The Ivy is full of butterflies :D

[Toddy]

The ivy is allowed to grow over the high fence at the side of my garden that runs alongside the path and the burn, under the trees.
It's in full flower just now and when the sun shines on it, it's absolutely alive with huge butterflies. Peacocks and Red Admirals mostly.

I'm a hopeless photographer (besides, I'm only 5'2", I can't stetch high enough to get a clear photo) but I managed to get a shot of a few of them.

The underside of their wings is so well camouflaged to look like dead leaves that they virtually disappear.
There are three obvious ones in the photo, but I'm pretty sure there were six there.

M

 

[Kepis]

We experienced the same thing a couple of weeks back on the Ivy, was amazing to watch, also had a mass of butterflies on the Hemp Agrimony too, could have watched them for hours.

 

[Robbi]

still can't see the photo

 

[Toddy]

We experienced the same thing a couple of weeks back on the Ivy, was amazing to watch, also had a mass of butterflies on the Hemp Agrimony too, could have watched them for hours.

They were honestly more like birds flying around. The dark undersides of their wings kind of added to that illusion though when they were flying overhead.
There were so many that it was a flock.

I know a lot of folks don't like ivy, but I happily let it grow over my fences. It protects the fence, it creates an immense wildlife habitat and it becomes my green garden walls.

@Robbi
I've no idea why, I uploaded to here directly from the source photo.

 

[Broch]

I know a lot of folks don't like ivy, but I happily let it grow over my fences. It protects the fence, it creates an immense wildlife habitat and it becomes my green garden walls.

100% with you there; I see Ivy in the wood as a major and vital habitat for a wide range of invertebrates and birds. I never cut it down; but then our wood is managed entirely for conservation not timber.

 

[slowworm]

Ivy is also useful for us bee keepers, on a good year the bees can fill their hives with ivy honey for overwintering. We have loads of ivy but this year has been too wet for the bees to bring in huge amounts so far.

Anyone else notice the smell of ivy flowers in a sunny woodland? It produces a rather strongly tasting honey...

Ivy's not all good, I've had a few trees collapse under the weight of it.

 

[Toddy]

A tree surgeon friend says that because the ivy adds to the size of the tree it can act like a sail and if the wind hits it just right it can pull it over.

The fence is only a couple of metres tall, the ivy adds less than another half metre to it's height. I do prune it back but on the whole I just let it get on with things.

To my certain count there were eight birds' nests in it this year, and there are still wrens flittering through it.

M

 

[dwardo]

They were honestly more like birds flying around. The dark undersides of their wings kind of added to that illusion though when they were flying overhead.
There were so many that it was a flock.

I know a lot of folks don't like ivy, but I happily let it grow over my fences. It protects the fence, it creates an immense wildlife habitat and it becomes my green garden walls.

@Robbi
I've no idea why, I uploaded to here directly from the source photo.

Same boat here. I cannot see the image but sounds lovely. Throught it was just me. Browsing on an android phone using chrome.

 

[Toddy]

There's something weird in the way that different forums, even using the same base xenforum, upload photos.
I first uploaded this one in a direct link from an email my husband sent me when he downloaded the photo from my camera. I simply copied and pasted it.
Then I edited it, and lost the photo
So, knowing I'd posted it on another 'back up' type forum I simply copied and pasted it from there.....and it's gone when it gets here.
Now I have tried to do the original copy and paste from Himself's email,

AF1QipNJGmNaPPMcq28sbsYszBICEhlFCgEJ-7qlI4l_vbnnOkSPJ_HYcoKgkB3lVc1H0w

See if that one works please ? it does for me, but so does the first one in this thread.

I'm starting to wonder if Google, where the photo was put, is somehow at the root of it.

 

[Toddy]

[/IMG]

 

[demographic]

I used to really dislike ivy but more recently see the great habitat it creates.
Same thing with dead trees. Used to just see em as firewood and now see them as a valuable habitat for insects and a food source for everything else up the foodchain.

When time and money (and more importantly, enthusiasm) come together I'll be knocking a shed up and fancy putting a green roof on it. Mostly because of the habitat it would provide.

 

[dwardo]

There's something weird in the way that different forums, even using the same base xenforum, upload photos.
I first uploaded this one in a direct link from an email my husband sent me when he downloaded the photo from my camera. I simply copied and pasted it.
Then I edited it, and lost the photo
So, knowing I'd posted it on another 'back up' type forum I simply copied and pasted it from there.....and it's gone when it gets here.
Now I have tried to do the original copy and paste from Himself's email,

AF1QipNJGmNaPPMcq28sbsYszBICEhlFCgEJ-7qlI4l_vbnnOkSPJ_HYcoKgkB3lVc1H0w

See if that one works please ? it does for me, but so does the first one in this thread.

I'm starting to wonder if Google, where the photo was put, is somehow at the root of it.

This link works fine, lovely pic. They almost look like ornaments there are so many.

 

[dwardo]

[/IMG]

This is the same, no pics

Must be my particular way of accessing if others can see it Fine. Will look on my Pc's tomorrow.

 

[Toddy]

Himself says I've to try this link for the forum.

 

[Woody girl]

That's much better! I can see them now. Lovely sight. I've seen so few this year where I live.

 

[Toddy]

At one point I counted 22 along a four metre stretch. I didn't get any photos of the peacock ones, but they're startlingly bright, and big too.

M

 

[bobnewboy]

Red admiral in the middle I think. We’ve got loads of them in our garden too - they are especially on the last blossoms of buddleia and a pink flower I don’t know, feeding away before it gets too cold I suppose. I can’t get a working link from this phone direct to the photo, but you can see one on my Flickr account at:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/bob_d14/

 

[dwardo]

Lovely shot and now visible and full screen