfly for the year at Cliffe Pools – this was the species I’d seen reports of and was particularly looking for there.

190515 wall brown

At the RSPB nature reserve at Dungeness I also saw my first Small copper for 2019.

190515 small copper

And during the rest of our trip we also saw Peacock, Brimstone, Holly blue, and some of the White species – not a lot really but, though I didn’t get the quantity I expected, we certainly saw quality butterflies.

190515 peacock
190515 brimstone

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Like this:

Like Loading...

97/365 Fluttering along

07 Sunday Apr 2019

Posted by sconzani in 365DaysWildin2019, insects, nature, spring

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Brimstone butterfly, British butterflies, butterfly, Grangemoor Park, Green-veined white butterfly, Orange-tip butterfly, Peacock butterfly

I took myself along to Grangemoor Park today, hoping its central hillock would block the cool north-easterly winds so that I might find some butterflies on the warmer, sheltered, river side … and I did. The three Orange-tips – all males – were my first of the year, as was the single Green-veined white (at least, I think it’s a Green-veined white – I do find the whites can be a little confusing).

190407 orange-tip190407 green-veined white

The four Peacocks were mostly too zippy to photograph, until I caught one enjoying the sunshine on a wooden railing. And the two Brimstones were also speeding along the edge of the pathways, until one stopped to refuel and I managed to grab a couple of snaps of it. I love butterflies!

190407 peacock190407 brimstone

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Like this:

Like Loading...

From garbage to glorious

09 Saturday Jun 2018

Posted by sconzani in birds, insects, nature, parks

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

#30DaysWild, 30 Days Wild, Bee orchid, Blackcap, Brimstone butterfly, Common blue butterfly, Common spotted orchid, Emperor dragonfly, Grangemoor Park, Holly blue butterfly, Large skipper, long-tailed tit, Meadow Brown, Pyramidal orchid, Southern marsh orchid

Day 9 of #30DaysWild saw me at Grangemoor Park, a place that used to be Cardiff’s rubbish dump: when it closed in 1994, it contained an estimated four million cubic metres of garbage, both commercial and household. Now, it’s not only a public park but also a SINC (Site of Importance for Nature Conservation), and is home to a wonderfully diverse range of flora and fauna. My photos show just some of what I discovered there today …

180609 1 Large skipper

Large skipper butterfly

180609 2 Meadow brown

One of seven Meadow brown butterflies seen today

180609 3 Common blue

Male Common blue butterfly

180609 4 Holly blue

Holly blue butterfly (and tiny friend)

180609 5 Brimstone

Brimstone butterfly (one of my favourites)

180609 6 Emperor dragonfly

Emperor dragonfly. There were many other dragonflies and damselflies at the pond but they were a bit distant for photos.

180609 7 Long-tailed tit fledgling

One of four newly fledged Long-tailed tits, foraging with their parents

180609 8 Blackcap female

Female Blackcap busy foraging for her family

180609 9 Pyramidal orchid

Pyramidal orchids

180609 10 Bee orchid

Bee orchid – love their ‘faces’!

180609 11 Southern marsh orchid

Southern marsh orchid (I think)

180609 12 Common spotted orchid

Common spotted orchids

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Like this:

Like Loading...

Cavorting at Cossie

03 Thursday May 2018

Posted by sconzani in insects, nature, spring

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Brimstone butterfly, British butterflies, butterflies, Comma, Cosmeston, Cosmeston Lakes Country Park, Orange-tip butterfly, Peacock, Speckled wood

180503 Brimstone & Comma

I think it’s fair to say it’s not been much of a Spring so far, weather wise at least. It’s often been cool, frequently wet, and the sun has been elusive. I’m hoping Monday, the last day of April, was a hint of days to come – though there was a cool wind, the skies were mostly blue and it was warm in sheltered spots. Those conditions at Cosmeston persuaded the butterflies to come out to play, and I saw the highest numbers so far this year: 7 Brimstones, 2 Orange-tips, 2 Speckled woods, 2 Commas and 4 Peacocks. And it was such fun to be cavorting like a crazy woman again, flitting across fields and dancing along hedgerows to try to get photographs.

180503 Brimstone (2)180503 Comma180503 Orange-tip180503 Peacock180503 Speckled wood

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Like this:

Like Loading...

