Thanks very much Dave!

Yesterday I went to Malling Down to find Brown Argus and Common Blue. Now, I did find both, but there was one other species I had wondered but not expected to turn up: Adonis Blue! And both male and female… safe to say I wasn’t fully sure all the Brown Arguses were Brown Argus after I saw her :D :D ...

Hi, So I’ve heard that Wood Whites are now in good numbers at Oaken Wood. I’ve never seen one before and so that also means I’ve never been there before… and it’s a fairly long trip so I’d much rather be well prepared. Can anyone advise me on the way things are done with Wood Whites there? Does one ...

So, no Grizzled Skipper, Green Hairstreak or migrants, but a Common Blue [but no photo :cry: ] and a Wall Day :D :D :D I was there at around 2pm and found only one Grizzlie. I’m just glad I’ve seen an Essex one! I really must go to one of the sites you visit, I’d love to see more than 100 butterfli...

Walls are now emerging in Sussex, with multiple seen at various sites in the past days. Burnet Companion moths are also emerging, and Dingies in good numbers, but Grizzlies and Green Hairstreak still seem scarce (I have only seen one GH this year, and that was not in Sussex). Small Heath are also in...

Matsukaze wrote: ↑Wed Apr 23, 2025 4:26 pm Zayed - those are strange-looking PBFs - is that a local form down there?

I have no idea, as yesterday was the first time I’ve ever seen them! I did have someone else telling me one looked like an ab. May I ask what about them is unusual, is it the black markings?

Had a wonderful day yesterday, visiting Chapel Bank in Surrey for Dukes and then Abbots Wood in Sussex for Pearl-bordered Frits. I found good numbers of both, and had a very special experience with the PBFs.

And.......... I am off and running with my first Holly Blue of 2025, exactly one week after my first sighting in 2024 despite a much warmer Spring with plenty of days of full sun. And it was my trustworthy local park that provided a momentary glimpse of the butterfly as it flew passed me, so no pho...

Not much sun today, but my second Orange-tip emerged. Whilst releasing it another male flew by which I would like to believe was the first one I released a couple of days ago.

At Harrow Lodge Park today a surprising 5 Orange-tip, 3 Holly Blue, 2/3 Comma, 3 Small White and 1 Red Admiral. Also 3 Peacock, many GVW, many (many!) Specklies, 2 Large White. No GH again despite extensive searching. The Orange-tips have timed their emergence very nicely with garlic mustard bloom. ...

bugboy wrote: ↑Fri Apr 18, 2025 6:37 pm Still plenty of Peacock and Comma and lots of Whites who all seemed to be the Green-veined variety.IMG_0300.JPG

GVW seem to have really taken off recently and I'm left confused over where all the Small Whites have gone

Obviously local knowledge is valuable as well as a smidgeon of good fortune, as I struck out again. Green Hairstreak 0 Holly Blue 0 Wall 0 Just the usual suspects then. :cry: :cry: :cry: Are holly blues actively avoiding you David?! This is getting quite ridiculous now :cry: Thankfully in my haunts...

At Harrow Lodge Park yesterday, 2 Orange-tip, 2 Comma, 1 Small Tortie, many GVW with many ovipositing, 2 Brimstone, 2 Large White, a handful of Peacock, 2 Holly Blue, many Speckled Wood. No GH seen although I didn’t search in their area when it was sunny.

At Mill Hill, West Sussex today a Wall Brown female, and a surprise Small Heath just as I was about to leave! Also Dingy Skipper, fresh Red Admiral, Brimstone, Large White, Whites, Peacock, Speckled Wood

I saw a Red Admiral at the top of a hill in Brighton today, after not seeing one for a while. This one seemed quite fresh and was in quite a hurry, it didn’t strike me at the time but now that David mentions it I suppose it could have been a migrant. Also still very little OT activity here and in tr...

And congratulations Zayed for seeing the first Green Hairstreak within Essex in 2025 - at your local park 👍🏻 Thanks David! And to think I looked for them in Kent, Surrey and Sussex when they were going to be here all along :D. I suspect that there is something warm about the site, certainly in the ...

My first garden GVW and Specklie today, along with a worn Comma paid a visit whilst gardening today. Nice to have a visit from the creatures you're gardening for!

A brilliant day at Malling Down in Sussex today, with Small Copper, Dingy Skipper and Grizzled Skipper all seen. The day began with 1 Small Copper at Castle Hill NNR (Brighton), and then at Malling, after quite the hike, I found their hotspot. In total there were 5 Small Copper, 3 Dingies, 2 Grizzli...

Tottenham Marshes is generally better for butterflies than Walthamstow Marshes numbers wise. Walthamstow Marshes is my local patch but I mostly ignore it once the adult hibernators have come and gone, although it does have a good population of Holly Blue that emerge later in the spring and use Goat...

I am starting to get a bit impatient , having seen every other White except my "favourite", Green-veined White, so I've been looking for other places to visit. Two Green-veined today at Harrow Lodge today, hilarious timing. First one I saw was female, and easy to ID in flight. The second ...