Meadow Brown

Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina -  Bernwood Meadows, Oxfordshire, 22/07/2012

It's been heartening to witness so many Butterflies on the wing as they make the most of the much needed hot weather of the last few days. Last weekend we went down to Bernwood, near Thame, land were thrilled to see the flower meadow positively shimmering with Marbled Whites, Ringlets and an astonishing number of Meadow Browns. I suppose the terrible weather in June and early July has meant that instead of coming out over an extended period, the mid-summer Nymphalidae have all hatched at once. I know that they are one of our commoner butterflies but I can't remember seeing so many Meadow Browns before. Sadly Tortoiseshells, Peacocks, Commas and Red Admirals seem to have been hit very badly by the weather and I haven't seen a Common Blue since May. These are worrying times for some of our hard pressed Butterflies.

Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina -  Ragpits, Buckinghamshireshire, 24/07/2012

 Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina -  Ivinghoe Beacon, Oxfordshire, 08/07/2012

Dark Green Fritillary

Arriving back at Gatwick Airport after a week in Bulgaria, a beautiful, unspoilt country simply alive with Butterflies, I was depressed, but I suppose not that surprised, to find the weather at home as terrible as ever, with barely a Butterfly to be seen all week. Sunday turned out to be that rare thing this Summer, a sunny pleasant day, and I decided to head for the hills where I was immensely cheered to find good numbers of Dark Green Fritillaries, Meadow Browns and Marbled Whites racing around the breezy slopes of Ivinghoe Beacon enjoying the warm weather. 

Dark Green Fritillary Argynnis aglaja, Ivinghoe Beacon, (15/07/2012)

Dark Green Fritillary Argynnis aglaja, Ivinghoe Beacon, (15/07/2012)

Marbled White  Melanargia galathea, Ivinghoe Beacon, (15/07/2012)