Bradfield Woods, Suffolk, 20 July 2016

This was a completely new site to me and I visited today in the hope of seeing Purple Emperor which has been reported here in recent days. That wasn't to be but nonetheless I spent a very enjoyable morning in the woods where it was nice to get out of the 32 degree sun for a bit! Butterflies stole the limelight with a good few Silver-washed Fritillaries along the rides plus c3 White Admirals and 2 or 3 Purple Hairstreaks high up in oaks. Also seen were Red Admiral, Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown and Ringlet. There was also the odd Southern Hawker patrolling and the best of the birds were 2 Spotted Flycatchers, a family party of Marsh Tits, 3 Bullfinches, Treecreeper and 2 Nuthatches.