April 2025

[Stevieb]

Very quiet on the hill this morning apart from the Hairstreaks and Brimstones. I always find this site better for Green Hairstreak than Battlesbury Hill as they are always easier to get close to for Photography. Cotley Hill, Wiltshire

Brimstone (10)
Large White (1)
Small White (2)
Green Hairstreak (7)
Holly Blue (1)
Peacock (1)

11th April

11th April

11th April

11th April

[David M]

Friday 11th, Cwm Ivy & Whiteford Burrows, Gower:

Speckled Wood 40-50
Orange Tip 34
Green Veined White 6
Holly Blue 5
Peacock 2
Dingy Skipper 2
Comma 1
Small White 1
Brimstone 1

[essexbutterflyer]

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!

[David M]

Friday 11th, Welshmoor, Gower:

Green Veined White 2
Large White 2
Green Hairstreak 2
Peacock 1

[Vince Massimo]

Updating previous observations:

The "mystery" egg found on Cleavers on 3rd April was, indeed that of a Humming-bird Hawk-moth. It was found hatched early this morning revealing a 3mm long larva which is feeding nicely.

Humming-bird Hawk-moth egg - Crawley, Sussex 3-April-2025

Developing Humming-bird Hawk-moth egg - Crawley, Sussex 8-April-2025

Developing Humming-bird Hawk-moth egg - Crawley, Sussex 10-April-2025

Humming-bird Hawk-moth larva - Crawley, Sussex 11-April-2025

The food plant is a bit tricky to deal with, so it just comprises a few sprigs in a pot of water at the moment.

I have been monitoring Red Admiral and Comma eggs at a local site which comprises the vegetated bank of a stream, abutting the footpath. A few days ago I found that the Council had mown most of the flat portion, but fortunately missed my marked plants literally by two inches. I had already moved some eggs and larvae for further study, but would have still lost many others.

Study site with marker twigs - Crawley, Sussex 8-April-2025

One of the opportunities at my study site was looking at the differences between Comma eggs and Red Admiral eggs. The literature on these species says that you can usually rely on the number of longitudinal keels running down the sides of the eggs, Commas having between 10 and 11 (11 being usual), while Red Admirals have between 8 and 10 (9 being usual). As both species were ovipositing here, I found a leaf which seemed to have both types of eggs and after checking the larvae that emerged from them, the surprising conclusion was that the Comma egg is larger than that of the Red Admiral.

Comma egg (left), Red Admiral egg (right) - Crawley, Sussex 4-April-2025

There is also a better image in the Species Gallery from Will Langdon, which shows both eggs side-by-side.

Sightings for the day came from a visit to Wakehurst Place, Sussex where the following were seen: 1 Green-veined White, 2 Large White, 5 mixed Whites, 10 Orange-tip, 8 Brimstone, 1 Comma, 1 Red Admiral and 4 Speckled Wood.

Vince

[millerd]

I spent the morning down at Noar Hill in Hampshire. Overall, there were surprisingly few butterflies - just a handful of Peacocks, Orange Tips and Brimstones - but at around 1100, I came across a Dingy Skipper...

...and then a little later, a couple of Dukes of Burgundy (my first of 2025).

Despite thorough searching, I failed to locate any others, but I'm sure more will follow soon. Not a sniff of a Green Hairstreak, though, which surprised me.

Dave

[Testudo Man]

Extended lunch break today, to search for Dingy Skippers, at a local Kent site. 3 fresh Dingys seen, plus 5 Grizzlies too. Finally spotted a Speckled Wood, an also a quick flash sighting of a Green Hairstreak. Low numbers of Orange Tips, 1 Comma, 3 Peacocks...but the most numerous butterfly seen was the Brimstone (approx. 10) mainly females!...Again, probably too hot to see much i guess?!
No images are cropped, 2 camera setups used, cheers Paul.

Dingys.

At the same site last Sunday, 3 Grizzlies seen...but not a lot else really.
Appear to be a couple of "confused" males??

[Jack Harrison]

Target for today 12th April

A lovely late spring / early summer day in prospect.
I have been ill but am much better. So today is my first good opportunity for a butterfly hunt. Cawdor by the River Nairn.

Species hoped for but nothing guaranteed:
Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Green-veined White, Small White and Orange Tip
And birds on the river (quite probable) returned Grey Wagtail, Mandarin Duck (strong local colony).

I'll report back later as to success - or most likely, non-success.

Jack

[David M]

Make the most of today, Jack. Looks like temperatures will be back to 12c/13c for the foreseeable.

[Jack Harrison]

During drive to Cawdor (distance 10 miles) a smallish 'white' was probably an Orange Tip but couldn't look properly as I was in 'Pheaasnt Avoidance mode' at the time.

The vegetation at Milton Bridge over the River Nairn was later than I had expected: no Wood Anemones and feeble hints of Sallow flowers. So too early for most butterflies. But I did see one Comma and a surprise Large White (not especially common up here). Temperature 15C.

But as always, worth a visit for the scenery.

My car but number plate obscured to minimise the risk of cloning and subsequently getting parking or speeding tickets for someone else's misdemeanours. Yes it happens but not to me (so far).

