WOODCHIPS
  • Home
  • About Us
  • The area we cover
  • Featured creatures
  • Our Butterflies
    • Butterfly Blog
  • Toolkit
  • Photo Competition
  • WoodChips Blog
  • Countryside Videos
  • CONTACT/MORE INFO

Butterfly Blog

Scorchio!

12/7/2022

0 Comments

 
With temperatures set to set rise sharply during the day, GK, GH and BG started Monday's transect earlier than usual, at 10am, but even at that time it was already 28 degrees in the brilliant sushine. During the transect the temperature topped 34 degrees and we should consider whether we want or need to do future transects in such extreme conditions. 
 
Once again we started Monday's walk at Section 11, proceeding to 12, then on to Section 1 and so on, ending at 10. The high temperature and the light breeze brought out a a total of 346 butterflies, replacing last week's total of 305 as the highest this year. We recorded plenty of high-season Meadow Browns, Marbled Whites, Ringlets, Gatekeepers and Small/Essex Skippers, especially on Hill Wood Field (Section 7) which is now where we see the most butterflies. Although Fames Rough (Sections 2 & 3) is, sadly, poorer in butterflies than in previous years, it is still favoured by the spectacular Silver-washed Fritillaries and while there we were treated to a high-speed formation fly-past of three SwFs. 
 
We also had the first sightings of the second-brood Common Blues and Brown Argus and Small Coppers. Here's hoping they have a good season.
 
There is now a herd of goats on Coneyboro Hill (Section 2) with the task of eating the overgrowth of scrub. Pics below.
Count details:
123
Meadow Brown
  72 Marbled White
  47 Gatekeeper
  40 Small/Essex Skipper
  (1 confirmed Essex)
  32
Ringlet
    7 Silver-washed Fritillary
    6 Small White
    4 Large White
    3 Brimstone
    3 Comma
    3 Small Copper
    1 Large Skipper
    1 Brown Argus
    1
Common Blue
    1 Peacock
    1
Red Admiral
    1 Speckled Wood
 
Summary:
346 butterflies from 17 species.

Click on butterfly names for more info.
Survey by Brian Gardner, Graham H and Graham K submitted to Butterfly Conservation (UKBMS).  ​
​Report  by Brian Gardner. Pics by Graham K and Brian G.
​​Click on pics to enlarge.
Silver-washed Fritillary, Fames Rough -BG
Silver-washed Fritillary taking off, Fames Rough -GK
Gatekeeper, Hill Wood Field -GK
Large Skipper, Hill Wood Field -BG
Speckled Wood, Coneyboro Hill -GK
Worn Meadow Brown, Hill Wood Field -GK
Picture
"Who goats there?" Part of the herd occupying Coneyboro Hill. Our transectual tourists on path. -GK
Picture
Sensible goat in shade. Note the GPS tracker. -BG
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    The Transectuals

    Here you'll find details and pictures from the team carrying out our regular  butterfly surveys (known as transects) over 26 weeks during Spring and Summer.

    Archives

    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Picture

​
​Give us a call

01737 363013‬


Send us an email

woodchips1@btinternet.com
See blog for latest info
The content on this website is subject to copyright of the WoodChips and their volunteers. Please get in touch if you wish to use any of the text or pictures.
  • Home
  • About Us
  • The area we cover
  • Featured creatures
  • Our Butterflies
    • Butterfly Blog
  • Toolkit
  • Photo Competition
  • WoodChips Blog
  • Countryside Videos
  • CONTACT/MORE INFO