Marbled Whites in Wanstead

Walking at the edge of Wanstead Park opposite Aldersbrook School on 4th July, Jennifer Charter says that  she "could not believe her eyes" when she saw a Marbled White butterfly flying over brambles at the base of the Bullet Hill.

Marbled White, Wanstead Flats

A couple of days later - on the 6th - Nick Croft reported seeing a Marbled White at the east end of the SSSI on Wanstead Flats; he didn't get a photograph - he says - because he fell into a ditch while trying to get into position. These are the first known reports of this species from the Wanstead area.

Marbled Whites are typically butterflies of downland and unimproved grassland: there are good colonies at Hadleigh Downs and on Two Tree Island in the Thames Estuary, but I don't know their status in the rest of Epping Forest.

On 9th July I was lucky enough to see one myself, settled on Heather on the SSSI on Wanstead Flats.

These sightings were reported to Rob Smith of Butterfly Conservation, Cambridgeshire and Essex Branch, who checked computer records for Marbled White sightings in the Wanstead & lower Epping Forest areas (TQ48 & 49).  These records go back 20-plus years and the only sighting on record for nearby is on 20th July 2010 where one was seen at Jacks Hill, Epping Forest (TQ434997).

He also checked Corke's book, published in 1997 where there are pre-1900 records at  TQ4096 (which is probablyat High Beech) and TQ4690 which is Fairlop/Hainault.

Many thanks to Rob for supplying that information.

Paul Ferris, 17th July 2011