Discover the latest news and sightings from the Twyford Wood Butterfly Reserve below...
You can report your sightings and send your photos from Twyford to John Davison @email
If you would like to visit the site or any of our other sites in Lincolnshire, please take a look at our Events.
For more details, contact: Martin Kew (tel 01476-860952).
Workparties
Next workparty: T.B.A.
Meet at car park 10.00am to enter wood at 10.30am.
Any help welcome, stay as long as you can. Finish expected around 3.00 pm.
Bring hand tools esp. long handled pruners & bow saws, strong footwear & gloves, packed lunch inc. drink.
Twyford Wood Blog 2023
Monday 9th October
Thanks to the help of the Colsterworth volunteers, scrub clearance continued at the Sanctuary Area Site.
Tuesday 12th September
Martin Kew reports......
Peter Cawdell and I spent a very wet but productive morning reinstating Transect and Boundary markers at the Sanctuary reserve.
Wednesday 26th July
Martin Kew reports.......
A bright sunny morning at last brought out a good variety of butterflies on the reserves. The highlight was four Purple Hairstreak. One at the Glades and three on the tracks between the reserves. There were pleasing numbers of fresh Peacock and Brimstone on the wing as well.
Tuesday 4th July
Martin Kew reports......
It was rather cool and breezy on the reserves today but still plenty of butterflies around. First season sightings of Gatekeeper - two on the Glades transect and a Purple Emperor on the track as I was leaving! Also several fresh Comma around, nectaring on Bramble.
There are even more Marbled Whites appearing and I recorded over 120 across the two reserves.
Monday 26th June
Martin Kew reports......
I saw my first Silver-washed Fritillary this morning between the reserves. Also of note were the number of Marbled White on the wing. On the transects alone I recorded 52 at the Glades and 36 at the Sanctuary.
Wednesday 21st June
Martin Kew reports.........
At the reserves Meadow Brown, Ringlet and Small Skipper are now on the wing.
Totals for the Transects were :
GLADES. Marbled White (16), Meadow Brown (13), Ringlet (10), Small Heath (7), Small Skipper (5), Large Skipper (3), Speckled Wood (3), Dingy Skipper (1) and Common Blue (1).
SANCTUARY. Marbled White (4), Meadow Brown (21), Ringlet (5), Small Heath (5), Small Skipper (4), Large Skipper (2), Speckled Wood (1) Brimstone (1) and Grizzled Skipper (1).
Sunday 11th June
Martin Kew reports..........
I walked the Transects this morning and recorded two new species for the season. A single Marbled White and six Large Skipper.
Other species recorded across the two reserves were: Grizzled Skipper (3), Dingy Skipper (7), Small Heath (16), Common Blue (16), Brown Argus (1), Brimstone (1), Large White (1) and Speckled Wood (2).
Saturday 27th May
BC Field Trip
"For once we chose an excellent day for this Field Trip with blue skies and sunshine throughout and temperatures in the low 20sC. A healthy turnout of 16 adults and 3 children seemed to really enjoy the event. A surprisingly large group of South Lincs Botanists had, by chance, also assembled in the car park, and several of them were known to the Branch for recent help with contributing important butterfly records and assisting in protecting a key site near Castle Bytham.
We set off at 10:30am and made our way to the BC Lincs Sanctuary Reserve in the north west corner of the wood. We soon notched up good sightings of our 3 target species: Grizzled Skipper, Dingy Skipper and Green Hairstreak. All species and numbers of butterflies and other wildlife were recorded separately here, on the 'In between areas', and at our later afternoon visit to the BC Lincs Glades Reserve in the south east corner of the wood.
We were really pleased to view so many butterflies about doing their business. Some members were able to see species for the first time and for some it was their first visit to this wood. It was rewarding to see that the winter volunteer work over many years has kept this habitat in such good condition for these scarce county butterflies.
We were all flagging a bit in the heat and completed the walk back at the car park about 3;30pm - a bit later than planned!
Thanks to Martin for leading the event.
Peter Cawdell" .
Sanctuary..........
Grizzled Skipper - 22
Dingy Skipper - 36
Green Hairstreak - 2
Common Blue - 17 (including2 female)
Holly Blue - 1
Brown Argus - 1
Small Heath - 5
Peacock - 3
Brimstone - 1 (female)
Orange-tip - 1 (male ) & 2 Eggs
Other Flora & Fauna.........
Cinnabar Moth - 1
Burnet Companion Moth - 11
Mint Moth - 3
Common Lizard - 2
Broad-bodied Chaser Dragonfly - 2 (male & female)
Soldier Beetle - 1
Green Shieldbug - 2
Dock Bug - 1
Southern Marsh-orchid - 31
Common Spotted-orchid - 2
Non-BC Areas.......
Grizzled Skipper - 20 (including 1 egg-laying)
Dingy Skipper - 10
Green Hairstreak - 3
Common Blue - 10 (including 3 female)
Holly Blue - 7
Small Heath - 1
Speckled Wood - 6
Peacock - 2
Brimstone 1 (female)
Green-veined White - 5
Large White - 1
Small White - 2
Mint Moth - 1
Red-headed Cardinal Beetle - 1
Wasp Beetle - 1
Glow-worm Larva - 1
Common Spotted-orchid - 6
Large flock of Jackdaws
Glades.......
Small Copper - 1
Grizzled Skipper - 18
Dingy Skipper - 11
Green Hairstreak - 4
Common Blue - 25 (including 3 mating pairs and 2 female)
Brown Argus - 3
Small Heath - 12 (including mating pair)
Green-veined White - 3
Large White - 1
Comma - 1
Cinnabar Moth - 2
Burnet Companion Moth - 2
Common Lizard - 1
Click Beetle - 1
Dark-edged Bee-fly - 1
Saturday 20th May
Martin Kew reports......
I had a good afternoon walking the Transects today with four new species for the season which included at the Glades :
Small Heath (2), Brown Argus (1), Green Hairstreak (2) and Common Blue (4).
Other species recorded were Grizzled Skipper (5), Dingy Skipper (11), Green-veined White (2) and a Peacock.
At the Sanctuary numbers were:
Grizzled Skipper (4), Dingy Skipper (15), Small Heath (1), Common Blue (2) and a Speckled Wood.
Several moths on the wing as well including Latticed Heath, Mother Shipton, Cinnabar and a Silver Y.
Looks promising for the field trip next Saturday. (car park 10:30am).
Thursday 11th May
Martin Kew reports..........
Walked the transects this afternoon during a break in the showers and saw my first Dingy Skipper of the season. They have appeared in good numbers over the two reserves and I recorded a total of 11. Grizzled Skipper are still thin on the ground with 3 recorded. Other sightings were: Speckled Wood (4), Orange Tip (3), Green-veined White (4) and a Peacock.
Lots of Mint moths around and also a large Grass Snake crossing transect 2 at the Glades.
Wednesday 3rd May
Martin Kew reports...........
Peter Cawdell and I had a productive morning at the reserves. We re-erected the sign at the Glades.
Saw our first Grizzled Skipper of the season, a single individual at the Sanctuary.
Other butterflies on the wing were Peacock (8), Green-veined White (4) and a Comma.
Saturday 18th March
Season starts with a workparty. 9 volunteers gave up their time to try and get the Sanctuary area ready for the butterflies.
Mainly a case of taking out the scrub to leave it more open.
One onlooker
