White-letter Hairstreak laying eggs on Wingham Elm in the garden for a second day. Wych Elm, of a similar height, next to it has been totally ignored, her preferring the hybrid. It's good because I planted two more Winghams last year. Sawston. @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social @brianecambs.bsky.social

In Fridaywoods Colchester this Purple Emperor was having a great time chasing off dragonfly’s, a tit flock and all-comers (at the start of the video a Nuthatch drops out of the way, a good local bird ). This is the 8th year I have know the Purple Emperors to use this exact territory and trees.

Small Blues have just started their second brood @magogdown.bsky.social. @epollard.bsky.social finding a couple yesterday and 11 this morning. White-letter Hairstreak also putting in an appearance on the Marjoram during today's transect. @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social @ukbms.bsky.social

Out in force yesterday at Wicken Fen mostly on Knapweed but here's one resting in the reeds.

And just like that the Peacock butterflies are back 😍 @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social @patrickbarkham.bsky.social

Came home this afternoon from a lovely few days in Norfolk to find a White Admiral in our North East Essex garden. Definitely a garden first. @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social #savebutterflies #irecordbutterflies #wildspace #whiteadmiral

2nd brood Small Blue out at Magog Down, Cambs @magogdown.bsky.social @andrewknights.bsky.social @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social

The Swallowtail and Birdwing Butterfly Trust (SBBT) challenges the conclusions of a recent review by Ingate calling for radical new strategies in managing the British Swallowtail (Papilio machaon britannicus). www.sbbt.org.uk/latest-news/...

PESTICIDE UPDATE 🚨: The Government has been found to have legally failed in protecting butterflies and the environment from toxic neonicotinoid pesticides

Royal Mail special stamp issue on moths! #mothsmatter shop.royalmail.com/special-stam...

Wow 109 species (plus I lost a couple) in my reserve this morning (VC29) clearly the goat was the goat! #teammoth

Two species of hairstreak butterfly occur in my village woods; White-letter Hairstreak, which I don't find every year, and the more abundant Purple Hairstreak, which I do. A good morning for them today inside Gamlingay Wood LNR, S. Cambridgeshire. #Butterflies

FIRST REPORT: Chalk Hill Blue. 28th June Devil's Dyke, Newmarket, Cambs

FIRST REPORTS: Bit tardy, but Essex Skipper and Gatekeeper are now on the wing

Bodes well for our guided walk with @epollard.bsky.social in 10 days.

Biggest haul of the year well over 250 moths of 63 species #teamMoth NFY: Agonopterix nervosa, Leopard Moth, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Marbled Clover, Mere Wainscot, Monochroa palustrellus, Schoenobius gigantella

A fresh Brown Argus @magogdown.bsky.social this morning. @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social

First gatekeepers of year seen on morning walk @rspb.bsky.social Drayton Lagoon. Lots of whites, meadow browns and a few red admirals too. This despite verges next to busway, which were full of wild flowers and insects a few days ago, having now been 'mown'. Why? @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social

Our biggest butterfly surprise of 2025 was a Grayling in St Ives, Cambs. Was this a wanderer from The Brecks, of sign of a hidden population in the gravel works. Maybe we will learn more in the coming weeks

First Grayling out on Studland Heath transect, the earliest in its 51 years! Still good numbers of Silver-studded Blue and heaths looking surprisingly green despite the hot weather @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @ukbms.bsky.social

250 moths of 45 species in Cambs, never got below 26C in the garden! #teamMoth NFY: Short-cloaked Moth and Buff Arches Old photo where, by chance, my camera angle made it look like a huge chunk was missing from the moth. This species evolved to look like a chunk of flint when at rest. More in ALT

⚠️⚠️ Amber weather warning updated ⚠️⚠️ Extreme heat across parts of eastern England Saturday 0000 - Sunday 0900 Latest info 👉 bit.ly/WxWarning Stay #WeatherAware ⚠️

Postcard from the field from tour leader @dunnjons.bsky.social in the Arctic: Our first full day of Butterflies of the European Arctic draws to a close - though of course, it's not getting dark here! - particular highlights were Pale Arctic Clouded Yellow and Cranberry Blue. #butterflies

Went for the travel actinic at home in vc29 last night (the cat is WAY too interested in the MV box), more mucros than the MV gets, but a couple of great ones, Acleris holmiana, Lozoteniodes formosana and what I think is Small Plume. And loads of Latticed heath, must be migrants. #teammoth

Then spent an enjoyable few hours along 'the old road' at Abberton where 2 PURPLE EMPEROR plus WHITE-LETTER & PURPLE HAIRSTREAKS were seen plus PAINTED LADY, COMMA & SMALL SKIPPER among others. #wildlife #essexwildlife #butterflies @britishnatureguide.bsky.social @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social

A reminder that Butterfly Conservation is concerned with all Lepidoptera, not just the butterflies. So to the moth trappers of Cambs and Essex, please do tag us and let us know what you get.

