Last Brood

I'd thought I'd done my last butterfly blip of the year, as although I've spotted a few individual Red Admiral, Speckled Wood, Peacock and and Small Tortoiseshell over the past few weeks, they were usually only fleeting glimpses. I was lucky to have an extended view of this Speckled Wood today though, and as the other example I'd blipped earlier in the year was a bit battered, I thought I'd share this one.

Of all the butterflies, the Speckled Wood seem to have been the most constant this year, showing up reliably in various spots around the village where I've seen them before. If it's been a reasonably warm day I could almost guarantee taking you to a spot where we would see some. The ones on the wing now are likely to be the third brood. I saw one on October 15th last year, but they can be about until early November. The fact that they've been around since the spring disguises the fact that an adult will typically only live for a week.

I think it's unlikely that I'll be adding to my 2012 list now, which stays at nineteen species, of which I've blipped sixteen (tagged butterfly2012). The only one from last year that I haven't seen is the Wall Brown. There's one spot in the village where I saw them last year, but they haven't been there when I've been to look this year. This was my first serious year of butterfly spotting though, so hopefully I'll be able to meet a few new species next year now that I know what I'm doing a bit more.

The butterfly was one of many nice moments that included a heron and a hare on a good walk with 7yo where we explored Tong Park and Spring Wood.

last brood
of the year
autumn
in a brief
life