Two Tunnels Butterfly Count

Female Orange Tip - April 2021 I made a couple of trips along the cycle path in late April. This can be a difficult time for butterflies weather wise with varying temperatures and sunshine hours. Tuesday 20th April  Butterfly species:  Orange Tip (3) Brimstone (1) Speckled Wood (1) Some sunny spells and temperature hovering around 14c for my morning cycle ride. Nevertheless, there were a few butterflies on the wing. Nice to see the Orange Tips, as these really do represent the start of spring.... for me at least. As usual the males, with their distinctive orange tips, patrol the cycle way continuously flying and rarely pausing. A lone Speckled Wood was spotted basking in the weak sunshine, already looking a little faded. Meanwhile the familiar sight of a male Brimstone flew along the edge of a wooded section of the path. Saturday 24th April Butterfly species:  Speckled Wood (2) Holly Blue (1) Orange-tip (3) Brimstone (6) A better day for butterflies. The weather was fine ...

  The early part of April continued the trend from March with frequent night frosts and daytime temperatures struggling to exceed 10c most days.  The sheltered valley to the south of Bath can be counted on to be slightly warmer than the hills. Even so, I was surprised to see this early Grizzled Skipper on a woodland path some distance from the cycle-path and the fields where I would normally expect to see them The path leads along the edge of a wood between a brook and a grassy bank that rises up the side of the hill. It is a slightly odd place to find a Grizzled Skipper, but I have seen one there before.  The books will tell you it can be found in woodland rides, as well as grassland habitats. I'm not sure which of these this sighting would fall into. Anyway, a very welcome sight!