A warm, muggy night meant the Peterborough moth trap was heaving this morning - 112 species including Marbled Yellow Pearl new to the garden (my only other encounter with this moth was memorably in Ulaanbaatar on a @wildlifetraveller.bsky.social trip). More info in ALT #mothsmatter #teammoth

Regulars here will know I'm a seasoned moth-er... I've put together a short "how to get started in mothing" article on my website, which might be of interest to mothing n00bs #teamMoth #mothsMatter www.sciencebase.com/science-blog...

Last night was dry, got to ~20C in our Cambs (VC29) garden. #teamMoth count was 158 specimens of 31 species. First couple of Scarlet Tigers to the trap this year, 5 Elephants and 3 Swallow-tailed, couple of Scalloped Oak, Silver Y, and all the usual suspects for this time of year

Clearwings from the garden over the last month: Lunar Hornet, Red-belted, Orange-tailed and Currant. Six-belted and Red-tipped have also dropped by but didn't want to stop for photos! Royston, Cambs VC29 #TeamMoth

55 species in the garden this morning (VC29) lots of hawkmoths but marbled clover the pick #teammoth

Lots of fresh butterflies on my evening walk today, bodes well for the Coton Bioblitz this weekend 🔍 🐝 @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social

The quiffed up Shark and a garden 1st..The Flame l @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social

An excellent night at Chippenham Fen (VC29) with Anthony Wren, over 170 species with loads of the Fenland specialities and some unexpected Breckland species - Obscure wainscot was new for me, top night. #teamoth

Batia lunaria NFY last night, along with Acrobasis suavella and the rather unexpected Brachmia blandella - a Gorse feeder. VC29 is not renowned for its huge swathes of gorse - I can only think of 1 bush within ~15 miles. Year list now on 329 species #teammoth #cambsmoths

The Shark What a cracking moth, new for garden, vc29. And yesterday, a Hornwt moth was present for a brief while in the afternoon, no photo though. #teammoth

A bit different to Chippenham just 65 species in my little nature reserve (VC29), but a few species not caught at Chippenham despite the green corridor between them #teammoth

Over 80 species in the garden trap this morning (VC29) highlight was a very nice four spotted #teammoth

137/43 VC29, wet, 20C min #teamMoth NFY: Ethmia quadrilella, Hedya salicella, Piniphila bifasciana, Poplar Grey

Swallow-tailed Moth Ourapteryx sambucaria Just see in our garden, what a stunning moth and looks like an early emergence @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social #moths #irecord #savebutterflies #wildspaces

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53 species in the trap last night, for me the biggest surprise was a beautiful Privet Hawk-moth (Sphinx ligustri). UK's largest resident Hawk-moth. What amazing detail in the intricately textured, overlapping scales of the wing. #moths @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social #savebutterflies

A typical view of a White-letter Hairstreak on the way to work this morning. Between Babraham and Sawston @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social

Lots of Purple Hairstreak butterflies flying high amongst the oaks in the village woods this morning. Pleased to spot this female at a lower elevation. Gamlingay Wood LNR, S. Cambridgeshire. #Butterflies

A potential first for the UK trapped in Essex last night @richardfoxbc.bsky.social @rlewington2.bsky.social

Been over a bit to the dark side (or is it the daylight side?) today... Large Skipper, Small White, Meadow Brown and Large Red Damselfly in the garden... @epollard.bsky.social @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social @britishdragonflies.bsky.social Normal nocturnal service will be resumed shortly...

Out now! The Annual Newsletter for the Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey. Find out about the WCBS results for 2025 and read some great articles about butterflies in urban habitats. ukbms.org/sites/defaul...

Perfect painted lady @wildlifebcn.org Brampton Wood this morning. Also the first skippers and silver-washed fritillaries we've seen this year. Both not as keen to pose for a pic as this painted lady. Lots of common spotted orchids too. One of my favourite mindful places. @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social