Sunday 12th July 2020
Species: Red Admiral (8) Holly Blue (2) Peacock (16) Comma (11) Meadow Brown (22) Large White (3) Small White (1) Ringlet (6) Silver-washed Fritillary (8) Gatekeeper (5) Marbled White (5) Small Skipper (9) Small Tortoiseshell (1) Green-veined White (2) Comma - Tucking Mill 12-07-2020 108 butterflies counted today against just 39 last time out. The temperature was lower this time at around 20c, but we are coming on for 3 weeks later into the season. Holly Blue - Horsecombe Vale, Tucking Mill 12-07-2020 As is usual this year, I also wandered the footpaths around the cycle-path counting butterflies as I go. The terrain around this section of path is both hilly and wooded. There are also several west facing, unimproved meadows. My first encounter came as I followed a footpath between a wood and a field. I spotted a Holly Blue settled on the path ahead of me. It was feeding off a patch of dried bird droppings. More about this later! Paired Silver-washed Fritillaries ...