The Marbled White, Melanargia galathea.

This species is not local to the Yeldham area. They can be found in the south of the county with a good population on Canvey Island. In Cambridgeshire I have seen a few on Magog Down near Cambridge, on the Devil's Dyke and at Woodwalton Marsh.

The Marbled White has only one brood per year. The larval food plants are various fine-leaved grasses, though at some stage these must include Red or Sheep's Fescue, and it over-winters as larvae. The adults are on the wing from late June to early August.

In overcast conditions the butterflies perch for long periods in full view on grasses or other plants with the wings either closed or held flat open as in the first three photographs above. As soon as the cloud passes they become active, stopping briefly on flower heads to take nectar.

Weather notes:
2011. July - early August very wet.
2012. April - mid July very wet. August to mid September dry.
2013. Winter wet, March and early April, very cold. The rest of the spring was mostly cold. July mostly very warm, Aug warm.
2014. Winter very wet, mild. Spring was early, colder in mid April. Summer to early August, warm without a drought.
2015. Winter normal, March, April - May mostly cold. Sallow flowers opened on March 28 - 29th. Summer, fairly normal.
2016. Winter normal. Sallow flowers opened on April 2 - 3rd. Spring mostly cool and breezy. For a few weeks in late spring there was heavy rainfall and saturated soil and vegetation. Late summer with hot, dry periods.
2017. Winter mildish, hardly any frost. Sallow flowers opened on March 14 - 15th. Warm spells in March. April mostly dry and chilly. First Creeping Thistle flowers open on June 13th, followed by about 7 days of heat wave. Early July was very warm, excellent for counting butterflies. Late summer, autumn normal.
2018. Winter normal with a few days of settled snow. Sallow flowers open on March 26th. March, April mostly cold and wet, May warm. June 11, Bramble flowers opening to greet first Large Skippers. Mid June to early August, very hot and dry. Autumn mostly dry.
2019. Winter normal. Hardly any frost. Sallow flowers seen on March 10th. Spring mostly cool apart from Easter heatwave. May 31, Bramble flowers starting to open. June 1, Buckthorn in full bloom. Dryish summer with some heatwaves.
2020. Mildish winter. Sallow flowers open March 10th. Spring mostly cool. Several warm days in early April and through May. May 28 Bramble flowers opening. Record dry May. June nectar sources mostly Buttercups in the unmown paths, and Brambles.
2021.Winter normal. Very wet, early spring then cold. Sallow flowers opened on March 23rd. Summer with a few hot spells and moderate rain.
2022. Winter, normal. Sallow flowers open on March 18th. Bramble flowers open May 28. Summer, mostly very dry with long hot spells.
2023. Winter normal, some frost. Feb very dry, March very wet. Sallow flowers open on March 21st. Cold wet spring followed by hottest May on record, warm June and wet July. Autumn, mild and wet.
2024. Winter mild and wet. Feb very wet. Sallow flowers open on March 13th. April record rainfall. Late summer, early autumn much dryer.

Personal sightings:

16 June 2011. Woodwalton Marsh. 6 Marbled Whites.
3 July 2011. Devils Dyke. Newmarket Heath. 1 Marbled White.
15 July 2011. Magog Down. 3 Marbled Whites.
9 July 2012. West Canvey Marsh. On a dull day c. 20 by the car park, 13 others mostly near the sea wall.
15 July 2012. Magog Down. 14 Marbled Whites, mostly in the sheltered north-east corner.
17 July 2012. Magog Down. 9 Marbled Whites.
22 July 2012. Sugley Wood, Gamlingay. 30 + Marbled Whites.
22 July 2012. Therfield Heath, Royston. 23 Marbled Whites, mostly in the longer grass on the higher ground.
16 August 2012. West Canvey Marsh. Mostly overcast, late morning, 3 Marbled Whites, getting a bit faded.
11 July 2013. Twywell Hills and Dales. Hot. Marbled Whites, 4 in Picnic Meadow, 6 in Whitestones.
27 June 2016. Twywell Hills and Dales. Coolish, clouding over. Marbled Whites, 3 in Picnic Meadow, 8 in Whitestones.
26 July 2016. Fleam Dyke, Balsham. 1 Marbled White, very active on a hot day, the first which I have seen here.
17 June 2017. Cornish Hall End, Essex. 1 Marbled White, passing northwards over the permissive path east of the village. Hot day.
20 June 2017. Roseland House, Great Yeldham. 1 Marbled White lingered for a while on Creeping Thistle flowers in the paddock. Very warm day.
13 July 2017. Roseland House. 1 Marbled White, old and faded.
17 June 2020. Twywell Hills and Dales. Brief visit. 5 Marbled Whites in Whitestones.
18 June 2020. Roseland House. 1 Marbled White flying low over the paddock.