March 2025

[David M]

Monday 24th, Cwm Ivy, Gower:

In spite of the mild, sunny weather, just 1 Comma seen today.

Not sure where everything else has gone.

[David M]

,,Doesn’t matter how many different species I may see this year , You can’t beat a peacock on spring blossom to lift the spirits

Agreed. Few things finer.

[Stevieb]

Nice to connect with Small Tortoiseshell yesterday afternoon after a dearth of sightings last year. Bewley Common, Wiltshire

Brimstone (4)
Small Tortoiseshell (2)
Peacock (1)
Comma (4)

24th March

24th March

24th March

24th March

[essexbutterflyer]

A strange but lovely morning of firsts for me at Harrow Lodge Park, East London.

The highlight was my first Large White of the year, a male, 35 days earlier than last year! I had hoped for a Speckled Wood or another White, and did have Large White on the list but was still surprised.

Second, a tiny Comma... if we were a few months down the line I would've thought Small Copper!

Third, a group of swans flew past as I was leaving, a stunning sight.

And lastly this was the earliest successful butterflying trip this year

Also 2 Peacock, 2 more Commas, 1 Red Admiral.

[millerd]

During a very brief burst of warm sunshine on a largely cloudy day, I managed to find a single Peacock basking by the river.

Downstream at Staines Moor, I spotted a little egret...

...but there was little else of interest locally today.

Dave

[Stevieb]

Nice to connect with another Small Tortoiseshell this lunchtime plus my first whites. Beacon Hill, Wiltshire

Brimstone (5)
Small White (1)
Green-veined White (1)
Small Tortoiseshell (1)
Peacock (4)
Comma (3)

25th March

[Allan.W.]

In the local forest earlier ,good numbers of Peacock,Comma,and Brimstone (all males ) particularly Comma .Also one Large Tortoiseshell which came to earth VERY briefly ,before disappearing .Still no Speckled Woods, Whites ........or Small Tortoiseshells.

[millerd]

A cloudy morning down at Box Hill today (with just a handful of Brimstones and a couple of Peacocks) was followed by a very warm and sunny afternoon on my local patch where no fewer than eight species put in an appearance, four of them new for the year. These were GVW, Large White, Speckled Wood and best of all a fresh Holly Blue. The latter wasted no time in seeking out a muddy patch to take in some minerals...

...and wasn't averse to the selection on my finger either.

Altogether, I counted 44 butterflies - a full account will appear in my PD in due course.

Dave

[essexbutterflyer]

First Specklie in a quiet corner of Harrow Lodge Park, East London today. Also 1 Large White, 2 Small, 3/4 Peacock, 4 Comma, 1 Brimstone, 1 Small Tortie.

Very few nymphalids... the Peacocks weren't surprising (good actually, considering how they have shown recently), but only 3 Commas was very strange. I can only hope I was simply too early and/or too distracted by the Speckled Wood.

[David Lazarus]

I was worried about the forecast this week, but I needn’t have been as this was one of the best days this year with 74 butterflies and 6 species seen across 4 sites on a day of full sun and 13C temperatures - more importantly, no cold wind at last. I walked the Belton Hills Nature Reserve to Benfleet Downs route via Hadleigh Castle Country Park and even had time for a quick trip to Canvey Wick Nature Reserve for the last hour of the day. It was a Peacock day with 54 seen. Just like everywhere else I have visited in Essex this spring, apart from my local patch, I have found Peacock to be in good numbers and I am nearly up to 100 recorded sightings during 2025. Still only 4 here in the floodplain of the River Chelmer for some unknown reason.

2025 Peacock Recorded Sightings up to 26/03
Source: iRecord

Everywhere I went today there were Peacock basking on the path in front of me - some extremely tatty and others in good shape.

Peacock
Belton Hills Nature Reserve 26/03/2025

Peacock
Hadleigh Castle Country Park 26/03/2025

Peacock
Hadleigh Castle Country Park 26/03/2025

It was actually not a very good day for photography with very few opportunities to approach butterflies that were as active as I have seen them this year. I watched a male Green-veined White nectar on Blackthorn blossom Prunus spinosa, and a freshly emerged male Large White basking on Charlock Sinapis arvensis, a non-native that has naturalised throughout the UK and it seemed to be everywhere which was a little worrying to be honest. Anyway, my first Large White of 2025 which took off as I approached, and a second one later flew past me at Benfleet Downs.

