The Big Butterfly Count
The Big Butterfly Count is ending this weekend! So tomorrow must be sunny as I want to take part and observe for fifteen minutes the butterflies and day-time moths visiting the Grove House Levisham summer plants and shrubs.
Last year we had a profusion of Peacocks, Tortoiseshell, Painted Lady, Red Admiral and my favourites the Comma (photographed) banqueting on a really beautiful deep purple Buddleia with very large fronds of flowers. I was simply amazed at the number of butterflies, Honey Bees and other pollinators fluttering around the bush it was definitely a Butterfly Ball and gave us endless entertainment.
It’s “Black Prince” John our knowledgeable Gardener told me last year as he took a cutting. This shrub had given David and I so much pleasure that I wanted our holiday cottage guests to enjoy watching the butterflies too. So in the spring John planted the small young shrub in the Skelton & Rowntree Holiday Cottage garden and it is already flowering and attracting pollinators.
Our holiday cottage guests do enjoy “stopping”, “sitting” and “observing” the many insects visiting the plants in the cottage garden; in between of course watching the NYMR Steam Engines pull in and out of Levisham Station.
If guests want to see more butterflies during their stay then I recommend they take a walk along the Forest Drive or across Stony Moor and they generally return amazed by the profusion of Browns and other Butterflies they see.
It’s not too late to book a relaxing August break in Rowntree or Skelton Holiday Cottages see our availability www.grovehouselevisham or email grovehouselevisham@gmail.com
More about the photographed butterfly:
The Comma Butterfly wings have scalloped edges the underside colour is perfect camouflage for adults hibernating amongst dead leaves. And Grove House ideally fits its habitat profile: Open woodland/ wood edges are the main breeding and hibernating habitats. Common Nettle and Willows which we have lots of in Newtondale valley are its main food plants.