March 2025

[Vince Massimo]

After getting a Comma in my garden at midday, I then walked round my local patch at Rathlin Road Pond and encountered 2 more Comma, 1 Peacock, 2 Red Admiral and 4 male Brimstone. On the way back there was another Red Admiral which was egg-laying. I watched it for a while and it deposited numerous eggs, going back to the same small plant several times, but also mistakenly laying on a Buttercup leaf. That egg has been rescued and will be reared at home.

Female Red Admiral - Crawley, Sussex 8-March-2025

3 Red Admiral eggs - Crawley, Sussex 8-March-2025

Red Admiral egg on Buttercup - Crawley, Sussex 8-March-2025

The temperature at the time was 17C.

Vince

[essexbutterflyer]

I had an amazing day at Harrow Lodge Park, East London yesterday with all five of our first five species seen . The day began with 1 Comma at Havering Country Park, followed by one more at Hainault Forest. At around 12 I arrived at Harrow Lodge, and, walking past some flowering bushes, saw an orange shaped “leaf” on one of the flowers in the distance. Getting closer, I was delighted to find it was a Small Tortie, only my fourth (ever) in this country. Heading inwards I was greeted with one very active male Brimstone that essentially preceded my route . In total there were 7 Commas, 3 Peacock and one last minute Red Admiral just before I decided to head back home, taking the count up to all five species

What was lovely to see were the Comma and Peacock butterflies enthusiastically chasing each other… a sight I didn’t realise I had missed.

[David M]

...What was lovely to see were the Comma and Peacock butterflies enthusiastically chasing each other… a sight I didn’t realise I had missed.

Those two don't get along well at all.

[bugboy]

Just had my first Small White of the year at work. Didn't sit for a picture but I'm now sitting on 7 species for the year!

[David Lazarus]

I am pleased to announce that the Small Tortoiseshll are now on the wing within the floodplain of the River Chelmer at Baddow Meads. The first one was a little skittish and still hunkering down, trying to shelter from the breeze:

Small Tortoiseshell [First of the year in Baddow Meads]
Baddow Meads 09/03/2025

And I went on to see five in total - which is an okay start considering how poor the summer brood was in 2024. Only record shots for now as it was difficult to get close to them climbing over dead stems, through nettle patches, and between basal leaves of Angelica Angelica sylvestris along a sloping, south-facing riverbank - ideal habitat for Small Tortoiseshell:

Small Tortoiseshell x 3
Baddow Meads 03/09/2025

I am hoping to record over 100 sightings within the next month or so in the hope that this year there may be a recovery of the species here in Baddow Meads. No more than 50 is probably more likely - but I am trying to remain positive.

I also came across 9 Comma & 3 Peacock on my walk around Meadgate Fields Open Space, Baddow Meads, and the River Chelmer as far as Sandford Mill Lock. A few good photos of some striking male Comma on their perches, and a proper photograph of a Peacock nectaring on the blossom of Cherry Plum Prunus cerasifera 'Nigra'. The Blackthorn Prunus spinosa is still not out yet:

Comma
Meadgate Fields Open Space 09/03/2025

Comma
Meadgate Park 09/03/2025

Peacock
Meadgate Fields Open Space 09/03/2025

Peacock
Meadgate Park 09/03/2025

And a little unexpected, my first day-flying moth of 2025:

Humming-bird Hawk-moth
Meadgate Park 09/03/2025

A successful day, one that gives me hope.

[Vince Massimo]

A Comma in the garden at 09.20, then three more during the day, but not sure if they were the same one. Then on to Tilgate Park, where between 12.00 and 12.20, the Heather and Daphne plants attracted 8 Red Admiral, 9 Comma, and 2 Brimstone, plus 2 more nearby. On the way home there were 2 more Comma and a Red Admiral. Around this time the temperature reached between 17C and 18C with a light easterly wind.

