New species at Lydden

A walk around the first field of the Lydden reserve this morning produced a good variety of butterflies, despite threatening rain, cloud and a cooling breeze. If anywhere near home was going to have butterflies in this weather, Lydden is the place.

I managed to add two new species to my life list (my life has been long, my list is not). The beautiful Adonis Blue was one, the males showing themselves to be spectacularly different to Chalkhill Blues when they fly.



The other new species was the Silver-Spotted Skipper, fluttering like a moth over the short chalkland plants.

I was expecting (well, hoping) to see these two new species, but the sight of a Great Green Bush Cricket was a surprise.