Day of the Butterflies!

Fabulous Janey and so lucky to see these beautiful creatures, now where was it you said you lived ? Somewhere abroad was it ? lol

Ha ha, Val......that was a few years ago! Good old North Lincs! Needless to say this afternoon has been thunderstorms and downpours,....I wonder where they go then?

Some fabulous pictures,I have Buddleia but no Butterflies we are seeing less and less each year in the West where I live,VeryWorrying.

We had a day like that last week, all peacocks......like you we,ve just had the storm and heavy rain.........

Lovely butterflies ! And the buddleia doing its bit . Maybe it is the white that they like ?
All we have had this year is large whites ; I wasn't too vigilant about the caterpillars because there were no other butterflies ; a move I'm now regretting because they have decimated all my lovely nasturtiums .
Pleased to know that there are other species about , though , Janey .

What absolutely amazing pictures Janey....stunning!!
I had 2 tortoiseshells frolicking in the garden yesterday afternoon - I do hope they were making babies and not just playing tag!!

I love all your photos. Now everybody will understand why Buddleia is sometimes called butterfly tree.

Thanks Brian....we only had a couple until the buddleias bloomed. I do keep a corner of stinging nettles especially for them to lay their eggs too, this is the second summer that hasn't been too good for them.

Makes you wonder where they go in the wet Pam, and how they feed?

Yes the White seems to be the one Driad, I'm sure they get drunk on the nectar, these didn't mind be being very close to them at all......that's a shame about your nasturtiums, the whites are such pests aren't they....:((

Thank you Scottish! Ha,ha......one sunny afternoon brings out the best in everything....:0))

Pleased you like them Katerina......:))

This blog has gone straight on my favourites what fabulous pictures of the butterflies you are so lucky Janey I havent had one this year, but I am definately going to get a Buddlia for next year, just stunning!

Absolutely gorgeous pics, Janey . . . what a treat! We've seen so few butterflies this year, that each one is an event.

I have also noticed that butterflys prefer the white buddlia to the purple/ mauve one....btw I have loads of butterflys in my garden this year....so lovely to see them flying from one plant/ shrub to another.

Thanks Pp and Sheila....:)). These are the wild buddleias, take some lookin after and I had thought in the autumn I would get rid of them altogether if that's possible..lol. Now I'm not so sure, my cultivated Buddleia Purple Emperor didn't seem to attract them like these.....may just keep the White one...:))

Yes Rogi, I've three wild purple ones, but this was the one they wanted. Did you take any pics of the butterflies? What types do you get there?

Perfect photos Janey, such a lovely sight.

Beautiful photos Janey! No tortoiseshells there that I could see....which is all I've had this summer...weird isn't it...

WOW:-)))))))))))

Nice you saw all those Janey, and that you had some summery weather. I wish it would spread down here ...

What lovely pics you have taken, and NO it wasn't hot here yesterday at any time. Infact it was a cool breeze, driving rain and definitely mizzy. The sun did not make an appearance until it was setting.

Lovely pictures Janey , you are lucky having such beautiful visitors ,we haven't had any except the cabbage white it is a worry , Tony came in this morning after washing the car he was saying how he use to wash the bugs and moths off the screens and that there weren't any these days .. I remember years ago when you were out driving at night when they flew at you ,you could clearly see them in the headlights almost like snow and when you turned the lights on in the house it attracted them to the windows covering them , where have they all gone ? :o(

My white buddleia finished flowering a couple of weeks ago..........still I did rescue a peacock one earlier today

beautiful afternoon buddleia covered in peacocks this afternoon enjoyable afternoon spent in the garden I just love it

Janey,
I love the peacock butterfly. I don't think they live here in upstate NY, USA. Your pics are fabulous! I just posted a monarch pic. I have 10 chrysalis' and 6 caterpillars, so I plan on getting some good pics in 10 days or so. I take them to my kindergarten class so they can witness the miracles of Mother Nature! I heard the white buddleia don't attract the butterflies as much as the colored ones, but your pictures blow that theory away.
Take care,
Lisa

So that's where they've all gone Janey! I think you must have my share as well. For probably the last 10? years they've dwindled to very few here. Haven't seen a buddleia covered like this for so long, beautiful and great pics too:-)

A bit like Buses eh? Gorgeous photos Janey.
:-))

Lovely blog and photos not had any round here this summer except the cabbage white butterfly.

