Butterfly update

It's been a strange year for butterfly numbers. Of course weather patterns and slight differences in management will affect numbers of different species but even so I am surprised (and a little alarmed) at some of the variances. First the good news - it's been a stupendous year for Marbled Whites. First seen on 26th June, they are still flying twenty days later and in far greater numbers than we have previously had. The weather has been hot and dry for the last couple of weeks which helps I am sure. It's also been a humungous year for Meadow Browns (pictured above) with swarms of them all over the fields. They are the most frequent butterfly seen here but their numbers are larger than in any previous year since we moved in. Also a good year for Common Blues which in their early flight season were up again in numbers although with them it's been a matter of a steady increase year on year. It's been an OK year for Painted Ladies and Ringlets and Skippers but for most of which I would call the common or garden species there has definitely been a dearth. Peacocks, Small Whites have been pretty much scarce and I saw my first Comma today and also one or two Large Whites and Small Tortoiseshells. There's still some time for butterfly action with second broods and the later species so here's hoping.