What a Summer for Garden Butterflies

by Jean Garrod

I 996 has been an exceptional year for butterflies in our garden. I expect most of you will say the same. Before the storms and heavy rains of August 28th and 29th, the Buddlejas heaved with Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Peacock and perhaps surprisingly to a lesser extent, Small Tortoiseshell. The former were clearly the most prolific and surely, 1996 will become known as 'the Painted Lady Year·. After rhe storms, the numbers were dramatically reduced bur still Painted Ladies were the most numerous. From April 9th, when we saw our first Small White in the garden, we noted that all species sightings had increased in number with the exception of the Common Blue. We added two new species to our garden list this year namely, Ringlet on August 1 st and Brown Argus on August 21st. Silver Y moths also came in profusion and at close quarters, the noise from rhe whirring wings of both the moths and butterflies was quite incredible.

The icing on rhe cake however, was two prolonged visits by a Hummingbird Hawk-moth on August 22nd. At least four other people in various parts of Ipswich have told me that they roo were privileged to watch this remarkable insect in their gardens round about the same date. As I write we are now weli into September with far less activity in the garden but there is always 1997 to look forward to!