What’s about on the reserve?
Brimstone, taken by Kevin Sawford
Brimstone
Is this the original butterfly!? A common myth tells us that the word ‘butterfly’ comes from ‘butter-coloured fly’, a name given for the brimstone’s yellow wings.
The brimstone is also one of the few adult butterflies to hibernate through the winter ready to emerge on sunny spring days.
Being so easily mistakable for leaves, the wings make it easy for them to camouflage themselves as they roost and hibernate.
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Common blue, taken by Steve Round
Common Blue
The carpets of bird’s-foot trefoil in the meadows at Coombes make it a great place to catch sight of a common blue, it being their main food plant.
As the name suggests, it is the most common of the blue butterflies and always a treat to see on a sunny day.
Meadow brown, taken by Ray Kennedy
Meadow Brown
Next time you visit, have a look at the butterfly tally in the visitor centre and you’ll see that the meadow brown sightings are outstripping all the others.
A five minute stroll across the meadow in the sunshine shouldn’t disappoint as meadow browns fly all summer. Don’t forget to add your sightings to the board in the visitor centre!
Female purple hairstreak, taken by Roger Wilmshurst
Purple Hairstreak
These beautiful, vibrant butterflies spend most of their time amid the canopy and can be found anywhere there are oak trees.
Up in the trees it feeds on honeydew, a substance produced by aphids and other small insects as they feed on sap.
However, on occasion, it can be spotted basking at lower levels. This week our work party were graced with the presence of a purple hairstreak up on buzzard bank!
Take a walk through the woodland of Coombes and you never know, you might just catch a glimpse.
For more information about the best spots to see them, come and chat with us in the visitor centre and we'll point them out.
Brimstone pupa, taken by Richard Revels
If butterflies and bugs get you excited, we’ll be running family fun days throughout the summer holidays. Join us every Tuesday for bug hunting, den building and pond dipping afternoons.
Every Tuesday: 29 July, 5, 12, 19 and 26 August, 1:00pm - 4:00pm. Please arrive at the visitor centre for a 1:00pm start. £4 per child, includes free car-parking. 20% discount for RSPB members. Accompanying adults free. No booking required.