There were also a handful of Brimstone at Belton Hills Nature Reserve, and a few Comma around the place competing for spots with the Peacock. And also loving the Charlock.

Comma
Belton Hills Nature Reserve 26/03/2025

Comma
Hadleigh Castle Country Park 26/03/2025

Peacock continued to pop up as I walked a circuit of Canvey Wick Nature Reserve. My only sighting of a Small Tortoiseshell was at Canvey Wick which was good to see. On my way out and home after a long day, I came across a male Brimstone nectaring on Red Dead Nettle Lamium purpureum at 2.45pm which was an unexpected delight especially as he was one of the few butterflies to not care that I had approached him. It gave me an opportunity to get my best photograph of the day.

Brimstone male
Canvery Wick Nature Reserve 26/03/2025

Tomorrow should be an even better day (hopefully) and I might even get to 100 sightings recorded in a day for the first time this year, if I am lucky. Probably more than half will be Peacock and will dominate the ride profile at Hatfield Forest.

[Matsukaze]

Still some Brown Hairstreak eggs around in Somerset.

[essexbutterflyer]

I was worried about the forecast this week, but I needed have been as this was one of the best days this year with 74 butterflies and 6 species seen across 4 sites on a day of full sun and 13C temperatures - more importantly, no cold wind at last.

I was on iRecord earlier to search through Essex records for Orange-tip… I found dozens of your records from today and was absolutely amazed

Glad that so many Peacocks were out!

[David Lazarus]

Yes, best day so far this year Zayed. Good luck today if you are out and about. We need a first Holly Blue in Essex - I am relying on you as north-east London appears to be a week ahead of north & south Essex. And Dave is doing well at Heathrow which seems to be about two weeks ahead of the sites I visit. Orange-tip at Heathrow today is not out of the question I think Dave?

[millerd]

...And Dave is doing well at Heathrow which seems to be about two weeks ahead of the sites I visit. Orange-tip at Heathrow today is not out of the question I think Dave?

Probably hard to believe for you over on the other side of London, David, but there has been virtually no sunshine here today. A plume of cloud from the southwest appeared at around eight this morning and has persisted throughout the day (though there may be a glimmer of sun appearing now...) Bizarrely you could see on the satellite images that only a few miles to the east and southeast there were clear blue skies. Anyway, no Orange Tips - I think I may have to wait a few more days for that springtime treat!

Dave

[essexbutterflyer]

Yes, best day so far this year Zayed. Good luck today if you are out and about. We need a first Holly Blue in Essex - I am relying on you as north-east London appears to be a week ahead of north & south Essex. And Dave is doing well at Heathrow which seems to be about two weeks ahead of the sites I visit. Orange-tip at Heathrow today is not out of the question I think Dave?

Well David, I was hoping for an Orange-tip or Holly Blue as well, and I did indeed visit a north east London site for the former for the same reason you mentioned! Sadly I saw z e r o butterflies, and, slightly humbled, I decided to head back to my new regular haunt in Hornchurch.

I didn’t find either of those species, or even a GVW which I had also hoped for, but I did find a very good number of Peacocks!

The totals for today were: 20 Peacock, 10 Comma, 2 Small Tortoiseshell, a couple of Whites including Small and Large, 1 Brimstone and 1 Red Admiral. Couldn’t find the Specklie but it probably moved on as it’s habitat grew shaded as the day progressed.

The good numbers of Peacock align well with Blackthorn bloom, with a lot more of it now flowering. Perhaps I worried too soon!

I will probably visit further north east London sites in the coming days, but I’d be surprised if the first Orange-tip isn’t seen very soon anyway!

[David Lazarus]

I can believe it Dave as I experienced it at Hatfield Forest too. What I expected to be a fantastic day with 17C and full sun started off so well with my first sighting at 08.50. It was also the first and only Red Admiral sighting at Hatfield Forest in 2025, so far. Very unexpected.

