2019 - Butterflies

Definitely mixed news on Butterflies this year. On the one hand the best year since we've been here for Marbled Whites. The heat hit just at the right time and they were flying for just over a month - and plenty of them too. Also a good year for Common Blues who have established themselves solidly in our meadows. Also there were a lot of Painted Ladies this year, or at least they were around for a while. Other than that the picture is pretty poor with not many of the 'common' butterfies around like Peacocks and Tortoiseshells and Gatekeepers and Whites. The truth is there is a decline in insect numbers in general and butterflies like many insects are struggling. The photo is from July and is the delightful underside of the Marbled White.