2013 Year of the Butterfly

Now the butterfly season is drawing to a close this blog is a summary of what a fantastic year it was for butterflies in Somerset especially around the Mendips area.   For us we saw 30 species.

The highlights had to be seeing the Dingy Skipper and Chalkhill Blue a first for us both.  However we cannot fail to mention the magic and joy it brought to us seeing so many butterflies of all species in abundance everywhere.  

 We miss the butterflies already and hope that next year will prove to be a great year for them again and we can improve on seeing 30!

Orange Tip - Kings Wood

Brimstone - Blackdown area

Small Heath

Dingy Skipper - Crook Peak

Grizzled Skipper

Large White

Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary - Crook Peak

Painted Lady - Cheddar Gorge

Red Admiral

Small White - seen everywhere!

Speckled Wood - seen right up until 22/9/13

Large Skipper - have never seen so many in lots of locations

Ringlet 

Dark Green Fritillary - Doleberry / Blackdown area - stunning in flight! 

Green Veined White - Greylake

Gatekeeper 

Comma

Comma

Grayling - great to see so many of these in Somerset

Chalk Hill Blue - stunning!

Chalk Hill Blue

Small Skipper

Marbled White - lots to be seen over the grassy Mendips

Small Copper - fantastic markings and colours in this small butterfly

Small Tortoiseshell - a fantastic year for this butterfly

Small Tortoiseshell

Small Skipper and Common Blue - Sand Bay

Peacock

Peacock

Wall - Great to see so many across the Mendips

Common Blue

Common Blue

Clouded Yellow - saw good numbers of these in one locality

Brown Argus

Meadow Brown

Last days of Summer..........

The last day of August and the sun is still shining across the Mendip Hills.  An uplifting 9 mile trek with the heather and gorse still looking vibrant and there is still Scabious, Harebells, White Campion and Knapweed to be seen here and there.  The hemp-agrimony is still attracting plenty of butterflies, in fact every wild flower seems to be a magnet for them.  

We saw a total of 12 species of butterfly Comma, Clouded Yellow, Speckled Wood, Large White, Small White, Small Copper, Small Tortoiseshell, Small Heath, Meadow Brown, Common Blue, Wall and a Brimstone.  Really did not expect to see so many butterflies still on the wing! 

Not many birds of note but we had great views of a Kestrel, Ravens and flocks of Goldfinches. 

It's hard to believe that tomorrow is the 1st of September ...... though the morning and evening chill is a reminder that Autumn is on the way! 

White Campion - great amounts of this lovely plant in the Charterhouse area of the Hills.

Harebells - lovely blue amongst the grasses

Bird's-foot Trefoil

Small Copper

Natures fruits - before being eaten!

Comma on Thistle

Wall butterfly on Hemp-agrimony. It's not often you see this butterfly on a plant

Clouded Yellow

Southern Hawker