Red Admiral
Hatfield Forest 27/03/2025

After such a good start it was an immense disappointment when the cloud came over half-an-hour later, with only brief sunny intervals for the next 2 1/2-3 hours which scuppered any chance of recording 100+ sightings in a day for the first time this year. The Peacocks went into the trees and the Brimstone did not venture out from the undergrowth. Which left the Comma who did not seem to mind the partial shade or the chilly south-westerly breeze. Although they did keep low down in the plant litter and there was little or no butterfly activity to be seen.

Comma
Hatfield Forest 27/03/2025

I felt so frustrated, perhaps because I had high expectations for the day. Then at around 1 o'clock blue skies at last, and my first Brimstone. And then the Peacock began to show themselves too but it was too late for them to be recorded in significant numbers as I had already gone around half the site. The weather completely ruined the collection of data for reviewing the seasonal change of the ride profile.

Peacock
Hatfield Forest 27/03/2025

But butterflies always seem to have a way of lifting my spirits. This time, after a brief chase along a ride at 2.45 in the afternoon, I caught up with a male Brimstone preparing to roost. And he did not mind me sticking my iPhone in his face for a short while too

Brimstone at roost
Hatfield Forest 27/03/2025

At this point it was a lovely spring late afternoon with blue skies and full sun - with butterflies gone to roost. But not all of them thankfully as I walked the last hour to the exit. And of course, it was a Comma day. They stayed with me all day and the final 2 butterflies I saw having a little spat before settling for some happy snaps were Comma.

It wasn't until I was on the bus home that I discovered that I had recorded more butterfly sightings than yesterday, by 4. But still 22 short of a century. I did though pass the 100 mark for Peacock sightings in 2025. Comma though was by far the winner on a mostly cloudy and chilly rather than warm and sunny day of butterflying.

Comma 33
Peacock 26
Brimstone 18
Red Admiral 1

Nothing else though so far at Hatfield Forest. Not all bad then but still super-frustrating.

[David Lazarus]

I decided to head back to my new regular haunt in Hornchurch…. I did find a very good number of Peacocks! The totals for today were: 20 Peacock, 10 Comma, 2 Small Tortoiseshell, a couple of Whites including Small and Large, 1 Brimstone and 1 Red Admiral.

You are single-handedly putting Harrow Lodge Park on the map, Zayed. Top effort!

[Allan.W.]

Flying visit late afternoon to the local woods after a days scrub clearance at Dungeness ,arrived at 3.20 pm still pretty warm ,and the wood was deserted, many Peacocks and particularly Commas on the wing,but the Brimstones had gone to bed .After around 15 minutes something a bit larger ,and a Large Tortoiseshell put in a very brief appearance ,jinking to and fro but not settling....and finally disappearing over the treetops.Wandered about for another half hour ,and decided to head back to the car,and noticed a Large pale butterfly flying towards me at chest height,it actually flew into me and flew back the way it came ,as it reached a shaded area it turned and once again flew towards me ,this time settling on the ride .It was pretty obliging and allowed fairly close approach ,managed a few shotsand then just watched its superb flight up and back in the ride settling several times .......it was still around when I left at 4.25.

[Testudo Man]

A late start to the season this year for me!...although i did go out back on the 7th of this month too.
An extended lunch break today, saw good numbers of both Peacock (15+). Comma (15+). Brimstone (6) plus a single female. All at a local woodland here in Kent. Im pretty sure i may well have seen a Goshawk?! It flew real fast an low to the ground, cutting through the thick woodland in silence...what a sight that was, an a 1st for me, if it was truly a Goshawk??
No images are cropped, cheers Paul.

Comma, shot back on the 7th.

Peacock, shot today.

Comma, shot today. Taken on the edge of the woodland, near a housing estate, where a large area is mowed, hence the lovely green/grass background!

[Stevieb]

I've now seen more Small Tortoiseshells in the past week than I did in the whole of last year! River Avon, Melksham Wiltshire

Small Tortoiseshell (2)
Peacock (4)
Comma (4)

28th March

28th March

28th March

28th March