April 2025

[David M]

March was decent, and April is set to start very nicely.

Things looking positive right now...

[Butterfly_Julian]

A great start to April.
Up in Norfolk today and had a wander around Holt Country Park.
Our first Holly Blue along with Brimstone, Comma and Peacock

[David Lazarus]

A great start to April……our first Holly Blue

Nice, Julian, and congratulations on the Orange-tip - nice record shot

I was hoping Brian had seen 100 Holly Blue along Eastcliff Path by now.

We are still waiting for the first Holly Blue sighting on the branch website….I’m afraid I struck out again

[essexbutterflyer]

37 butterflies of 3 species today, 19 Comma, 17 Peacock and one male Large White that settled at around ten past three... bit odd?

A potential Holly Blue too, but elsewhere in East London.

Harrow Lodge Park and Chase Local NR in East London

Sometimes a butterfly really amazes you (well more than the normal amount!) and this was one :)

[David Lazarus]

The moderate breeze was the limiting factor today and kept the numbers down but still a pretty good day after a slow start. Canvey Wick Nature Reserve was once again disappointing. Like Two Tree Island yesterday, it is not one of my favourite places. Nothing much there today apart from Peacock and Comma, but there were three Green-veined White. Benfleet Downs though was a completely different story. This site has both abundance and diversity as well as a target species in the White-letter Hairstreak. It is undoubtedly one of the best butterfly sites in South Essex and rivals Hatfield Forest and One Tree Hill as the best butterfly site in Essex. For those of you who live in Essex or are a visitor to the county, I could not recommend a trip to Benfleet Downs at any time of year high enough. As a bonus, you could also walk through Hadleigh Castle Country Park to Belton Hills Nature Reserve which is also a great place to get lost in.
Today, despite the wind, Benfleet Downs has bays and sheltered rides all on south-facing slopes where butterflies can be found even on a blustery afternoon. Plenty of Peacock and Comma as usual. I finally saw my first Small White, and Large White and Green-veined White were active within the large patches of Charlock Rhamphospermum arvense which they love. I have to admit I loved the smell of this plant warmed up by the sun.

Small White pair in cop
Benfleet Downs 01/04/2025

Green-veined White male
Benfleet Downs 01/04/2025

Comma
Benfleet Downs 01/04/2025

Peacock
Benfleet Downs 01/04/2025

But by far, the highlight of the day was finding a Small Tortoiseshell in one of the bays, the first Small Tortoiseshell I have seen at Benfleet Downs to confirm that they are there. I could not understand why I had not come across one as there is ideal habitat for them there.

Small Tortoiseshell
Benfleet Downs 01/04/2025

[millerd]

Glad to see you found a Tortie too, David!

Despite the continuing sunshine, there was a chilly wind today over my way and not so many butterflies: no Orange Tips for a start! However, love was in the air round here as well and I spotted a mating pair of GVW. Unfortunately, a male Brimstone became thoroughly overexcited by the pheromones they were giving off and managed to chase them into a tree...

I found a Comma taking additional sustenance from a bird dropping...

...and a nice new Speckled Wood...

...but the icing on my particular cake was a lovely fresh female Holly Blue.

Altogether, I counted around 50 individual butterflies with 9 species represented. (More info in my PD before very long. )

Dave

[David Lazarus]

That’s unfair Dave, she is a beauty.

[bugboy]

5 Small Torts found on the outskirts of Wanstead Park today meaning I HAVE now seen more Smalls than Large this year!

[Butterfly_Julian]

A great start to April……our first Holly Blue

Nice, Julian, and congratulations on the Orange-tip - nice record shot

I was hoping Brian had seen 100 Holly Blue along Eastcliff Path by now.

Thanks David, have to thank my spotter (the wife) for both finds but does put pressure on me to get the photo
As for Brian..... I've hid his glasses

Would be good to see a Small Tortoiseshell soon

[Jack Harrison]

Torties have moved north. I saw three or four on Tuesday without even making a specific search for them. One settled on a road as I was pulling out from a car park in Hopeman, Moray. I had to 'give way' until it flew off

Jack

[David M]

Wednesday 2nd, Cwm Ivy, Gower:

Holly Blue 32
Orange Tip 30
Brimstone 15
Speckled Wood 6
Comma 2
Peacock 2

[David Lazarus]

Holly Blue 32 & Orange-tip 30? Male & female, and great shots. What……

Congratulations David

So, of that one! I’m nowhere near even a sniff of an Orange-tip or Holly Blue around here.

[essexbutterflyer]

Wednesday 2nd, Cwm Ivy, Gower:

Holly Blue 32
Orange Tip 30
Brimstone 15

Sorry... 32?!

I don't think I've seen those numbers of Holly Blue and OT adding up three seasons worth of them! Amazing news

[essexbutterflyer]

Between The Chase Local NR and Harrow Lodge Park today, 18 Comma (plus one egg - there were multiple gravid females!), 17 Peacock, 3 male Brimstone, 3 Small White, 4 Speckled Wood, 1 male Holly Blue, 1 Large White.

Also I am more convinced the other potential Holly Blue from yesterday was indeed one.

[David Lazarus]

Sorry... 32?!

Surely the list is the other way around Zayed?

Essex

Congratulations on the Holly Blue Zayed

[Jack Harrison]

2nd April near Nairn.
Amazingly early (for these parts) 'white' through garden. I presume Small White.

Jack

[millerd]

A more obliging Orange Tip today locally...

...and another Holly Blue.

Ten species seen today.

Dave

[David M]

Holly Blue 32 & Orange-tip 30? Male & female...

Didn't see any female Holly Blues, sadly, and just two female Orange Tips, but Cwm Ivy is an exceptionally good site for both species and these figures are not unusual.

[PhilBJohnson]

Torties have moved north. I saw three or four on Tuesday without even making a specific search for them. One settled on a road as I was pulling out from a car park in Hopeman, Moray. I had to 'give way' until it flew off

Jack

When I moved from Surrey to Lincolnshire in 2015, I left behind Spring populations of Peacocks with not many Small tortoiseshell (ST) and the few ST that emerged from hibernation, did not look fresh, but usually tatty, like they had been in "the wars".
Lincoln in 2017 in the Spring was noticeably different, in that we had pristine Small tortoiseshell in the Spring and they were numerous. Near the end of July 2022, we had a record high heat extreme of 40.3ºC locally and it was as if, in that period of very hot, dry weather (not just on that day) the next annual generation of Small tortoiseshell flew north, leaving not very many at all, to overwinter locally. We now have populations that might have recovered somewhat in places, but my experience in 2025, is now, much like it was in Surrey in 2015, the few that emerged from hibernation, did not look fresh, but usually tatty, like they had been in "the wars". I might put something like that down to an average temperature increase and a shortening of a diapause (when the butterflies, further north remained in a longer sleep preservation hibernation, then emerged fresh looking as the seasonal change was apparently faster, in winter proceeding to summer like temperatures. #SmallTortoiseshell

[David M]

Thursday 3rd, Dan-y-Graig Cemetery, Swansea:

Small White 11
Speckled Wood 9
Brimstone 2
Comma 1