MAY 2008

8th Eleven species at Twywell Country Park today included the first Small Heath, 4 Grizzled Skippers, 6 Dingy Skippers and a Green Hairstreak. There were 4 Holly Blues at fermyn Woods Country Park.

7th 2 Grizzled Skippers were found on land near Rockingham Speedway.

6th A Holly Blue was seen in Barton Seagrave, 10+ at Storton's Gravel Pits and 6 in Abington Park, with egglaying noted again. 4 Grizzled Skippers and 10+ Dingy Skippers were in the quarry area of Fermyn Woods Country Park. 6 Grizzled Skippers and 3 Dingy were at Twywell. A Speckled Wood was egglaying in a garden in Westone, Northampton.

5th Two Holly Blues were seen in New Duston.

4th There were good numbers of Orange Tips and a Holly Blue along the disused railway line at Brackmills, Northampton.

3rd A Green Hairstreak was see at Twywell Hills and Dales. Six Holly Blues, Large White, Orange Tip and Speckled Wood were found in the old graveyard at Finedon. In Abington Park, Northampton, there were two male Holly Blues and a female egglaying. c.20 Orange Tips were at Stanwick Lakes.

2nd There were six Grizzled Skippers at Twywell Hills and Dales.

1st A female Orange Tip and two Holly Blues were seen in Barton Seagrave. A Dingy skipper was seen at a site near Corby.

APRIL SUMMARY

A mating pair of Small Whites was found on 4th, and the first Green-veined White was seen on 9th. From the middle of the month, sightings gradually increased, Peacock being the most numerous species. Brimstones appeared in good numbers in woodlands with 15+ in Fermyn Wood on 15th and Salcey on 22nd, when five Orange Tips, including two females, put in an appearance. 9 Commas here were the maximum seen at any one site.
Two Holly Blues were flying in Northampton on 23rd, along with the first Speckled Wood. There were several more records of both by the end of the month. The first Large Whites were seen from 26th – 28th.

MARCH SUMMARY

A Comma was recorded on 7th and the first Brimstones on 14th/ /15th . Not until the 30th were all four of our hibernating species seen on the same day, with courtship of the Small Tortoiseshell observed.

FEBRUARY SUMMARY
There was little suitable weather for butterflies, but a warmer spell in the second week brought out Small Tortoiseshell (9th) and Peacocks, with further records on 27th. Records from two sites on 10th were the only Spring sightings of Red Admiral this year.