Good year for small tortoiseshell butterflies. They have been getting increasingly scarce up until around 2012. This coincided with the colonisation of Britain of a fly that parasitises them but the freezing cold winter of 2012-13 seems to have helped this butterfly, possibly because the fly cannot cope with cold weather.
The good summer has been a big help to butterflies too, and last winter was so mild that continental swallowtails survived in Sussex to breed this spring. Trouble is that sort of weather may allow the parasitic fly to come back so enjoy your tortoiseshells whilst you have them.
Just in case you missed this comment on our journal...dandybunAugust 17 2014, 18:33:10 UTC
A message for Gus: Your little chair may now be forever unsuitable for you if it has wormkiller on it! Could that be absorbed Into the wood? Maybe think about asking Sandy Paws for something else? Love from Stephany Cunniff in Minnesota (across the Pond)
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Nice to have them back again.
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now be forever unsuitable for you if it has
wormkiller on it! Could that be absorbed
Into the wood? Maybe think about asking
Sandy Paws for something else?
Love from Stephany Cunniff
in Minnesota (across the Pond)
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Love,
Helga & Dolly xx
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