Butterfly Bonanza
A few sunny days and an opportunity to go further afield meant I could go butterfly spotting! Sites visited included Bedford Purlieus Wood , apparently known to be one of the best butterfly habitats in Cambridgeshire, Brampton Wood and Grafham Water and aslso a day out to Lakenheath Fen.
Bedford Purlieus, once we found the way in, provided a wide variety of species including the tropical looking Silver Washed Fritillary which is actually orange, and a rare sighting of the dainty White Letter Hairstreak! Similar species were seen at Brampton Wood but it was the Purple Hairstreak we saw there, fluttering high up in a oak tree!
We saw most of the common butterflies again at Grafham Water including a couple of Painted Ladies, my first sighting of the year! Finally at Lakenheath Fen, there were large numbers of Red Admirals and Peacocks and a couple of Small Tortoishells which have been lacking in recent weeks according to the Butterfly Conservation website. Unfortunately no sightings of any of the star bird species, i.e. cranes, bitterns or bearded tits.
We did visit Barnack Hills and Holes just north of Peterborough but although sunny it was far too windy for the butterflies to be on the wing so we were unable to spot the Marbled whites and blues varieties there.
Butterfly species seen were Red Admiral, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Painted Lady, Large White, Small White, Green Veined White, White Letter Hairstreak, Purple Hairstreak, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Brimstone, Ringlet, small and large Skippers.
Bedford Purlieus, once we found the way in, provided a wide variety of species including the tropical looking Silver Washed Fritillary which is actually orange, and a rare sighting of the dainty White Letter Hairstreak! Similar species were seen at Brampton Wood but it was the Purple Hairstreak we saw there, fluttering high up in a oak tree!
We saw most of the common butterflies again at Grafham Water including a couple of Painted Ladies, my first sighting of the year! Finally at Lakenheath Fen, there were large numbers of Red Admirals and Peacocks and a couple of Small Tortoishells which have been lacking in recent weeks according to the Butterfly Conservation website. Unfortunately no sightings of any of the star bird species, i.e. cranes, bitterns or bearded tits.
We did visit Barnack Hills and Holes just north of Peterborough but although sunny it was far too windy for the butterflies to be on the wing so we were unable to spot the Marbled whites and blues varieties there.
Butterfly species seen were Red Admiral, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Painted Lady, Large White, Small White, Green Veined White, White Letter Hairstreak, Purple Hairstreak, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Brimstone, Ringlet, small and large Skippers.
Painted Lady
Comma
Peacock
Red Admiral
Ringlet
Silver Washed 'Fritillary
Small White
Large Skipper
Small Tortoiseshell
White Letter Hairstreak
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