Butterflies

This year seems to have been a good year for the butterflies. Not knowing much about them, I have wondered where these little gems come from and go to, so did a bit of reading.

The Painted Lady for example , flies to Britain from continental Europe, a few weeks earlier , the young ones are the ones we saw flying around and included in the butterfly count. Then they fly back to continental Europe and some crossing the Sahara, returning the following year.

I find it staggering, that such 'precious' little creatures with wings of dust can travel so far , even up to Scotland, and then all the way back again to their home for the winter.

I thought swallows were pretty cool .

Incredible !

Re: Butterflies

Yes, it's amazing how they can travel all those miles. However, some species were slowly declining in number a few years back. I wonder if this decline has been reversed or at least has not become any worse?:

"Butterflies suffered one of their worst years on record despite a 'pleasant summer' for many parts of the UK, conservationists have said.

Some 40 of the 57 species assessed in the annual UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme saw declines in 2016 compared with 2015, making it the fourth worst year on record."

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...y-species.html


The answer to whether or not numbers have declined are given in the news article on the link below:

"Annual research by the UK Butterfly Monitoring scheme has found that while butterfly numbers were up in 2016, they have declined to their seventh worst year on record in 2017."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/43727057


More up-to-date information on another news link:

"Results from the Big Butterfly Count, which took place over three weeks this summer, showed 30 times more painted ladies arrived in the UK than in 2018.

The last big influx of migratory butterfly took place in 2009, when 11 million painted ladies were seen.

The count also found other common species had a good summer, helped by fine weather."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-49685108

Re: Butterflies

Thanks Baz46, really interesting reading. 11 million in 2009 is quite something.

My hope , the weather is kind to them. Feel like weeping

Re: Butterflies

Yes, it's amazing how Mother Nature always tries to redress the balance. Positive to see sometimes succeeding, very sadly at other times so far not managing to do this.

We should make the most of what we see in nature around us, slowly many species are becoming less and less in number. Often I feel this is down to man's interference and changes in their environment, again down to man's actions in one way or another.

Nature tries hard to win over these challenges. However, it is becoming obvious looking at natural species all around us, in this country and in others, Mother Nature is slowly losing out.

Re: Butterflies

Mother nature is beyond comprehension at times.

3 very short videos explaining the migrations of the Painted Ladies from Europe and the monarch butterflies in Mexico.

I think my understanding is that they breed on the way across, (only living about 5 weeks) and each new batch of butterflies continue the next leg of the journey. Eventually returning with the same cycle back to home territory.

Please correct me if I am wrong.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfUw2o0FpZY



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DYVIGygED8



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpffQtKN-gk

We really do have to now give nature a change of mega proportions. Although we have been aware that nature adapts, I don't believe it has had to adapt at a speed as it is now.

There was a wonderful programme on the migration of birds not so long ago. Travelling from Africa to Europe , a BBC programme called Earth Flight. No longer available to watch, which is a great shame. The way the birds have adapted to new buildings and infrastructure by changing their flight paths in some casing, is truly astounding, and arriving as nature had planned in the same location that they always have done . We are nothing on this planet.. just losers with a lot of questions to answer.

Re: Butterflies

Best moments of Earth Flight (Birds)



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeHmqKoisT4

Re: Butterflies

I am with you all the way on how incredibel nature is, Puddles.
I read only recently about the the Monarch butterflies long journey, too.

I shall never understand man thinking they are so superior to everything else and other life forms are so insignificant.

Often just because WE don't understand something, or are not interested in learning, we just 'squash' it as stupid or unimportant.

Re: Butterflies

It does make me wonder , Mups, if the technology we use and our promised 5G , for example, will interfere with the GPS and the migratory patterns of the natural world.

I think with our help nature will be victorious though, without it our own demise is guaranteed.

Got to say this; 'life is precious'

Re: Butterflies

There's already a thread on this, Puddles.

https://www.over50sforum.com<br /> ...ad.php?t=63624

This part in particular sprang to mine -

Quote: What's more, evidence of distruption in the searching and orientation behaviour of pollinators, birds, and other wildlife illustrates the other, more subtle ways radio frequencies can harm not only us, but the environment on which we depend."