Insects in Fermyn Woods

There are a few nearly-local places that can lure me away from the Peterborough Bird Club area – Fermyn Woods is one of them. For those who don't know, the PBC area is a cross-shape around the city of Peterborough, wherein all my most significant lists are kept. Check out: Peterborough Bird Club
Fermyn Woods, on the other hand, is just outside The Area (on the far side of the pretty town of Oundle) and is renowned for its butterflies, especially Purple Emperors. So, on saturday (10.7.04), I took my daughter to check out the site. We bumped into some butterfly-watchers who showed us one or two Purple Emperors, but the weather was cool and the butterflies were resting, still and largely out of sight. I was sent some photos on Monday from one of the people we met, featuring a nice (though tatty) male Purple Emperor feeding on a large pile of sodden-to-bursting nappies, kindly left to decorate the wood.
On the way back, the weather improved and we managed to see a few nice butterflies, the best photos of which I enclose below. In total (despite cool weather) we saw Purple Emperor, Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Comma, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Ringlet, Speckled Wood, Purple Hairstreak, Green-veined White, Small White and Large White butterflies – not a bad haul.

Gatekeeper, Fermyn Woods, 10.7.04. My first of the year of this insect.


Large White, Fermyn Woods, 10.7.04.


Green-veined White, Fermyn Woods, 10.7.04.


Large Skipper, Fermyn Woods, 10.7.04. I love this species and make no apology for posting another photo of one.


A 'bloodsucker' beetle, Fermyn Woods, 10.7.04.


Pollen beetles by the dozen – count them!. Fermyn Woods, 10.7.04.