The 2020 Butterfly Year
It is hard to summarise the 2020 butterfly year. Much of the year was dominated by lockdowns and for me, family matters. My last survey along the cycle path was on the 2nd of August . I recorded 11 species and a total of 43 individuals. There was still a good showing of Silver-washed Fritillary, with a total of eight recorded. This species, residing along the path interests me. In some respects it is surprising, as this is a butterfly I mostly associate with larger woods and forests. The fact it happily makes its home along this section of cycle path, is down to the fact that the path provides a shady conduit between wooded valleys and small copses as it winds its way across the landscape. Silver-washed Fritillary - Midford, July 2020 The White-letter Hairstreak is another butterfly to be found along this section of the path. Elusive and sedentary, it spends most of its adult life in the tree canopies, fluttering occasionally between perches. I was fortunate enough to have s...