Another early spring (though has recent cool slowed it a bit) The latest from @patrickbarkham.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/environment/...

I'm running the 2026 TCS London Marathon dressed as a badger to raise money for Norfolk Wildlife Trust, the oldest of @the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social – celebrating its 100th birthday this year. Please have a laugh at me and help save wildlife! 2026tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/backtheba...

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.

WEEK ONE! The UKBMS surveys officially kick off today 🎺 🥳 🦋 If you're taking part, check the weather and choose a good day for your survey this week - temps above 13degrees, sun and light winds are best. Weeks run from each Wednesday to the following Tuesday this year. Good luck!

This is such a beautiful film - a must for butterfly lovers but everyone else as well. Screenings from April 19 - go and see it in a cinema! www.theguardian.com/film/2026/ma...

Wow. What an amazing story (And another wonderful @patrickbarkham.bsky.social article) www.theguardian.com/film/2026/ma...

The first Streamer of the year for me here in Cambs #teamMoth So-called because it looks like it has a pennant on each forewing. Looked at upside down, it's almost showing a face staring back at a predator that spotted it despite the camouflage #pareidolia

The first Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi) was also recorded on 18 March in Cheshire, followed by the Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) on 21 March in Cornwall. What have you seen recently? 👀 📷: Bob Eade

Vote here: uproar.indianapoliszoo.com. Voting for Round 3 closes @ 26 March 23:59 Eastern Time. There are swings & changes happening all the time so we need all your help! 🦋

One of the first things that struck me starting in Epping Forest last spring was all the lovely old Crab Apples. With these, come rare Crab Apple feeding micros: the much-declined Argyresthia ivella tapped from a tree on a warm July morning, and Eudemis porphyrana, reared from larva in May #TeamMoth

Spring is an ideal time to start meeting moths. Here are the common ones. Blog at vitrealis.blogspot.com/2026/03/intr... @dorsetmoths.bsky.social @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social #teammoth #moths #naturewriting

We’re missing a global indicator to track insects. By analyzing thousands of butterfly populations, we highlight both promising signals and key challenges—showing why these taxa are strong candidates for building a Global Index to support conservation. conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

🚨🚨🚨Publication alert! 🚨🚨🚨 Taking a breather from #uproarchallenge, there's a new paper online today that was several years in the making (all the best papers are!): conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

I didn't used to expect ticks until May but had huge numbers on me in Cambs woodland this weekend. It's been -2C at night and only 13C by day. This hazard for early spring fieldwork is pretty new, not something I worried about in March. Affects fieldwork approach and precautions needed. #BeTickAware

🌿 Coton Guided Walk 25 March, 10.30am to 12.30pm. Join our Wardens to explore Red Meadow Hill and learn about reserve management and farmland wildlife. Reasonable fitness required. Meet at the large noticeboard near the car park. Free. Join us: https://cambridgeppf.org/join-us-page/

FIRST REPORT : Large White. 18th March. Various locations in Cambs and Essex

FIRST REPORT : Green-veined White. 18th March 26. Cambs

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

Round 2 voting is underway for the Indianapolis Zoo Uproar Conservation Challenge! Help the Queen Alexandra's Birdwing reach Round 3 for an even greater conservation prize! Voting ends 23 March @ 23:59 Eastern Time! You can now vote DAILY! Share & vote now! #uproarchallenge

Last night's new for the year #teamMoth

New blog for the Equinox: Spring unleashed at the Beth Chatto Gardens! www.chrisgibsonwildlife.co.uk/the-wild-sid... #NatureWriting

Big news from Epping, Essex. A Large Tortoiseshell (that's seen better days)

A good butterfly day with 3 species seen... @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social

Lots of Commas about @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social

🚨The Indianapolis Zoo Uproar Conservation Challenge is here!🚨 You can help the LARGEST BUTTERFLY IN THE WORLD, the Queen Alexandra Birdwing & the IUCN Butterfly & Moth #SpecialistGroup advance through Round 1! Round 1 voting: March 16-19 @ UproarChallenge.com #UproarChallenge

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.

That's not necessary, Steve. However, as it is present in VC29, we would very much like the details of the records.

