Heath Fritillaries – The Blean

Heath fritillary butterflies are out and about in the Blean. Clowes Wood has a large colony this year.

KSCP obtained 100k landfill Tax Credit funding in the noughties and working with the Forestry Commission started a programme of major ride widening and glade creation at Clowes Wood. This was partly intended to encourage the heath fritillary to cross from West Blean and Thornden Woods into Clowes, where it was absent.

Today Clowes Wood has a thriving population. Especially where Forestry England has removed conifers in recent years/ This  allows & encourages an abundance of common cow-wheat, the main food plant of the butterfly.