Two Tunnels Butterfly Count

Species: Brimstone (6) Comma (1) Dingy Skipper (2) Green Hairstreak (2) Grizzled Skipper (4) Large White (1) Orange Tip (4) Peacock (8) Small Tortoiseshell (1) Small White (3) Speckled Wood (2) Green Hairstreak - Tucking Mill 24-04-2022 A nice, warm spring afternoon (17c) brought out a total of 11 species and 35 individuals for my trip today. My excursion started at around 2.15pm when I emerged from the Combe Down tunnel. I decided to cycle on to Midford and work my way back slowly.  I checked out the Buckthorn bushes where I saw a Brimstone butterfly laying eggs on the 15th April. No more eggs had been laid in the intervening days, not that I could find anyway.  Speckled Wood - Midford 24-04-2022 The clouds broke and the sun appeared, along with a yellow, male Brimstone and a Speckled Wood butterfly. I started counting!   As I started back to the Midford I paused to photograph one of several Cuckoo flowers growing by the side of the path. One complete with an Orange...

 Species: Brimstone (13) Comma (2) Orange Tip (6) Peacock (14) Small White (2) Speckled Wood (2) Brimstone butterfly laying eggs on Buckthorn - Midford 15-04-2022 The first really warm day of the year for my trip today. Good amounts of sunshine and a temperature of around 19c greeted me as I emerged from the Combe Down tunnel at 2pm. I headed off towards Midford without pausing for too long. I would return more slowly through the afternoon counting what I saw along the way.  The cycle path near Midford station The section of the path as I approached Midford Station was starting to come into its best, with a mixture of Bluebells, Wood Anemones and the yellow of Celandine mixing with an early sprinkle of  Wild Garlic (Ramsons).  Robin - Midford 15-04-2022 I paused at the bench near the derelict platform. Here a Robin paused also, to watch my every move before flying into the shrubbery that covers the steep embankment. A noisy outburst from it's hungry chicks followed ...