April 2025

[David Lazarus]

I managed to find nine species, but unusually one of them wasn't a Comma…. I conducted an Easter egg hunt.

Out of the 10 species I had seen up to yesterday [make that 11 now with the Holly Blue later in the day ], the one species I did not see was Comma also, Dave. It was unusual for me too, although I have noticed numbers have been declining everywhere [quite rapidly in places], and they’re not looking their best now, which is sad.

May I ask, what species is the first plant with the ova on them? I do not recognise the young leaves.

[millerd]

May I ask, what species is the first plant with the ova on them? I do not recognise the young leaves.

I'm pretty sure it's a buckthorn - one or other species of rhamnus anyway. It's the only bit I've been able to find for certain locally, but given the number of Brimstones around, there must be more somewhere in the hedgrows. The leaves haven't properly unfurled yet, but when they do I shall be looking out for the caterpillars!

Yes, Comma numbers have been dropping off noticeably. It has been mostly females lately, and given the largely sunny weather they've had plenty of opportunity to get the next generation underway and will have now completed their life's work. They lay on both nettles and the wild hop that grows everywhere round here, so I'm hopeful for a good showing in June!

Dave

[David Lazarus]

Thanks Dave, makes sense - nice spot. The females I have seen had positioned their ova at the base of the leaf bud. I expect with the weather, the buds broke early and they laid them on the leaf directly.

I agree about the Comma, as here in Essex they did very well this Spring, and I loved seeing them basking in the late afternoon sun.

[Jack Harrison]

First Orange Tip of year seen (in fact by wife) in this part of north Scotland 21st April.

Jack

[David M]

First Orange Tip of year seen (in fact by wife) in this part of north Scotland 21st April

Any pupae in the fridge this year, Jack?

[David Lazarus]

It is amazing what you can find when the day is overcast with rain in the air, thundery showers forecast, but the sun peeps through the cloud cover for a few brief moments. Of course, I rushed out as soon as I noticed some sunshine. Between 11.15 and 12.00 I saw 16 butterflies, mostly Speckled Wood, a few Orange-tip, and a couple of Green-veined White. Also, singles of Large & Small White, and another new Red Admiral. This included another pair of Speckled Wood courting, and nice fresh females hiding in the grass at Meadgate Fields Open Space:

Speckled Wood female
Meadgate Fields Open Space 21/04/2025

and male Orange-tip & Green-veined White on patrol, and pausing to nectar on the Dandelions:

Green-veined White male
Meadgate Fields Open Space 21/04/2025

On my return via Meadgate Park, hoping to catch up with yesterday's Holly Blue, I came across this handsome fella:

Speckled Wood male
Meadgate Park 21/04/2025

As soon as I stepped back a female flew by and I witnessed another pair of courting Specklies spiraling around the place. I left them to it after 15 minutes of observing this fascinating courtship. I like the fact that these Spring species have adapted to the low light levels, cool temperatures, and damp conditions - they seem to make the most of it, despite the changeable Spring weather. The Speckled Wood and Orange-tip always seem to be up first around here [with the Peacock], and they take every opportunity available to fulfill their function.

[millerd]

No sun to speak of here today, but it was bright enough in the middle of the day for a few things to be flying. The sun is high enough now for quite a bit of UV to filter through, even on a cloudy day, and some butterflies do respond to this. I found half a dozen Speckled Woods, a couple of Red Admirals, a single Holly Blue (disturbed by the antics of two of the Specklies), and all three Whites. The GVW were most numerous, with at least a dozen seen and including this newly emerged female that I spotted struggling to extricate itself from down in the grass.

Dave

[Jack Harrison]

David M » Mon Apr 21, 2025 2:24 pm Any pupae in the fridge this year, Jack?

They have been outside in the shade since 1st April No emergences yet but can't be long now.

Jack

[Allan.W.]

Found several Green Hairstreaks just back from the shoreline along the cliff base at Lydden Spout (Samphire Hoe.....beach section ) near Dover a couple of days back ,plenty of scraps between the males .Also several Dingy Skippers a fresh Red Admiral and my first Wall of 25'

[Testudo Man]

Having missed out on capturing any pics of a Brown Argus on Friday, i returned to the same Kent location today (Monday) to try my luck once more! We had several spells of sunshine through the afternoon, an sure enough, the solitary male Brown Argus showed himself a few times. Other species were on the wing, an better numbers now too - 6+ Dingy Skipper, 6+ Grizzled Skipper, an 8 Green Hairstreak! 7+ Brimstone, 3 Peacock, 1 Comma, 2 Orange Tip (1 a female). 1 Large White, an several possible GVW an Small White.
No images cropped, 2 camera setups used, cheers Paul.

Brown Argus.

Dingy Skippers (male with female).

Minimalistic Grizzled Skipper!

[Bertl]

At last some orange tip and tortoiseshell butterflies along the river path at the river don in Aberdeen. Around half a dozen of each seen late afternoon.

Cheers

Bert.

[David Lazarus]

Tuesday 22.04.2025 Langdon Hills Country Park

Yesterday was a great day for me personally, and a tremendous day for the conservation of butterflies in Essex.

Our critically endangered Grizzled Skipper, which remains on the verge of extinction from the last known site in Essex, made it to 2025. This is despite the disastrous year for Grizzled Skipper at Langdon Hills during 2024. It was a disastrous year, not only in Essex, but also for the whole of the UK. UKBMS has confirmed that 2024 was the worst year on record so far for Grizzlies.

