Friday 24th August 2018

Butterfly Species: Brown Argus (1) Common Blue (2) Green Veined White (1) Red Admiral (1) Small Copper (1) Small White (11) Speckled Wood (7)

Small Copper - Tucking Mill 24-08-2018
A much cooler and cloudier day today with temperatures peaking at around 16c. This is quite cool and falling short of ideal temperatures for butterfly spotting. The weather has entered a generally cooler and cloudier period with occasional rainfall. The grass in urban areas are showing their resilience by greening rapidly after the long summer drought.

But despite the weather there was one welcome surprise along the path near Tucking Mill. A freshly emerged Small Copper butterfly busying itself on the steep embankment. This is the first of this species I have spotted this summer and brings the species total this year to a pleasing 26!

Bumblebee - Near Tucking Mill 24-08-2018
The Buddleja is still blooming in patches along the path and this is attracting a number of bumblebees. Interestingly the butterflies are not giving the flowers much attention. Maybe this is due in part to the weather and the lethargy that this can induce in the insects.

Speckled Wood - Midford 24-08-2018
The two most common butterflies on this trip were the Small White and Speckled Wood.  The former has been common along the path all summer alongside their close cousin the Green-veined White. Speckled Wood butterflies are unusual in that they can hibernate as a pupa or larva. This coupled with their habit of breeding through the summer they have been a near constant presence along the path from Spring through to late Summer.

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