Thanks Craggy - have long been meaning to put sightings on here but kept forgetting. I think I have put some sightings in the past though :P
Holden Wood 17/07/16 - 3 meadow browns at holden wood and 1 tortoise shell also
19/07/16 - approx. 15 meadow browns (8-9 in musbury) and rest scattered around holden wood, fields near ogden dam wall also 3 tortoiseshells - 2 in musbury and 1 around ogden
Will be able to answer the Skipper question soon. Need to look at photographs. The Whites were all Green-Veined bar 2 at Calf Hey and 2 at Holden Wood. They were clearly larger than the others.
02/08/16
0 Butterflies at Holden Wood
Min 30 but probably in easy in excess of 40 Green-Veined Whites feeding around a patch of thistles Musbury Brook but none further up.
in 20 maybe in excess of 30 Gatekeeper seen
5 - 10 Meadow Browns
2 Tortoiseshells - including one which looked like it had been squashed on the road.
Butterfly size is a very difficult indicator of species because of the variation during the season, in general Small and Green-veined are a similar size, around 50mm, Large white can be as big as 60mm.
The dark tracing in the veins of the Green-veined is usually quite evident, see attached.
Thanks Brian - that is the more familiar species and usual default species. The 2 butterflies I saw were big - like flying handkerchiefs, it was a windy day after all?
1 Wall Brown at Holden Wood
1 Speckled Wood at Holden Wood
2-3 Gatekeepers at Holden Wood
max 10 Meadow Browns around all 3 reservoirs
50 plus Green Veined Whites
1 Brimstone at Calf Hey
2 Peacock - 1 at Holden Wood and 1 at Ogden
1 Tortoiseshell at Holden Wood
20 min small Skippers
1 Large White
Wednesday 17 June
1 Speckled Wood
1 Wall Brown
min 10 Green Veined Whites
