Sunday 15th September 2019

Butterfly Species: Red Admiral (5) Comma (2) Large White (1) Small White (1) Speckled Wood (2)

Red Admiral - Tucking Mill 15-09-2019
The weather was set fair on possibly my last 'butterfly count' trip of 2019. It was sunny with a temperature of approximately 18c when I set off down the path at about 2pm. My first butterfly was a Red Admiral feeding on a Buddleia at Tucking Mill. This was one of five I saw on this trip, outnumbering the other four species.

Speckled Wood - Midford 15-09-2019
All of the species seen this day were typical of the time of year. The last of the 'Whites', hibernators such as the Comma. The Red Admiral is a migrant to the UK which sometimes survive mild winters.

Common Darter Dragonfly - Tucking Mill 15-09-2019
September is also a good time to see Dragonflies. I saw several flying alongside the cycle-path, most to active to clearly identify. The most numerous appear to be Common Darters. I say 'appear to be' as even these approachable creatures can sometimes be confused with rarer, very similar species.

Over the next few weeks I will be collating the counts I have done and will make some comparisons with last year. However, it is clear that one species has been seen significantly fewer times this year than last. I counted the Speckled Wood on nearly every trip last year. This year they have been significantly less obvious. Interesting!

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