Hardwick Wood Butterflies

Great to see several Silver-washed Fritillaries in my local wood feeding on the Bramble along with Large Whites, Green-veined White, Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Comma and Brimstone. I hoped to also see the Purple Hairstreaks but the sky clouded over just as I reached the area and they magically disappear into the oak trees when the sun disappears.

Butterflies etc at RSPB Sandy

Wednesday stayed cloudy till lunchtime so any butterflies we found were resting like this delicate Essex Skipper with its ink-dipped antennae When the sun broke through the lavender revealed Large Skipper and Small Skipper along with Brown Argus. Wonderful to see Gatekeepers and Large Whites in good numbers along with an obliging Purple Hairstreak on an Oak branch and two moths - a Mint Moth and a Scarlet Tiger. There were also lots of Emperor and other Large Dragonflies - too fast to capture in the lens and so I finish on two Blue-tailed Damselflies from the morning's dull and sometimes rainy conditions.

Royston Heath Butterflies etc

We visited Royston Heath on the hottest day so far and the butterflies responded by flying around pretty freely though in small numbers compared to a 'normal' year. The Essex Skipper and Gatekeeper were in pristine condition but some of the others were fairly battered and the Marbled White had the worst infestation of mites I've seen. We finished the morning photographing these Kite-tailed Robber flies mating.

Marbled Whites, Southern Hawkers etc in Toft

 At last a variety of Butterflies are on the wing in Toft - not large numbers but several Marbled Whites (all males present in the day and coming in to roost) Meadow Browns  and  Small Heaths and single Large Skipper and Gatekeeper. So far two Southern Hawkers have emerged from our pond (earlier we had Four-spot and Broad -bodied Chasers). Delighted to find a Bryony Bee on the White Bryony - a species p that was restricted to the Southern counties. On a morning walk around the wood and fields with a not very long lens, it was good to see a Hare and Buzzard with a mouse.