More Clouded Yellows & friends

Went along to a site earlier in the week where there had been quite a few reports of Clouded Yellows in the last week or so and was not dissapointed. Also sharing the field with plenty of Common Blues, Small Coppers and a Holly Blue which sadly not seen many of this year.

Feeding Clouded Yellow

Common Blue

Feeding Holly Blue

Bonus Clouded Yellow

On sunday decided to get out with the butterflies so first headed down to Nomansland Common where the Small Coppers and Common Blues were out in force along with a lone Chalkhill Blue and a few fresh Painted Ladies, a few Essex Skipper some Purple Hairstreaks egglaying and good number of Silver Y Moths and the Whites though mainly Large and Smalls and Meadow Browns and Gatekeepers.

Small Copper

Painted Lady

Purple Hairstreak

Small White feeding

In the afternoon headed down to Tyttenhanger GPs the most noting factor was since my last visit the gull numbers had picked up and still good numbers of Common Terns around. While walking around the meadows was suprised to see a Clouded Yellow feeding just meters away before flying off not to be seen again but plenty of Peacocks around easily 40 on site and also Common Blue and Small Coppers doing well as well. Also around were quite a few Damselflies with plenty of Common Blues and one Blue-tailed and Common and Ruddy Darters around and a Southern Hawker.

Feeding Clouded Yellow

Common Darter

Final throw of the dice

Despite having a good hunt locally in recent weeks for Purple Emperor the best chances have always seemed to have been at Bricket Wood this year. So had a nice walk in the woods with good sightings of White Admiral, Silver-washed Fritillary and Purple Hairstreak dancing in the tree tops but no sight of the king for this year. Out on the common lots of butterflies flying around with Peacocks, Gatekeepers and Whites in very good number along with all three of the local Skippers and a bonus at the end with some nice Dragonflies with Brown and Southern very much on wing.

Female Silver-washed Fritillary

White Admiral

Southern Hawker resting