Sooo many butterflies in the Valley at the moment. Here's a pristine Green-veined White (Pieris napi) refuelling on some of our Ragwort flowers. 😍 They love the damp lush conditions in our #fen. #inverts #UKWildlife @upperthames.bsky.social @judywebb.bsky.social #OxfordshireFens

Another Striped Lychnis survey today, this time at Butterfly Conservations lovely Holtspur Bottom Reserve. 535 dark mullein flower spikes produced 171 larvae. Far better than last year's 11 larvae. Afterwards had a look through the plentiful bedstraw for Hummingbird Hawk larvae and soon found one.

Saw my first Grizzled Skippers today, ever, at Longmead Nature Recovery Network. There's a word for that - Firsties?? @upperthames.bsky.social @bcwarwickshire.bsky.social #savebutterflies @bbowt.bsky.social No pics, too busy counting. But aren't they darling little things, so detailed!

Striped Lychnis caterpillars are now out on the dark mullein plants in the Chilterns area. We do lots of larval surveys for this scarce moth to help monitor the population. If you spot one please do irecord!

Purple Emperors at Bernwood Forest yesterday

The day-flying Six-belted Clearwing moth Bembecia ichneumoniformis seen at eastern end of Greenham Common today - lots of its foodplant bird's-foot-trefoil in flower @upperthames.bsky.social @bbowt.bsky.social @tverc1.bsky.social

Went along to Whitecross Green Wood @bbowt.bsky.social today. Fleeting views of Black Hairstreak and White Admiral but pleased to see Emperor and other Dragonflies,Small Tortoiseshell at last!,Marbled White and Skippers aplenty. @upperthames.bsky.social

Despite the weather, we managed to see some nice butterflies in The Chilterns including SMALL COPPER, LARGE SKIPPER, SMALL TORTOISESHELL & CLOUDED YELLOW. #UKbutterflies #england #wildlife #nature #insects #chilterns @britishnatureguide.bsky.social @upperthames.bsky.social

Black Hairstreaks in Salcey Forest this morning including a recently emerged one, with its pupal case, at the end @bcbedsnorthants.bsky.social @upperthames.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social @wildlifebcn.org

Forester moth from Bernwood Meadows NR yesterday. @upperthames.bsky.social @bbowt.bsky.social

Very pleasing to be greeted by the first of this year's Scarlet Tigers on the doorstep this evening #TeamMoth @upperthames.bsky.social

A few traps in a wood just outside of Oxford over the weekend yielded a good number of moths, including several interesting micros. By far the stand-out was this rather smart Denisia albimaculea- a first for me, and for the county! @upperthames.bsky.social #teammoth

The heat of last night produced 192 moths of 54 species including a welcome surprise, Gold Cloak, Phtheochroa schreibersiana, new to me and possibly only the second record for Buckinghamshire #TeamMoth @upperthames.bsky.social

A great day out in the Chilterns at Incombe Hole, looking for the Duke of Burgundy and other species. A bit hot today and a fair bit of climbing 😓 @upperthames.bsky.social @chilternsnl.bsky.social @nationaltrust.org.uk

Incombe Hole & Steps Hill were very hot & we weren’t sure we’d find the Marsh Fritillaries but eventually found 3. Also lots of Dingy Skippers, a few Green Hairstreak, lots of Common Blues, a few Duke of Burgundy & these Grizzled Skippers in cop @upperthames.bsky.social

Large Skippers spotted today in Oxfordshire. Seems early!

Grapholita pallifrontana is now on the wing in Oxfordshire. This lovely little moth is an Upper Thames priority species.

Puss Moth found in a garden in Caversham, Berks. Always a stunning moth, and a very funky caterpillar too!

Toadflax Brocade (Calophasia lunula) seen in our garden in Oxford on Aquilegia last week. We now see in most years now in our garden, so it's definitely becoming established @upperthames.bsky.social @bbowt.bsky.social @tverc1.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social @rdimond.bsky.social

Went looking for Wood White in Hazelborough Forest, Northants and found around 20, along with some other spring species and the bluebells still out @bcbedsnorthants.bsky.social @upperthames.bsky.social

More Drab Looper surveys today. 13 recorded in the woods around Frilsham, West Berks. Also a rather nice Four-spotted carrion beetle. Several hours spent on Ashampstead Common drew a blank, DL seems to be gone from there sadly.

Painted Lady numbers seem to be starting to ramp up now in the Upper Thames

Drab looper are on the wing now in West Berkshire.

Good numbers of Grizzled and Dingy Skippers at Lardon Chase yesterday.

