Tuesday 28th May 2019

Butterfly Species: Holly Blue (1) Speckled Wood (1) Female Holly Blue - Tucking Mill 28-05-2019 Sometimes you can't win. I set off expecting to see plenty of butterflies given that the sun was out, and the temperature was around 16 degrees C. However, once I emerged from the tunnel at Tucking Mill the clouds had formed over the cycle path and there they stayed for my entire trip. Female Holly Blue (Underside) - Tucking Mill 28-05-2019 I saw just two butterflies on this trip. An ageing Holly blue and a speckled wood. The Holly blue is an interesting species. It has two broods a year, in spring and in later summer. It can be seen almost anywhere in parks, gardens and in the countryside. It's easy to spot as it flies around shrubs and over trees unlike many other ‘blue’ species which are mainly grassland specialists that fly much lower to the ground. It’s caterpillar feeds on Holly blooms in the spring and Ivy blossom in the autumn. It's also known for its great ...