March 2023

[aeshna5]

In London a fair amount of cloud, a distinctly cool breeze but some warmth when the sun shone.

At Kew another male Brimstone, my first Comma & Dark-edged Beefly.

[David M]

That's some haul, David, especially the 44 Brimstone...

They're very common round the Gower, Mike, and late March is probably peak period (for the males at least).

Trust me, I'd swap them all for Large Tortoiseshells in my garden!

[essexbuzzard]

Wow David. Considering how dull and wet it’s been, your sightings are extraordinary!

[David M]

It was a particularly nice day, Mark. I even took my fleece off after 1pm! I knew there'd be plenty of butterflies in those conditions. Sadly, it's back to cloudy skies with rain again.

[Maximus]

A good Large Tortoiseshell day today with at least four seen in our garden. Weather was a warm eighteen degrees. I managed to get shots of two I watched in aerial combat once they had landed.

Also seen was this Comma and a very unexpected Speckled Wood, pretending to be a Wall Brown.

[Maximus]

Plus loads of male Brimstones

[millerd]

In a ten-minute dash out locally today between showers, the warm sun conjured sightings of another Peacock, and more welcome, my first Comma of 2023.

It's amazing how different one year can be from another. In March 2022 I saw butterflies locally on 17 days (this year: 3), including 49 individuals of nine different species on 26th, and ten for the month overall (just 5 species this year).

Dave

[David M]

A good Large Tortoiseshell day today with at least four seen in our garden. Weather was a warm eighteen degrees....

[Allan.W.]

Camberwell Beauty seen (and photographed ) on Wisley Common ,Surrey ............... 27th March (Lee Evans twitter page )
Allan.W.

[David M]

Camberwell Beauty seen (and photographed ) on Wisley Common ,Surrey ............... 27th March (Lee Evans twitter page )

[zigzag_wanderer]

Can't compete with a Camberwell Beauty, but I did see 4 butterflies in a 30 minute spell at lunchtime today.

A male and female Brimstone flew past me five minutes apart and in different directions. Hopefully they met up at some point.

The others were a Peacock and a Small Tortoiseshell.

[bugboy]

Camberwell Beauty seen (and photographed ) on Wisley Common ,Surrey ............... 27th March (Lee Evans twitter page )

There was one seen in Sussex late August last year, reported on the Sussex sightings page with photos. Perhaps a minor influx last year?

[PhilBJohnson]

My quick summary of March 2023, Lincoln Area.
I work as a Gardener, in various different private gardens, often during the better daily weather and sometimes got to see butterflies in those nicer sunnier moments. I noticed a Red Admiral first (I reported previous). In fact I saw the same butterfly twice in the same week, in the same area. Apart from that, I only saw two Peacocks, two Small tortoiseshell and one Brimstone, in the whole of March, no Commas. The relevance of that, was that I had always seen more March Spring butterflies near Lincoln in previous years I had been living here, since 2015. To try and quantify that as an independent observation, locally, I thought March was cooler and possibly wetter than had been in many previous years. Our habitat management in other clients gardens, as agreed by them, might have seen slightly higher numbers of butterflies there, than we might have otherwise seen (#Havens).
Not having seen a Comma, I might have put down to, not enough Woodland walking. In March, specifically near the end of March I wished for at least two dry days in a row, to help paths dry out underfoot, for less human environmental trample impact.
As of beginning of April (date of this post), I have already seen more Spring hibernated butterflies, than I had seen in the whole of March, so some Spring optimism, but numbers still appearing to be lower, than in previous years. One thought was, prolonged hibernation in the early Spring period, followed by many more good flight days in a row later, might help aid, butterfly generational Spring breeding success.

[Lawts]

Camberwell Beauty seen (and photographed ) on Wisley Common ,Surrey ............... 27th March (Lee Evans twitter page )
Allan.W.

Apparently it was present to at least the 4th April. Would have been nice for observers to share it's lingering presence. Hay ho.