Crimson Speckled (U. pulchella) and Small Marbled (E. parva), to light at Bonchurch, Isle of Wight on 25/5. J. Halsey #teammoth

Still got a few micro's to sort out but this Privet Hawkmoth was a first for me trap ever and these 2 Cream spot Tigers were a bonus

Landguard Butts forgot to mention Green Hairstreak of which I had at least 2

Me first walk onto the Landguard Butts for a try out of me steadiness which weren't bad and got to see nfy Small Heath 3, Holly Blue 3, Small White 2, Large White 1, and best of all 2 male Epichnopterx plumella searching out females which do not fly but live in a case

9 weeks out of action cause I did the doddery git thing and bust me ankle, after a visit to the physio it's good news I don't need me walking boot now and driving follows shortly and a good bit of freedom as long as I take it easy for a while, good thing is I didn't miss any mega's in Suffolk

26 Rose coloured Starling reported at Cape Andreas + Honey Buzzards, Black Kites & a singing Marsh Warbler Second ever breeding record of Gadwall reported at Kouklia Dam Good numbers of Curlew Sandpiper, Whiskered & White winged Tern still passing through #cyprusbirds

Huge thanks to the brilliant team at Debenham Men’s Shed who’ve just finished the first TEN barn owl boxes for our project! 🦉🔨 Absolute stars — craftsmanship, community spirit and plenty of sawdust. Can’t wait to get these installed! 🦉✨ @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social

As all previous sightings of Holly Blue along Viewpoint Road Felixstowe have been of flybys it was good to have this egglaying female stop long enough to get a couple of pics

britainsfavouritebutterfly.co.uk/butterfly/br... Brown Hairstreak

Although the Holly Blue (boomblauwtje, C argiolus) is often seen in gardens, on Dutch Butterfly Monitoring transects by far the highest density is counted on heathland, where Common Heather (Calluna vulgaris) is an important foodplant.

Narrow-bordered Bee Hawkmoths, Hemaris tityus on Dartmoor. Having seen a male flying loops of a patch of rush he eventually landed. I crept over to find a mating pair, the female freshly emerged with her wings still scaled. They were still together 2hrs later when I left! #lepidoptera #dartmoor

Me broken ankle still on the mend so not going far but a nfy Green Hairstreak was welcome only other butterflies were 6 Small White with a single Holly Blue also 4 Swifts over and 4 House Martins

Probably yesterday's juvenile Goldfinch gave me a look again today sitting on the patio furniture

This year sees an early arrival of Painted Ladies (distevlinder, V cardui) on Dutch Butterfly Monitoring transects. These butterflies come from the Mediterranean and migrated north through France. In some years the can be very abundant (eg 2009 and 2019), in other years almost missing.

Shima Eneaga also called Japanese Snowball bird. Lives on Hokkaido Island of Japan. so adorable only 13 cm in size

Seems early but both Goldfinch juvs and Starling juv at me feeders this morning

BREAKING: Large Skipper out at Ulwell near Swanage. More records being broken @richardfoxbc.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social www.dorsetbutterflies.com/2026/05/larg...

10 days ago I found some Pieris eggs on evergreen candytuft, Iberis sempervirens, in the #UGent botanical garden. They emerged last weekend and the black head capsule in young larvae is diagnostic for southern small white, Pieris mannii. #butterflies

Sad to hear of the death of Ted the Mortimer and Whitehouse star dog on a brighter note I got the cast off me leg and was fitted with a boot and got to Landguard courtesy of Nigel Odin, the bird wasn't easy but a squint or two through a scope, thanks to the Porter brothers sharp relocation

Still got me foot up but rather pleasantly I managed to get pics of the pair of Blue Tits that are using my nest box enough to eventually read the numbers and both were ringed at Landguard Bird Observatory the male in June and the female in August of last year both juvenile birds

Nice of this Common Whitethroat to give me look whilst my ankle is still healing also a pair of Blue Tits has taken up residence, well nest building anyway 😀 both birds are ringed so probably have visited the nearby Landguard Bird Observatory

Useful guide:

Where the distribution (=occupancy) of the Large white (groot koolwitje, P brassicae) is stable, it occurs everywhere, the population level is now significantly lower on Dutch Butterfly Monitoring transects, in spite of strong fluctuations. After 2008 the pop index never was >100.

Before and after pics🤣, only a week to go before me cast is due to come off and hopefully won't be too long before I can drive and get out birding again

Large Tortoiseshell seen today in Bury Sy Edmunds. Has obviously been around for some time. Possible hibernation?

Travelling day today from Suffolk to Llandudno with @waveneybirdclub.bsky.social Stright to the Great Orme with delightful Chough, Raven and N. Wheatear amongst others. Check in at @premierinn.bsky.social, followed by dinner at a good Bengali restaurant for a few while some ate at #Neverspoons.

