May 2025

[David M]

Given the conditions during March and April, it looks like May could have a bag of surprises in store...

[Ian Pratt]

Given the conditions during March and April, it looks like May could have a bag of surprises in store...

Let's hope so! Glanville fritillaries seen on the Isle of Wight very early.

[millerd]

I went out early today on my local patch to try and enjoy some relatively cool conditions before things became too hot for man and insect after lunch.

The first Holly Blue I saw was of similar mind...

A few Small Coppers were already up and about (and I hadn't seen this one before)...

...and likewise a few Small Heaths.

There haven't been many Brown Argus here this year yet, but a brand new female nectaring on the foodplant earned them my forgiveness.

I came across a surprise Green Hairstreak in a spot where I'd never seen one before, but it promptly disappeared. However, redemption came when I discovered another in the precise same location as one had appeared in 2024, doing the same thing - battling Holly Blues.

This became species number 17 for my local patch this year.

Altogether, I found 13 species this morning, with Holly Blues and Orange Tips the only ones in double figures - by 1100 it was already very warm.

Dave

[bugboy]

Bit of flirting going on this morning at Chiddingfold. Like Dave, I left before things got silly hot.

[David Lazarus]

Unlike Dave & Paul, I spent 8 hours in the sweltering heat of Tropical North Essex. As has happened on the previous days, my plans were thwarted, this time by military maneuvers at Middlewick Ranges, that prevented me from completing a full survey, and worst still training prevented me from entering Friday Wood. So, undeterred I walked to Abberton Reservoir and back in 25C heat, and recorded 115 butterfly sightings which some people would say was pretty good. But, for me, it was so different to the sites in South Essex. It did not feel like 100+ as the density of butterflies was very low - it felt very quiet and disappointing bearing in mind this was over 8 hours and 19 miles of walking. EWT Abberton Reservoir is a reserve for birds, but for me, it is a sanitised version of a 'wild' habitat - looks very nice, plenty of trees [they have planted 80,000 apparently], and the shrub layer is great. But there is no groundcover to speak of. The herbaceous layer is virtually non-existent and because of this so are the butterflies, unfortunately.

I walked passed miles of hawthorn without a flicker, let alone a flutter of a Green Hairstreak - and now I have given up. I will now rely on luck.

Very small highlights really - 4 Holly Blue [ first time I have seen more than 1 in a day]. This one pretended it was a Common Blue and I only got a record shot, but it was the first photo of a [rare] Holly Blue in 2025:

Holly Blue male
Roman River SSSI 01.05.2025

Half-a-dozen Small Copper, which is the best so far - and an amorous couple, plus I saw a female ovipositing [not the same one obviously]:

Small Copper male & female
Middlewick Ranges 01.05.2025

And, as in the sites of South Essex, Small Heath numbers are increasing, with plenty of butterfly activity.

Small Heath
Abberton Reservoir 01.05.2025

Peacock were in good numbers at the reservoir, and Orange-tip once again were noticeable wherever I walked. At the end of a long day, I finally experienced some moments:

Orange-tip female ovipositing
Abberton Reservoir 01.05.2025

Green-veined White male x 2 on Cuckoo Flower
Abberton Reservoir 01.05.2025

And this was quite a fortunate shot:

Green-veined White male x 2
Abberton Reservoir 01.05.2025

and by the time I got back to Roman River SSSI it was after 5 and I walked up Cherry Tree Lane unaccompanied by butterflies, so straight into the pub to re-hydrate.

[Chris L]

I had a nice day out in the Wyre Forest with lots of Pearls today.

[Wolfson]

I have seen 5 Painted Lady in the last few days in west Cornwall. I understand that high numbers have recently been seen in Madrid area. A lot of ifs, but maybe PLs UK will be more numerous this year.

[bugboy]

I have seen 5 Painted Lady in the last few days in west Cornwall. I understand that high numbers have recently been seen in Madrid area. A lot of ifs, but maybe PLs UK will be more numerous this year.

There's been a few reports from southern/central Europe recently concerning good numbers so things look good for a painted Lady year!

[Bertl]

An orange tip butterfly in between showers today.

Cheers

Bert.

