71
Butterflies and Moths
at North Fambridge in 1956
Notes from my Diary
BY JACK T. FRIEDLEIN
March 18th. The first Small Tortoiseshell flew out from a spruce tree.
Had it hibernated there? 25th. Warm but no butterflies. 26th. Over
60° F. Several Small Tortoiseshells. 27th. There were numerous Small Tortoise-
shells on the railway bank but one and a Peacock remained asleep in the
storeshed.
April 22nd. A Small White, several Small Tortoiseshells and two Peacocks.
In Hazeleigh Wood I saw a Comma and watched the mating of a pair of
Small Tortoiseshells which was over in a few seconds. 29th. The Peacock
which has remained asleep in the storeshed since September flew out today.
Nearly eight months asleep!
May 2nd. The first Brimstone flew through the garden. Numerous Pea-
cocks and Small Tortoiseshells, one Comma and one Common Blue. Beauti-
ful Thorn moths to light at night. 8th. Orange-tips on the wing. 16th.
Brimstone laying eggs on buckthorn. 21st. Holly Blues around the holly
bushes—two males to one female, a very pretty sight. Brimstones still
laying eggs. I saw three Pearl-bordered Fritillaries in Hazeleigh Wood. A
Poplar Hawk and a Cinnabar to light at night. 29th. The first Painted Lady
arrived. Numerous Common Blues and Small Heaths, two or three Walls,
one Orange-tip with orange hind wings.
June 5th. Two Silver-Ys to light. 6th. Small Coppers numerous. The
first Elephant Hawk at valerian flowers. 12th. Elephant Hawk at valerian.
Cream-spot Tiger to light also many White Ermines. 13th. One worn
Painted Lady at valerian. 14th. A Brimstone still laying eggs on buckthorn
—surely a very late date? A Purple Thorn to light and several Burnished
Brass at valerian.
July 1st. The first Red Admiral arrived. 3rd. The first Meadow Browns
on the wing. 6th. The first White-letter Hairstreak on the usual bramble
bush. 15th. One Humming Bird Hawk at valerian. Burnished Brass and
Swallowtailed moths numerous at flowers. 16th. Two Red Admirals and
twenty White-letter Hairstreaks. Two Commas. 25th. In the woods several
Silver-washed Fritillaries and White Admirals were seen but there was not
a single White-letter Hairstreak in Hazeleigh Wood where they are normally
abundant. 22nd. There is a definite increase in numbers of Commas in this
area. 23rd. Perfect specimens of the Orange moth numerous at light. 25th.
The White-letter Hairstreaks are spreading out all over our farm. A
Marbled White in one of the fields. One Red Admiral. 26th. One Red
Admiral, several Commas. Garden Tigers, Buff Arches and Burnished Brass
to light.
August 2nd. Brimstones newly emerged today. Oak Eggars assembling
7th. Peacocks abundant, several Commas. All the White-letter Hairstreaks
have now gone. 13th. Small Tortoiseshells already taking up winter quarters
in the sheds although thousands of larvae are still on the nettles. 14th. Pea-
cocks numerous but by the 17th they had all vanished. I found an Emperor