Butterflies Galore

A visit to Stratton Wood this lunchtime in the blazing sun, was well rewarded with dozens and dozens of Marbled Whites, Ringlets, Meadow Browns and several Small Heath. There were many 5-spot Burnets about and I came across a beautiful White Plume moth, but it flew off before I could photograph it. A couple of surprises were a Red-legged Partridge, my first at Stratton Wood, a pair of Common Blue Damselflies in the meadows which is well away from any water and there were also several Orchids sp.

No big write up today: Just a few photos to sum up a brilliant day for butterflies.

One of the meadows at Stratton Wood full of butterflies.

Orchid sp.

Orchid sp.

Marbled White

Marbled White

Marbled White

Marbled White

Meadow Brown

Ringlet

Ringlet

5-spot Burnet moth

Large Skipper

Meadow

Small Heath

Common Blue Damselfly (female)

Common Blue Damselfly (male)

Possibly a Garden Grass-veneer.

Grasshopper

Another Meadow

And a butterflies view from ground level

Speckled Wood

Small Tortoiseshell

5-spot Burnet moth

Small Blue

Small Blue

Small Emerald

Birds recorded: Red Kite, Red-Legged Partridge, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Skylark, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, 2 Garden Warbler, 5 Blackcap, 9 Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch and Bullfinch.

Butterflies seen: 1 Peacock, 30+ Marbled White, dozens of Ringlet, several Meadow Brown, 3 Speckled Wood, 8+ Small Tortoiseshell and 8+ Large Skippers several Small Heath.

Moths seen: 1 Small Emerald, 12+ 5-spot Burnet moth, Cinnabar, White Plume moth (Pterophorus pentadactyla) and possibly a Garden Grass-veneer.

Damselflies seen: A pair of Common Blue Damselflies.

Other insects: Drone Fly, Harlequin Ladybird, Cardinal Beetle