Species: Brown Argus (2) Common Blue (4) Meadow Brown (1) Small Copper (1) Hummingbird Hawkmoth (1)
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| Hummingbird Hawkmoth - Tucking Mill 10-09-2022 |
I always start my recording when I reach the Tucking Mill Viaduct. This is pretty much a central point of the 1km square that I like to survey. Today was no different, as I paused here to retrieve my camera from the rucksack. The weather was rather cloudy and the temperature around 20c.
As I slowly walked towards the far end of the viaduct, I noticed the unmistakeable blur of a rapidly moving Hummingbird Hawkmoth. It had been a good year for this little migratory moth and I had seen quite a few through the summer in different parts of the south of England, but this was the very first time I had seen it here.
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| Common Blue - Tucking Mill 10-09-2022 |
The cloudy conditions didn't improve as I made my way out towards Midford. As a result I decided to return, leave my bike and head up towards the dry, grassland fields.
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| Common Blue - Tucking Mill 10-09-2022 |
These fields have had a long hard summer and were looking very desiccated and brown. There were few nectar sources for the few insects that still remained.
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| Small Copper - Tucking Mill 10-09-2022 |
But, a few butterflies were still surviving there. Several Common Blues and single Small Copper could be seen. A very faded and battered Brown Argus and a Common Blue managed to find some late flowering Trefoil plants to feed on.
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| Brown Argus - Tucking Mill 10-09-2022 |
The long, hot summer seemed to be taking it's toll. It was as if the weather had exhausted the butterfly population and having completed their respective life-cycles, they had retired for the winter. It will be interesting to see how this years weather will impact on next years generation.
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| Common Blue - Tucking Mill 10-09-2022 |
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| Common Blue - Tucking Mill 10-09-2022 |
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