Warmer week, bigger numbers

The weather had perked up for Tuesday's transect and although not hot was pleasantly warm with some sunshine. We (the two Grahams and Brian) did the transect in reverse sequence. Section 12 on Great Parsons Field is virtually butterfly-free since it was mowed recently but in Sections 11,10, 9 and 8 we counted 71 Meadow Browns and 7 Chalk Hill Blues. The mowing of Great Parsons Field has concentrated the late summer butterflies onto the remaining edging strip of wild flowers, right on our Section 9 and 8 transect route.
 
The second butterfly hot-spot was the ever-reliable Fames Rough (Sections 4 and 3) where we saw Meadow Browns, Brown Argus, Common Blues, Brimstones and Small Coppers in good numbers, along with a few other species in lesser numbers.
 
Count details:
147 Meadow Brown
  21 Common Blue
  15 Brown Argus
    9 Brimstone
    8 Small Copper
    7 Chalk Hill Blue
    4 Small White
    3 Gatekeeper
    3 Speckled Wood
    2 Small Heath
    2 Silver-washed Fritillary
Click on butterfly names for more info.
Summary: 221 butterflies from 11 species.

Brown Argus -BG

Male Brimstone -BG

Chalk Hill Blue -GK

Male Common Blue -GK

Meadow Brown -GK

Silver-washed Fritillary -GK

Small Copper -GK

Small White -GK

Meadow Brown rescued from a spider's web.

Survey by Brian Gardner, Graham H and Graham K submitted to Butterfly Conservation (UKBMS). 
​Report by Brian Gardner. Pics by Graham Kenward and Brian Gardner.
​Click on pics to enlarge.