Allotments 4 All

It seems my habit of neglecting my garden is really helping the wildlife - I've never seen so many butterflies as there are this year!

Being a person that makes lists, I've been noting down all the different species I can recognise - there may of course be more that I just haven't seen yet. Here's what I've got so far in my garden.

Peacock
Small Tortoiseshell
Ringlet
Holly Blue
Meadow Brown
Large Skipper
Speckled Wood
Large White
Comma
Gatekeeper
Red Admiral

The Ringlet and Large Skipper are new to me this year.

Who else has butterflies?

this year I have seen
Peacocks
Red Admiral
Tortoiseshells
Commas
Cabbage whites
I know what the latter feeds on but I am very protective of a large patch of nettles on our site for obvious reasons.
Nora

Its not a bad year for Butterflies so far in our area,
My list for the Allotment is ;

Small Tortoiseshell,
Red Admiral,
Peacock,
Comma,
Meadow brown,
Ringlet,
Large skipper,
Small skipper,
Small copper,
Speckled wood,
Brimstone,
Large white,
Small white,
Orange tip,
Holly blue.
There are no where near as many Cabbage whites as last year on our plots. 

It does seem to be a good year for them, doesn't it?

I'd love to see an Orange Tip, but I've never seen one. Had a Brimstone here a few years ago but not seen one since.

Orange tips are one of the earlier butterflies on the wing , keep your eyes peeled in spring, look for them where there are Milkmaids flowering.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeakabigman/5774926391/in/photostream/

Don't remember ever seeing milkmaids!

Lovely picture though Mike.

good lists- best butterfly on my allotment is clouded yellow every 2-3 years

Quote from: GREGME on July 16, 2014, 16:55:52
good lists- best butterfly on my allotment is clouded yellow every 2-3 years

Thats a great one to have on your list  :-)



Spotted another for my list today
Gatekeeper
Small Tortoiseshell,
Red Admiral,
Peacock,
Comma,
Meadow brown,
Ringlet,
Large skipper,
Small skipper,
Small copper,
Speckled wood,
Brimstone,
Large white,
Small white,
Orange tip,
Holly blue.

Quote from: Silverleaf on July 16, 2014, 16:36:54
Don't remember ever seeing milkmaids!

Lovely picture though Mike.

You may know milkmaids under a different name as they are also known as Cuckoo Flower or Lady's Smock.  Botanical name is  Cardamine pratensis.  I just read something that said people in Cheshire called them Milkmaids but then we knew them as that in my childhood and I was raised in Kent. 

Quote from: Paulines7 on July 16, 2014, 19:30:31

Quote from: Silverleaf on July 16, 2014, 16:36:54
Don't remember ever seeing milkmaids!

Lovely picture though Mike.

You may know milkmaids under a different name as they are also known as Cuckoo Flower or Lady's Smock.  Botanical name is  Cardamine pratensis.  I just read something that said people in Cheshire called them Milkmaids but then we knew them as that in my childhood and I was raised in Kent. 

I looked them up and they don't seem familiar at all.

It's a plant of boggy ground; I used to call it codlins and cream.

Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on July 18, 2014, 19:36:11
It's a plant of boggy ground; I used to call it codlins and cream.

Ah, well that'll be why I haven't seen it then. I'm a town girl. ;)

Quote from: Mikeakabigman on July 16, 2014, 18:07:03

Quote from: GREGME on July 16, 2014, 16:55:52
good lists- best butterfly on my allotment is clouded yellow every 2-3 years

Thats a great one to have on your list  :-)



Spotted another for my list today
Gatekeeper
Small Tortoiseshell,
Red Admiral,
Peacock,
Comma,
Meadow brown,
Ringlet,
Large skipper,
Small skipper,
Small copper,
Speckled wood,
Brimstone,
Large white,
Small white,
Orange tip,
Holly blue.

And another........... a Clouded yellow