Butterfly Conservation - Upper Thames Branch

** Brown Hairstreak Distribution Map as at 11/12/08 ( 445Kb file or 220Kb file) **

Thank you to everyone who sent sightings in during 2008 and wishing you all a successful butterfly season in 2009! Wendy.

Wednesday 31st December 2008

This news just in from Peter Holland: "I thought I would send you a photo of a Red Admiral that very obligingly visited my garden in Wallingford (Oxon) on Christmas Day, resting on the trunk of an apple tree for several hours, occasionally sunning itself. My last butterfly sighting of 2008!"

Red Admiral
Photo © Peter Holland

Jan Haseler reported seeing a Peacock at Linear Park, Calcot (Berks) on 17th December.
[A Red Admiral was also seen in Bletchley, Bucks on 17th, reported to the UK-Leps yahoogroup.]

Tuesday 25th November 2008

Nick Bowles sent the following on 21st November: "A presumably confused Peacock sat on the glazing bar and then tried to fly in through an open window at work (in Aylesbury) on 19th November. It soon turned back and acted, as I would if I could, by heading smartly away from work!"

Dave Ferguson reported as follows on 20th November: "I attach a photo (see top of page) of a Red Admiral which was sunning itself on a mahonia in our garden in Beaconsfield on 19th November."

This news came from Jan Haseler on 18th November: "There was a Red Admiral on ivy blossom at Shinfield Park, Berks on 18th November."

Dave Maunder has had a couple of recent butterfly sightings in Aylesbury: "A Red Admiral on 14th November and a Peacock on the 15th, both seen near Fairford Leys on two lovely mild, sunny days. Peacocks do seem to be enticed out later in the year by this unseasonal weather!"

Dave Wilton reported the following: "We had a female Brimstone active in the garden at Westcott on 14th November, the first butterfly I've seen anywhere since our last sighting here of a Red Admiral on 24th October."

David Redhead was in Peasmore Piece, Oxon, on 14th November: "As I was getting out of the car in Copse Lane there was a Red Admiral flying about - sun still shining and 12C."

[Records for 2008 have been archived.]