Lark Rise Farm Barton (Countryside Regeneration Trust)

 Lots of butterflies around for our morning visit with Marbled White by far the commonest species. I was looking for butterflies and other insects in good condition and on attractive perches away from other vegetation to try for some pictorial images. The wind was the greatest barrier to achieving this but here are a few that I liked plus a species sheet for those seen in the 90 minutes we spent there

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.

Roosting Butterflies Toft Wood

Although reduced in numbers from some previous years but there were around 8 Marbled Whites plus Meadow Browns and many skippers roosting in Toft Wood this week. There was also a very yellow Green-veined White, which was the second very yellow one that I have seen this year.

Paxton Butterfly and Dragonfly Survey

Last year we found a single Grizzled Skipper on the equivalent survey, this year more than 10 so there is definitely a breeding colony. We also located one very early Green-Eyed (Norfolk) Hawker, a Scarce Chaser along with the Four-Spot Chasers, a Hairy Dragonfly, four species of 'Blue' Damselflies and also Banded Demoiselles.

Paxton July Survey Butterflies and Dragonflies

Saturday was our monthly survey at Paxton Pits of butterfly and dragonfly numbers. Here a few of those recorded - Small Copper, Green-veined White, Small skipper, Essex Skipper, Ruddy Darts, Migrant Hawker, Blue-tailed damselfly, Emerald Damselfly, Emperor Dragonfly and Scarce Chaser