IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Drummond Drive, NOTTINGHAM, NG16 1BL

Reclaimed pit land on the northwestern boundary of Nottingham. The name Broxtowe relates to the fact that badgers were once common in the area.

Looking south west.

One of our commonest native butterflies, found wherever there are flowers and nettles anywhere in the British Isles, reaching the highest mountain tops and remotest islands, including Shetland. It may often be seen basking on brambles. There are usually two broods a year, the later one of which will hibernate over the winter. It is also common and widespread throughout Europe.

An orange and black banded hoverfly with a distinctive pattern of faint stripes on the body, widespread and very common. Hoverflies are useful insects to encourage in a garden as most species, including this one, feed on aphids. In most years numbers are greatly boosted by immigration from the continent. There are about 250 different species of hoverfly in Britain. Although hoverflies look like bees or wasps, they are in fact true flies and do not bite or sting. Hoverflies are excellent examples of Batesian mimicry (named after H W Bates who first described it in 1862). They generally mimic bees and wasps – insects that sting and also taste unpleasant, so are avoided by predators.

The recent hot weather has seen many Painted Lady butterflies appear in this area. For more information, and to see a picture of the ornate underside of the Painted Lady, go to Image

One of Britain's largest & most vividly marked butterflies, the Red Admiral arrives from late May onwards, spreading throughout the British Isles including the larger islands. The underside of the forewing is a duller version of the upperside and generally quite conspicuous, although when roosting it is pulled down between the underwings so that only the dark tip is visible. The butterfly is then camouflaged to resemble tree bark. The Red Admiral is unable to tolerate British winters and there is some evidence of a return migration to the Continent. However, many, probably most, try to hibernate and almost invariably perish.

Also known as the Hedge Brown, the Gatekeeper is common in all southern counties of England, and in lowland Wales, wherever wild grasses and shrubs grow together, but is absent from Scotland. It is sometimes confused with the much larger Meadow Brown which has less orange and only one white pupil in the eyespot on the upperwing. They seem to like yellow flowers in particular, & so may often be found on ragwort or fleabane. See also Image

A spectacular resident butterfly, common throughout the British Isles except for northern Scotland. They hibernate over the winter and lay their eggs on stinging nettles. The underwings are in complete contrast to the upperwings, being very dark, almost black, and beautifully camouflaged to resemble tree bark.

A regular early summer migrant from Europe which often comes north in enormous swarms and multiplies rapidly. Named for the silvery white Y shaped marking on the upper forewings. Both day and night flying, and abundant in Britain in the autumn, but cannot overwinter here. The picture was taken at dusk and there were between 20 and 30 of these moths hovering at the buddleia flowers. They seldom settled and behaved like tiny humming birds sucking out the nectar. Flash had to be used to provide sufficient light and to freeze the action!