The sky heralds the change to - with luck - some rain in the coming few days

Jack

[David Lazarus]

A Painted Lady was seen at Wanstead Flats today. And congratulations Zayed for seeing the first Green Hairstreak within Essex in 2025 - at your local park

I haven’t even managed to find a Holly Blue yet despite the abundant Holly & Ivy; and searching in all the right places, no Green Hairstreak or Grizzled Skipper at One Tree Hill today

[essexbutterflyer]

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 .

I suspect that there is something warm about the site, certainly in the spots where the first Holly Blue and GH were seen, to produce multiple county firsts this year.

Also 2 Holly Blue, 1 Large White, at least 1 GVW and 2 eggs, Small White, 2 Orange-tip, 2 Brimstone, a lot of Speckled Woods, 3 Peacock and 2 Comma.

At East Tilbury Sea Wall, 18 Peacock, 6 GVW, 1 Speckled Wood, 1 Orange-tip, 1 potential Tortie but no Wall Brown.

[millerd]

A glorious warm and sunny day up at Incombe Hole again, and a genuine feast of spring butterfly species.

First to appear were Green Hairstreaks, and by the middle of the day, every bit of hawthorn contained at least two lovely fresh examples - there must have been dozens of them.

Next to enjoy the sunshine were Grizzled Skippers, which also easily reached double figures...

...smartly followed by the Dingy Skippers - which were perhaps not quite as numerous.

Last to take the stage were a few fresh Dukes, completing the traditional quartet.

With a supporting cast of Peacocks, Brimstones, Orange Tips and a Comma or two, it was a memorable day. (I'm told a Small Heath was also spotted, but I missed that one. )

There were several other folk enjoying the spectacle (Hi, Monica!), but not too many and it was all very relaxed and thoroughly enjoyable.

A full account will eventually appear in my PD - with the change in the weather, I may have a chance to catch up!

Dave

[bugboy]

Denbies hillside for me today. Grizzled Skippers easily reached double figures, looks like a good season for them. Dingy's were out in modest numbers, and only 3 Green Hairstreaks were found. Had a bonus flyby from a Small Heath (he hopped over a barbed wire fence before I could get a shot off) and a Small Copper which sat just long enough for a few distant record shots. Peacocks, Brimstone and Orange-tip were for the most part unapproachable (largely because they rarely settled, at least in view)

[Allan.W.]

Of the five local areas ,holding Grizzled Skippers .......only 2 are still viable ,two have completely "scrubbed over" and one ,which admittedly was on its last legs has been ploughed over and burnt.......a shame as it held Grizzles,Green Hairstreaks ,2 very rare moths and an exceptionally rare cricket ,plus breeding Nightingales et al. At one of the remaining sites we were able to ,get the landowner "on-board" and he allowed several work parties in over the winter period, and with 15-20 people working the site I was a little concerned that there may be a fair amount of "trample damage"......So today, my first visit of 25' I was "over the moon " to find a minimum of three very fresh Grizzles !

[Roger Gibbons]

A glorious warm and sunny day up at Incombe Hole again, and a genuine feast of spring butterfly species.

Dave, your photos were on show today at the Herts & Middx AGM.

I make a couple of trips to Inchcombe Hole each year, but it looks like it's already an early season (thanks for the info), so maybe the first trip in the next few days.

Roger

[Charles Nicol]

i went to Sharpenhoe Clappers and also Barton Hills today. no sign of Skippers yet, but one Green Hairstreak on a thorn bush.

i was delighted to find some pasque flowers in bloom.

[David M]

....So today, my first visit of 25' I was "over the moon " to find a minimum of three very fresh Grizzles !

Beautiful abs, Allan. Never seem to get any of those here in S. Wales.

[David T]

It was a Fantastic Super Saturday for Buttterflying at Totternhoe nature reserve. For me I had two of my earliest ever records, (Six) Duke of Burgundy and (Four) Dingy Skipper - This probably meant I could have even missed the first sightings by 3 or 4 days. Today also were my first Grizzled Skippers (4). Making up the (14) other species - Which would have also been a record for the second week of April - Were Brimstones, GV Whites, Large Whites, Small Whites, Orange Tips, Speckled Woods, Holly Blues, Peacocks, Commas, Green Hairstreaks, and then back to Dog Kennel to look for the Small Tortoiseshells, where a couple were found in the normal location. It has also been confirmed that the Dukes are the earliest ever Bedforshire sightings by (3) days, and the Dingy's by (8) days. A total of (170) butterflies recorded that day. I didn't manage a photo of the G Hairstreaks on Saturday so heres one from Houghton Regis on the 10th April.

Duke of Burgundy - Totternhoe 12/04/2025 @ 12:47pm

Duke of Burgundy - Totternhoe 12/04/2025 @ 12:18pm

Duke of Burgundy - Totternhoe 12/04/2025 @ 12:05pm

Two Dukes - Totternhoe 12/04/2025 @ 12:04pm

Grizzled Skipper - Tottoernhoe 12/04/2025 @ 14:23pm

Dingy Skipper - Totternhoe 12/04/2025 @ 12:39pm

Dingy Skipper - Totternhoe 12/04/2025 @ 12:35pm

Small Tortoiseshell - Houghton Regis 11/04/2025 @ 17:18pm

Green Hairstreak - Houghton Regis 10/04/2025 @ 14:17pm

[Allan.W.]

An interesting Small Copper AB; at a very windy Dungeness earlier an "Orange Spotted" AB;Cupreopunctata .....only the second i,ve seen. 10 Coppers seen today (20 on the 7th)