essexbutterflyer

[essexbutterflyer]

Here in south Wales, Peacocks did well in spring, but after that, everything was around in smaller numbers than usual except Small Whites, which had a huge rally toward late August and through September.

Ditto here, although certainly not to the extent of last year!

Zayed

[David Lazarus]

Are there Purple Emps at Hatfield David, or any specialists? Thanks very much.

Looking forward to spring! Also planning to visit Rainham soon to search for the eggs of another butterfly...

Hatfield Forest is the place in Essex to visit for both Purple Emperor - almost guaranteed to see one during their flight period if you know where to look - and Silver-washed Fritillary which inhabit the rides throughout the woods. There are also large numbers of Ringlet and Large Skipper within the woodland rides, and all the grassland species in the open areas, including good numbers of Marbled White.

I am assuming you know where to look for Brown Hairstreak ova at Rainham Marshes?

If you need locations for either, let me know.

[essexbutterflyer]

Species List 2024
I haven't written down a full list of all the species i've seen, UK and abroad, as of yet. My European list is very small, but one has to start somewhere!

UK species:

Aristocrats (Vanessids?):

• Comma

• Large Tortoiseshell

• Peacock

• Red Admiral

• Small Tortoiseshell

• White Admiral ->does this belong here?

Blues:

• Adonis Blue

• Brown Argus

• Chalk Hill

• Common Blue

• Holly Blue

• Long-tailed Blue

• Small Blue

• Silver-studded Blue

Browns:

• Gatekeeper

• Grayling

• Marbled White

• Meadow Brown

• Ringlet

• Small Heath

• Speckled Wood

• Wall Brown

Coppers:

• Small Copper

Fritillaries:

• Dark-green Fritillary

• Glanville Fritillary

• Heath Fritillary

• Silver-washed Fritillary

Hairstreaks:

• Black Hairstreak

• Brown Hairstreak

• Green Hairstreak

• Purple Hairstreak

Metalmarks:

• Duke of Burgundy

Skippers:

• Dingy Skipper

• Essex Skipper

• Grizzled Skipper

• Large Skipper

• Silver-spotted Skipper

• Small Skipper

Whites and Yellows:

• Brimstone

• Green-veined White

• Large White

• Orange-tip

• Small white

[essexbutterflyer]

Thanks David for that info! Seems like Hatfield is certainly worth a visit. Purple emps escaped me this year.

I do have some areas i'd like to check at Rainham but would certainly be happy for some pointers, it's a tedious task after all! I have already checked briefly where i found them last year but have not found anything :/

[essexbutterflyer]

First Sightings 2024

On to the next bit of reflecting...

Aristocrats (Vanessids?):

• Comma -> 14th March. Much earlier than last year, but then again I wasn't looking for them that time last year! Interestingly a very tiny individual, at St James's Park. Two days later i came across a few more (decently sized) at a more local park.

• Large Tortoiseshell -> 20th March. An individual i would see a couple of times across the next few weeks and would have the "honour" of seeing probably the last time anyone ever saw it, at Hutchinson's Bank

• Painted Lady -> 23rd July. Last year i saw the first one whilst looking for ringlets (some of which were worn) so perhaps roughly the same time? It felt very late this year though.

• Peacock -> 15th Feb. Two, along with two brimstones, behind uni accompaniment in Brighton. A day that made me very happy! It would not be a for a whole month later until the season really began with the Comma at St James's, but still signalled that winter was coming to a close .Roughly inline with last year.

• Red Admiral -> 28th Jan. Seen whilst doing the Big Garden Birdwatch, a briefly fly by that made me abandon my post . Nothing to compare it to again.

• Small Tortoiseshell -> 16th March. Two, remaining the only ones i'd see in Essex all year, at Harrow Lodge Park (where i saw the Commas). I didn't see any last year, so i'll take the win (they were also lifers)

• White Admiral -> 17th June. A surprise lifer whilst looking for Black Hairstreaks at Epsom! The only one i'd see.

So, considering these dates, i'm hoping next season'll begin around mid feb for me. By season I mean simply the period I can strongly expect to see a butterfly in the right weather conditions. Obviously this date may shift as we get closer, so as always a close watch on the weather is needed! The "official' season begins in April if i'm not mistaken, but considering the amount of species I've seen before that date, and the fact that april is months away, i think i'll stick with my definition of the season.

[essexbutterflyer]

First Sightings 2024

On to the next bit of reflecting...

