Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
The rise of the Red Admiral
It’s been a good year for the Red Admiral. Despite a wet summer, its numbers have risen by 75%, compared to last year.
It certainly feels like a good year to see them. A few years back, the sight of a Red Admiral was rare, but a few weeks ago, I watched four, gorging themselves on my ivy flowers, as I sipped my first cup of tea of the day in the early morning sunshine. For a couple of weeks after, it seemed that the only butterfly visitor to my garden was the Red Admiral. Even the usually ubiquitous Whites seemed few and far between, matching the national trend. Difficult weather conditions have seen numbers of Whites dip by more than a third on last year.
The first Red Admiral I spotted this year was fluttering in the woodland area at Woodberry Wetlands. Almost certainly, that Red Admiral had overwintered in this country. Thanks to our milder winters, some of these butterflies are choosing to stay, to be joined in Spring and Summer by new migrants from the continent: our nettle patches are invaluable to them as this is where they lay their eggs.
The last Red Admiral I saw this year was a few days ago on one of those bright September days that feel like Summer’s last gasp. Normally, they sit too high up to photograph, basking in the sun on ivy flowers but this one was just about in reach and, luckily, I had my phone to hand.
Despite all this good news for the Red Admiral, UK butterflies are declining, especially in urban areas. Thanks to climate change, leading to damper summers, and loss of habitat, putting pressure on their breeding grounds and food sources, many native species are struggling.
We city dwellers can do our bit by growing native flowers and letting our ivy, which is a valuable food source in late summer and autumn, run riot. Resist the temptation to pave or deck too much of the garden, turn a blind eye to that patch of nettles in the corner and, of course, no pesticides.
If you have fruit in your garden, leave some windfalls out. Red Admirals and other butterflies love to drink themselves senseless on the fermenting juices of rotting fruit.
With cold nights and winter weather on the way, who could begrudge them one last boozy blowout?
Tags for Forum Posts: nature notes, wild in harringay
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by EMC2 on
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"Red Admirals and other butterflies love to drink themselves senseless on the fermenting juices of rotting fruit." I did not know that Liz, I feel better about my laziness now
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Permalink Reply by JoeW on
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Well shot!
I've seen Peacock butterflies on the new river path this year (or possibly the same butterfly on different occasions), but they flew away before I got my phone in camera mode.
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Permalink Reply by Nick G-T on
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My impressions weren't of a wet summer. Though all I saw were Whites.
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Permalink Reply by Liz on
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London isn't typical of course being a microclimate, but Met Office shows it to be 9th wettest since 1910 - here's some lovely maps and graphs https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/summaries/2017/summer
I did see Whites but not in the numbers I would have expected, given how common they are.
Rainfall at the "wrong time" can wipe out a generation of butterflies. It wasn't a disaster and some species are actually thriving like Commas and Red Admirals. There was no shortage of gatekeepers at Railway Fields. Here's more from Patrick Barkham https://amp.theguardian.com/environment/2017/oct/05/butterflywatch-...
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Permalink Reply by kotkas on
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I saw one slightly dazzled specimen on Mattison last week. The nocturnal nature on the ladder is quite cool. Have seen bats also over the river, and noting a wide array of moths gathering around our newly installed outdoor lights.
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Permalink Reply by Friends of Railway Fields on
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That's fascinating Liz, when I was in East Cork in October, there were so many Red Admirals in the area I alerted the wildlife bod on the local council. I couldn't believe my eyes! Beautiful beautiful creatures, well done for capturing their loveliness on camera too.
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