Friday 28th June 2019

Butterfly Species: Marbled White (15) Meadow Brown (30) White-letter Hairstreak (2) Ringlet (8) Large Skipper (1) Speckled Wood (3) Small Tortoiseshell (1) Painted Lady (1) White Admiral (1)

White Admiral Butterfly - Midford/Wellow Path - 28-06-2019
The weather was much improved this Thursday when I set off down the path. The temperature was maxing out at 26 degrees C and it was almost unbroken sunshine.

Just before I entered for Combe Down tunnel, I paused to look at the Wych Elm that hangs over the parapet near the tunnel entrance. It was here last year where I saw a single White-letter Hairstreak butterfly darting round the top of the tree. I was pleasantly surprised to see two Hairstreak like butterflies chasing each other around the Ash tree next to the Wych Elm. I believe these to be the first two White-letter Hairstreak butterflies of my year.

Marbled White - Tucking Mill 28-06-2019
At the other end of the tunnel at Tucking Mill, there were many more butterflies on the wing. I first noticed that the Bramble bushes that line the path through Tucking Mill were in full bloom. There were plenty of butterflies nectering on the blooms and it was the first time this year that it was very difficult to count their number. Consequently, I decided to revert to my methodology from last year where I would stop and count as many butterflies as possible in a 30 second period, and then move on to the next location. By far the most numerous was the Meadow Brown, this was followed by Marbled White and Ringlet butterflies.

Meadow Brown - Tucking Mill 28-06-2019
Also, along the Tucking Mill stretch of cycle path I paused at another large Wych Elm tree that sits back from the cycle path. Here I saw the unmistakable silhouettes of two Hairstreak butterflies darting around at the top of the tree. They were too far away for me to make a positive identification, but I can be fairly certain they were again, White Letter Hairstreak butterflies.

Brimstone Larva - Midford 28-06-2019
I continued my way over the Midford viaduct and onto the permissive path. A short way along I stopped at the only Buckthorn bush that I can find along the cycle way. It was here last year I found several brimstone butterfly caterpillars, and again this year I was able to find two.

Brimstone Larva - Midford 28-06-2019

I decided to continue my ride towards Wellow but it was not long before I was forced to brake sharply as a butterfly flew up from the path in front of me. What made me brake was the fact that this butterfly was unmistakable, it's black and white wings and long gliding flight I have seen before, but not in this area. It was a White Admiral butterfly. I have not seen this butterfly west of the Trowbridge /Warminster area, some 12 or so miles to the east, so this was a considerable surprise. Time will tell whether this was just a stray individual or whether there is a population close to the path which I have yet to discover.




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