News came out this week that two Large Tortoiseshell butterflies had been found in Birchett Wood near Orlestone, Kent. I arranged to drive down there on Sunday with Owen Parsons. Additionally, there were three Serins at Sandwich Bay that Owen needed for his life list, so the trip was on.
We left Cheshire at 2:00 AM and arrived at Sandwich Bay in Kent just after 7:00 AM, greeted by a stunning sunrise.
When we arrived at Restharrow Scrape, birders were already on-site waiting for the Serins to appear.
Owen, waiting for his first sighting of a Serin
The female bird eventually flew in from the scrape and was joined by the male bird, perching in a willow tree.
The Serins were very active, and the third bird also flew over, calling. Owen was pleased with a new addition to his British list and this was a bird I hadn't seen in over ten years.
Happy Man
As the temperature continued to rise, we made our way to Birchett Wood in the hope of seeing the large Tortoiseshell butterflies. Upon our arrival, we couldn't believe how many people were there, talking to a few who, like us, had traveled from all over the country.
There must have been 40 people looking.
It wasn't long before a Large Tortoiseshell was found, and we got fantastic views.
The Large Tortoiseshell was once widespread across Britain and most common in the woodlands of central and southern England, but while its numbers were always known to fluctuate, it declined to extinction by the 1960s. It is still common in some parts of Europe, but declining in others. There continue to be sporadic records in Britain, the majority from the south coast but some are considered to be of specimens released from reared stock rather than genuine immigrants. There have been several suggested causes for its decline - including climate change, parasitism, and the effect of Dutch Elm disease on one of its primary foodplants.
Unless the Phantom Releaser has been active, the general consensus is that these Large Tortoiseshell are the presence of a small breeding colony. While we couldn't confirm the exact number of individuals observed on the day, I estimate that there were around four, and we saw two of them. It's wonderful to think that the Large Tortoiseshell butterfly may be making a recovery here in the UK!
During our walk, we also spotted several other butterflies, including the Comma, Peacock, and Brimstone. Additionally, an Orange Underwing moth was seen as we were walking back to the car.
Brimstone
Comma
Peacock
My first Orange underwing moth
After arriving back at the car, we were exhausted from a long day and faced a five-and-a-half-hour drive back up north, but it had been worth it.We called in at Napton Reservoir on the way home and got great views of Ferruginous Duck at Napton Reservoir in Warwickshire, there were two (one adult drake) on a fishing pond by the car park, which made up for not seeing the Woolston Eyes bird yesterday.
A great day out and eventually arrived home at 8.00pm, shattered.
