2023 - Large Tortoiseshell

[Pete Eeles]

Time to start this year's thread! We often get asked by 'the great and the good' to let them know what's been posted on UKB before the formal records are collated at the end of the year, and there's also a lot going on in the broader ecosystem (Twitter, Facebook etc.) that also warrant a mention. I intend to keep this list up to date so, if you have any additional sightings, do let me know (or post a reply to this thread). Thanks!

Cheers,

- Pete

Mar 25th
Houghton Forest, West Sussex
Source: https://twitter.com/Aliceparfitt/status ... 5151025152

Apr 2nd
3 adults seen at Peacehaven, East Sussex
Source: http://www.sussex-butterflies.org.uk/sightings/

Apr 3rd
North-west Kent
Source: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1135722 ... 777639719/

Apr 3rd
Newtown, Isle of Wight
Source: comment in: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1135722 ... 777639719/

Apr 4th
Herne Bay, Kent
Source: https://www.facebook.com/groups/6671878 ... 695518388/

Apr 4th
Orlestone Forest, Ashford, Kent
Source: https://twitter.com/Chequertree1/status ... EVN8g&s=08

Apr 4th
Perry Hill, Arun, Sussex
Source: http://www.sussex-butterflies.org.uk/sightings/

Apr 4th
Newchurch, Isle of Wight
Source: This thread

Apr 6th
Horseshoe Plantation (Beachy Head), Eastbourne, Sussex
Source: http://www.sussex-butterflies.org.uk/sightings/

Apr 7th
A different individual also seen at Horseshoe Plantation (Beachy Head), Eastbourne, Sussex
Source: This thread

Apr 7th
Cranmore, Isle of Wight
Source: This thread

Apr 7th
Ringmer, Sussex
Source: http://www.sussex-butterflies.org.uk/sightings/

Apr 7th
Male at Abbotts Wood (Hailsham), Sussex
Source: This thread

Apr 7th
Woodingdean, East Sussex
Source: This thread

Apr 9th
Blackheath, Wenhaston, Suffolk
Source: https://twitter.com/bc_suffolk/status/1 ... J3bgwpPxLQ

Apr 9th
St Francis Fields, Northiam, Sussex
Source: https://irecord.org.uk/record-details/l ... d=29869890

Apr 10th
Carisbrooke, Isle of Wight
Source: This thread

Apr 19th
Cowes, Isle of Wight
Source: This thread

Apr 25th
Golden Hill Fort, Freshwater, Isle of Wight
Source: This thread

Apr 29th
Hollingbury (Brighton), Sussex. Female LT released, after becoming trapped in (or after waking within) greenhouse.
Source: Source: http://www.sussex-butterflies.org.uk/sightings/

May 7th
Dunwich, Suffolk
Source: https://twitter.com/gbchownster/status/ ... 63809?s=12

Jun 15th
Several larval webs, Sussex
Source: http://www.sussex-butterflies.org.uk/sightings/

Jun 16th
Middleton Common, Sussex
Source: http://www.sussex-butterflies.org.uk/sightings/

June 19th
6 individuals of a possible release. Elmley NR, Kent
Source: https://www.facebook.com/groups/6671878 ... 875636036/

June 22nd
Long Pits, Dungeness, Kent
Source: This thread

June 28th
Croyde, North Devon
Source: This thread

July 2nd
NT Trencrom Hill, West Cornwall
Source: This thread

July 2nd
Kestle Barton, Nr Helford, Cornwall
Source: This thread

July 11th
One photographed by Celia Curtis in her Felpham (near Bognor, Sussex) garden.
Source: http://www.sussex-butterflies.org.uk/sightings/

[Stevieb]

Hi Pete

Not sure if Guernsey comes under your remit but one seen today if it does.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10 ... 1878884937

[Pete Eeles]

Thanks Stevie - given that the Channel Islands is a very different biogeographic area, I think we should stick with Britain & Ireland, rather than the British Isles!

Cheers,

- Pete

[Devon Dave]

Hi Pete,
interesting to note a certain Helen Chaffe reported also seeing one in her Gloucestershire garden today in response to the Guernsey sighting report on Facebook .Wonder if anyone has followed up on that report.
Things are getting exciting,
Dave.

[garrypogson]

well, sorry to be a wet blanket, but I was given a fairly convincing little lecture last year on the unreliability of many Large Tortoiseshell sightings, so now I only get excited when I see a photo... especially as i am ready to travel a good distance to see my first LT. In fact my own personal rule for my own 'ticks' is 'no photo no tick' - although it was a bit crazy that meant I ticked white admiral, brown hairstreak and heath fritillary before orange tip - which I had unmistakeably seen often since about the age of 8!

