News that Large Tortoiseshell butterflies had been found in Birchett Wood near Orlestone, Kent, was enough to set the wheels in motion. When it also emerged that three Serins were present at Sandwich Bay — a long-awaited British tick for my travelling companion, Owen Parsons — the plan was sealed.
We left Cheshire at 2:00am, arriving at Sandwich Bay just after 7:00am, perfectly timed to be greeted by a spectacular sunrise over the Kent coast.
By the time we reached Restharrow Scrape, a small but expectant group of birders had already assembled, all hoping for views of the Serins.
Owen, waiting for his first sighting of a Serin
Patience paid off. A female Serin was the first to appear, flying in from the scrape before settling briefly, soon joined by the male, which perched obligingly in a nearby willow. The birds were active throughout our time there, and a third individual was also noted flying over, calling. For Owen, it was a much-anticipated addition to his British list; for me, a welcome reunion with a species I hadn’t encountered in over a decade.
Happy Man
With temperatures climbing steadily, we turned our attention inland and headed for Birchett Wood. On arrival, the scale of interest was immediately apparent — around 40 people were scattered along woodland rides, many having travelled from all corners of the country for a chance to see one of Britain’s most enigmatic butterflies.
There must have been 40 people looking.
It wasn’t long before excitement rippled through the crowd: a Large Tortoiseshell had been located. We were treated to excellent views, watching the butterfly as it cruised along sunlit rides before settling briefly.
Once widespread across Britain, particularly in the woodlands of central and southern England, the Large Tortoiseshell declined dramatically during the mid-20th century and was considered extinct by the 1960s. Although still locally common in parts of continental Europe, it has suffered declines elsewhere. British records in recent decades have been sporadic and controversial, with some thought to involve released or captive-bred individuals rather than genuine immigrants. Proposed causes for its original decline include climate change, parasitism, and the loss of elm trees following Dutch Elm disease, one of the species’ key larval food plants.
On this occasion, however, the general consensus was that these butterflies represented a small breeding colony, rather than isolated or artificial occurrences. While the exact number of individuals present could not be confirmed, estimates suggested around four, of which we saw two. If this interpretation proves correct, it offers genuine hope that the Large Tortoiseshell may once again be establishing itself in the British countryside.
Birchett Wood delivered more than just its headline species. Along the woodland paths, we also encountered Comma, Peacock, and Brimstone butterflies, and, as we returned to the car, I was delighted to find my first Orange Underwing moth, a subtle but fitting finale to the visit.
Brimstone
Comma
Peacock
My first Orange underwing moth
The day was far from over. After leaving Kent, and despite mounting fatigue, we made a final stop at Napton Reservoir in Warwickshire, where we were rewarded with excellent views of two Ferruginous Ducks, including an adult drake, on a fishing pond close to the car park. It was a pleasing consolation after missing the Woolston Eyes bird the previous day.
Eventually, after a five-and-a-half-hour drive, we arrived home at 8:00pm, utterly exhausted but immensely satisfied. From rare finches at dawn to legendary butterflies in sunlit woodland, it had been a day well worth the effort.
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