A good piece, Jack. Important info in here about making sure the caterpillar stage of the life cycle is accounted for if you want butterflies in your garden. It's funny how we don't seem to appreciate caterpillars with the same enthusiasm as butterflies, but they can be just as beautiful and of course, you can't have one without the other! Have you read much about the fascinating relationship between some species of caterpillars and ants? Some mind blowing stuff...
Such a great post Jack, especially with the butterfly count coming up. I try really hard to encourage them into my garden but don't see the numbers or diversity of species that I hope for. I live in a sea of arable fields - potatoes and oil seed rape - so I don't know if that affects things.
Thanks Phillipa, I didn't realise it was the butterfly count, so that's great timing! Yes it's difficult when large areas of and are turned to monocultures like that, the best thing you can do is focus on mixed hedging in the area and encouraging people not to cut verges, as these will be absolutely vital habitats for butterflies and other insects, as well as our gardens of course!
Delightful to read on a miserable wet morning - and a great reminder for someone who’s knowledge of butterflies is a bit rusty. Our house is named after the Holly Blue of which I have only seen precisely two so far this year - despite having a lovely ivy hedge and grassland across the road...
Hopefully they will come, don't worry about being rusty on butterflies, all we really need is to look at them and learn what they look like, the rest comes naturally. I expect numbers will increase now we're into proper summer.
Love butterflies. They're great pollinators, too.
A good piece, Jack. Important info in here about making sure the caterpillar stage of the life cycle is accounted for if you want butterflies in your garden. It's funny how we don't seem to appreciate caterpillars with the same enthusiasm as butterflies, but they can be just as beautiful and of course, you can't have one without the other! Have you read much about the fascinating relationship between some species of caterpillars and ants? Some mind blowing stuff...
Yea it’s amazing isn’t it - there’s so much of nature to learn and still to uncover
thanks for posting! I'll recommend your newsletter👍👍
Thank you Calin that’s very kind
so great!
Such a great post Jack, especially with the butterfly count coming up. I try really hard to encourage them into my garden but don't see the numbers or diversity of species that I hope for. I live in a sea of arable fields - potatoes and oil seed rape - so I don't know if that affects things.
Thanks Phillipa, I didn't realise it was the butterfly count, so that's great timing! Yes it's difficult when large areas of and are turned to monocultures like that, the best thing you can do is focus on mixed hedging in the area and encouraging people not to cut verges, as these will be absolutely vital habitats for butterflies and other insects, as well as our gardens of course!
Thank you Jack. Good luck with your count!
Delightful to read on a miserable wet morning - and a great reminder for someone who’s knowledge of butterflies is a bit rusty. Our house is named after the Holly Blue of which I have only seen precisely two so far this year - despite having a lovely ivy hedge and grassland across the road...
Hopefully they will come, don't worry about being rusty on butterflies, all we really need is to look at them and learn what they look like, the rest comes naturally. I expect numbers will increase now we're into proper summer.