Two Tunnels Butterfly Count

Gatekeeper Butterfly - July 2018 I have to admit that when I set out on this journey I did not imagine the diversity of butterfly species I would encounter. My memories of this abandoned railway track from the 1960's are very different from the cycle-path of today. Back then it was more open, sunny and far less wooded area and the section between Tucking Mill and the abandoned Midford station was not easily accessible until the cycle-path was opened in 2013. Over the course of the spring and summer I have made twenty-one trips along the 'Two Tunnels' route From Bath to Tucking Mill and Wellow. Along the way I have counted over 700 butterflies of 26 different species.  Click here to enlarge There have been some surprises. One of the highlights of the year was the number of Silver-washed Fritillaries I encountered. Between the 28th June and the 8th August, I managed to count 33, mainly around the Tucking Mill section of the path. That's a higher coun...

Butterfly Species: Speckled Wood (5) Small White (5) Monday 24th September will probably have been my last weekly butterfly walk of the season. The weather is cooling fast and the autumn colours are appearing. I now need time to collate and review the past months and and reflect on what has been an unusual summer for butterflies. Despite the changing seasons there are still some butterflies to be seen out and about along the path. Small Whites and Speckled Woods can be seen fluttering in the shafts of oblique sunlight beaming through the trees. My first record of the Specked Wood was on my April 26th walk. Since then I have completed 19 walks and recorded this butterfly on all by five of these. They have been an almost continuous presence companion and its fitting they will be the last to leave the path as the winter approaches. Burnet Moth Cocoon - 24-09-2018 The vegetation along the embankments is now turning autumnal  with some signs of the summer past lingeri...