Rubbish photo of the first Speckled Wood to make it into our garden since 2020 😲 (or at least the first one that I've noticed since then) @upperthames.bsky.social

A beautiful sunny day brought out lots of dancing male Green Longhorn micromoths (Adela reaumurella) at BBOWT's Greenham Common this lunchtime. @upperthames.bsky.social @bbowt.bsky.social We were on the hunt for Green Haistreaks but were probably a little too early for them

Searching for Satyrus is a 2026 documentary by Rena Effendi that follows her quest to find the rare and endangered Satyrus effendi butterfly, intertwining personal, environmental, and geopolitical narratives. Showing in Oxford tonight. Tickets at www.undergroundslate.com/event-detail...

A final post for @rina2012.bsky.social's #ButterflyWeek. A Peacock (Inachis io) butterfly on Cherry Plum blossom in Oxford's Lye Valley. #inverts #UKWildlife #photography #ECK @friendlyevalley.bsky.social @upperthames.bsky.social

Listen to @upperthames.bsky.social Nick Bowles on R4 Today this morning

Its that time of year. Have you seen a Green Hairstreak yet?

Lots of male Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines) butterflies patrolling the sunny banks of the Valley yesterday. A huge patch of Garlic Mustard proved to be a popular refuelling stop! #UKWildlife #UKButterflies #OX3 #iRecorded @savebutterflies.bsky.social @upperthames.bsky.social

Better late than never! My first Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines) butterfly of 2026, nectaring on Honesty flowers. #UKWildlife #UKButterflies @upperthames.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

There is a film coming out in cinemas that may well be of interest to our members. 'Searching for Satyrus'. Two links below, one is an article by Patrick Barkham in the Guardian, the other is for ticket orders. www.undergroundslate.com/searchingfor... www.theguardian.com/film/2026/ma...

My first Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) of the year just now in the garden. Just in time for #InsectThursday! #inverts #UKWildlife #iRecorded @upperthames.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

One of life's simple pleasures is seeing Brimstones on those first sunny spring days after a long wet winter. This one was at Otmoor, Oxfordshire.

A Peacock (Aglais io) butterfly refuelling on Blackthorn blossom in the warm Spring sunshine. 😍 #inverts #UKWildlife #SignsOfSpring #BlossomWatch @upperthames.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social @judywebb.bsky.social

Important new study on the reintroduction of the Chequered Skipper Carterocephalus palaemon to England. The two Belgium sources did very differently (not sure why the link shows Orangutans! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Great news on one level... but also an example of nature being pushed to the absolute fringes, in isolated, inaccessible places. Is this as good as it gets for nature in Britain? Are railway and roadside verges the few places nature can exist in modern Britain?

🦋Join @upperthames.bsky.social for upcoming events on identifying, surveying and recording #Butterflies in Berks and Oxon! Next event: Sat 14 March, Coleshill: www.upperthames-butterflies.org.uk/event_calendar Learn new skills and help support butterfly conservation! 📷Brian Walker

A quick Brown Hairstreak egg survey today at the recently colonised site at Bugs Bottom, Caversham. 10 found in total. Great to see a butterfly that is doing well!

Don't forget to book your place @savebutterflies.bsky.social @ldnwildlifetrust.bsky.social @hnhsoc.bsky.social @lnhs.bsky.social @upperthames.bsky.social @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social @hertswildlifetrust.bsky.social

It's always lovely this time of year to grab your wellies, coat and torch, and go for a woodland walk to look for those wonderful winter moth species!

A very enjoyable UTB Members Day and a big thank you to the 4 excellent speakers. And a thank you to all UTB members working behind the scenes to make the day run smoothly and of course all who attended!

Trapping around Cothill Fen this week produced some nice moths including Clifden Nonpareil! Evergestis limbata was the rarest to turn up, and it was nice to see Vestal and other migrants #teammoth @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social @upperthames.bsky.social @bbowt.bsky.social @migrantmothuk.bsky.social

Brown Hairstreak, adult and egg, recorded on the outskirts of Caversham, near Reading, Berks, today.

The annual Barberry Carpet survey yesterday, at the only Upper Thames site. 22 larvae from 23 bushes sampled, so seems to be holding on okay. A couple of Vestal also seen which is always a nice bonus!

Just a sliver of deadwood with some bark on? Fresh from the rearing pot, a Red Sword-grass Xylena vetusta. Caterpillar swept from meadowsweet & fed on it. what a docile spectacular #moth Oxon, Hinksey Hts fen. @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social @upperthames.bsky.social

Doing moth trapping in the UK this weekend? Can you help us gather lots of images of moths on egg cartons from your trap? Help us develop a tool making moth recording easier for more people Tks! #mothsmateer #teammoth @richardfoxbc.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social @upperthames.bsky.social

I'm thinking this is the last Gatekeeper sighting of 2025 for me. @upperthames.bsky.social Walking on the water at 50 Acre Piece. 16/08/25