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Today 17th March, two (2) Red Admiral at Porthgwarra Cove, West Cornwall.

Hello there

I have seem my first Brimstones in March this year

They are the most difficult butterflies to catch on camera at the best of times because they never sit still. Luckily this time they decided to sit on a leaf - on a bush at the end of my back garden area

Here are my photos from the 13th March 2015.

Regards
Kathy
x

Wow the season has certainly started now. 18th March The Peacock (23), The Comma (2) & Small Tortoiseshell (2) all seen on a walk around Loe Pool, near Helston, Cornwall. Also spotted my first reptiles of the year Common Lizard (2)

Best day of the year so far for butterflies here in Crawley, although not the warmest. The temperature was around 10C with a cool north-easterly wind, but I still managed 4 species in the sheltered spots (plus a terrapin). The Red Admiral hot-spot is still reliably producing sightings, but more details will be in the forthcoming report.

Totals for the day were 4 Red Admiral, 5 Comma, 4 Small Tortoiseshell and 1 Peacock. Most of the hibernators were around the local pond where I also got a basking terrapin.
Also lots of frogspawn at the pond, some of which was in drying puddles. This is all gradually being tipped into the shallows as time allows.

Vince

Looks like its been a good day all round Had a good day myself, with a further thirty butterflies recorded , i did see several more but couldnt be certain of the id as they were in the adjacent field at distance and beyond a barbed wire fence
Three different locations visited,the first was a bit disappointing but the other two produced good numbers with four species seen.

2 x Comma
1 x Red Ad
14 x Peacock
12 x S. Tortoisehell

One further S.Tortoiseshell seen whilst sat in traffic between locations
Comma was a 2015 first, bringing it to 6 species.

Great images there, PP. You definitely filled your boots today!

Male Holly Blue today at mid day19th March in Longrock, near Penzance, my earliest ever. Not the best pic, but it was high up and i only had my mobile phone on me!

Wow Nice one Scott, that's early and a first sighting nationally i believe excellent. We've been a bit spoilt down this end of the country just hope it lasts .

David M wrote:Great images there, PP. You definitely filled your boots today!

Thanks David, weathers been very kind to us and the butterflies , had another thirty plus sightings today mainly Peacocks and Small Tortoiseshells but not the Speckled Wood i was looking for .......maybe next week

Scott Barron wrote:Male Holly Blue today at mid day19th March in Longrock, near Penzance, my earliest ever.

Great find, Scott! Orange Tips surely can't be too far away?

Another fine day although a little cooler than yesterday. Ventured out after lunch to some local patches on foot primarily to look for an early Speckled Wood ..............well i didn't find one but did have another thirty plus sightings of five species, predominantly Small Tortoiseshells but also Commas, Peacocks, Red Admiral and Brimstone.

Some were beautifully fresh, others .......... not so

3 Peacocks, 2 Brimstones, 2 Small Tortoiseshells and a Comma seen in an hour long visit to Danygraig Cemetery in Swansea between 12.10 and 1.10 today.

It would be really great to see a butterfly... .

Tony M.

full house today.
at least a dozen Brimstone
5 Red admiral
small Tort
Peacock
comma
small white

Ringwood Forest

No Whites on my patch yet, but an afternoon visit to the woodland behind the Gower Inn at Parkmill threw up 2 Red Admirals, one Small Tortoiseshell and a Peacock.

3 Small Coppers on the Bournemouth east cliff this afternoon. It is usual for them to emerge in March here, but I had not expected an early emergence this year.

M.

A Small White and a Red Admiral seen just west of Heathrow today. It seemed especially odd to see the White, but no Peacocks or Commas.

Dave

A much better day than originally forcast with a lot of sunshine and just the one shower earlier in the day. Wind was quite fresh keeping the temperature down but where there was shelter it was quite warm and pleasant
Butterfly numbers as expected were down on last week but i still saw sixteen Small Tortoisehell and a single Peacock scattered over two LNRs so not too bad

Hi, Gang
23rd March. Another Yellow-legged Tortoiseshell in Norfolk.
Details on http://www.bugalert.net.
Adrian Riley

adrian riley wrote: 23rd March. Another Yellow-legged Tortoiseshell in Norfolk.

Excellent news.

A knighthood for anyone who can find larval stages.

Penhale Paul wrote:
Some were beautifully fresh, others .......... not so

Despite that tatty exterior, as long as the insect is otherwise fit and healthy, it can mate and breed just as well as the near perfect looking individuals. Thus keeping up the good work...

Good eh!