Great Chishill

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Please note that the pictures on this page are Copyright and cannot be used for any purpose without the express permission of the owner - © Jack Harrison
	The Butterflies of Great Chishill by Jack Harrison, July2010
10th July 2010 was a red-letter day when I photographed a female Silver Washed Fritillary on a large patch of bramble bordering a line of trees. To my knowledge, they have never before been seen in this area. The inexperienced might mistake a Comma or even a Painted lady for a Silver Washed so be careful before making claims. It is unlikely that this big Fritillary will colonise as it is more at home in extensive woodland. The Chishill butterfly was doubtless a vagrant from some distant colony such as those in the east of Buckinghamshire.
Silver Washed Fritillary (Topside)		Silver Washed Fritillary (Underside)		Comma
Marbled White		During my 19 years living in Great Chishill, I have seen 27 different species of butterfly in and around the village. One, the Wall Brown used to occur in my garden but it has sadly vanished entirely from this part of England. But on the positive side, the Marbled White colonised in 2007 and is now thriving. Marbled White has an unfortunate name. It is no relative of the common cabbage whites but is in fact a “brown”. 27 is a good total and compares favourably with anywhere else in Cambridgeshire. One arboreal species (White-letter Hairstreak) MUST occur in the village but I have yet to track it down. Many people will be familiar with the “big four” that occur in most gardens on flowers such as buddleia from July to the end of August; Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Painted Lady, Red Admiral. Painted Ladies are not seen every year; it is an immigrant and although it had an amazing 2009 not one has been seen in my garden in 2010. Another, common butterfly, the Comma , is easily overlooked as it often prefers to feed high up and on top of the blossom out of sight. It is recognised by its jagged wings – this is not damage – and little “comma” marks on the underside.
Peacock			Small Tortoiseshell
Painted Lady			Red Admiral
Several species of “brown” can be seen in this area. The tiny Small Heath is generally regarded as “nationally threatened” although this is a somewhat emotive term; it isn’t all that scarce, merely rarely being seen in large numbers. However, some local grassland is a fine exception in having strongest colony I have encountered anywhere in Britain. Since I first became interested in butterflies in 1945(!), I have seen many changes. Despite what many people believe, butterflies aren’t doing all that badly today. The main concern – as always – is loss of habitat. But it is certainly encouraging that modern farming methods are far more benign than they were say 20 years ago – field edges, planting of new hedgerows, and so on. All species of butterflies have flight seasons so don’t for example, expect to see an Orange Tip in August. The best time to see a good range of species is May, June and early July. Flight seasons are now very much earlier – by as much as three weeks - than they were 50 years ago (global warming perhaps). Sadly the dates gleaned from old books are often repeated in newer publications. Chishill is good for butterflies. We are fortunate. But you do need to look for them; they don’t all come into our gardens. An excellent website (to which I am a regular contributor) is ukbutteflies: www.ukbutterflies.co.uk You may also be interested in www.cambs-essex-butterflies.org.uk

The Butterflies of Great Chishill