Sunday 24th April 2022

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 Tip egg.

Greater Celandine - Midford Station 24-04-2022

Another plant that caught my eye was what looked like a Greater Celandine, growing on the old Midford platform. It was one of several springing up along the steep embankment there.

Midford Station looking North  - 24-04-2022

My main objective today was to check the fields off the cycle path for Dingy and Grizzled Skippers These small, moth like butterflies are both categorised as 'vulnerable' by various conservation bodies. 

Dingy Skipper - Tucking Mill 24-04-2022

The clouds were obscuring the sun when I arrived in the field but it was not long before I spotted a Dingy Skipper basking close to the path. 

Grizzled Skipper - Tucking Mill 24-04-2022

Having time, I began a more methodical search across this large field and soon found a single male Grizzled Skipper, settled on a Wild Strawberry plant which is one of several foodplants for this species.

Green Hairstreak - Tucking Mill 24-04-2022


A short while later, I was delighted to see a Green Hairstreak fly past me and settle on a Hawthorn bush. This is only the second I have seen in this valley since 2018. Frustratingly, it quickly took flight and disappeared off over the top of the tall bushes that border the field. Fortunately about 20 meters further on, I spotted another flying across, and then settling on a patch of Common Dog Rose. It paused long enough to be photographed.

Common Rock rose in bloom - Tucking Mill 14th June 2020

The flora in this part of the field is dominated by Common Rock Rose which is one of a number of foodplants for this species.

Unidentified Beetle - Tucking Mill 24-04-2022

Just prior to spotting the first Green Hairstreak I was momentarily distracted by one of a number of flying beetles in this field. I have yet to identify the exact species (possibly Agrypnus murinus), but its shape did remind me of the 'click beetles' that used to be found commonly in unimproved grassland.

Horescombe Vale - 24-04-2022

Leaving the fields, and with the clouds starting to obscure the sun, I headed up Horescombe Vale. The valley is starting to lose some of the scars of the over-winter felling, as the woodland floor was carpeted with spring flowers including Ramsons, Bluebells and Wood Anemones.  As the sun came out so did the Peacock butterflies.

My last stop of the day was back on the path about half a kilometre away. A section of steep embankment runs alongside another field. Here too I saw single Dingy and Grizzled Skippers.

All in all, a great spring day for butterflies.


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