Mild winter butterflies (Uk)

[Andrew Wood]

Certainly the exceptionally mild weather in southern UK brought out a good
number of Small Tortioiseshells over the last weekend, though  I saw no
brimstones. However today while being very suny and mild (12C) but not
exceptionally so I went up to Balls Wood (where the winter has seen a great
amount of coppicing anf dride clearing) near Hertford and again no
brimstones but two Commas flying.  Have also also had spring usher in the
moth trap for the first time here, though I've never run the trap so early
in the year either.  

Pleasurable though all these early sitings are one has to wonder what
effect it may have on populations later in this year as nectar and larval
foodplant sources are still pretty scarce as the reaction of plants to mild
weather is that much slower than animals.  One is torn between the personal
pleasure of seeing butterflies in January and February and the more
objective worry of what exceptional conditions may do to populations in the
longer run.  At any rate I suspect an interesting year is in prospect.

Andrew Wood
Bengeo
Herts
UK