Still active in mixed weather

22/7/2024

Saturday the 20th was our choice for this week's butterfly count. The high temperatures of the previous few days had lessened and Saturday was cloudy, breezy, and very humid as we started out and we soon encountered a brief shower of rain in section 2 (Coneyboro Hill). This transect was our first using a revised route that bypasses the dreaded steep downhill path into Fames Rough and removes the non-productive walk through Harholt Plantation (sections 5 and 6). From Fames Rough and beyond the weather was warm enough to tempt out a reasonable number of butterflies across the remaining sections, so in all it was a fairly successful count covering all of our high-summer butterfly regulars.

Count Details:
143 Meadow Brown
108 Marbled White
79 Gatekeeper
30 Small/Essex Skipper (incl. 1 Small
and 1 Essex Skipper, both confirmed)
20 Ringlet
7 Small Heath
4 Small White
2 Comma
2 Dark Green Fritillary
1 Large White
1 Speckled Wood

Summary: 397 butterflies from 11 species.
Click on butterfly names for more info.

Survey by Brian G, Graham H, Graham K and Liz N submitted to Butterfly Conservation (UKBMS).
Report by Brian Gardner.
Pics by Graham Kenward and Liz North.