STATUS OF BUTTERFLIES IN COOKHAM

SPECIES

FLIGHT SEASON

LOCAL RECORDS

HABITAT & LOCAL SITES

Small Skipper

Late June-Late Aug

Common

Path-sides & grassland

Essex Skipper

Early Jul – late Aug

Becoming regular

Path-sides & grassland

Silver Spotted Skipper

Aug

None

Watlington Hill, Aston Rowant

Large Skipper

June & July

Common

Grasslands, meadows, hedgerows

Dingy Skipper

May & June

None

Chalk grassland, heaths. Dorset, Wilts

Grizzled Skipper

May & June

None

Chalk down-land, Chilterns, Bernwood Forest (Oxon), Berks Downs

Wood White

May-June & August

None

Woodland Rides, Whitecross Green Wood (Oxon)

Clouded Yellow

April-May & August

None

Grasslands – should be a possible visitor to Cookham

Brimstone

Late Mar-June & Jul-Aug

Common

Scrub, woodland edges, hedgerows, gardens

Large White

July – mid September

Very Common (c5000 ‘whites’ once estimated on brassica field behind CIM)

Gardens, allotments, commercial crops

Small White

Jul – mid September

Very Common

Almost any habitat, but does like Rape

Green-veined White

May & Jul-September

Fairly Common

Prefers lush, damp settings.

Orange Tip                                              

April-mid June

Quite Common

(Only male has orange tips, so females can be confused with Whites) – Damp grassy areas.

Green Hairstreak

May & June

None

Woodland & chalk down-land. Has been recorded near Cliveden chalk face.

Brown Hairstreak

August - September

None

Rare & decreasing – Otmoor & Bernwood (Oxon)

Purple Hairstreak

July & August

None

Woolmans Wood (Hedsor) or Ashley Hill – mature woodland

White-Letter Hairstreak

July

One historic record only

Elm specialist – so declining

Black Hairstreak

June

None – very rare in region

Blackthorn – Oxon areas

Small Copper

July - September

Quite Common

Clover. Grassland, scrub, churchyards, gardens.

Small Blue

June

None

Scarce – Chilterns & Downs

Silver-studded Blue

July

None

Very scarce – Surrey heath-lands

Brown Argus

May/June & August

Surprisingly few – perhaps under-recorded.

Calcareous grasslands, set-aside

Common Blue

May/June & August

As it says on the tin!

Verges, golf courses, woodland clearings, gardens

Chalkhill Blue

July & August

None

Record from Bloom Wood, Marlow.

Adonis Blue

August

None – very rare

Downs west Streatley nearest

Holly Blue

April/May & July/August

Regular (and not just on Holly!)

Gardens, woodland, hedgerows

White Admiral

July/early August

None

Honeysuckle in woodland. Ashley Hill

Red Admiral

Early June & July/August

Gloriously common

Wide range – gardens, waysides, hedgerows

Painted Lady

Immigrants June, plus July/August

Annual records

Grassland, hedges and gardens

Small Tortoiseshell

Year-round, fewest June & August

Very Common

Almost anywhere

Peacock

Almost year-round

Very Common

Almost anywhere

Comma

Year-round, fewest June & August

Quite common

Woodland edge & gardens. (The ‘comma’ is on the underwing, in white.)

Dark Green Fritillary

July - August

Very Scarce

One nearby record. More common on Chilterns

Speckled Wood

April - September

Common – Quarry Wood etc

Woodland glades, shady hedgerows

Marbled White

June - August

Scarce

Unimproved grassland. Plenty on Braywick

Gatekeeper

July & August

Very Common

Colonial on hedgerows and wasteland

Meadow Brown

May - August

Extremely Common

Grassland, verges, parks & cemeteries

Ringlet

July & August

Quite Common – easily over-looked

Tall, lush grassland, glades, scrub

Small Heath

May to October

Uncommon in region

Records nearby – dry grassland, verges, fine grasses