Ahh yes! Specklies
This is a species that seems to do well in cool cloudy years and indeed this appeared to be the case around my patch in 2016. I saw the first one in my garden on 4th May, which was a couple of weeks later than usual, and the last worn but still feisty male holding his territory on 9th October, which was also my last butterfly of 2016.
As usual, I took loads of photos of these in 2016, not least in order to identify different individuals in my garden so that I could keep a count of them.
The early brood are often noticeably brighter than those appearing later in the year as exemplified by the nice male below,
![Coverdale 08.05.16 b003 resize.JPG (663.2 KiB) Viewed 2592 times Speckled Wood male - Coverdale 08.05.2016](./files/thumb_10101_6fbeef74a4c8d13bf527837d574f414d)
- Speckled Wood male - Coverdale 08.05.2016
Throughout the year I would usually have two or three males in the garden at the same time plus the odd female passing through...
![Coverdale 31.07.16 099 resize.JPG (646.66 KiB) Viewed 2592 times Speckled Wood female - Coverdale 31.07.2016](./files/thumb_10101_e1d623b75b99a325170d7a027ac10434)
- Speckled Wood female - Coverdale 31.07.2016
but in late September numbers increased to the point where I would have 6 or 7 together on the small clump of brambles at the bottom of my garden...
![Coverdale 28.08.16b 121 resize.JPG (598.87 KiB) Viewed 2592 times Speckled Wood male - Coverdale 28.08.2016](./files/thumb_10101_d5489a5fabc8ee77df1ab48259d26c1d)
- Speckled Wood male - Coverdale 28.08.2016
![Coverdale 28.08.16b 152 resize.JPG (685.05 KiB) Viewed 2592 times Speckled Wood trio - Coverdale 28.08.2016](./files/thumb_10101_b1d5b5bd0ba78b407bb29f85c6b3e48a)
- Speckled Wood trio - Coverdale 28.08.2016
![Coverdale 29.08.16b 050 resize.JPG (590.7 KiB) Viewed 2592 times Speckled Wood female - Coverdale 29.08.2016](./files/thumb_10101_eee867f95714c85c9c3243f8cd50003f)
- Speckled Wood female - Coverdale 29.08.2016
I also saw plenty of Specklies at most other places that I visited during the season including up on Arnside Knot in early August where i took the underside shot below,
![Arnside 08.16 335 resize.JPG (546.32 KiB) Viewed 2592 times Speckled Wood male - Arnside Knot 04.08.2016](./files/thumb_10101_e190a6daa8d2102f8c5d70805a9e08d7)
- Speckled Wood male - Arnside Knot 04.08.2016
During my week in Cornwall in early September there were also good numbers at Upton Towans where I was surprised to also find them on the more exposed sandier parts of the dune system, not a habitat that I am used to seeing them in.
![Cornwall Sept 2016500 resize.JPG (916.24 KiB) Viewed 2592 times Speckled Wood male - Coverdale 06.09.2016](./files/thumb_10101_1d7ccd63bacbfe45f75d1e485316b244)
- Speckled Wood male - Coverdale 06.09.2016
Cheers,
Neil