Lynchcombe Steps

Lynchcombe is full of butterflies.

Gatekeepers

Gatekeepers (Pyronia tithonus) are a common  butterfly and a bit prettier than the meadow brown.  Today they occurred all over the reserve.

Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus) - Lynchcombe, Somerset, UK.

Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus) – Lynchcombe, Somerset, UK.

The is a more typical perch of the gatekeeper, sitting on the bracken trying to soak up a bit of sun between the clouds.

Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus) - Lynchcombe, Somerset, UK.

Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus) – Lynchcombe, Somerset, UK.

Skippers

Small skippers (Thymelicus sylvestris) were on every thistle, I counted 60 on the transect!

Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris) - Lynchcombe, Somerset, UK.

Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris) – Lynchcombe, Somerset, UK.

Holy Blue

The numbers of holy blues (Celastrina argils) seem to go up and down like a yo-yo every few years.  Today was the first time I had seen one on Lynchcombe.  Its exiting seeing a first for the reserve.

Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) - Lynchcombe, Somerset, UK.

Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) – Lynchcombe, Somerset, UK.

The Usual Suspects

The other usual suspects were also recorded on the transect.  While brambles do take over and need to be cleared back from time to time they do host about half the butterflies I see on the reserve.

Peacock (Aglais io) - Lynchcombe, Somerset, UK.

Peacock (Aglais io) – Lynchcombe, Somerset, UK.

Comma (Polygonia c-album) - Lynchcombe, Somerset, UK.

Comma (Polygonia c-album) – Lynchcombe, Somerset, UK.

Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) - Lynchcombe, Somerset, UK.

Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) – Lynchcombe, Somerset, UK.

And Finally…

Lynchcombe provides some of the best views of Somerset.  Here looking west toward Crook Peak and the Bristol Channel beyond.

807_8419

You may also like...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.