Widespread and common but still stunning to see... the peacock butterfly. Peacocks hibernate during the winter months emerging in late March and April. They are long lived, with adults lasting from late July into the following spring and possibly until June. The caterpillars which feed on nettles find no shortage of food and the peacock is on the increase pushing further northwards in Northern England and Central Scotland, one species that seems to be benefiting from 'climate change'.
The peacocks name comes directly from the familiar bird due to the similarity between the eye patterns on the birds tail and of course on the butterfly's wing. A common visitor to gardens, the peacock is a nomadic butterfly that ranges throughout the countryside finding their preferred breeding grounds in nettles in the shelter of woodland clearings, rides and edges.
Sharing the Budelias at the moment are also a number of Painted Lady butterflys. A long distance migrant each year the painted lady spreads northwards from the desert edges of North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia to recolonise Europe, Britain and Ireland in one of the most spectacular butterfly migations to be seen.
Not so immediately stunning but still interesting in it's own way, a Silver Y moth one of the UK's most common immigrant moths. This moth occurs throughout the UK and also breeds here. It is a day and night time flying species, most numerous from late summer and into autumn.
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