Anger as plans to infill wildlife-rich Essex quarry recommended for approval.... www.buglife.org.uk/news/anger-a...

Good news. Is there any cowslip on the site and which do they prefer. On Dorset downland, where cowslips are used mainly, they seem to ignore any Primroses

16,742-strong petition for legislation this year to #EndPeatSales handed in to Downing Street! 💚 Supported by @the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social, @davegoulson.bsky.social, @plantlifeuk.bsky.social, @gardenorganicuk.bsky.social, & #RHS Huge thanks to everyone who signed and shared! #EndPeatSales

The density of the Common Blue (P icarus) per 50km square in 2024 on eBMS Butterfly monitoring transects (www.butterfly-monitoring.net) shows a W-E cline, with lowest densities in Ireland, UK, Portugal and NL and highest in Sweden, Austria, Italy and Balkans.

Marsh Fritillary caterpillars have emerged from winter diapause and were communally basking in the sunshine at Church Hay Down today.

Not one but two Red Admirals in my garden today, taking it in turns to nectar on our Edgeworthia plant, which provides unique amount of early nectar @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

In 2025 the number of transects where expert volunteers count butterflies in NL rose to almost 1600. On most of them (1257) all butterflies are counted, but some transects are for one species only or plots for egg-counts.

FIRST REPORT: Green-veined White. 24th Feb. East London @richardfoxbc.bsky.social

FIRST REPORT: Speckled Wood. 25th Feb '26. Essex @richardfoxbc.bsky.social

FIRST REPORT: Holly Blue, 25th Feb '26. East London @richardfoxbc.bsky.social

great news, I wish them every success

Tour update 🚨 Bookings for 2027 butterfly tours continue to come in and, this morning, Romania in Spring moves to guaranteed departure status. This is a lovely tour, with Brown Bear guaranteed too, as is a donation to our friends at @europebutterfly.bsky.social. mariposanature.com/tours/butter...

Thrilled to share our new paper out in @science.org, led by François Leroy and Petr Keil! Using the Breeding Bird Survey, we document not only a continent-wide decline in bird abundance since the 1980s — but, crucially, the acceleration of these declines over time. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

In case you missed the excellent Masterclass by @chrisvanswaay.bsky.social on identifying butterflies of the European Atlantic region, you can watch it here on YouTube youtu.be/KuBSagkCWes

Had Peacock, Brimstone and Early Bumblebee in the Wareham Garden 🐝🦋

Saw 7 Brims from C mullen to Compton Acres + Peacock and loads of bees

And now a Comma in the garden. That’s three butterfly species today, and it’s still February @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

Two more Peacocks today near Swanage, plus two Brimstones which did not hang around. But you have to admire their brilliance @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

A solitary Peacock left alive in the Purbeck bunkers. Out of 73 that went in. Not a very good survival rate! Culprits are bats (wing photo from last August) and spiders. Let’s hope they do better in other hibernation sites @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

Now online! In this review, we cover four major topics on butterflies and moths: their evolutionary history and diversification dynamics, genomics, global diversity patterns, and conservation 🦋🌏 (1/8) @natrevbiodiv.nature.com www.nature.com/articles/s44...

My first butterfly sighting this year (a Peacock) in our garden at Harman's Cross near Swanage today. Hopefully the first of many more sightings. @savebutterflies.bsky.social @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

As closer look at Gonepteryx cleobule on Tenerife today.

The tiny Ramshorn Bagworm moth Luffia lapidella caterpillar in its case on a lichen covered gravestone, Alphington Church Exeter, Devon today.

The sunshine has just encouraged my 1st Brimstone of the year to flutter past my Upton office window - spring is on its way! @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

Yay, it’s still February but I have just seen my first butterfly of the year, a lovely Peacock near Swanage. The games afoot! @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

What a difference a day makes. One moth yesterday, 47 of 15 species today! Selected pics of Diurnea fagella, Herald (one of 3) and the thoracic crests of Tawny Pinion. Smart little beetle from the trap at the Trout Farm appears to be Donacia marginata, a reed species.

We found support for the Rapoport effect in butterflies 🦋 species that live in more variable climates have broader thermal tolerances and larger range sizes. A collaboration with Aaron Yilmaz and @sarahdiamond.bsky.social 🔬 academic.oup.com/biolinnean/a...

