A few more sightings from this morning at Ulwell including my first Adonis Blue & 20+Brown Argus 😀

At least 2 Marsh Fritillary on the hillside at Ulwell nr Swanage this morning. I did see one last year in the same spot. Assume continued release in same area. 🤔 @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @martinswarren.bsky.social

A great start to Spring for the Holly Blue 🦋 6 in my small urban garden this afternoon. Also had 2 Painted Lady Zoom past. 😀 @BC_Dorset @savebutterflies

Duke of Burgundy (Hamearis lucina) have finally emerged in Dorset.

A few Spring butterflies seen at a blustery Martin Down this morning. Nice to see my first Green Hairstreak of the year 😀

Yay, my first Wall of the year, but the big surprise is that it’s a female. They usually come out a bit later to make sure there are plenty of males around to mate quickly. Seen on chalk ridge near Swanage @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

Looking like one of the best Springs in recent years but we can only be sure if you record the butterflies seen. We encourage the use of iRecord, an app you can download to your phone. Its free and simple to use. Do give it a try & thanks if you already use it @savebutterflies.bsky.social

👏 Hurray the cycle is complete. Adult Clouded Yellow x3 on our Southbourne transect today. All stages monitored overwinter to demonstrate successful overwintering. Thanks to all who helped 👍 @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

Would you believe it my first visit to Ulwell this year rewarded with a Large Tortoiseshell. Unfortunately did not see the upper wing until it flew off. Second sighting locally this week I believe 😀 @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

Another Dorset sighting of Large Tortoiseshell. Perseverance pays!

My first Orange-tip and Holly Blue of the year along the Purbeck Ridge between Corfe Castle and Swanage. Too flighty for photos so here is a more obliging Peacock amongst gorse flowers! @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

The "Southern Cousin" of our Orange Tip. The Provence Orange Tip was in big numbers on the hills and mountain slopes in Spain last week. Mijas Spain

First Holly Blue sighting in Dorset, plus first Small White, courtesy of @[email protected] www.dorsetbutterflies.com/2026/03/holl...

Canary Island Large White now in crisis following likely extinction on Tenerife

First garden butterfly of 26 for me Peacock sunbathing on the wall. Spring is round the corner 😀 @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

Painted Lady on the wing in the Obs garden just now

A refreshingly positive 'good news' story by M.S. Warren, S. Rich, and N. Haywood regarding the fortunes of the Silver-studded Blue over 50 years at Studland Heath National Nature Reserve, Dorset, UK. Detailed article at www.dispar.org/reference.ph... @martinswarren.bsky.social

Many thanks to @bcpcouncil.bsky.social for completing the pre Christmas planned transect land management. Nice suprise of 3 Painted Lady (Library pic) on the Undercliff lunchtime. Maybe migrants after recent warm southerly winds. @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @migrantmothuk.bsky.social

Saw 9 Clouded Yellows with @garyh-56.bsky.social and @andos13.bsky.social along with 3 larvae. Amazing day for late November. Also 2 Red Admirals.

Rather bedraggled helice form of Clouded Yellow at Chapmans Pool in south Dorset just now. This remarkable long season goes on @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social @richardfoxbc.bsky.social

It may be late October but still have a couple of Speckled Wood in my Poole garden 😀 @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

Still penty of Clouded Yellow on the wing at a ☀️ Southbourne today. Also seen lightly marked Small Copper. Sightings reported to @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

I was in Southbourne today so took the chance to have a look at the undercliff where I had previously seen Clouded Yellow caterpillars earlier in the month. After a bit of a search, I found one. Very low down and battling the elements (wind and rain showers) I hope it makes it adulthood.

