We hope many of you will be taking part in the Big Butterfly Count starting today. An extra ask from us, please be an ambassador for butterflies. Get your children, grandchildren or friends to take part. Open new eyes to the wonders of our butterflies. bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org

Dark Green Fritillary on the wing at the usual coastal locations and a Grayling spotted Winterton Dunes. #savebutterflies 📷 DGF - Bob Eade BC

After watching this butterfly nectaring around our organic veg garden, it then lived up to its name and sat basking on the neighbours' wall... @norfolkbutterflies.bsky.social

Despite being overcast today up to 11 Chalkhill Blues at Warham Camp, single Brown Argus and a couple of Painted Lady, and three Hummingbird Hawkmoths @norfolkbutterflies.bsky.social @norfolknats.bsky.social

Last week at the invitation of the Norfolk Rivers Trust we set 4 moth traps at there Beaver site on the River Glaven. 45 species identified including Oak Eggar, Pale Prominent & Straw Dot. #mothsmatter

Sparham Pools today, Brown Argus, lots of Common Blues, 2nd gen Holly Blue, Painted Lady and a whiz by Clouded Yellow @norfolkbutterflies.bsky.social @norfolknats.bsky.social

Up until the last couple of years a Humming-bird Hawk-moth was an occasional visitor to our North Norfolk garden. More recently they have become nearly a daily occurrence, it does not reduce the joy of seeing them. #mothsmatter

Under a week to go, have you got your I/D chart ready? If not 👉 buff.ly/21xojDf

Sightings update : A couple of reports of Clouded Yellow around the county, Large Tortoiseshell & Purple Emperor seen at Beeston Common and a new location for Small Blue at the Willows Nature Reserve near Downham Market. #savebutterflies

One of a teatime trio of Silver-washed Fritillary.... @norfolkbutterflies.bsky.social

Purple Hairstreak, Favonius quercus. Usually seen flying around oak treetops or nectaring on flowers. This one was on the ground - possibly because its antennae were damaged. Foxley Wood, Norfolk, yesterday with @vannabartlett.bsky.social. #UKButterflies @norfolkbutterflies.bsky.social

Very pleasantly surprised to spot this White Letter Hairstreak, on the old railway line at Narborough, West Norfolk this evening @norfolkbutterflies.bsky.social #ukbutterflies #butterflies

The Purple Emperors were very active today, the males around the treetops and females at rest on trees. Great to watch their behaviour, but no photo prizes. Foxley Wood, Norfolk. #UKButterflies @norfolkbutterflies.bsky.social

Latticed Heath moth a new species for my garden this week. It does not really live up to its name as it is commonly found in gardens and according to Norfolk Moths has been recorded across 92% of the county. #mothsmatter

It takes two. In this case it was over 2 hours for these Large Whites. #savebutterflies

Nearly 40 Species in our North Norfolk garden this morning, including Buff Tip, Dusky Sallow, Silver Y & grass moths by the score #mothsmatter

So nice to see this beauty by our pond. I am hoping that this means that the caterpillars were munching the violets in our wooded area this year @norfolkbutterflies.bsky.social #saveourbutterflies

A count of 48 Cinnabar Moth caterpillars in our North Norfolk front garden. #mothsmatter

We are delighted to be part of the Wheatfen Butterfly Day on Sunday July 11 . If you would like to book a Warden led guided walk go to wheatfen.org/events/butte...

Gatekeeper has emerged in good numbers in the north of the county in the last couple of days. Often flying with both Meadow Brown & Ringlet it can be identified from the former by the 2 white pupils on the eye-spots on the forewing. #savebutterflies

1/2 Foxley Wood today, the first that dropped down was just gone 8 - but flitted around and would not settle, very few seemed to want to come down to ground, and then very briefly. @norfolknats.bsky.social @norfolkbutterflies.bsky.social @ukbutterflies.bsky.social

A Humming-bird Hawk-moth for the third day in our garden... @norfolkbutterflies.bsky.social

Small & Essex Skippers, and Painted Lady this afternoon #butterflies @norfolkbutterflies.bsky.social

Great images

Small Coopers are fond of perching on or near the ground as was the case for this one at Salthouse Heath this morning. #savebutterflies

A 3 mile walk between Itteringham & Mannington Hall this morning, accompanied nearly every step of the way by butterflies. 14 species in all, large numbers of Browns & Whites, freshly emerged Silver-washed Fritillaries and a White Admiral. A smile never left my face. #savebutterflies

