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 - Horsecombe Vale, Tucking Mill 12-07-2020

A little further along the path, a mated pair of Silver-washed Fritillaries flew passed me and settled on a bramble bush some distance into the field. These were the first Silver-washed I had seen in this location this year. A promising start to the trip.

'Mud-puddling' Small Skippers - Tucking Mill 12-07-2020

As I followed the footpath back to the cycle-path, I came across half a dozen or so Small Skipper butterflies 'mud-puddling' at the edge of a stream. This behaviour is linked to the aforementioned Holly Blue. It appears butterflies derive a number of salts and other nutrients from mud and animal droppings. In my experience, this tends to happen more frequently during hot spells of weather.

Male Silver-washed Fritillary - Midford 12-07-2020

Returning to my bike I rode the short distance from Tucking Mill to Midford. Passing over the viaduct and into the next tree lined section, I came across a number of Silver-washed Fritillaries gliding along  the now shady cycle-path. 

This is my third year surveying butterflies along this stretch of path and the Silver-washed Fritillaries have been a common occurrence in all three. They can be seen pretty much anywhere along the path between Tucking Mill and Wellow feeding off the brambles and Buddleia that line this route.

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