Photobirder: Butterflies during late June and early July 2020

Monday 13 July 2020

Butterflies during late June and early July 2020

The following is a summary of butterfly observations made locally during this period in and around Horten and generally in Vestfold province of southern Norway.

In late June it was clear that the numbers of butterflies were down compared to 2019, with the exception of Orange Tip Anthocharis cardamines, which has had an exceptional good year. However, the outlook for the remaining spring looked promising particularly concerning the blues sp. and the variety of species seen and those reported by others on our reporting system. For me, Moorland Clouded Yellow Colias palaeno was probably the most exciting as it was a lifer although no photos were obtained of this fast fly-past pair and only briefly seen. Otherwise there were some interesting local species including, two Small Blue Cupido minimus, several Idas Blue Plebejus idas, the usual several Mazarine Blue Cyaniris semiargus, several Amanda's Blue Polyommatus amandus, a Queen of Spain Fritillary Issoria lathonia, several Cranberry Fritillary Boloria aquilonaris, several False Heath Fritillary Melitaea diamina, plenty of Large Wall Brown Lasiommata petropolitana and the usual several Large Heath Coenonympha tullia. During this good butterfly period until early July, we had some extremely hot temperatures reaching +30 C, then the weather changed dramatically with several days of cold wet and windy weather seriously effecting the butterfly populations. By the 13th July it was clear that not only butterflies, but dragonflies and other flying insects including bumblebees were all almost non-existent. This may be a local phenomenon but one that certainly is affecting the whole of the western side of the Oslofjord. Also, at this time of year we should be finding migrant butterflies on our flowering Buddleia bushes which surely will not be pollinated this year without a significant change of circumstances.