#teammoth Dusted the actinics down and ushered in the spring. 8 species of Macros. Chestnut, Pale Brindled Beauty, Oak Beauty, Dotted Border, Spring Usher, Satelite, March Moth and a very early Common Quaker. A couple of micro species, too. Trapping in hazel/maple/elm in ancient woodland, vc29

21-Feb-2026 Sawston (VC29) - Easily busiest night of the yearwith 33/11 recorded. Highest scorers: March Moth - 11, Common Quaker - 6, Hebrew Character - 6 Highlights: Acleris cristana NFY A. hastiana Well-marked Tortricodes alternella Black-spotted Chestnut Photos for more details #teammoth

One of these drabs is not like the others... NFG Northern Drab last night, perhaps the fourth VC29 record in the last 35 years. I am a mile from a population just over the border in Herts and always hoped I'd catch a wanderer from there, but last night's was early and unexpected! #TeamMoth

Volunteer Work Party at Coton Reserve: Tue 17 March, 10.30am–1.30pm. Help care for habitats & wildlife with our wardens. Tools provided, 18+ only. Free but booking required. Support the reserve: https://cambridgeppf.org/join-us-page/

Smoothed trend 1992-2025 of most Dutch butterflies from Dutch Butterfly Monitoring transects. The color indicates the linear trend over the whole period. Each line starts at a value of 100. The black dot gives the 2025 index value.

23 of 8 #teamMoth here in Cottenham VC29 Agonopterix herecliana/ciliella 1 (NFY) Clouded Drab 3 Common Plume 1 Common Quaker 7 Diurnea fagella 1 Grey Shoulder-knot 1 (NFY) Hebrew Character 2 Small Quaker 7

Good news! Thrilling news! Keep a lookout... www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Please share any records you have from Suffolk with James.

Last call. If anyone has any butterfly records for Suffolk (2025) please submit them online this weekend. I plan a final download early next week for processing into the 2025 Suffolk Butterfly Report. Early signs are of a record breaking year for observations. Thank you. @bc-suffolk.bsky.social

Get ready for survey season! Its just less than a month to go until the start of UKBMS Transect surveys. Brush up on the survey method with our resources here - buff.ly/Qo4kgNX

🐣 Easter egg hunt with a twist. Instead of chocolate eggs we’re hunting for things like pasqueflowers (apparently Cambs’ county flower) & other wildlife in our area. Not just woods — farmland, scrub, grassland, hedges, ponds... Help us build the Nature Hunt list @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social👇🏻

@savebutterflies.bsky.social now considers Large Tortoiseshell a resident species once again. It is yet to recoloniese our region. But with a continent-facing coastline and abundant elm surely soon. @richardfoxbc.bsky.social @patrickbarkham.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Excited to see one of my PhD chapters now published! We found a trade-off between the quality of host plants and how warm they were for a declining grassland butterfly (Small Copper, Lycaena phlaeas) and looked at how this shaped their egg-laying choices: doi.org/10.1111/een....

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

Join us for the UK Butterfly Recorders Meeting! This free event is perfect for butterfly enthusiasts, taking place online on Sat 28th March. Discover the 2025 UKBMS findings and enjoy insights from leading butterfly experts. Reserve your free spot now! butterfly-conservation.org/butterflies/...

"There's five times as many butterflies on cattle grazing sites compared with sheep grazed sites," @bcyorkshire.bsky.social www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

What do this ancient oak, this swallowtail, this natterjack have in common? 1) They live on Norfolk Wildlife Trust reserves. 2) They benefit from people buying This Wild Dream. ALL profits go to NWT (nothing to me). Help us celebrate NWT’s centenary TODAY www.thebookhive.co.uk/product/this...

Photo of the Large Tortoiseshell seen yesterday at Ballard Down by Shona Refoy. An exciting spot after one seen at Baiter in Poole a few days ago. Please report any other sightings on our website or here

A moth survey at Blake’s Woods revealed hundreds of moths including good numbers of Yellow Horned and Engrailed and several Water Carpet and Dotted Chestnut. All 3 Woodpeckers heard after dawn with 2 Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers drumming. @essexbirdnews.bsky.social

Well done @wildlifebcn.org for taking this stance. At Hayley Wood. Rights of access do not mean right to ignore the owners requests. share.google/XRixh4Dbq7oD...

Seen plenty of brimstone but this was the first peacock of the year for us. Needed a rescue from the pond but dried out okay and went on its merry way @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social

As the Natural History season really gets started it is already time for my occasional plea (aka pet peeves rant). 1) Do not post a photo and just say "look at this stunner I have just seen". Your close network may know what that species is. but many of us won't. Be inclusive. Tell us what it is.