
Episode 2.74 - Firethorn Butterflies and Heatwave Heartbreak
From Chris Skinner's Countryside Podcasts by High Ash Farm
May 30, 2026 · 45 min
About this episode
Chris Skinner discusses the influx of Painted Lady butterflies at High Ash Farm due to extreme heat and nectar shortages in southern Europe.
Send us Fan Mail On a breezy, sunny late-May morning at High Ash Farm, Chris Skinner rejoices in an extraordinary influx of Painted Lady butterflies drawn to the pyracantha (firethorn) bushes around his house. He explains this “eruption” — a mass arrival from southern Europe fleeing extreme heat and nectar shortages — turning the thorny evergreens into a fluttering feast for these powerful migrants. The pair also enjoy green hairstreaks dancing along the long new hedgerow, their iridescent gr...
People in this episode
Host: Chris Skinner
Topics covered
- butterflies
- nature
- heatwave
- migration
- hedgerows
Keywords
- butterflies
- heatwave
- migration
- nature
- High Ash Farm
Mentioned in this episode
Products: Painted Lady butterflies, green hairstreaks, pyracantha
Places: High Ash Farm, southern Europe
More episodes of Chris Skinner's Countryside Podcasts
- Episode 2.75 - Bee Orchid Wonders and Mistle Thrush Meadows · June 6, 2026 · 51 min
- Episode 2.73 - Holly Blue Heaven and Fox Cub Frolics · May 23, 2026 · 44 min
- Episode 2.72 - Stoat Kittens and Soaking Rain · May 16, 2026 · 49 min
- Episode 2.71 - Aphid Aerial Plankton and Blossoming Hawthorns · May 10, 2026 · 42 min
- Episode 2.70 - Sand Martin Spectacle and Earsham Colonies · May 2, 2026 · 40 min
- Episode 2.69 - Bluebell Batteries and Badger Bedding · April 25, 2026 · 45 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Chris Skinner's Countryside Podcasts podcast page.