Any tips for Essex Heath Frits ?

[EricY]

I gather the Heath Frits are out down in Essex now & they are nearest to Norfolk unless anyone knows better?. We intend going down there this week, probably wednesday. We have the info from the local BC website but any additional insight would be welcome as it is still over 100 miles travel to get there. Eric

[selbypaul]

I'm visiting this weekend. I found my info from searching old forum topics on this website. Can't find them now, but do a search for Hockley Woods and you should find all the info you need.
Good luck

[dilettante]

I saw them in Hockley Woods last week with little difficulty. There's a clearing about 500m from the car park, if you follow the main path through the wood, passing a foresters' enclosure on the right (metal fence surrounding wood piles, tractors) and continuing down into a gully and up the other side. The clearing is on the left, plenty of cow-wheat (and brambles), and fritillaries! There may well be other or better places in the woods, but I stayed there once I found my quarry.

[Essex Bertie]

Reports haven't come in from all the sites as yet. But the top 3 are expected to be Hockley Woods, Pound Wood and Little Haven/Starvelarks Wood (under the power lines).

Rob

[EricY]

Many thanks for your help. We made it all the way down the A14/A12 from Norfolk today & found at least 2 doz in the exact place dilletante says. Hopefully have some nice pics but they were a bit skittish, did find a copulating pr about 10.30 (we arrived 9am after 2.5hr journey). Very warm in the glade, I was actually sweating by 10am.
However we did make a mistake & turn into wrong c/pk, & hence took the long way round & had to ask a dog walker where the foresters compond was. Once we did find it all was OK, no other butterflies were seen & not many insects & that surprised us.

If anyone else goes who does not know the area & approaches from the west, the c/pk you want is the one to the east of the pub & then take the main track in left corner of c/pk. Eric