Sue and I made several trips this Summer to the LWT reserve at Hutchinsons Bank at New Addington, one of the best reserves in the UK for Butterflies.
On our first visit, our first sighting was of a Marsh Fritillary. It was the only one I would see all year. We saw lots of Glanville Fritillaries and Small Blues, as well as Brown Argus, Holly Blue, Speckled Wood, Brimstones, Red Admiral, Peacock, Common Blue and Small Heaths.
There has been quite a bit of discussion about the sudden appearance of a small group of Black-veined Whites, a species that went extinct in this country in the 1920s. Are they true migrants or are they releases? The likelihood is that they are releases, but nonetheless, it was great to see them.
Our July visit was notable for the Marbled Whites alongside the common species.
Our final visit was in August to look for Brown Hairstreak and we were fortunate to see a couple of females.
So many species seen but there are more that I didn’t see on the reserve, but which have been recorded. Will hope to make more visits in 2024.
Pete's Favourite Things 