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.

Butterflies Fermyn Woods

The RPS Nature Group visited Fermyn Woods yesterday hoping to photograph Purple Emperors. I saw one but, unfortuately for it and me, being carried away by an Emperor Dragonfly too fast to get in the lens. We did see lots of other butterflies, including Silver Washed Fritillaries, White Admiral and Purple Hairstreaks and enjoyed a great day with them in the sunshine.

Male Marbled Whites Have Emerged

There were numerous Marbled Whites on Royston Heath this afternoon - all males and keen to feed on the Thistles. Red Kites flew overhead while a pair of mating Robber flies clung on to swaying grasses. The other chalk flowers were Knapweed-Broomrape, Bee Orchids, Clustered Bell Flower, Dropwort and seeds of the Pasque Flower

Heath Fritillaries in Essex

A new species for me yesterday - the Heath Fritillary. It is restricted to a few key habitats:  coppiced woodland or sheltered heathland. It is confined to a small number of sites in Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and Kent, and has also at reintroduction into sites in Essex. Although very local in its distribution, this butterfly can be seen in large numbers in good years and certainly there were probably 50 plus individuals in three different areas of the wood. The main foodplants are Common Cow-wheat (Melampyrum pratense), Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata), Germander Speedwell (Veronica chamaedrys), and occasionally other speedwells (Veronica spp.). Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) is reported to be a secondary foodplant and my mating pair were taken on foxgloves. The best lighting conditions were just before a short rain spell.

Dorset - Powerstock Common (01/06/2023)

Traditionally Powerstock Common is always the first venue that we visit on our annual trips to Dorset. As always, it did not disappoint with Tiger beetles, an Adder, Orchids, including Butterfly Orchid, Butterflies including Marsh Fritillary and Grizzled Skipper, spiders and the colours and wildlife of the ponds