A rather small helice form of Clouded Yellow at Southbourne today. This individual had a delecate lemon flush on the wings. 😀 @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

Denbies Hillside, Surrey: a sign of our times - October 9th, stood in a t-shirt watching Redwings and a Brambling at the same time as this Chalkhill Blue butterfly!! It’s all over the place…

Though windy at Fontmell Down today, it was nice to see a few very fresh butterflies on the wing. @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

Enjoyable walk at Ulwell near Swanage at lunchtime. Good numbers of insects on the wing despite very dry conditions. Picture of very cooperative Migrant Hawker (f) 😀 @britishdragonflies.bsky.social

Only 2 dedicated transect walkers👍 seen at Alners Gorse reserve at lunchtime. Temperature peaked at 33c so didn't stay long. Of note a very active lemon coloured female Clouded Yellow patrolling the meadow. 😀 @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

As a true climate opportunist the Short-tailed Blue (C argiades, staartblauwtje), which arrived in NL in 2009, profits from hot and dry summers caused by climate change. Numbers on Dutch Butterfly Monitoring transects now higher than ever.

Congratulations to William Brame @landguardbirder.bsky.social for realising this was a different white butterfly. Now confirmed by @chrisvanswaay.bsky.social as a Southern Small White - the first seen in England. As it is a female let's hope it has been laying eggs. @matthewberry.bsky.social

Some Copper butterfly sightings from my central European Campervan holiday so far 😎 @europebutterfly.bsky.social

Visited Portland today to see the Silver-studded Blue. 8 in total, seen from 2 separate locations. Reported to @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

Wow, both White Admiral and Silver-washed Fritillary are out. Both seen at Badbury Rings on 2nd June. I assume these are records dor earliness www.dorsetbutterflies.com/2025/06/whit...

Silver-studded Blue from visit to @rspbengland.bsky.social Arne Nature Reserve yesterday.

21c ☀️ At Ulwell this morning, Adonis Blue numbers building with more females emerging. Count recorded at @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social 😀

They are coming but still rather low numbers, late May is usually when we see first big influx, if it’s going to be a good PL year

My first manically flying Painted Lady, presumably a migrant, seen near Corfe Castle, Dorset at 19:00. Anyone else seeing any?? I heard reports of good numbers in S Europe a few weeks ago @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene) on #Dartmoor yesterday

Double digits Dingy Skipper on Devil's Dyke (Newmarket) today. I've never had more than 4 before. But the highlight was this Small Copper found by Paul Fisher

Last day of April ☀️ 23c at Ulwell lots of 🦋 including a suprise Marsh Fritillary. Probable release as MF does not occur at this site.

Spent an enjoyable hour watching several Green Hairstreak this morning. It doesn't seem to matter how they settle head up or down. This one completed a full 360 😀 @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

No butterfly better symbolizes the arrival of spring in the British Isles than this species, the Orange-tip. I had a great weekend watching them and saw plenty of their little orange eggs being laid on Cuckooflower. Plus a Snake's head fritillary to boot, marvelous! Alderholt, Dorset. 📸

Duke of Burgundy reported by Matthew Oates from the other place, near Stroud in Glos, his second earliest. And it was a female!!

Green Hairstreak in a sheltered ☀️ spot at Martin Down Hampshire today. My first of the year 😀 @britishnatureguide.bsky.social

The signs are up on section 1 of the Southbourne transect. Many thanks once again to BCP Council for agreeing to make S1 a no mow area encouraging 🦋 to flourish 😀 @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

Counted 11 Speckled Wood this afternoon at Ulwell none last week. 😀

An early Small Copper seen and photographed by Daniel Cable-Davey in Ravenswood Ipswich on Mar 29. Earlier than most years although our earliest record is Mar 20

STOP PRESS 2. Large Tortoiseshell seen at Studland by Phyl England. One of a several sightings along the south coast, suggesting it may be a genuine migrant @richardfoxbc.bsky.social

First Speckled Wood of the year today at Puxton Marsh, Worcs this afternoon @bc-westmids.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social @worcswt.bsky.social

I love the southern form of the Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria, looks so different from the yellow form we get in Britain. Just a few emerging now in Sicily to go in my 15 minute counts @europebutterfly.bsky.social