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Peacock and Queen wasps etc will have over-wintered as adults and will be active now because of the warmer weather. Bee flies Bombylius major have been around since at least the third week of March, and will have emerged from pupation with the better weather. The St Marks Flies will also have emerged from pupation. The season is definitely well into spring, and early summer probably not far ahead!

On 20 April I was near the Thames coast close to Coldharbour Point, Rainham, and saw loads of St Marks Flies, at one point so many I felt I was enveloped in them.  I was surprised to find them en masse so close to the Thames/sea. Then on 22 April, today, I saw my first Bee Fly of the season in our garden in Upminster.  In recent days there have been loads of butterflies, especially Peacock butterflies, and Queen wasps, and even a few Honey bees.  They all seem to be bursting out (or hatching?) all at once. Has anyone else noticed this?  Is it because of the sudden warmer weather?

Great deal of it in Swan Wood (TQ689995) at present.  Noted 14th April.

Trapped in my Garden in Hatfield Broad Oak on the 10th April 2009.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QcCJMJKN3sA/SeM4tB17PZI/AAAAAAAAAO0/qMDnvBKtFtc/s1600-h/Dotted+Chestnut+1.jpg 

I understand that this is a good find for Essex? 6th county record presumed.

Cheers

Ben

Many thanks Mel for the info - the county recorders collate records for all species, as well as specific ones highlighted in the species survey pages. Perhaps we should add some butterflies to the specific surveys as well.

Posting this a little late, but thought people might be interested to know that I had a brimstone butterfly (Gonepteryx rhamni) in the garden on Wednesday.  It didn't stay very long, but did check out the budding goat willow and the emerging "wildflower meadow".

Don't see any survey for this species underway but in case the grid ref is needed, here it is: TQ631 965

I would have thought Ox-eye Daisy, Scented Mayweed, Cow Parsley, White Campion IN FLOWER was incredibly early and your Belhus Woods experience is the norm, even in these climate change times. Perhaps the Purfleet ones near M25 J31 were seeded when the roundabout and other works thereabouts were done and are genetically different, perhaps originating from southern Europe.

Today, 9th, I have spent all day at Belhus Woods Country Park, near Aveley.  Here very few flowers were out!  By this time Holly is usually in flower, Red Campion, Garlic Mustard, Lords-and-Ladies, some of the thousands of Bluebells, Hawthorn coming out and Blackthorn almost over. But Blackthorn was at its best, and the other flowers mentioned were nowhere nearly out. Now I know that BWCP is low-lying, but most of Purfleet is low too, especially in the bottom of the pits. Is the chalk so much earlier to warm up than the sands and alluvium at BWCP? They are only about 3 miles apart! Does anyone have any suggestions or answers?

I have been out botanising today, 3 April 09, near M25 J31 and Purfleet.  So many flowers are now coming out, all at once after the long hard winter. I saw in flower for the first time this year, today: Ox-eye Daisy, Scented Mayweed, Early Forget-me-not, Oxford Ragwort, Hawthorn, Wild Cherry, Field Maple, Wall Speedwell, Wallflower (on the chalk cliff of a pit), Alexanders, Cow Parsley, White Campion.  Does anyone else notice everything out at once, now that April is here?