Spring means different thing to different people as far as wildlife is concerned. To some it is the first clump of primroses perhaps in a woodland glade or the first swallow dipping low over a loch. To others it can mean the frogs purring from their breeding pond or an early roe deer kid, spotted and camouflaged. Then there are the first of the butterflies braving the spring sun with promises of the summer to come. The earliest butterflies used to be the small tortoiseshells as amongst all the butterflies these were the only ones that regularly hibernated as adults in the Highlands. They can be found in a wide range of places in the winter such as outhouses, greenhouses and even houses. I can also remember in the winter some years ago looking in one of the long tunnels in Glen Strathfarrar for hibernating bats and being surprised just how far underground we found small tortoiseshells. They were just sitting there, attached to the roof, and waiting for the spring to emerge.
The first spring flight of small tortoiseshells often takes them onto white surfaces such as walls as this helps to radiate the often weak sun under their wings. Up until a few years ago the only other butterfly that could be seen early in the year was the red admiral and it was thought at one time they must also have over wintered as adults as they were on the wing so early. We now know this is not true and although in very mild winters they might hibernate as adults on the south coast of England this is still rare. Now we know that the first of the red admirals are the result of migration and the ones we see even in the spring in our gardens may have flown from the Mediterranean.
But now there is another contender on the scene, the peacock, and it started in September 2002. In September there was a huge invasion from the continent, possibly from northern Europe, and they descended on the Highlands around the Moray Firth including Inverness. They then bred successfully and have now slowly colonised many parts and are still spreading. They hibernate as adults and may well be the first butterfly on the wing in the next week or so. In hibernation they have two methods of defence against would be predators such as mice or birds. The first is the superb camouflage of their underwings. The second is, surprisingly, a sound they can make. If disturbed they flash their wings open simultaneously rubbing fore and behind wings together to produce a warning hiss from the interaction between the elevated veins at the base of each surface. This can even be heard by ourselves so what it must be like for a bird or mouse must be frightening.
It is not too late to plan for butterflies for this summer and I have made a start with buying some dwarf Buddleias as a nectar source for various butterflies. With dwarf Buddleias they can be grown in tubs and moved around the garden almost daily to take advantage of the sun. I have also planted out some teasels as they will attract butterflies later in the year. Last year we had an interestingly experience with Sedums that are another major nectar source. When some of these were late flowering we put them in the greenhouse and within twenty four hours red admirals, small tortoiseshells and peacocks were feeding on them. We left the door open and for the following two weeks or so the butterflies were in there away from the wind and even the rain when it was warmer. Well worth trying to create your own mini butterfly reserve.