BUTTERFLIES
Emperor’s New Clothes prolific in our local woods and easy to find on warm days, as they fly along the woodland rides.
Twenty years ago, some woods in Northamptonshire were famed as one of the (if not THE) best site in Britain for seeing one of our most elusive, biggest and beautiful butterflies. A visit to Femyn Wood in late June or July, on a hot, sunny day, would see carnage on the tracks. Banana skins would litter the paths at strategic points. Dog poo left by irresponsible owners, usually to the annoyance of fellow footpath users, suddenly has flocks of grown men and women queuing to lie next to the smelly stuff! Their quarry? The amazing Purple Emperor. Largely treetop dwelling, males come down to tracks to drink salts, usually in the middle of the morning. These salts can also be found in rotting banana skins and unfortunately, in animal excrement! The Purple Emperor is our largest butterfly, with dark upper wings and orange, white and greys underneath. The dark wings of the males transform in certain lights to a deep purple-blue. In the past few decades, they appear to have had something of a range Silver washed Fritilary
Take a harder look on thistles and other plants in these woodland clearings, and you might find the small and subtle White-letter Hairstreak. Blackthorn bushes also attract Black Hairstreaks, which are much rarer, and we are very much in the heart of their range in Britain. Both butterflies are small and brown when their wings are closed with orange and black on the wing edges. Away from woodlands, Barnack Hills and Holes is at its absolute pomp in July. Not only is it a sea of long grass and stunning flowers, including towering orchids, but it’s also awash with butterflies and dayflying moths.
Common Blue expansion and we are now lucky enough to have them very close to home. As mentioned, though, they are notoriously difficult to see. Hot, sunny days are the best, in late June through to early August, but get to the wood too late and they will all be high up in the trees. Patience and luck are needed but they are certainly worth the effort. The best sites, near to the Deepings, are Castor Hanglands and woodlands close to Helpston. Although they are easiest to find when they come to the ground, if none are down low, then check up tree level hight, as they can still spotted due to their large size. White Admiral is another species to keep an eye out for when visiting these woods. Indeed, they might even trick you into thinking you have found a Purple Emperor, as they are similarly patterned but slightly smaller and white out the famous purple sheen. They are also much more
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Barnack is a great place for a family walk and a great way to introduce butterflies to kids. Marbled Whites are widespread and distinctive black and white butterflies, whilst rarer and localised Chalkhill Blue adds a splash of colour, as they flutter through the grassland. So why am I waxing lyrical about butterflies this month? Well, dear reader, the Big Butterfly count is organised by the Butterfly Conservation charity and is held every year as a citizen science survey. The aim is to improve our understanding of how populations of butterflies are doing across the country. Unlike Purple Emperors, most butterflies are not faring well, and it is well publicised that without pollinators, humans will not survive, so these surveys matter. With a greater insight as to what is happening to our butterflies, we can help with habitat restoration and influence government policy (hopefully!), on tackling farming strategies and chemicals they might use, that kill our pollinators. As well as taking part in the count, we can all do something at home in our gardens, if we are lucky
