self_guide_butterflys

Small Tortoiseshell

Common Blue Butterfly

Other species which may be seen here Painted Lady, Clouded Yellow, Small Copper, Large Red Damselfly, Small Red-eyed Damselfly, Southern Hawker.

Any good book shop will have some books on both British butterflies and British dragonflies. However the internet has some excellent sites, so if you see a butterfly or dragonfly that you haven’t been able to identify have a look for the species accounts on one of these sites: www.dragonflysoc.org.uk and www.butterfly-conservation.org Common Darter

Large Skipper Broad-bodied Chaser Brown Hawker Emperor Dragonfly

Peacock Speckled Wood

Common Blue Damselfly

Gatekeeper

Have you seen any of these butterflies or dragonflies?

Migrant Hawker

Meadow Brown

Butterfly and Dragonfly Identification Sheet

Banded Demoiselle

Where to find us 1

• Rye Meads Nature Reserve (SG12) • Rye House Gatehouse (EN11)

2

• Dobbs Weir (EN11)

3

• Lee Valley Boat Centre (EN10) • Old Mill & Meadows (EN10)

4

• Lee Valley Park Farms (EN9) • Fishers Green (EN9)

5

• YHA Lee Valley Cheshunt (EN8)

6

• Cornmill Meadows & Dragonfly

Self Guided Trail – Butterflies and Dragonflies Lea Bridge Road Nature Reserves

Sanctuary (EN9)

• Waltham Abbey Gardens (EN9) • Gunpowder Park (EN9) • Lee Valley Campsite (E4) 7

• Myddelton House Gardens (EN2)

8

• Lee Valley Athletics Centre (N9) • Lee Valley Golf Course (N9) • Lee Valley Camping & Caravan Park (N9)

9

• Tottenham Marshes (N17)

10

• Waterworks Nature Reserve & Golf Centre (E10)

• Lee Valley Riding Centre (E10) • Lee Valley Ice Centre (E10) • Walthamstow Marshes (E10) 11 12

• Three Mills Island (E3) • Bow Creek Ecology Park (E16) • East India Dock Basin (E14)

Contact us To find out more call our information service on 01992 702 200, visit www.leevalleypark.org.uk or email info@leevalleypark.org.uk © www.northeastwildlife.co.uk

Location map for Lea Bridge Road Nature Reserves

8

Sandy Lane – A. V. Roe Arches

Migrant Hawker, Common Darter – these two species of dragonfly are common along the ditches in summer. The female Common Darter is a brownish-yellow.

9

North Marsh

Brown Hawker – this large dragonfly is instantly recognisable by the strong brown tint to its wings and may be seen flying over the marsh away from water.

Brimstone 10

Sandy Lane by Horseshoe Bridge

Brimstone – look out for this brilliant yellow woodland butterfly in early spring or late summer. The Essex Filter Beds here are a good place to see them.

Comma

1

Point of Interest Self-guided Trail

1

Entrance to The WaterWorks Nature Reserve

Comma – the Willow woodland here is a good place to see this butterfly in April and May and maybe in late summer. Look out for the Orange-tip as well, though only the males have orange tips to their white wings.

Cycle Paths Horse Riding Routes Paths and Tracks Trees Water Reserve Boundary Roads

2

Strainer intake - filter beds

Gatekeeper – this is our last butterfly to appear in July.

It’s is often seen near bramble and likes to take nectar from the yellow flowers of Ragwort.

Railways Car Park Information Toilets

3

Friends Bridge

Skipper butterflies – there are three similar species of this small orange-brown butterfly (Large, Small and Essex) which fly in June and July. Look out for them on the lilac flowers of Field Scabious.

Picnic Areas Café Bus Stops

Hackney Marshes entrance to Middlesex Filter Beds 4

Speckled Wood – the Middlesex Filter Beds is a good place to see the Speckled Wood which is well camouflaged for hiding in the dappled shade of trees.

Look out for Orange-tips here too.

5

7 Sandy Lane by Bombcrater Pond

Common Blue Damselfly – there are three species of small blue damselfly which are common in the ditches here in the early summer.

The Azure Damselfly is very similar whilst the Blue-tailed Damsefly has a mainly black abdomen.

Please don’t let your dogs go in the pond as this clouds the water and spoils the ditch’s wildlife.

Old Mill site, Middlesex Filter Beds

Banded Demoiselle – this beautiful damselfly likes to perch on vegetation in or by the river. The female is a metallic green and lacks the banded wings of the male.

6

Sandy Lane by Kings Head Bridge

Emperor Dragonfly – this is our largest dragonfly and may be seen patrolling up and down the river as well as along the ditches. Look out for the Red-eyed Damselfly on floating vegetation.

Common Blue Damselfly

11

Sandy Lane by Cattle Creep

Broad-bodied Chaser, Black-tailed Skimmer – these early summer dragonflies (the males are both blue) patrol the ditches in early summer. The females are a dull yellow in colour.

12

Pathway opposite boardwalk

Entrance to Coppermill Fields car park

Peacock – this common butterfly is attracted by the nettle patches in the field. You may see their black, spiky caterpillars in groups on the nettles.

13

14

Common Blue butterfly, Meadow Brown – these grassland butterflies are common in the Lammas Meadow below. If you see a similar butterfly around the bushes you may have found the rarer Holly Blue.

Coppermill Pathway

Small Tortoiseshell/Red Admiral – these common butterflies are also attracted by nettle and like the Peacock, may be seen anywhere on your walk.

15

N-E corner of Leyton Marsh

White butterflies – there are three common species of white butterfly which may be seen anywhere in the area (Large, Small and Green-veined White).