BUTTERFLY BONUS

    Whatever happens for the rest of 1998, the period of about three weeks spanning the end of December (1997) and the first two weeks of 1998 will be remembered as exceptional for butterfly sightings. Traditionally there have occasionally been December and January records in previous years but not as many as the eighteen reported this time. It is difficult to explain the reasons for the warm, mild weather which interrupted hibernation, other than to see it as yet another manifestation of changes in climate that have also affected other wildlife. After the first reports 1 contacted the East Anglian Daily Times, with the result that a feature, titled 'An Early Take-Off For Mother Nature' appeared on January 13th. This, as 1 had hoped, produced more records. Nick Bowles, the national co-ordinator for Butterfly Conservation, gave me details of all the national records received for this period and these are added in brackets after the Suffolk sightings:

December 28th:
Small Tortoiseshell at Baylham TM 1051 - Mrs Frost

December 30th:
Peacock, Tuddenham Road, Ipswich TM 171457 - Peter Steggall
(Small White in Northern Ireland; Peacock, Llandudno)

December 31st:
Peacock near Lavenham TL 913498 - Peter Hobbs
(Red Admiral, Sussex and North London; Peacock, Surrey)

The first 13 days of January produced an incredible 15 records:

January 6th:
Peacock at Alton Water TM 139372 - Fred and Bea Elliston
Peacock Mutford Big Wood TM 485894 - John Wames
(Red Admiral, Hampshire)

January 7th
Red Admiral in Rushmore Road, Ipswich TMI91456 - Neil Sherman
(Red Admiral, Surrey)

January 9th
Small Tortoiseshell in Christchurch Street, Ipswich TM 168451 - Wilfred George
Peacock at Yaxley TM 121739 - Tony Feavearyear
(Painted Lady, Sussex; Red Admiral, Sussex, Surrey;
Peacock Kent, Norfolk;
Brimstone, Cornwall (2), Bucks;
Small Tortoiseshell Sussex, Berkshire)

January 10th
Peacock at Monk's Eleigh TL 964477 - John and Sheila Dolman
Peacock at Monk's Eleigh TL 965474 - Keith Morris
Peacock at Ingham TL8470 - Mr and Mrs Hobbs
Peacock at Yaxley TM 121739 - Tony Feavearyear - probably the same one.
Small Tortoiseshell at Baylham - TM 1051 - Mrs Frost
Small Tortoiseshell (2) at Horham TM215719 - David Mitchell
Red Admiral At Nowton Park TL 8661 - G. Clarke
Red Admiral at Tuddenham Road, Ipswich TMI746 - Kenneth MePherson
(Red Admiral Surrey (2), Berkshire, North London, Avon, Devon; Brimstone, Bucks;
Peacock (3), Avon, Devon;
Small Tortoiseshell Oxfordshire, Devon, Kent; Comma, Essex)

    I have no further national records but Mrs Frost completed her hat-trick at Baylam on the 11th and the Ingham Peacock was seen again on the 13th.

    The Red Admiral sightings reinforce the evidence for overwintering though a very early influx from the Continent cannot completely be ruled out. No Brimstone was reported though four were seen nationally. There was also no early Comma sighting, with just one nationally.

    Finally, can 1 emphasise all of the above were 'free flying'; several other reports were not included as the butterflies recorded were inside buildings.

Richard Stewart
County Butterfly Recorder