10th September: Speckled wood sightings

It's coming to the end of the butterfly season and with flight periods of many butterflies over now, there are only two weeks left of the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS) weekly surveys which runs from April - September.

The Speckled Wood butterfly, previously a rare sight in Northumberland, has been spotted at Beal and near Bamburgh recently. This butterfly is one species that is expanding it's range northwards in England and, while commonly associated with woodland (hence the name), it can be spotted near hedgerows and gardens - maybe it will become a more common sight near Lindisfarne NNR in years to come?

Speckled wood (Natural England/Allan Drewitt)