Peacocks and Humming Birds
Sorry, no birds just butterflies and moths.
Lynchcombe
At the moment the Lynchcombe nature reserve on the Mendip Hills of Somerset is like a butterfly farm. They certainly seem to be enjoying the hot weather.
The reserve is home to a single buddleia plant. It is a huge magnet for all the large colourful butterflies on the site. Of course, it is on the route of my butterfly transect that I walk each week to count the numbers of each species.
The peacock butterfly is familiar to everyone in the Uk. It is extremely beautiful, as well as being large and easy to approach.
The peacocks also love the thistles.
And rest on the surrounding bracken.
The humming-bird hawk moth (Macroglossum stellatarum) is an immigrant from southern Europe and north Africa. It is so exotic and looks just like a mini-humming bird.
Its fast beating wings, long tongue, and reverse flight are the same as those of a humming-bird. This was the first I had seen on Lynchcombe and it was amazing.
The usual suspects were also around such as this red admiral.
And Finally…
Even the most common meadow browns enjoy a visit to the reserve’s buddleia plant.