I'm starting to conclude this year is just.... different. We have a good number of butterflies now, saw seven peacocks on the buddleia today. Plenty of various skippers, browns, blues, tortoiseshells, whites etc in the fields and the fritillaries have made their way up to the house from the woodland. Plenty of bumbles about, the knapweed is covered in orange tailed critters. Spear thistles are home to many other bumbles and solitary bees, the everlasting sweet pea seems to be loved by the leaf cutter bees. We also now have plenty of ladybirds about, unlike last year where I saw hardly any. Somewhat strangley our honey bees seem to think the season is over whereas in previous years they'd be out in numbers on the knapweed and brambles.
Speaking of peacocks, what native plants do people see them? We have plenty of red admirals about and they are now on the buddleia but before that was out they were on other flowers such as the privet but I dont recall the peacocks on anything else. I also have loads of nettles about and havent seen any caterpillars on them, which is unusual.