Date: 11 July 2026
Location: Tice’s Meadow Nature Reserve
Duration: 1.5 Hours
Habitat: Meadow, grassland and wetland margins
Species encountered: Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus), Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus), Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Comma (Polygonia c-album), Peacock (Aglais io), Southern Hawker (Aeshna cyanea), Wasp Spider (Argiope bruennichi)
Field Notes
Today I returned to Tice’s Meadow to complete another butterfly transect, with warm conditions resulting in good levels of activity along the survey route.
Gatekeepers (Pyronia tithonus) were particularly noticeable and were recorded in good numbers, alongside Clouded Yellows (Colias croceus) and Ringlets (Aphantopus hyperantus). The favourable conditions provided plenty of opportunities to observe butterflies both in flight and settled amongst the vegetation.
Repeating the same transect throughout the season is giving me a much better understanding of how butterfly abundance and species composition change over time. Regular visits also make it easier to recognise when numbers are genuinely high and to consider how factors such as temperature, cloud cover and wind may influence the activity observed during an individual survey.
The repeated surveys are also helping to improve my field skills. I am becoming quicker and more confident with species identification while also developing a more consistent approach to recording observations and field notes.
Continuing to survey the same route throughout the flight season should provide a useful picture of how the butterfly community at Tice’s Meadow changes as different species reach their peak periods of activity.
Photographs
Badger Ecology 