Garden Butterfly Review 2009

2009 will probably go down as one of the most memorable years ever for garden butterflies. Not because of the weather, as the summer was generally unsettled, with low pressure dominating, but because of the record numbers seen in my garden of Painted Lady Vanessa cardui, Peacock Inachis io and Large White Pieris brassicae butterflies.

During May and June there was a massive invasion of Painted Ladies which then bred in this country. The result of which was large numbers of home grown 'Ladies' seen on my garden Buddleia bushes, Verbena Bonariensis and Knapweed flowers around the end of July and beginning of August. Peak counts as follows:

23rd & 25th July = 5 & 9 respectively.

2nd & 6th August = 7 & 14 respectively.

Also, during the end of July and beginning of August, there was another immigration, this time of Large Whites. These are notoriously difficult to count as they don't tend to nectar long on one flower, and almost always fly with Small Whites. Peak counts in the garden were as follows:

25th July = 3.

2nd August = 5.

Finally, there was an unusually high number of Peacocks seen on the garden Buddleia bushes at the end of July and beginning of August. This must have been due to a very successful overwintering/hibernation year for this butterfly, as the offspring emerge in July.

23rd and 25th July = 4 on both dates.

2nd & 6th August = 6 & 8 respectively.

Two other species that produced records for my garden this year were Comma Polygonia c-album and Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria, as both these species were recorded in 5 different months.

One of the highlights for me this year occurred on the 27th June, when a Large Skipper Ochlodes venata was seen for the very first time in the garden. This helped to swell the lifetime number of species seen to 19, of which, 15 of these were seen in 2009. Year by year breakdown as follows:

2003 = 9.

2004 = 12.

2005 = 12.

2006 = 12.

2007 = 12.

2008 = 13.

2009 = 15.

Finally, I must mention the Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae. For some, this ubiquitous butterfly would not warrant a second glance as it was once so widespread and common. It then went into serious decline and hadn't been seen in my garden since 2004. I am happy to announce that it was recorded in 2009 during 3 different months - 8th June, 31st July and 2nd August (I realise the latter two dates were probably the same individual). The picture at the top of the blog is the individual seen on the 8th June.