Woodland butterflies
Having been unable to meet up in the Spring due to lockdown restrictions, my sister and I decided we could now perhaps meet half way and visit a couple of places in search of butterflies.
Both having travelled almost identically timed routes, we pulled into the carpark at Bucknell Wood near Silverstone within five minutes of each other at around 830 am. Our target species for today were purple hairstreak, purple emperor (probably a bit hopeful although there had been one reported sighting in recent days), white letter hairstreak and white admiral. Wood whites are normally also seen here but we were probably too late this year.
The sun was just starting to come out and the sunlit bramble areas gradually became alive with butterflies, many ringlet, some meadow brown and large skippers in particular but a few commas and red admirals too. Strangely a notable absence of speckled wood butterflies. The fast flying silver washed fritillaries were also very active. We were looking for large oak trees which is where they and purple hairstreaks are often seen. After a while we noticed small silvery butterflies flitting amongst the branches though difficult to find them in binoculars or camera. I was watching and attempting to photograph a couple in the branches above but then noticed one flying down towards us which landed just a metre in front of us on some ferns and stayed there for a good 10 minutes enabling us to get good close up shots - a purple hairstreak, - it was just possible to see evidence of the purple on the upper side of its folded wings.
We walked further down the main track but were unable to find any other different butterflies apart from the unusual Valezina variant of the female silver washed fritillary which is more brown in colour. An emperor dragonfly also put in an appearance but didnt stop long enough for a photo,
Back at the carpark we then drove a few miles down the road to Hazelborough Wood in the hope of increasing our sightings. This is obviously quite a popular wood as the car park was almost full. This wood has mainly narrow paths rather than grassy rides but on one bramble patch we did see a white admiral although slightly tatty.
So we both left fpr home feeling fairly satisfied and with plans to look elsewhere for the two elusive species another time.
Both having travelled almost identically timed routes, we pulled into the carpark at Bucknell Wood near Silverstone within five minutes of each other at around 830 am. Our target species for today were purple hairstreak, purple emperor (probably a bit hopeful although there had been one reported sighting in recent days), white letter hairstreak and white admiral. Wood whites are normally also seen here but we were probably too late this year.
The sun was just starting to come out and the sunlit bramble areas gradually became alive with butterflies, many ringlet, some meadow brown and large skippers in particular but a few commas and red admirals too. Strangely a notable absence of speckled wood butterflies. The fast flying silver washed fritillaries were also very active. We were looking for large oak trees which is where they and purple hairstreaks are often seen. After a while we noticed small silvery butterflies flitting amongst the branches though difficult to find them in binoculars or camera. I was watching and attempting to photograph a couple in the branches above but then noticed one flying down towards us which landed just a metre in front of us on some ferns and stayed there for a good 10 minutes enabling us to get good close up shots - a purple hairstreak, - it was just possible to see evidence of the purple on the upper side of its folded wings.
We walked further down the main track but were unable to find any other different butterflies apart from the unusual Valezina variant of the female silver washed fritillary which is more brown in colour. An emperor dragonfly also put in an appearance but didnt stop long enough for a photo,
Back at the carpark we then drove a few miles down the road to Hazelborough Wood in the hope of increasing our sightings. This is obviously quite a popular wood as the car park was almost full. This wood has mainly narrow paths rather than grassy rides but on one bramble patch we did see a white admiral although slightly tatty.
So we both left fpr home feeling fairly satisfied and with plans to look elsewhere for the two elusive species another time.
silver washed fritillary
sw fritillary valesina variant
First photo up in the trees!
purple hairstreak
ringlet
red admiral
meadow brown
large skipper
white admiral
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