On my 3rd search of the year [earlier than normal because of the good weather here] I found a couple or so. Not great photographs, as I arrived later to site than I wanted to, due to bus delays, and wasn't there at the optimum time to see them warming up.

Grizzled Skipper male [M1]
Langdon Hills Country Park 22/04/2025

Grizzled Skipper unidentified
Langdon Hills Country Park 22/04/2025

As you are well aware, I only do this for the sake of the conservation of butterflies. I am happy to share good news to the butterfly community, and I will certainly be providing you with a report at the end of the season. Many of you will know where to find them. I would like to say that Essex in general is not a place to visit to see butterflies. When it comes to the Grizzled Skipper the site is fragile and managed by Essex Wildlife Trust primarily for the conservation of the species. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a conservation area, and unlike others I feel that it should have restricted access. Others feel it draws attention to the site. I would urge you to go and see & photograph Grizzled Skipper in well known sites in counties adjoining us or further where you will have a greater chance to find them. Langdon Hills is not that place. The habitat is ideal at the moment, the weather is going to be just what they need from Sunday onwards, and I think they have every chance of recovery - I really want them to have that opportunity without any interference.

Having said that, it is a day to celebrate - well worth the 7 hours and 12 miles of walking I put in yesterday.

Lets hope the conservation of the colonies of Large Blue mentioned on Pete's fundraiser post have such great news to share later this year also. [please donate if you can]

And the day itself, even without finding the Grizzled Skipper, was also somewhat of a satisfactory day [to say the least]. Just under 150 recorded sightings with Large White surprisingly coming out on top - they had a really good day. They were the first up [at 9.30 in the morning], and last ones to bed [at just before 5 in the evening].

Large White female
Langdon Hills Country Park 22/04/2025

Large White male
Langdon Hills Country Park 22/04/2025

Also having a good day were the Green-veined White and Orange-tip with many females of both seen. I recorded about 25 sightings of each, and also double figures of Brimstone [both male & female seen in equal numbers]. Orange-tip, I think, are at their peak at Langdon Hills CP. Whites made up nearly 125 of the butterflies recorded yesterday, to put it into some kind of perspective. I did though spend most of my time targetting Grizzled Skipper & Green Hairstreak [which I failed to find, again ].

Green-veined White female
Langdon Hills Country Park 22/04/2025

Orange-tip male
Langdon Hills Country Park 22/04/2025

Orange-tip female
Langdon Hills Country Park 22/04/2025

There were only a few of the rest, which included Comma [numbers reducing quite significantly now after a really good turnout this Spring], and much more surprisingly very low numbers of Speckled Wood - for some unknown reason.

And perhaps, one other surprise is that I saw a few Small Heath - they had a fantastic year here during 2024, so maybe I should not be so surprised that some have started emerging already. I saw my first one here last week, [as well as a Small Copper - ].

Small Heath
Langdon Hills Country Park 22/04/2025

I did have a bit of a scare while searching for Grizzlies, as I nearly trod on this:

Adder
Langdon Hills Country Park 22/05/2025

But fortunately, the Adder was more scared of me and slivered away:

Adder
Langdon Hills Country Park 22/05/2025

My second one of the year, I nearly trod on an Adder at Benfleet Downs a week or so ago.

It came to 4 o'clock in the afternoon when I returned to site in search of roosting Grizzlies. From a distance I found a small butterfly roosting on top of a seedhead. Should I feel disappointed :

Brown Argus
Langdon Hills Country Park 22/05/2025

So, a great day - I left having seen my first Grizzled Skipper and Brown Argus of 2025. I have now seen 15 of the 34 Butterflies of Essex.



Edit - add on: Yesterday the first Clouded Yellow sighting was recorded at Little Belhus Country Park near South Ockendon [South Essex]; Wall have emerged along the sea wall Thames Estuary Path, East Tilbury [South Essex]

[Bertl]

Female orange tip butterfly today.

Cheers

Bert.

[essexbutterflyer]

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.

[Matsukaze]

Tuesday 22.04.2025 Langdon Hills Country Park

Yesterday was a great day for me personally, and a tremendous day for the conservation of butterflies in Essex.

Our critically endangered Grizzled Skipper, which remains on the verge of extinction from the last known site in Essex, made it to 2025. This is despite the disastrous year for Grizzled Skipper at Langdon Hills during 2024. It was a disastrous year, not only in Essex, but also for the whole of the UK. UKBMS has confirmed that 2024 was the worst year on record so far for Grizzlies....

I've heard it said that Grizzles are easier to find on overcast days, roosting on dead flower-heads, than they are on sunny days when they're active. This has the useful advantage that they can be searched for on days which aren't promising for other butterflies. I really must put this to the test sometime.

[Matsukaze]

Zayed - those are strange-looking PBFs - is that a local form down there?

[essexbutterflyer]

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?

[bugboy]

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?

Those heavily marked individuals often turn up as a side effect to inbreeding and the Abbots Wood population is currently very tiny due to a lack of suitable habitat in recent years (a situation that I'm told is now in the process of being rectified). As the population recovers they'll start to look more 'normal' again.

[Lawts]

I see that Small, Common, and Adonis Blue have all had their first sightings.

Twenty-seven species have now been seen this year. The twenty-five showing on the first sightings page plus Large Tortoiseshell and Clouded Yellow.

Edit: Make that twenty-eight. Cryptic Wood White emerged.

[Chris L]

Great to read of all of the sightings of species, the emerging species and all of your lovely photos. It is a wonderful source of butterfly intelligence for me, knowing what is out and about, what I am likely to see soon and scheduling a few road trips.