Butterflies

Butterfly species recorded in the Reculver Marshes area

Photographs taken by Chris and Matt Hindle, Derek Smith, Marc Heath and Julian Perry

 

Essex Skipper
Relatively common but easily confused with the Small
Skipper.

Essex Skipper

  



















Small Skipper
Widespread and common in grassy areas.

Small Skipper

Large Skipper

Thinly distributed throughout the area. 

Large Skipper



Swallowtail

A rare visitor with only three sightings the last at Bishopstone

on 4th August 2013. 
 

Swallowtail at Bishopstone August 2013







Large White

Relatively common throughout the area.

Large White

Small White

One of our commonest butterflies.

Small White

Green-veined White

Widespread and common.



Green-veined White

Orange tip
One of the first butterflies to be seen in the spring.
Relatively common.

Orange tip

Clouded Yellow
A migrant from Africa and southern Europe in varying
numbers. Seen in most years.

Clouded Yellow



Brimstone

 Not common but odd individuals seen in most years.



Brimstone



Camberwell Beauty

One was seen at Reculver on 6th August 1995

Small Tortoiseshell
A common butterfly.

Small Tortoiseshell

Comma
A widespread butterfly.

Comma

Painted Lady
A migrant from southern Europe and Africa seen in
varying numbers each year.

Painted Lady

Red Admiral
A common butterfly.

Red Admiral

Peacock
A common butterfly.

Peacock

Marbled White
Not common in the area. Most often seen at Shuart and
below the seawall.

Marbled White

 

Meadow Brown
A common butterfly.

Meadow Brown

Gatekeeper
A common butterfly.

Gatekeeper

Small Heath
Not common but regularly seen at Shuart and along the
embankment.

Small Heath

Speckled Wood
Relatively common where there are suitable trees.

Speckled Wood

Wall Brown
Much less common than former years. Now only seen
regularly by the Roman walls at Reculver.

Wall Brown

Green Hairstreak
Not common. Most seen in the Bishopstone and Shuart
areas.

Green Hairstreak

White-letter Hairstreak
There is a colony of these in the elms at Bishopstone Glen.

Small Copper
A patchy distribution most often seen at Shuart.

Small Copper

Long-tailed Blue
A small number were found along the railway embankment
at Shuart in September and October 2013. Subsequently one 

or two were seen occasionally mainly on the railway 

embankment.

Long-tailed Blue

Small Blue
Seen in small numbers mainly at the Thanet end of the
recording area on the railway embankment and at Shuart.

Small Blue

Holly Blue
A common butterfly often seen in local gardens.

Holly Blue

Brown Argus
Thinly distributed mainly on the railway embankment
and at Shuart.

Brown Argus

Common Blue
Relatively common.

Common Blue