BUTTERFLY UPS AND DOWNS

 June is a busy month for butterfy enthusiasts with many species starting to emerge at this time. However, with a relatively warm May some species have begun their flight period a little earlier than usual and I was to find that out to my cost. 

My few days in Cambridgeshire began with a visit en route to Bucknell wood near Silverstone to look for wood whites, of which dozens had been recorded in recent days. Despite cloudy conditions, I spotted my first one about half a mile along the main track, a  white shape suspended under a flower.   At this point  the sky did start to brighten and  I observed about half a dozen individuals fluttering weakly above the grasses at the edge of the track before I returned to my car to continue my journey.

wood whites at Bucknell wood

main track from car park at Bucknell wood, near Silverstone

With the recent introduction of chequered skipper butterflies to Rockingham Forest.  I had been looking forward to seeing these pretty little butterflies for  myself. The exact location had been revealed earlier this year and a recent blog saying they had emerged mid May was the principal reason for fitting in this additional trip to stay with my sister. I knew that sightings could not be guaranteed as only a few individuals had been seen per guided walk, nevertheless I was still optimistic as someone I met earlier in the week had shown me some photos he'd taken last weekend and the website said that guided walks would be continuing until 12 June.  At Fineshade wood near Corby we followed the children's  'Gruffalo' trail through the trees to a crossroads. A couple of people who had travelled down from Liverpool to see butterflies  told us the best area to look but despite a good search, the only skippers we found were dingy and grizzled so slightly disappointed we returned to the carpark before heading over to the visitor centre.  Here a notice outside informed us that daily guided walks had been discontinued due to lack of sightings and the flight period was assumed to have ended!. A shame it hadn't been noted on the website!   Ah well, at least I'll know where to look next year all being well!. We enjoyed some hot soup and bread in the café before a fire alarm necessitated evacuation and put a premature end to our meal and we returned to the car. 

characters from 'The Gruffalo' at Fineshade wood

grizzled skipper

common blue

dingy skipper

Our next stop was  a wildlife trust reserve about fifteen minutes away  known as Glapthorn cow pastures where  the growth of a lot of blackthorn scrub has mad the site attractive to black hairstreak butterflies.  After parking along the side of a track opposite the entrance, we took the the advice of a  visitor just leaving, to take the third path on the right where we soon   came across a few people all eagerly examining areas of bramble and blackthorn bushes at various spots.  It didn't take long to realise that this was indeed a hotspot for numerous black hairstreaks which were  fluttering about and settling regularly providing ample opportunities for watching and photographing them within touchable distance. In this case we'd succeeded in seeing the species at the height of its short flight season! 

black hairstreak at Glapthorn cow pastures

I'm hoping to return in a couple of weeks for a visit to see swallowtails in Norfolk although  having heard that their flight season has also started early my confidence of seeing them is beginning to wane...(but at least they may have a second brood)