[John W]

A Large Tortoiseshell was seen at Houghton Forest in West Sussex on March 25th.

It was reported on the Sussex Butterfly Conservation Sightings web page:

http://www.sussex-butterflies.org.uk/sightings/

I've attached a screen shot of the report:

Cheers
John W

[Mark Tutton]

Three adults and a larval web reported from Peacehaven on Sussex BC
http://www.sussex-butterflies.org.uk/sightings/
Kind regards
Mark

[Pete Eeles]

Thanks John - that sighting was the first to be posted (the first item in this thread).

Thanks Mark - added!

Cheers,

- Pete

[JimB]

Hi Pete,
A few more details about the Isle of Wight sighting on 3rd April. Keith Marston was the observer who photographed it at Walters Copse, Newtown so a reliable source. Interestingly, Large Tortoiseshell was thought to be breeding in Walters Copse years ago before it was considered that they were part of an illegal release. However, the gentleman suspected of the release passed away over a year ago and had not been mobile for a couple of years previously. We seem to get annual sightings at this time of year in the Isle of Wight, but in different locations, so it is interesting to speculate as to their origin.

[Pete Eeles]

Thanks Jim!

Cheers,

- Pete

[Allan.W.]

Large Tort ,seen and photographed today in Herne Bay .Kent by Karen Hall ..............Kent butterflies twitter page .
Allan W.

[Neil Hulme]

And another in Kent https://twitter.com/Chequertree1
BWs, Neil

[Pete Eeles]

Thanks Allan and Neil - both are on the list (the first item in this thread).

And keep 'em coming ... I've not known such a start to the year for this species!

Cheers,

- Pete

[Allan.W.]

And another ! reported from my local patch ,Orlestone forest ,Kent (yesterday),don,t know all the details but seen by a very competant observer . Allan.W.
I,d be very surprised if Dungeness fails to throw up a few records .................watch this space !

[Allan.W.]

Pete ,been doing a bit of digging and can confirm that my last entrance ,ie individual in Orlestone is the same individual as posted by Neil ie; "Chequertree" .So if you want to be a bit more precise with location (although it is near Ashford ) the record is for Orlestone forest.
Didn,t realise that the "competant observer " i mentioned was "Chequertree" .
Allan.W.

[Neil Freeman]

Given the discussions around the provenance of some sightings over the last few years, this does not help
https://www.wwb.co.uk/spring-and-summer ... ros-larvae

Amongst others, Marsh and Glanville Fritillaries are also available, two more species that have been appearing all over the place recently.

I know from some of the things I have seen posted online that quite a few people get livestock from this place, Deaths Head and Oleander Hawk Moths for example are often available and have been increasingly 'seen' in recent years, but the way this is worded, encouraging release of this species into the wild, really concerns me.

Cheers,

Neil.

[David M]

I was quite amazed by the sentence at the end which they have highlighted in bold red:

Could you help establish this extinct British species in your area?

What next? American Painted Ladies?

[Pete Eeles]

Pete ,been doing a bit of digging and can confirm that my last entrance ,ie individual in Orlestone is the same individual as posted by Neil ie; "Chequertree" .So if you want to be a bit more precise with location (although it is near Ashford ) the record is for Orlestone forest.
Didn,t realise that the "competant observer " i mentioned was "Chequertree" .
Allan.W.

Thanks Allan - updated!

Cheers,

- Pete

[David Simcox]

With regards to the livestock seller mentioned above, and many similar ones, this makes understanding population distributions and trends extremely difficult to interpret, especially for species such as Large Tortoisehell, Marsh Fritillary (a European protected species), Black-veined White and Duke of Burgundy. Some of these will then end up on SSSIs, NNRs and SACs, from where they may have ultimately originated!

An interesting topic

Best wishes

Dave

[Pete Eeles]

Thanks Dave. Yes, it is a very sorry state of affairs. For every rare sighting these days, there seems to be an equal number in the "it's a release" brigade (given the availability of livestock) as those in the "it's a natural occurrence" camp. And both parties state their opinion based on no evidence whatsoever, usually! I must admit, I tend to treat every rarity outside of their known distribution as a release unless circumstances dictate otherwise - what's happening in the bigger picture, weather patterns, known releases, availability of livestock, etc.

I like your Freudian slip of Large Tortoise-hell

Cheers,

- Pete