Lovely, my buddleia was covered in Peacocks yesterday afternoon :)

How come? and you're not that far away from me ...maybe they'll arrive here someday soon Daylily:-)

Thanks everyone for all the great comments...even more today and tortoiseshells...:)). Yes I remember Amy, all those squashed insects and on the radiator, when we were children.....too many pesticides and a different climate now, I would think are the two main culprits.
Looking forward to seeing your Monarch pics Lisa, it must be amazing to actually see each stage of their development....and such a stunning butterfly too. The Peacock reminds me of an old painting, very subtle and shaded.
After they've finished here girls, I'll send them down to yours....:0))

Fabulous photo`s Janey, I had one Peacock about a week ago, lots of the cabbage whites, I have two huge mauve Buddhlia`s and my neighbour has a white one, all smothered in blooms, there is a patch of land at the back of us with a lot of nettles but even that doesn`t seem to help, pleased to say there is also a lack of wasps this year as well but more bees, we had lots of ladybirds in springtime but they have disappeared again now...

It is strange Lincs, I'm wondering if my garden is extra warm, being walled? Like you plenty of bees too and thankfully hardly any wasps, lots of hoverflys though. No Ladybirds either, and we too had so many in winter and spring....let's hope we have a warm sunny autumn to balance out the awful wet spring......

Hey! I wondered where all our Butterflies had gone, YOU'VE got um LOL, lovely pic's you have taken, we are short of butterflies in this neck of the woods Leigh-on-Sea Essex.
xx Jackie xx

Lots of bees here , too , few ladybirds .
Wasps can be later , can't they ?
Greenhouse full of horrid flies again on my lovely grapes .

Well you must have got them back today L Essex......cold and very wet.... Nothing flying in the garden at all....:0(
Yes Driad, wasps septemberish....not sure with this climate change though, wet here and sooooo cold, you would think its end of October. Can't you spray your grapes with anything Driad....would washing up liquid do the trick?

Lovely photos Janey - I saw three Holly Blues at the allotment the other day - all flying around an overgrown plot so I guess the weeds must attract them! ... A few Red Admirals on the mauve Buddleia but they're totally ignoring the White one ... :o(

Thanks Shirley....yes the Holly Blues love my old Ivy....one busy on the flowers today, keeping well clear of a blue dragonfly patrolling the garden though! I wonder if your white buddleia was in the shade? The one I have always gets more sun than the others, I'm wondering if this is the extra attraction....

Flies persist in the greenhouse , Janey .
We have fly-papers , I've put a large jam-jar with jam in as a trap (caught a few ); tried smoking them out , we ourselves were nearly choking , but they seem to survive it .
I think it's goodbye to them for yet another year .
We saw several brown butterflies in the woods today , I think that they were ( is it ) fratillaries ?

Well Janey, I saw a Peacock one on my White Buddleia, wonder when the rest of em will get here LOL :o))

They must be after the sugar in your grapes Driad.....it's so annoying when you're waiting for fruits to ripen.....the brambles I've been waiting to pick have been covered in flies....don't fancy them second hand....:0((
Yes fritillaries or could be meadow browns......
Ha ha Ladye.....

Yes Janey, the white one is shaded by a plum tree in the garden behind ours - could well be moving the Buddleia in the Autumn to a sunnier place ... :o)

That must be it Shirley...the shrub in the most sunshine!
Amy has the same problem with hers, it's in the shade.

wonderful, wonderful pictures. I don't know that one. But obviously, they all seem to like Budleia.

Glad you enjoyed them Wells, they were around on sunny days till this week, but its too cold for them now, I wonder where they're hiding?

I have heard of the Peacock variety but have not yet been able to be in North Wales when they arrive...so gorgeous..love your photos Janey..

I would say early summer Cat, but late August here, we had some warm summer days, and they took advantage of them....thanks for the lovely comment...:))

beautiful photos!

Thank you Floral......I'm hoping this summer will bring us more species, it hasn't been too good for them these last few years.