Low numbers of Peacock (dagpauwoog, A io) on Dutch Butterfly Monitoring transects this year, after last years poor summer generation and missing 2nd gen because of poor quality nettles. This spring is also dry and much too warm so far, so things don't look good for nettles and peacocks this year.

UKBMS results out today! Results from fifty years of butterfly monitoring! The UKBMS data reveals declines in 33 species over the last 50 years. Check out the full story below butterfly-conservation.org/news-and-blo... And the full 2025 statistics can be found here: jncc.gov.uk/our-work/off...

Density of Brimstone (citroenvlinder, G rhamni) on Dutch Butterfly Monitoring transects this spring higher than in spring 2025, but also higher than in summer 2025 (and these are the same butterflies as they hibernate as adult). They probably hibernated (or aestivated) quickly after emerging.

The increase of the Orangetip (oranjetipje, A cardamines) on Dutch Butterfly Monitoring transects (=populatie) is partly due to the expansion of the species (=occupancy) by 30%, but also the density has gone up between 1990 and 2025. If you go out now, you have a good chance of seeing this butterfly

BOOM! South Australia's power prices have plummeted as they near 100% renewables, proving to the world that relying on wind and solar with battery back-up is possible, more reliable and costs people less. THIS is how we avoid the next oil crisis. #EnergyRevolution

There is an influx of Painted Ladies on Dungeness, Kent this morning Seen 7 in a small sheltered areas at the top Long Pits Plus the Large Tortoiseshell found last Thursday is still present east side of top Long Pits @savebutterflies.bsky.social @migrantmothuk.bsky.social

The last 20 years the 2nd generation of the Dingy Skipper (Bruin dikkopje, E tages) in NL has become larger and larger, with the peak of the first generation moving weeks forward.

The mean flight date of the Orangetip (A cardamines) is now more than two weeks earlier than in 1990 on Dutch Butterfly Monitoring transects, though there are large fluctuations from year to year, depending on spring weather.

Obviously an act of sheer vandalism has taken place at Levington Creek in Suffolk where the new fencing wire has been cut in 4 places this fencing was to protect the habitats there

SHARE if you agree! Let's make 2026 the year that fox hunting is ended for good.

Ah well Landguard will have manage without me for 4-6 weeks as the fall I had at the sight resulted in a broken ankle maybe the late spring will be the best ever 🤣

FIRST REPORT: Orange-Tip. 19th March. Essex

Very different populationtrends for the Gatekeeper (oranje zandoogje, P tithonus) on Dutch Butterfly Monitoring transects: increase in the coastal dunes, declines in NE, more or less stable in the rest. And we don't really know why.

Fusicolla merismoides (deer vomit) a fungus not a slime mould has appeared at Landguard on the Butts after Ranger Leonie and her volunteers have removed some Bramble down to stumps also a poor pic of one yesterday's Small White at Rushmere Common and a Common Frog in the Butts pond Landguard

A few butterflies were out in sun yesterday at Rushmere Common Ipswich in an hour and half whilst my other half visited a friend in hospital 2 Small White nfy, 4 Brimstone, 2 Comma and 9 Peacock noted

This Hoverfly was on a Springstar flower that is naturalised on the butts area at Landguard possibly Eupeodes lunaria anyone got the answer would welcome advice

Have you seen a Small Tortoiseshell or a Large Tortoiseshell? 🔍 As the name suggests, the Large Tortoiseshell is slightly larger with a wingspan of 68-75mm. It is also a duller orange colour with a thin (sometimes absent) blue border on the wings. Look out for the extra spot on the forewings.

www.theguardian.com/environment/... Making all the investments needed for the UK to meet net zero by 2050 will cost less than the one-off gas crisis caused by Russia invading Ukraine. And it will protect us forever from fossil fuel shocks, like - say - a surge in oil price caused by bombing Iran.

A pair of Goosanders in the river at Landguard were obviously caught out by the foggy conditions also "wanders with Wolf" was giving exercise to his pet

Heathland restoration in full swing at Ipswich Golf Club now rain has eased. Seed collected on site used on areas prepared at 3rd, 5th, 9th on 18 hole course. A successful technique we have used for many years here @golfgreenkeepers.bsky.social @bc-suffolk.bsky.social

Not too much at Landguard today but a Woodcock was noted coming in from the sea also the first Stonechat of the spring possibly of a continental origin also a new Goldcrest was ringed and the overwintering Firecrest was present

Grassland butterflies are declining across Europe, but how do we reverse that trend? We have just produced a report with some simple guidance to land managers and policy makers on how to 'Bend the curve' and help increase butterflies and other pollinators. www.bc-europe.eu/webpage.php?...

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 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.