Tuesday 30th April 2019

Butterfly Species: Brimstone (4) Orange Tip (4) Peacock (1) Holly Blue (1) Speckled Wood (1)

Female Brimstone - Midford 30-04-2019
The weather was good for my last trip along the path in the month of April. Fine, sunny and temperature hovering around 15c. This time last year I saw Brimstone, Comma, Holly Blue, Orange Tip and Speckled Wood. No Comma this time but all the others were to be seen in various sections of the path.

The above picture is a female I found nectaring near Midford. Nearby is a Buckthorn bush, one of a few I have managed to find along this section of the cycleway. This is the Brimstone's primary foodplant. I have yet to find any Brimstone eggs on the Buckthorn but there is still time. The Brimstone butterflies should still be flying well into May.

Peacock - Midford 30-04-2019
The Peacock butterfly I came across was looking very worn and battered so I would be surprised to see this species again before the next generation appears later in the summer. 

Speckled Wood - Midford 30-04-2019

Just one Speckled Wood made an appearance compared to eight this time last year. Hopefully this butterfly species will grace the cyclepath throughout the summer and early autumn as was the case last year. It is 'multiple-brooded' and over-winters as both larvae and pupae, so there is lots of time for the numbers to increase.

Wych Elm - Tucking Mill 30-04-2019
I am keeping an eye on a small stand of Wych Elm which hosted a colony of White-Letter Hairstreak butterflies last summer. The main tree is not showing the number of flowers it did last year and is slow coming into leaf. With Dutch Elm Disease still a big threat to mature Elm, this gives me some concern. 

White-pinion Spotted - Tucking Mill 30-04-2019
Along with butterflies I do occasional see moths on my travels. I spotted this friendly little chap fluttering amongst the grass near Tucking Mill. It was not keen to open it's wings but with the help of Paul Shirley of Bath Nats, I managed to identify it as a White-pinion Spotted. It is a moth of Woodland and Scrub.

Radstock to Kilmersdon

Butterfly Species:  Brimstone (2) Orange tip (2) Small white (3) Peacock (1)

Unknown to me Rob, a fellow Sustrans Volunteer was out on the path between Radstock and Kilmersdon. With the same fine weather and temperatures up to around 15c, he managed to count eight butterflies this time around. 

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