[Gilly]

Wasn’t it awful So hard on the animals, butterflies and us

[Terry]

Your Weather even managed to get mentioned on the BBC and Sky TV News channels over here in the UK. It looked very dark on the sattelite pictures they showed. I am pleased I was over here in summerland.

[Jacqui]

Thanks for the photos Gill.

Today I have been for a walk in Cornwall Park (Hastings) and was talking to some locals about the butterflies. I could see about 20-30 in a large conifer, and found one dead (untagged) one on the leeward side. Council staff had been cleaning up branches on some of the trees, indicated by the ‘marks’ on the trunks where branches had been lopped off. I thought that we need to somehow get the meessage out to Council staff, that after a storm, when they are cleaning up, it would help if they knew to look out for tagged butterflies.

Beautiful sunny day here, but quite windy and obvious tree damage – lots of evidence that Mike Lusk has been clearing the way up Te Mata Peak, quite a few trees have blown down across the road.

[Jacqui]

I hear from a neighbour that my butterfly house has been demolished! 🙁 While it didn’t have any critters in it, it did have lots of plants/seedsplanted for the spring, so I’m very despondent about that.

And from Nelson people have been phoning about trees that have come down and butterflies discovered roosting in them. Poor Chrissie has a broken arm (a few weeks old – not from the storm) but has tried to rally people in Nelson to go and help the butterflies.

Beautiful day here in Napier – but only a few butterflies hanging around some of the overwintering trees in Anderson Park. Where are the rest?

Jacqui

[VickySteele]

It has finally stopped raining! Well, sort of. Not bad in the city, but the countryside is a mess. I’ve got almost 100 Admirals backed up, waiting to go. Got a surprise one today … emerged from the side of our DVD player. Sneaky.

Its been over a week since it was sunny, and the bees and butterflies were out flying. I see there is some more rubbish in store for some on the weekend. 🙁

And I did help out a little mouse today. He came onto the deck – no doubt his hideout was flooded. I put some snacks for him amongst some alyssum in a tub (nice and dry and under the eaves). He found his dinner and then made himself a new home in the tub.

[Angie Gibbons – Wings1]

Hi, ground so wet plants are falling over! saw monarch feeding on rotting grapefruit today. Have a couple of admirals that are still hanging on, hope weather breaks! so they can be released into the glass house and start mating.

[Gilly]

I absolutely agree with you Zoe….I never used to mind the bad weather until I became of aware of animals/insects more.. now I fret and worry…. I hate to think of all the bees, butterflies and birds trying to survive the weather whilst we sit in houses… if I could open my doors to them and invite them all in, I’d be very happy. Meantime in this awful weather I feed the birds heaps, and rescue lil bumble bees…. Vicky, trustee in Christchurch, even rescued a little mouse today.. I will let her tell you 🙂

[zoe9]

I have a love/hate relationship with storms. I love watching them (if I’m safely inside!) but I hate the thought of poor creatures outside getting blown every which way.

Anyhow on Saturday when it first started here (I’m in Auckland) I had one fellow hanging upside down in a J, so he was the first to be brought inside. I also had 4 chrysalis in my lavendar bush and they all came inside too. The 3 in a low lying shrub I left outside but it was wrapped securely in an old sheet so they were protected from the wind.

No major damage in my suburb, we got off lightly I think. I hope everyone else is alright too.

I must admit I don’t like thinking about poor creatures left to fend for themselves. I know it’s nature and all that, but it still upsets me. All I could do was make sure mine were okay, and they were.

Cheers,
Zoe

[Author]

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