Butterfly and Flora walk around Granta Park

11th July 2023 - Iain Webb from the Cambridge Wildlife Trust led a lunchtime Butterfly Walk around Granta Park, looking at butterflies, flowers and anything else of interest. Andy M joined the group and took a few photos. A good number of species were seen, most notable being the first Gatekeeper of the year.

Pyramidal Orchid in flower near the lake

Essex Skipper on Lady's Bedstraw, the latter being extremely

abundant in the meadows around the cricket field

Kidney Vetch - an unusual species, here seen in the entrance meadow, 

and important as the sole food plant of the Small Blue butterfly

Kidney Vetch flower

Gatekeeper - the first of the year

Large White, feeding on Wild Marjoram

Comma, on Common Nettle, the food plant of the

caterpillars of this, and several other butterfly species

Small White, feeding on Spear Thistle

Common Blue Damselfly, resting near the lake outflow

Common Darter - characteristically perching 

and watching from a high vantage point

Brown Knapweed - an alien plant to the UK, 

but common elsewhere in Europe