Daudi Peterson of Dorobo writes:
"Thanks for the interesting notes/articles on butterfly migration - I've forwarded to my wife Trude. Now that it seems to be virtually over, it is hard to recall all the sightings and make useful observations.
Trude does say it was both spp. of Belenois.
She caught some with net, took pictures of others in situ and vehicle radiator screens had impressive collages."
Whilst from Kenya Graeme Backhurst writes on February 22:
"I noted in my diary "millions" (of Beleonis) I didn't actually make any sort of estimate of the whites migrating on 10 February on my plot in Langata, 1780 m asl, and this migration has continued until yesterday.
On 20 February I particularly noted that lots were stopping to nectar on small flowers in the grass lawn of a friend's house in another part of Langata. I had also seen some alighting on tall grass stems on my own plot before.
The direction of movement I would have put as SE.
I've seen lots of butterfly migrations in more than 40 years in Kenya but never as many as this!
Very few today (by 11:20, sunny all morning)."
For myself I have a little more to add from a short diary note made on my last major safari with Jack and Kathy Wigan:
"Caper White butterfly migration has been evident since we stopped on the hillside above Lake Manyara on January 27. At the obligatory viewpoint, whilst pictures of the flamingo-pink lake shore were being taken, I was attracted to an unusually tight mixed group of ca 60 Belenois aurota and B. creona i.e. "Caperers" nectaring on the blue or yellow compositae growing on the little grassy slope betwen the car park and the public toilets! Looking around us (from then on) there were similar signs of a Pieridae movement as that in early May 2006 (and again south or southeastwards) but in 2006 it was noted between Moshi and Segera. However today much smaller numbers are involved and many fewer species seem to be included in it.
Are they triggered into dispersing southwards and southeastwards from highland areas (of greater humidity) as these areas themselves dry somewhat?"
Today February 22 we went to KIA airport to collect a friend (Martin Goodey in fact). Between 1215 and 1225 around King'ori we passed through a more typical southward migration of whites. Although at one point there was a movement of perhaps a little over 100 per 100 - 150 metres crossing the highway approximately every one minute. Does this suggest a major corridor of movement through this "gap sector" as this is quite near where Geoff saw them at ca 8000' a.s.l on February 18"
Elsewhere along the 80 km only small numbers were involved. AS Geoff reports (from February 18) the largest movement was near KIA and few are passing around the western shoulder of Mount Meru here at Kwaiidi or through "the Monduli gap" i.e. the 20km space west of Mount Meru-and-east of Monduli mountain.