An interesting catch from my moth trap in North Norfolk on Monday. 39 moths of 25 species. 3 Elephant Hawkmoths, Clouded Silver, Silver Y & Barred Red caught the eye. #mothsmatter

Comma showing us how it got its name. #savebutterflies

First butterfly at Holkham Meals looking for Dark Greens, I had just assumed was one, as that was what I was out for, but it was a few 100 metres short of their main area - Queen of Spain @norfolkbutterflies.bsky.social @norfolknats.bsky.social

A treat to watch this Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) flit across our back garden's White Clover lawn, nectaring over the last hour. It was constantly on the move, so single photos proved best rather than trying to film it... @norfolkbutterflies.bsky.social

An update from our Foxley Wood transect walker this week. 29 Silver-washed Fritillaries, 3 White Admirals and a report of a Purple Emperor (📷 Iain Leach BC) . #savebutterflies

Purple Hairstreak can be difficult to see as they spend most of their time on top of oak trees. We do know an area in Stockton in South Norfolk where they come to ground, but may only have a few days notice of this event. Interested in seeing this email [email protected]

Very interesting study.

Great news

Lost count of the number of Meadow Brown flying in the parkland yesterday. A joy to see. #savebutterflies

Several Red Admirals along with a number of whites were coming in off the sea at Overstrand yesterday evening. Have you spotted any visible migration over the coast? #savebutterflies

Moths come in all shapes and sizes, this Hornet moth is a prime example. It is designed to look like its namesake and even moves like one. Isn’t nature wonderful. #mothsmatter

If you want to see a Swallowtail now is this time. This one was spotted near Martham Broad on Monday.#savebutterflies

Purple Emperor had a good year in Norfolk in 2025. It will be interesting to see if they expand their range further this summer. Could be on the wing now. #savebutterflies 📷 Iain Leach BC

Yellow-banded Longhorn moth in good numbers at Mossymere Wood yesterday. Norfolk moths tells us theMales have antennae three and a half to four times the length of the forewing and are the longest in the British Lepidoptera.

We would love to receive any reports of White-letter Hairstreaks. They are a hard species to find but we feel they may be under recorded. Populations were badly effected by Dutch Elm disease as it feeds exclusively on that tree but some Elm does remain mostly in hedgerows. 📷 Iain Leach BC

From a longer clip, as we watched this Painted Lady caterpillar clamber up, stretch and move across to a new Thistle leaf. You can see the silk safety line if you look carefully towards the end. There are still five caterpillars present today... @norfolkbutterflies.bsky.social @jamescbr.bsky.social

Swallowtail. Strumpshaw Fen, Norfolk 12/6/26 @savebutterflies.bsky.social @norfolkbutterflies.bsky.social

County recorder update. Silver-studded Blues on the wing, Buxton Heath best place. Swallowtails fully underway. Small Blues flying at Cranwich Camp. Large Skippers are showing, a few Small Skippers reports. Meadow Browns have emerged and Painted Ladies are everywhere.

Silver-studded Blues, Plebejus argus, at Buxton Heath, Norfolk. Seen on today's bike ride. butterfly-conservation.org/butterflies/... #UKButterflies @norfolkbutterflies.bsky.social

A quote from the government’s own website. So why this authorisation? “This government is committed to ending the use in England of those neonicotinoid pesticides that are known to carry substantial risks to pollinator populations, including through the use of emergency authorisations.”

Small Blue has been spreading north in the UK for some time. In Norfolk Cranwich Camp has been a stronghold in recent years. We have now started to receive sporadic reports from Blakeney Point. Easily overlooked but if you do spot one please do record on iRecord. 📷 Bob Eade BC

The UKBMS tends to cover the cream of Norfolk habitat. Snapshot of 2026 reports so far, Dingy Skipper, Painted Lady & Holly Blue significantly up. Common Blue, Large White & Wall all significantly down. More data, changing emergence dates could affect on these figures. #savebutterflies

A cool night in North Norfolk probably reduced the catch in my garden moth trap this morning. (15 moths of 9 species)A Pine Hawkmoth and Buff Tip however kept the spirits high even if the body was a bit cool. #mothsmatter

We found what we think are six Painted Lady caterpillar silk tents today, with five occupied on the Thistle. This one was busy (a short video clip)... @marcusrhodes.bsky.social @jamescbr.bsky.social @ukbutterflies.bsky.social @norfolkbutterflies.bsky.social