Essex is near Bristol :)

eccles · Post by **eccles** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 5:42 pm

Snapped today on my local patch near Longwell Green, Bristol. I thought I'd seen one here last year but it flew away before I could photograph it. I think this is a male.
There are small and large skippers flying here as well.

steveh · Post by **steveh** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 6:20 pm

Incredible shot!..superb.

eccles · Post by **eccles** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 11:26 pm

Thanks Steve. I was quite chuffed to find this one on my local patch.

Herr Schtriek · Post by **Herr Schtriek** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 11:09 am

They seem to have got here properly at last ! Saw 2 last year fairly close to central Bristol on Jul 12 at Clay Bottom near Greenbank, but the patch of long grass they were on was subsequently "improved".

I was pleased to find one at Royate Hill (Greenbank, Easton) this year on Jul 11, and have also seen a couple of them on a grassy hillside near Blaise Castle. All three sites also had Small Skippers emerging earlier.

eccles · Post by **eccles** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 6:17 pm

I visited my local patch yesterday and snapped eight different individuals. Four of these were essex.

Matsukaze · Post by **Matsukaze** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 7:30 pm

Saw one on Claverton Down this lunchtime, the first time I have seen one anywhere around Bath.

There is a definite colony in Midsomer Norton, where I have seen more than one individual butterfly on a couple of occasions. Odd ones and twos have turned up elsewhere.

I looked at its first known site in Avon this evening, near Hinton Charterhouse. Unfortunately the suitable land has no public access, a shame as it is south-facing calcareous grassland that looks very good for butterflies.