Norfolk is such an enchanting county. With landscapes which
range from picture-perfect beaches and spectacular cliffs, to the low-lying Fens
and vast wetlands, it is the perfect British holiday choice. Sometimes I forget
just how close it is to us but, in reality, at not even an hour’s drive from
our house on the west of Cambridge to the outskirts of Norfolk, I think we can
arguably describe it as being within our patch.
There are so many places that I could recommend visiting in
Norfolk, but one location that is particularly special to us is Foxley Woods.
This woodland is thought to be round 6,000 years old and is home to a vast
array of exciting wildlife.
If you have read my earlier posts, you will know that I have
set myself a butterfly photography challenge. Seeing as Foxley Woods is known
for its impressive number of butterfly species, I thought that this would be a
great place to hopefully snap some more specimens.
Just like in our local woods, as I described in an earlier
post, Foxley Woods contains some perfect butterfly friendly clearings which cut
through groves of tall trees and are flanked by a multitude of wildflowers.
The day before our most recent visit we had been at
Pensthorpe Natural Park where, in the wildflower meadows, I had stalked a Comma
in hope of getting a photograph. I tried for about ten minutes as it flitted
from flower to flower, before eventually flying out of sight. Having only
walked about ten metres from the car at Foxley, a Comma dipped onto a
flower right in front of me. Determined not to be left without a photo again, I
mentally readied myself for a long pursuit. However, to my delight and
surprise, he fluttered to a nearby twig where he rested patiently for about ten
seconds, allowing me to capture my much sought after photo. Commas are so named
because of the small white curve on the underside of each wing which resembles
the eponymous punctuation mark – it is pretty subtle but that makes it all the
more fun to look out for. They are beautiful butterflies to glimpse, with their
vibrant flame-hued scallop-edged wings, pigmented with dark flecks.
The next new butterfly we came across was somewhat less perky
looking than the comma who had practically danced before me. As we meandered along
the verdant dewy path through the thickets, a small brown mottled butterfly settled
on a leaf nearby. From the creamy dots and distinctive pattern of eyespots on
his back, we could tell instantly that he was a Speckled Wood. Unfortunately,
he was a bit of a sorry looking specimen. The backs of his wings were torn in
an almost symmetrical fashion, making it look as though he had probably
narrowly escaped from a close encounter with a bird. Amazingly, despite his
mangled wings, he was still able to fly, and mere moments after he had settled
in front of us, he shot up again into the canopy out of sight.
I was pretty happy with photographing these new species
alone, but I managed to end the day on a greater high. The White Admiral is
considered by many to be Foxley Woods’ star species and it was certainly the
star of my day. I noticed it out of the corner of my eye and instantly knew
that it was not a butterfly I had seen already. The White Admiral has a
distinctive measured and graceful way of gliding that sets it apart from
some of the more frantic flutterers. Its rich brown or black dorsal surface is
streaked with bold white strips. Foxley Woods is known as a great place to look
for this butterfly. Although it is not uncommon in Norfolk, it is said to be
declining, so sightings such as these still feel truly special.
On the same day we saw many other butterflies such as Meadow Browns, Ringlets, Gatekeepers, Small Whites and Small Skippers, but seeing as
my aim is to photograph all the UK’s butterfly species, these new three were
particularly exciting.
The tally now stands at 8 species of photographed
butterflies. It’s a start but there’s a long way to go!
Foxley Woods
Comma
Speckled Wood
White Admiral
Local Woods
Gatekeeper
Meadow Brown
Ringlet
Small White
Small Skipper
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