Aristocrats (Vanessids?):

• Comma -> 14th March. Much earlier than last year, but then again I wasn't looking for them that time last year! Interestingly a very tiny individual, at St James's Park. Two days later i came across a few more (decently sized) at a more local park.

• Large Tortoiseshell -> 20th March. An individual i would see a couple of times across the next few weeks and would have the "honour" of seeing probably the last time anyone ever saw it, at Hutchinson's Bank

• Painted Lady -> 23rd July. Last year i saw the first one whilst looking for ringlets (some of which were worn) so perhaps roughly the same time? It felt very late this year though.

• Peacock -> 15th Feb. Two, along with two brimstones, behind uni accom in Brighton. A day that made me very happy! It would not be a for a whole month later until the season really began with the Comma at St James's, but still signalled that winter was coming to a close .Roughly inline with last year.

• Red Admiral -> 28th Jan. Seen whilst doing the Big Garden Birdwatch, a briefly fly by that made me abandon my post . Nothing to compare it to again.

• Small Tortoiseshell -> 16th March. Two, remaining the only ones i'd see in Essex all year, at Harrow Lodge Park (where i saw the Commas). I didn't see any last year, so i'll take the win (they were also lifers)

• White Admiral -> 17th June. A surprise lifer whilst looking for Black Hairstreaks at Epsom! The only one i'd see.

So, considering these dates, i'm hoping next season'll begin around mid feb for me. By season I mean simply the period I can strongly expect to see a butterfly in the right weather conditions. Obviously this date may shift as we get closer, so as always a close watch on the weather is needed! The "official' season begins in April if i'm not mistaken, but considering the amount of species I've seen before that date, and the fact that april is months away, i think i'll stick with my definition of the season.

[essexbutterflyer]

2025 First Sighting

Yesterday it was 9° and sunny in Brighton. After a long day of lectures, it was still sunny around 3pm, so I considered heading to where I saw my first Brimstones and Peacock butterflies in February last year. The site borders Falmer Wood (according to the map on iRecord this is known as “Westlain Plantations”). It was only as I was driving out that I saw a little flutter out the window. Out I jumped and there was my first butterfly of the year, a stunning Red Admiral basking in the gentle evening sun

[David M]

Nice sighting, Zayed. Was a lovely day today after the mist cleared. I had a feeling someone might see a butterfly.

[essexbutterflyer]

2025 Wishlist

Having seen my first butterfly of the year, I can't help but look forward to the season ahead. Still got a month or so to go, but we're almost there! In 2024 i managed to tick off a massive amount of new species, thanks to extensive research and travelling. This year I'm hoping to find species more local to me, including some that are close by that i missed last year and others that i haven't seen before at all.

2025 Wishlist:

1. Clouded Yellow -> I hope to explore more riverside sites in Essex to find these, but may also come across them in other days out in Sussex. If the year is good and I somehow still cannot find them (slight oxymoron there ) then perhaps a trip to Dungeness as i've heard it's a very good site for them.

2. Purple Emperor -> Knepp Estate or Southwater Woods. I'm not so confident about finding these in Essex (although I'm sure it can be done, and has been done very locally to me in the past!), but may also try Epping Forest.

3. Pearl and Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary -> the closest site to me is at Park Corners Heath. I know this is isn't the best site for them but I'm not too familiar with other Sussex sites (Rewell?)

4. Wood White -> The one site in Surrey is the closest that I'm aware of.

5. White-letter Hairstreak -> This one is tricky because it requires a lot of patience and staring into canopies, from the impression I've got. In all honestly this slightly dissuades me, but it's the last hairstreak I've got left to see. i've heard Preston Park is good but the trees there are very large :/

6. Swallowtail -> Hickling Broad? i've heard access isn't too good at Strumpshaw Fen.

The following are species i've seen before but want to find new sites/more local sites:

7. Black Hairstreak at Ditchling

8. Green Hairstreak in Essex

9. White Admiral in Southern Essex

10. Small Tortoiseshell in South Essex

11. Grizzled Skipper in South Essex

12. Grayling in Suffolk or Sussex

A long way till some of these emerge, but plenty of time to research sites as I'm not familiar with many of them! If anyone has any advice i'd be happy to get some

[essexbutterflyer]

Nice sighting, Zayed. Was a lovely day today after the mist cleared. I had a feeling someone might see a butterfly.

Thanks David. Let's hope we get a nice spring this year!

[David M]

Thanks David. Let's hope we get a nice spring this year!

