May dawned and I was at Hutchinson’s Bank for the first time this year. HB is one of the best Butterfly reserves in the country and last Wednesday I joined a group walk hoping to see the Duke of Burgundy, a rare Butterfly found only on a few sites in southern and western England. It is one of the earliest species to emerge each year and is usually on the wing from late April to the end of May.
We start in the cutting with a single Grizzled skipper, the only one we would see on the walk and a Peacock and a few Whites. At the far end of the cutting, we found a number of Brimstones, but none settled to be photographed. A little further on a Green Hairstreak was seen high in a tree.
We proceeded to the far end of HB, crossed the road and descended Chapel Bank to the clearing where the Duke of Burgundy breeds. Our first sighting was of 2 Green Hairstreaks. But a single Duke was soon located and then another and members of the group as they spread out found more. It is difficult to assess the numbers but certainly more than 6 individuals. The thing that struck me was how small they were, I had expected them to be bigger.
Also found was a Common Lizard
Satisfied with the views of Dukes, we made our way back to the meeting point, diverting briefly to look for some Caterpillars of the Glanville Fritillary, another one of the special butterflies on this site and which will be on the wing by the middle of the month.
Pete's Favourite Things 