At the working party session last week (mid-morning on 25th August) a couple of butterflies were spotted by volunteers.
The darker-than-dark Ringlet was seen flitting in and out of the dapples – and was described as ‘almost black, with tiny jewel-like spots on its upper wings’.
[photo: Andrew Cooper: Butterfly Conservation]
When newly emerged, the Ringlet has a velvety appearance and is almost black, with a white fringe to the wings. The small circles on the underwings, which give the butterfly its name, vary in number and size
Ringlet | Butterfly Conservation
Another species which you would expect to see along the Glen was the Speckled Wood – and this was seen flitting along the path.
The aptly named Speckled Wood flies in partially shaded woodland with dappled sunlight.
Speckled Wood | Butterfly Conservation
During August, examples of the ‘top four’ from the Butterfly Count have also been seen in the Glen – either in the open meadow area or the gully itself – namely the Large White, Gatekeeper, Small White and Meadow Brown:
The Big Butterfly Count: NHBS Staff Results 2022
And this very much tallies with the count for the Sid Valley:
The Big Butterfly Count in the Sid Valley – Sid Valley Biodiversity Group
With the nearby parks showing similar results:
Big Butterfly Count | Connaught Gdns
And there are still weeks ahead to spot more butterflies in the Glen…