Yesterday, Sunday 10th June 2018, marked the start of the butterfly summer. The day was warm and bright with thin hazy cloud and a slight NE breeze. The grassed areas were growing very well with a diversity of wild flowers and grasses appearing, including Cock's-foot (Dactylis glomerata).
Most butterflies have been slow to emerge this spring and it was good to see the first Large Skipper (Ochlodes venata) perched in the sun in a sheltered spot, on the leaf of a new Oak tree seedling. Looking around, numerous such seedlings were springing up around the old oaks where carpets of acorns had formed after last autumn's huge crops had fallen and lain unclaimed by Jays and squirrels on the river banks.
This Skipper, although called 'large' is not necessarily larger than the 'Small Skipper' but can be distinguished by it's markings, the Large Skipper having more variegated orange and brown patterned wings. The Small Skipper is generally plainer.
The eggs are laid singly under blades of Cock's foot grass which provides food for the caterpillar when it emerges.
At the same time as this Skipper was seen resting on the leaf, the long grasses of the embankment held many insects, with at least two Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) butterflies which were extremely active, in contrast to the inactive Skipper. They ranged amongst the grasses with a random fluttering flight without resting. The caterpillar prefers a variety of grasses with Smooth Meadow grass (Poa pratensis) a favourite. The Meadow Browns were exactly on time emerging during the second week in June. Given reasonable weather, butterflies should do well this summer.
On the river bank itself there were more Banded Demoiselle damselflies, males and females and Beautiful Demoiselle damselflies in good numbers with a single Large Red damselfly seen:
The Large Red damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphal) is usually the first damselfly to be seen in the spring - in late April - but it's emergence this year was certainly delayed in this area.
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