Fluttering at Lavernock

13 Sunday Aug 2017

Posted by sconzani in insects, nature

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

Brimstone butterfly, British butterflies, British moths, butterflies, Common blue, Large white, Lavernock Nature Reserve, moths, Painted Lady, Peacock, Red Admiral, Silver Y moth, Small copper

Now, I know I’ve been posting quite a few butterfly photos lately but I just adore them and, as summer will soon be over and they’ll disappear for another year, I can’t help but share their beauty while I can. So, as well as that gorgeous Jersey tiger I showed you yesterday, here are just a few of the 16 species of Lepidoptera from Lavernock Nature Reserve on Thursday: there were 4 Brimstone butterflies; large numbers of Common blues; this pair of Large whites mating; 5 Painted ladies; 2 stunning Peacocks; 4 Red admirals; 2 Silver Y moths that just wouldn’t keep still for a sharp photo; and only my second-ever Small copper that got scared off when someone came walking down the path towards me.

170813 Brimstone butterfly
170813 Common blue
170813 Large whites mating
170813 Painted lady
170813 Peacock
170813 Red admiral
170813 Silver Y moth
170813 Small copper

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Like this:

Like Loading...

The Brimstone flyers

26 Wednesday Jul 2017

Posted by sconzani in insects, nature

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Brimstone, Brimstone butterfly, Brimstone moth, British butterflies, British moths, Gonepteryx rhamni, Opisthograptis luteolata

Recording the biodiversity around us can sometimes be a tricky business. Take, for example, the Magpie: there’s a bird called Magpie (Pica pica) and a moth (Abraxas grossulariata) and even a fungus (Coprinopsis picacea). The same is true of the Grayling: there are both a butterfly (Hipparchia semele) and a fish (Thymallus thymallus) of that name. Then there are the Brimstones: in this case, it’s even more confusing as both are lepidoptera – one’s a butterfly (Gonepteryx rhamni) and one’s a moth (Opisthograptis luteolata). And by sheer coincidence, I saw both Brimstones yesterday.

170726 Brimstone butterfly

I spotted the butterfly drinking from a Buddleja bush while I was out walking and the moth came to visit me here at home. I had left my windows open until around 10pm and this little moth came into my kitchen. I tried putting it out but it flew straight back in again and is still sitting on my kitchen bench, despite the window again being open. Not that I’m complaining, as it’s a beautiful little creature.

170726 Brimstone moth

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Like this:

Like Loading...

Bye bye butterflies

29 Thursday Sep 2016

Posted by sconzani in autumn, insects, nature

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Brimstone butterfly, British butterflies, butterfly, Gatekeeper, Gonepteryx rhamni, Pyronia tithonus, Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta

Though I love many things about the coming of autumn, it is also a time when many other things I love disappear for the year. The butterflies are one of those things. Gone now are the gorgeous Gatekeepers (Pyronia tithonus) that kept me company during my frequent wanders around my local cemetery.

160929-gatekeeper-1
160929-gatekeeper-2

Gone too is the pale, subtle beauty of the Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni). Though I searched for more, I saw only one this year, at the Parc Slip Nature Reserve.

160929-brimstone

I have noticed, over the past couple of weeks, a little resurgence of Red Admirals (Vanessa atalanta), as they feast on the ivy flowers that are just beginning to bloom here in Cardiff and are providing a late season banquet for bees, hoverflies and butterflies. All too soon, these creatures will also fade away, hopefully to come again in the springtime when the temperatures begin to rise and the days to lengthen.

160929-red-admiral

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Like this:

Like Loading...

About me

sconzani

sconzani

I'm a writer and photographer; researcher and blogger; birder and nature lover; countryside rambler and city strider; volunteer and biodiversity recorder.

View Full Profile →

Follow earthstar on WordPress.com

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Recent blog posts

  • Ducks in a row January 16, 2021
  • Winter rusts January 15, 2021
  • Turn, turn, turn January 14, 2021
  • Log diving January 13, 2021
  • Ash key fungi January 12, 2021

From the archives

Follow me on Twitter

My Tweets

COPYRIGHT

Unless otherwise acknowledged, the text and photographs on this blog are my own and are subject to international copyright. Nothing may be downloaded or copied without my permission.

Click on the category

'Dedicated Naturalist' Project 365DaysWildin2019 amphibian animals autumn birds coastal fauna flowers fungi geology insects ladybird leaves lichen mammal molluscs nature nature photography parks plants reptiles seaside seasons spiders spring trees walks weather wildflowers winter

Fellow Earth Stars!

Blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel
%d bloggers like this: