MORGAN'S HILL BUTTERFLIES AND MOTH

Looked like today was the only chance I would get this week of looking for butterflies, so drove over to Morgan's Hill near Devizes early afternoon while the sun was still shining. It was a bit breezy so that may explain the few numbers of butterflies,   which tended to dive down into the grass when they settled.

However I did get a number of species including a single marsh fritillary which perched briefly before disappearing; a brimstone; several common blues; small heaths;  large skippers  ( first of the year for me) ; meadow brown (another first of the year) and a wall brown.

I also came across a huge dark moth which I looked up later and think was a privet hawkmoth, with a wingspan of up to 4 inches!

privet hawk moth

a rather tatty wall brown

large skipper

small heath

the same tatty wall brown

common blue