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Thanks Wurzel. Plenty more Orange-tips in the coming posts!
Thanks David, that count was just the start, the females had hardly showed themselves at this stage!


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April 2025

Saturday 19th. I stayed east again today with a wander along the sea wall at East Tilbury, another attempt at finding a Wall. A cloudy start to proceedings had me looking for Orange-tips, I found a Green-veined White instead. Thankfully the predicted sun came out and so did some Orange-tip who seemed somewhat addicted to a Red Dead-nettle breakfast. The sun had also brought out numerous Whites of Which Green-veined were by a long stretch the most numerous. Along some of the shadier more sheltered paths Speckled Wood were also rather numerous. There was actually a bit of a breeze blowing today and there wasn’t a great deal braving the exposed sea wall, least of all some actual Walls, so I took a wander up to Mucking Marshes along the way nearly stepping on a Small Tortie. Also along the paths were frequent Whites, a few aged Comma and Peacock, some Brimstone and the occasional Orange-tip. It was much the same species range at Mucking Marshes, including another Small Tortie, all doing their best to keep out of the wind that was using some paths as a wind tunnel. I took a little detour along one of the more sheltered paths and spotted a Red Admiral fussing around some nettles to one side. Taking a couple of steps into the long grass to carefully approach her I happened to look down just in time to avoid stepping on an Adder, it was sitting exactly where my foot was about to land and stayed long enough for me to get a few shots before it decided it should vanish into the undergrowth. I stayed on the path after that!


No Mediterranean Gulls today, although I could hear them somewhere most of the day, but flying over the gravel pits today were some noisy Sand Martin. The day finished with some more Orange-tip and a decent looking Comma.