2024 October 6 evening

   Jeff Gaskin writes:  Nothing but Cabbage Whites to report.  On Sunday, October 6th, there were three Cabbage Whites in the Burnside/Gorge community and a further one in Gorge Park.  On Saturday October 5th another Cabbage White was seen on Dallas Road at Wellington Road near Clover Point.

Jeremy Tatum writes:  I saw a Cabbage White, too, along Carey Road today.  And Gerry and Wendy Ansell saw one this afternoon near the entrance corner of Rithet’s Bog.  And Gordon Hart saw one along West Saanich Road near Royal Oak Shopping Centre.  Val George writes: Today, October 6, I saw four Cabbage Whites, three in different locations in Oak Bay and one at Clover Point. Also today, I had a fully grown (fifth instar) caterpillar of the species on my kale plants.  Let us see, continues Jeremy, how far into October they go. Cabbage Whites overwinter in the chrysalis stage.  I think the adults do not survive into the winter.

Mount Tolmie Ivy Patch.  Jeremy Tatum writes:  Butterfly watchers should be aware of the Mount Tolmie Ivy Patch.  This is an absolutely huge mass of Ivy, which I don’t think the botanists will like very much, but when it flowers in October it attracts large numbers of bees, wasps, syrphid flies and often a few nymphalid butterflies.  In past Octobers I have seen Painted Ladies, Red Admirals and even once a California Tortoiseshell.  Today at 4:00 pm, I saw a Painted Lady.  I recommend visiting the patch on sunny October afternoons.  Wait there a while, and you may see an exciting butterfly.

One way of finding the patch is to go to the very end of Rattenbury Place.  Then walk up the road that leads to 2004.  Just before you come to a notice about a Fierce Dog (which I neither saw nor heard) turn right up a narrow path that leads upward.  When you get to the end of this path, turn left and you’ll be at the Ivy patch.  There is sometimes an almost overwhelming smell of nectar.