Episode 2.80 - Butterfly Banquets and Nettle Nurseries

On another scorching July morning at High Ash Farm, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin explore the extraordinary abundance of butterflies thriving despite the relentless heat. Among thistle-lined field margins they encounter meadow browns, green-veined whites, six-spot burnet moths, peacocks and a surprise brimstone butterfly, while Chris explains how drought, migration and nectar-rich wildflower crops shape the fortunes of Britain's summer butterflies.

The pair then visit a carefully managed patch of stinging nettles, where Chris reveals why he deliberately mows sections each year to produce fresh growth for caterpillars. From eggs and hungry larvae to chrysalises and adult butterflies, he follows the complete life cycle of species including the small tortoiseshell and red admiral, showing how thoughtful habitat management can make a remarkable difference to wildlife.

Along the way they admire brilliant blue chicory flowers glowing beside the farm walks, discuss their surprising culinary history, and enjoy yet more butterfly encounters among teasels and wildflowers.

Listener letters bring plenty to ponder, including brimstone butterflies, haymaking and wildlife, horse mushrooms after summer thunderstorms, roosting rooks and pipistrelle bats, organic wildflower strips, protecting swallows during heatwaves, and a dramatic crab spider feasting on a bumblebee.

This episode is a celebration of Britain's summer butterflies and the hidden importance of their humble food plants—ideal for discovering how nettles, wildflowers and careful conservation combine to keep the countryside alive with colour and life.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2432378/episodes/19479846-episode-2-80-butterfly-banquets-and-nettle-nurseries.mp3?download=true