Two Tunnels Butterfly Count

Butterfly Species: Holly Blue (1), Speckled Wood (1), Common Blue (6), Grizzled Skipper (4), Meadow Brown (1), Dingy Skipper (1) Grizzled Skipper - Tucking Mill 27-05-2020 A morning trip today taking in the section of cycle-path between Tucking Mill and Midford as well as the surrounding footpaths. The weather was fine with the temperature around 20c.  Two species were particularly evident, Common Blue and Grizzled Skipper. These occupy the grassy west facing hillsides adjoining the cycle-path. I first discovered them last year, so it's good to see them again this year. Grizzled Skippers have declined significantly in recent years and is now a 'High Priority' species for Butterfly Conservation.  Grizzled Skipper - Tucking Mill 27-05-2020 Flying alongside the Grizzled Skipper, and equally scarce is the Dingy Skipper. These can be seen flying alongside the aforementioned Grizzled Skipper and have a liking for the same type of habitat. It was also nice to see the first Meadow...

Orange Tip - Tucking Mill 09-05-2020 At the time of writing it is June and the butterfly season is coming to a head. My trips to the Tucking Mill section of the cycle-path have been few and far between owing to the Coronavirus outbreak and resulting lockdowns. Because of this, for the rest of the season, I have decided to concentrate my efforts on surveying for known species on the cycle path and the surrounding area for the rest of the year. May 9th 2020 Species: Dingy Skipper, Grizzled Skipper, Brown Argus, Common Blue, Speckled Wood, Orange Tip. My first visit to the area was on the 9th May. The weather was fine and sunny with the temperature reaching 22c. I was pleasantly surprised to find both Grizzled and Dingy Skippers flying in the field alongside the path.  Grizzled Skipper - Tucking Mill 09-05-2020 This sunny, dry, gently sloping hillside seems to provide a good habitat for these two species. However, I have yet to discover which food-plant the Grizzled Skippers are using...