After yesterday’s sh*t show, someone has decided to throw me a bone, or a moth in this case. Waiting on the doorstep, the second garden record of March Moth. Easily pleased is me #teammoth

Still time to grab a spot on this superb trip. It makes for a lovely way to begin your spring butterfly watching campaign... greenwings.co/our-holidays... A donation from this and *all* our butterfly tours also goes to support the conservation work of @europebutterfly.bsky.social too.

With temperatures on the rise, I'm looking forward to a 'spring break' in Northern Greece with @greenwingstours.bsky.social (greenwings.co/our-holidays...). Some photos from last year, a trip that led to Martin Partridge's interesting article on the False Apollo: www.sbbt.org.uk/latest-news/....

Brimstone in the garden! Could hardly believe my eyes! @savebutterflies.bsky.social @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social

First #mothtrap of the year yielded 10 moths of 7sp in my Corfe Castle garden. Two stunners this Oak Beauty and Dotted Chestnut. Good to be up and running for 2026 season. @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @dorsetmoths.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

I always look forward to the annual Butterfly Trends meetings, and today's was, as usual, brilliant. Thank you to all the speakers (and those who pull the data together) for a really fascinating afternoon. 🦋

Phil Sterling suggested we pop down to Two Mile Coppice with a couple of traps to see if that's where my recent Small Brindled Beauty came from. No joy there, but a masterclass in larva ID from Phil when he spotted this Light Emerald larva. Check out the fringe of 'hairs' on the underside.

Last night was mild so I set up the first moth trap of the year at my inlaws'. 81 moths of 12 species with highlights Achlya flavicornis (first Belgian of the year as it seems), Lithophane ornitopus, Conistra rubiginosa etc. Dull light so I only took some phone pics. #mothsmatter #teammoth

Eye-opening findings on how light suppresses moth activity. Light attracts moths, but what if we've been missing a much more pervasive effect where even sky-glow light levels make them freeze? Paper: doi.org/10.1098/rspb... @uniexecec.bsky.social @esbriolat.bsky.social @kevinjgaston.bsky.social

Peacock butterfly in my garden this morning 😀

2025 was another bad year for the Chequered Skipper in NL. The distribution of this butterfly is getting more and more sparse. The species cannot cope very well with the dry years since 2018.

The Peacock has now been joined by two Red Admirals!

Our series of Recorders meeting is coming up where we update you on butterfly trends for last year and get you revved up for next. They start on Saturday at Toller Porcorum. Details here www.dorsetbutterflies.com/events/

Cornwall Butterfly Conservation volunteers were working with the Environment Agency in the Carnon Valley today. We were cutting back Gorse and using tree poppers to remove Birch saplings as part of heathland restoration for Grayling. The site has also supported Silver-studded Blues in the past.

Last Duke of Burgundy work party today, this time on a piece of lovely downland that was planted with trees over 20 years ago. The colony is just hanging on here so a little will go a long way to save the Duke in Dorset @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

Scopula optivata on the bathroom mirror - above and below in one photo!

Come and Join Us!

First Frogspawn on Corfe Common today, laid in a flooded grass area, so unlikely to survive

Please note: Due to bad weather forecast for Wednesday, our work party to manage Duke of Burgundy habitat at Langford Valley has been postponed until Thursday. See our website for details

Hummingbird Hawkmoth just seen feeding on Sarcococca in Barton, SW Hants!! Presumably having a break from hibernating somewhere cosy, but @migrantmothuk.bsky.social can have a tag anyway. Comfortably my earliest ever. #teammoth

Good morning and welcome to a new week. This week's featured tour is Spring Butterflies of Central & North Spain. Just 4 places left on this tour running in April, and a guaranteed donation made to support the invaluable work of @europebutterfly.bsky.social (1/2) mariposanature.com/tours/butter...

Cornwall Butterfly Conservation volunteers had a rather sodden time of it on Bodmin Moor today. We were planting Common Dog Violets to increase the breeding habitat along a new corridor connecting two colonies of Pearl-bordered Fritillaries. At least they've had a good watering in!

I noticed this evening that the hibernating Comma is still in the same position in the shed as when I photographed it last September! (2nd photo). I also found 8 Dahlica triquetrella cases, which follow the 6 'live' ones I had last year. heracliana/ciliella and daucella also flitting around the shed