[Stevieb]

Dukes now out on Battlesbury Hill along with Marsh Fritillaries. Battlesbury Hill, Wiltshire

Dingy Skipper (1)
Grizzled Skipper (7)
Brimstone (3)
Large White (1)
Green Hairstreak (12)
Small Copper (1)
Duke of Burgundy (2)
Red Admiral (1)
Peacock (2)
Marsh Fritillary (2)
Small Heath (10)

2nd May

2nd May

2nd May

2nd May

2nd May

[David Lazarus]

I came a cross this lovely fellow at Maldon Wick Nature Reserve - the first recorded sighting of a Wall there.

Wall male
EWT Maldon Wick Nature Reserve 02.05.2025

It had been relatively quiet up to that point, apart from 20+ Speckled Wood along a 100 metre stretch of disused railway line cum nature reserve. I decided to change plan and headed for Maldon seawall and walked to Mundon Wash Sluice where there is a south-west facing butterfly bank, where I hoped to find some more Wall.

On the way there, there is another butterfly bank with a variety of Brassica spp. It was paradise for all four whites with Green-veined White especially favouring the conditions. 200+ butterflies in total were seen during the day with half of them whites. Of the 127 butterflies along the seawall, 50+ were Green-veined White, 20+ Small White & Orange-tip, and a handful of Large White. Lots of butterfly activity - so much so, it was impossible to record all of them.

Small White male
Maldon seawall 02.05.2025

Large White female
Mundon Wash 02.05.2025

Along the seawall there were also 20+ Small Heath. Along the short stretch of butterfly bank at Mundon Wash there were newly emerged Small Heath, Small Copper, and Common Blue - I failed to photograph the male Common Blue.

Small Heath
Mundon Wash 02.05.2025

Small Copper
Mundon Wash 02.05.2025

And my target species was there also - 2 maybe 3 as they were giving me the run around as is their want.

Wall male
Mundon Wash 02.05.2025

There were also quite a few female Orange-tip ovipositing:

Orange-tip female
Mundon Wash 02.05.2025

By 5 all was starting to quiet down and I was finally able to approach the Green-veined White that were roosting. Females in the undergrowth of the rough grassland slopes:

Green-veined White female
Maldon seawall 02.05.2025

and males being a bit more adventurous on the flower stems swaying in the breeze:

Green-veined Wall male
Maldon seawall 02.05.2025

Way after time, late in the afternoon, there was still enough time for a female Orange-tip to look for the perfect plant in the right conditions to lay her ova - fortunately she took a break which allowed me to catch her portrait:

Orange-tip female
Maldon seawall 02.05.2025

It turned into a surprisingly good day - back to normal really after yesterday's disappointment.

[millerd]

Good numbers of Adonis Blues of both sexes flying down at Denbies hillside this morning.

There were also similar numbers of Common Blues and Brown Argus, plus Small Heaths, Dingy Skippers and Grizzled Skippers (with the last of these starting to look a bit tired now - weeks of sunshine takes its toll).

Dave

[Devon Dave]

Quite a few Small Pearl Bordered Fritillaries on the wing on Dartmoor, Devon yesterday, just over a week earlier then I've ever seen them before,.Good start to the new Month, wonder what else will be early next, possibly Meadow Browns ?

[Ian Pratt]

My wife and I spent a couple of hours yesterday at Noar Hill with at least 6 Duke of Burgundy butterflies seen and photographed.
16 were seen the previous day on the butterfly transect
We then went to Beacon Hill Wiltshire and saw a good number of marsh fritillaries thanks to personal directions from Stevieb.

[essexbutterflyer]

At East Tilbury today, 2 Green Hairstreak took my total GH count this year to 11, meaning I've now seen more GH than Small Copper, quite odd for me.

Also 20 Wall Brown, plenty of Peacock, Whites, Brown Argus, Small Heath, Small Copper, Common Blue, Speckled Wood, Red Admiral. A selection of day-flying moths too.

Obviously the Wall Brown didn't cooperate so no photos of them.

One of the Brown Argus looked odd, perhaps a slight ab. In flight it looked a lot like a Small Blue but upon resting my hopes were crushed . Still nice to have seen my first Essex ones this year after not seeing any Essex ones in spring last year.

[zigzag_wanderer]

I saw at least 15 Painted Lady and 8 Red Admiral as I walked back over the South Downs today (between 4:30 and 5:45 pm). These strong fliers didn't mind the breezy conditions up there. Also saw my first Wall of the year, along with a Broad-bodied Chaser (my first dragonfly). Wednesday's immature female Common Blue was my first damselfly.