Photograph of a Gatekeeper
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Hadleigh Railway Walk, Suffolk
Male. 11 July 2011
Photograph of a Gatekeeper
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Magog Down
Male. 15 July 2012
Photograph of a Gatekeeper
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Magog Down
Female. 15 July 2012
Photograph of a Gatekeeper
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Great Yeldham
27 July 2009
Photograph of a Gatekeeper
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Great Yeldham
27 July 2010
Photograph of a Gatekeeper
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Great Yeldham
Female. 27 July 2010
Photograph of a Gatekeeper
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Great Yeldham
Female. 1 Aug 2015
Photograph of a Gatekeeper
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Great Yeldham
Male. 10 Aug 2011

The Gatekeeper, Pyronia tithonus

The Gatekeeper is one of the commoner species on the uncut paddock next to Roseland House, Great Yeldham.

This species has just one brood per year, with the adults in flight in July and August. In July it mostly takes nectar from Thistles, then after the first week in August it is found in the patch of Water Mint as the flowers open. It is also one of the first butterflies to appear as a dull day brightens up, basking on exposed Bellbine and other plants to warm up. It overwinters as larvae which feed in the autumn and the following spring on various fine grasses.

In 2011, after a hot, dry spring Gatekeeper colours seemed more intense.

The single Gatekeeper seen at Roseland House on 7 September 2022 was in a perfect condition as if it had just hatched.

Internal links: Home . Butterfly list . Main Gallery . Hadleigh Railway Walk . Magog Down

External links to the Gatekeeper pages at: British Butterflies by Steven Cheshire . UK Butterflies by Peter Eeles
Search menu at Cockayne database for forms and aberrations

Adults in flight: MOST SEEN on ANY ONE DAY in early, mid and late month thirds.
Gatekeeper sightings at Roseland House, Great Yeldham.
March April May June July August Sept Oct
2011 - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2 11 10 6 2 1 - - - - -
2012 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 11 17 10 1 - - - - - -
2013 - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2 19 12 8 3 - - - - - -
2014 - - - - - - - - - - - - 2 13 18 13 1 - - - - - - -
2015 - - - - - - - - - - - - 4 9 18 20 7 3 - - - - - -
2016 - - - - - - - - - - - - 2 3 6 9 4 1 - - - - - -
2017 - - - - - - - - - - - - 21 40 31 8 3 1 - - - - - -
2018 - - - - - - - - - - - 2 16 22 15 5 1 1 - - - - - -
2019 - - - - - - - - - - - - 3 18 41 17 5 1 - - - - - -
2020 - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 21 25 23 8 1 - - - - - -
2021 - - - - - - - - - - - - - 20 52 34 13 2 - - - - - -
2022 - - - - - - - - - - - - 15 38 27 13 5 1 1 - - - - -
2023 - - - - - - - - - - - - 18 20 33 39 35 7 1 - - - - -

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. August, 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.
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6 June 2013