Big Butterfly Count

Bug Mad Girl and I went to Whiteleaf Hill today to do the Big Butterfly Count. It was a bit windy and cool and the sun kept going in and out, so there weren't as many types of butterfly around as there usually are. We saw lots of Common Blues (by far the most common butterfly flying today) and even saw some Brown Arguses. The female Common Blue and the Brown Argus can look very similar and you have to compare the spots on the underwing to tell them apart.

Brown Argus

Brown Argus

There were no Small Tortoiseshells around and only a couple of Peacocks, when we usually see a lot sun bathing on the brambles. We did see a Red Admiral on a notice board. To begin with we thought it was just a picture on the board, but then realized it was real.

Our sightings were:

• 5 Large Whites
• 9 Small Whites
• 8 Gatekeepers
• 23 Meadow Browns
• 30 Common Blues
• 6 Marbled Whites
• 2 Peacocks
• 1 Red Admiral
• 5 Brown Argus
• 7 Small Skippers

Small Skipper on Knapweed

We also saw a very pink grasshopper, that appears to only have one back leg!

#100DaysOfNature Day 12

We saw a Song Thrush hiding in the bushes (rubbish photo I'm afraid, as it's head is behind a leaf!). I haven't seen one for ages, so it was nice to find one in the woods.

There were massive flies all over the Hogweed.

 

Then when we were leaving, we saw this gigantic snail crawling out of the undergrowth!