Saturday 20th April 2019
Butterfly Species: Speckled Wood (9) Brimstone (8) Small White (2) Orange Tip (2)
A nice warm sunny afternoon with temperatures hovering around 22c was the backdrop to my trip down the path. There were fewer butterflies than I expected given the conditions. Sometimes this happens. It's almost as if it is too hot. However as I progressed down the path towards Midford the first Brimstone of the day, and one of eight altogether, made an appearance.
Speckled Wood butterflies were fluttering gently in the shady areas. These are now in full flight and the commonest butterfly today.
I only saw Two Orange Tip butterflies on this trip. I saw my first along this stretch on the 11th April. Last year, I first recorded this species on the 26th April a full two weeks later. The principle food-plant is Garlic Mustard and the females will lay their Orange skittle-like eggs amongst the flower heads. I could only find one flowering plant along the whole stretch and this contained just one egg. (Photo: above and below).
In another location, away from the cycle path, I have found eggs of this species on Cuckoo Flower earlier this month. Hopefully more Garlic Mustard will flower whilst the Orange Tips are still on the wing otherwise we may see a drop in numbers next year.
The following day I took a walk along a footpath running adjacent to the cycle-path and discovered a colony of Grizzled Skipper butterflies. It was the first time I had seen this elusive species in some time. They can be found in a variety of habitats including abandoned industrial sites and railway embankments.
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| Speckled Wood - Midford, 20th April 2019 |
A nice warm sunny afternoon with temperatures hovering around 22c was the backdrop to my trip down the path. There were fewer butterflies than I expected given the conditions. Sometimes this happens. It's almost as if it is too hot. However as I progressed down the path towards Midford the first Brimstone of the day, and one of eight altogether, made an appearance.
Speckled Wood butterflies were fluttering gently in the shady areas. These are now in full flight and the commonest butterfly today.
 |
| Garlic Mustard Plant and Orange Tip egg on flower head ( top, left and below) |
I only saw Two Orange Tip butterflies on this trip. I saw my first along this stretch on the 11th April. Last year, I first recorded this species on the 26th April a full two weeks later. The principle food-plant is Garlic Mustard and the females will lay their Orange skittle-like eggs amongst the flower heads. I could only find one flowering plant along the whole stretch and this contained just one egg. (Photo: above and below).
In another location, away from the cycle path, I have found eggs of this species on Cuckoo Flower earlier this month. Hopefully more Garlic Mustard will flower whilst the Orange Tips are still on the wing otherwise we may see a drop in numbers next year.
The following day I took a walk along a footpath running adjacent to the cycle-path and discovered a colony of Grizzled Skipper butterflies. It was the first time I had seen this elusive species in some time. They can be found in a variety of habitats including abandoned industrial sites and railway embankments.
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| Grizzled Skipper Butterflies - Tucking Mill - 21st April 2019 |
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