Grizzled skipper & other early UK butterfly sightings

[Andrew Daw]

I would normally expect to see Green Hairstreaks (Callophrys rubi)
before my first Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus malvae) so I expect they
are lurking out there somewhere too.

Thanks to everybody who suggested places to see Holly Blues
(Celastrina argiolus).  I went out last weekend (12th/13th April)
with the intention of visiting some of these places but never quite
got there.  When I visited some of my favourite haunts first, the
Holly Blues were around in enough numbers for me to have a go at
photographing them.

Holly Blues are literally everywhere at the moment (in their usual
ones and twos). If everything carries on at this rate 1997 is
going to be a bumper-bumper year that will put 1996 to shame.
Lets all hope for a little rain though, to keep the plants alive!

12th April 1997 - Monkwood (Worcestershire)
10 Orange Tip           (Anthocharis cardamines)
32 Peacock              (Inachis io)
12 Brimstone            (Gonepteryx rhamni)
4  Green Veined White   (Pieris napi)
1  Large White          (Pieris brassicae)
6  Speckled Wood        (Pararge aegeria)
1  Small Tortoiseshell  (Aglais urticae)
4  Holly Blue           (Celastrina argiolus)

                - Highnam Wood (Gloucestershire)
2  Green Veined White   (Pieris napi)
4  Orange Tip           (Anthocharis cardamines)
9  Comma                (Polygonia c-album)
17 Peacock              (Inachis io)
1  Small Tortoiseshell  (Aglais urticae)
3  Holly Blue           (Celastrina argiolus)

13th April 1997 - Highnam Wood (Gloucestershire)
1  Comma                (Polygonia c-album)
13 Orange Tip           (Anthocharis cardamines)
4  Small Tortoiseshell  (Aglais urticae)
15 Peacock              (Inachis io)
14 Holly Blue           (Celastrina argiolus)
6  Green Veined White   (Pieris napi)
1  Small White          (Pieris rapae)

Holly Blues were seen at other localities but are not listed here.
I will now have to keep my fingers crossed that the photo's come out OK.
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*           /   \    Butterfly Conservation (UK)                  *
*  o  o    /  0 |    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~                  *
*   \ |   /    ,|    East Midlands Branch : Field Trip Organiser. *
*    \|  /_____ /    West Country  Branch : Committee Member.     *
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*     / 7-\____/                                                  *
*    / /  \_                                                      *
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* Andrew Daw                   tel  :  (+44) 1684 294161 ext. 306 *
* Redac Systems Ltd.,          email:  andrewd at redac.co.uk        *
* Green Lane,                  Web  :  http://www.redac.co.uk     *
* Tewkesbury,                                                     *
* Gloucestershire GL20 8HE                                        *
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