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, 2020
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 spotted one of these small butterflies back in July, nectaring in my garden. (See photo at the top of this post). I watched and photographed it for a full 15 minutes in which time it took to the air just twice, preferring to crawl about rather than fly. Seeing this behaviour 'up close' reinforces just how easy it is to miss the presence of these small, charming butterflies.


Grizzled Skipper - Tucking Mill, Spring 2020

I was also really pleased to see Grizzled Skipper butterflies again in 2020. These moth like butterflies are found occasionally adjacent to the path. This is an increasingly rare butterfly and another which is easily overlooked. It is one of our smallest butterflies, and difficult to follow with the eye as they dart erratically, low over the short sward in which they make their home. Lets hope they survive the winter and re-appear again in 2021.

By the time August got going I was not able to find the time to continue my routine butterfly counts. By then I was already thinking about the next year and what 2021 would bring with it.

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