Our first garden Speckled Wood

At Saturday's Recorders' Conference at the Hancock, Dave Stebbings from Butterfly Conservation was talking about species that have appeared and increased in the North East in recent years.  Speckled Wood showed 2 records in each of 2002 and 2003.  By 2010 the sightings had increased to over 4000.

By total coincidence today we had this first ever sighting in our garden.  Perennial Wallflowers (Erysimum sp.) have proved to be fantastic butterfly-friendly plants this year and in mid October it is still attracting plenty of Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock as well as this special visitor.