Wildlife UK Forum - Discuss the UK countryside and wildlife

On another thread I've just had a butterfly I spotted today identified as a Purple Hairstreak!

Great. Purple Hairstreak (28/63)
Can you post the image on this thread?

Of course!!!!

[attachment=565]

Essex skipper (29/63) and lots of wasp spiders today

Can you post some images?

We have Small and Large locally so I'd like to know out to look out for when identifying

I'll see if I have one - essentially essex looks like small - the life cycles are different and also the colouring on the antennae - essex skippers look like their antennae are dipped in black ink while small skippers have an orangey brown underside and are black on top

[attachment=575]
small skipper

Weather has been too awful for butterflies here these past few days (high winds and rain showers). Trouble is they forecast it to get even worse tomorrow! Did have a hummingbird hawk moth in my conservatory this evening though!

have you seen:

http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/si..._moth.html

[have you seen:

http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/si..._moth.html
[/quote]


Thanks Ranger,

I hadn't seen that, despite being a fairly frequent visitor to that site!
Record duly appended - I seem to get these creatures in my conservatory most years!

Terry

Had my first Gatekeeper (30/63) of the year in my garden this afternoon.

My first gatekeeper of 2008 yesterday also and my first large skipper.

Saw a couple of Marbled Whites on Sunday - very pretty.

I had a Hummingbird Hawkmoth in my garden today as well - managed to get a couple of pictures but they're devilish hard to capture - I've been and recorded my sighting on that link as well - thank you.

Thanks for the details about the Skippers as well

[attachment=588]
Here is an essex skipper for comparison - with ink dipped antennae!

There was a worrying report on bbc breakfast news about the decline in butterflys.
It seems some are 70 to 80% down in numbers.
The loss of habitat seems to be the main cause.
The poor summers cant help this one seems to be as bad as last year