Indeed, Zayed. In fact, I'd like to think we're overdue a good year entirely (the last time that happened was over 10 years ago).

[essexbutterflyer]

First Sightings 2025

1. Red Admiral, Brighton, 14.01 (7 degrees, sunny)
2. Peacock, Brighton, 30.01 (8 degrees, sunny, slight wind)
3. Brimstone, London, 03.03 (10 degrees, sunny)

[David Lazarus]

2025 Wishlist
2. Purple Emperor

Hatfield Forest, or Hadleigh Great Wood if you want South Essex

5. White-letter Hairstreak

Benfleet Downs, and Belton Hills NR adjacent to Leigh-on-Sea railway station, or Northlands Wood at One Tree Hill [lane along the south side with Elm Hedge]

8. Green Hairstreak in Essex

Wanstead Flats or Canvey Wick NR

9. White Admiral in Southern Essex

Hadleigh Great Wood

10. Small Tortoiseshell in South Essex

Baddow Meads & the River Chelmer for overwintering - no guarantee [anywhere I would imagine] for summer brood

11. Grizzled Skipper in South Essex

I think you know where to search for this one but be very careful and stay to the outside of the meadow please - I will let you know if there is one this year but I am not optimistic.

If anyone has any advice i'd be happy to get some

I hope that helps - for the latest sightings I would recommend creating a filter on iRecord; What: Insect-Butterfly Where: Vice-county>South Essex When: equals>2025. You can then modify filter>What>Species>White-letter Hairstreak, for instance and that will tell you where recorded sightings of a particular species that you want to see are located.

[essexbutterflyer]

Thanks so much David!! Those are very helpful. It seems Hatfield and Hadleigh are places that really need visiting. And of course, I will be as careful as possible with the poor Grizzlies .

I hope to find Green Hairstreak in places other than Wanstead this year (sadly it does not seem to be the safest area) so will put Canvey on the list. Last year I found a worn one at Bedford's Park LNR so am hoping I can find a colony near there if I search at an ideal time this year.

Zayed

[Wurzel]

Congrats on the first ripple of sightings - I'm still watching the birds and have yet to focus down for the butterflies

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[essexbutterflyer]

Congrats on the first ripple of sightings - I'm still watching the birds and have yet to focus down for the butterflies

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Let’s hope the weather gets better soon. I feel like I’ve been saying that since the first week of Jan!

[essexbutterflyer]

Here a couple of Hairstreak eggs from Bromley last week. I'd love to find Black, Green and White-letter eggs too but suspect two of those three would be a lot harder.

Purple Hairstreak

Brown Hairstreak

Brown Hairstreak

The Brown Hairstreak seems to be gradually colonising parts of London, according to iRecord. In my local haunts there is a "southern" colony and a "north western" colony, and the latter, I speculate, is moving westwards. I'm tempted to investigate nearby parks that haven't had eggs discovered yet to see if they have spread.

[David Lazarus]

Excellent Zayed - I hope you get the chance to survey Rainham Marshes as we could do with a find of 20+. I ran out of time because I spent most of it parallel to the Rainham-Purfleet Path where I did not find any. My GPS locations on iRecord show where I found ova - 4 in the car park and 3 just inside the reserve. And Ian found 6 in roughly the same places but he has not put the exact GPS locations.

Don't forget to add your sightings to iRecord - especially the South Essex ones to help me.

[essexbutterflyer]

Hi David, I will consider going to Rainham again if the weather improves! And of course, I'm keen to use irecord more after reading your diary but again the weather isn't helping

[essexbutterflyer]

Fairlop Waters 23.02.25

I spent an hour at Fairlops today, exploring the terrain in the north-western section. This happens to be the closest area of the park to Claybury Park, where Brown Hairstreak eggs are located.

Unfortunately, I didn’t find much blackthorn, let alone any Brown Hairstreak eggs! The section I searched seemed largely dominated by Hawthorn, and any Blackthorn was an old tree. Evidence of maintenance also makes me wonder whether any young blackthorn has been cut/removed.

Consequently I do not feel this area is suitable for Brown Hairstreak. There may be other areas of the park (it is a very large park) that are suitable however these would be further away from the earlier mentioned Claybury Park.

It would be helpful if Blackthorn distribution was mapped out but it’s such a common tree that I suppose one has to just explore potential areas.

One question I do have is what environmental factors encourage Blackthorn/Hawthorn growth? I would appreciate some expertise.