Everything in focus except the butterfly - Crawley, Sussex 9-March 2025

Comma - Crawley, Sussex 9-March-2025

Vince

[millerd]

My local butterflies were making the most of the last day of this unusually warm and sunny spell: I counted 30 today, comprising 12 Brimstones (including one female), 10 Commas, 5 Peacocks and 3 Red Admirals.

More in my PD in a day or two.

Dave

[David M]

Sunday 9th, Cwm Ivy & Whiteford Burrows, Gower:

Brimstone 11
Comma 4
Peacock 2
Painted Lady 1
Red Admiral 1

[Matsukaze]

The Brimstones were out in numbers today around Larkhill, Wiltshire.

[Charles Nicol]

So far this season i have seen 6 Brimstones, 1 Peacock & 1 Small Tortoiseshell. All in the last 6 days.

the Small Tortoiseshell was in the Waitrose car park St Neots.

[essexbutterflyer]

Those two don't get along well at all.

They don’t even get along well with other insects… watched a Peacock chase a bee for a good half minute yesterday

[essexbutterflyer]

Yesterday was even more fantastic than Saturday when I saw the tortie. What could be more fantastic than one tortie? Two torties! . I had just photographed a very obliging female Comma when I saw two butterflies dive into the grass - a male chasing a female. He tried very hard to mate but she didn’t seem receptive…

Aside from the torties there were 8 Commas (+1 from Saturday), 7 Peacock (+4), 1 Red Admiral (another individual) and 1 Brimstone male.

I feel for the male Brimstone, he’s going to have hard time finding a mate in this part of London/Essex.

Last year I saw my first Small White here on 16th March, so I kept a look out but found nothing, it’s likely just too early.

Also one Comma in the garden, first of the year

[Ian Pratt]

One fresh comma at Havenstreet last Sunday.

[David M]

...What could be more fantastic than one tortie? Two torties!...

That's as many as I saw in the whole of last spring!

I do hope they start to recover this year. I'd hate to see them go the way of inland Wall Browns.

[David M]

Tuesday 11th, Dan-y-Graig Cemetery, Swansea:

Small Tortoiseshell 1

[David Lazarus]

If you live further inland than I do, you might have a good chance of finding one of these during the next hour:

Comma
Meadgate Park 14/03/2025

7C here in Chelmsford, and with the cold north-easterly breeze, with 13 mph gusts, it feels like 4C. I have been out searching for Small Tortoiseshell for the last hour and a half. As I thought, in the most sheltered, south-facing river banks, the temperature was warmer. Alas, not warm enough for any activity. However, on the way back through the park I searched along the south-facing ivy wall, and in one of the bays, which is very sheltered, there I found a butterfly, at last.

5 days of waiting

[Rogerdodge]

Small White today in glorious sunshine in North Devon.
My first emergent butterfly of the year. Most years it is Speckled Wood??
Awful phone photo I am afraid.

[millerd]

After a series of chilly days (and some more overnight frosts) there was a bit more sunshine this afternoon on my local patch near Heathrow, though it wasn't any warmer. However, I managed to find a couple of different Red Admirals, one of which was flying in this spot a few minutes before the swans cruised into view as I tried to relocate it.

The other was on the wrong side of a large fence next to the path down to Staines Moor.

I had more luck in the area I have christened "Comma Corner", as the eponymous butterfly made an appearance. It was clearly too cold to bask up on the brambles where the chilly breeze was blowing, so it was seen sitting down amongst the dry leaf litter where I imagine it was warmer.

Dave

[essexbutterflyer]

Two Small Torties at Harrow Lodge Park, East London today. That’s 5 different individuals in total so far this year. No other butterflies… somehow that was so pleasing - a “rare” showcase of small tortie hardiness .

[David M]

Two Small Torties at Harrow Lodge Park, East London today. That’s 5 different individuals in total so far this year...

That's good to know, Zayed. True that they're possibly the hardiest of them all but I guess when you're largely an open-country butterfly rather than a woodland denizen then that's hard-wired into you.