Please note that any sightings mentioned in news items do not automatically go into our records database. Sightings should be submitted using one of the mechanisms listed on the Recording page.
Small White in Enham. A short walk around Enham in this afternoon's sunshine resulted in my first Small White of the year, with a supporting cast of of Peacock (3), Brimstone (4) and a single Comma [Posted by Kevin Haggar]
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| Newly emerged Small White Photo © Kevin Haggar |
Painted Lady at North Baddesley. Saw my First Painted Lady of the year today on my reserve at North Baddesley.Sorry no photo as the strong southerly wind that probably brought it took it away very quickly. [Posted by kevin ross]
My First 2025 Sighting in Bedhampton. Today I recorded my first sightings of 2025, a pair of male Brimstones, one of which landed on Ivy in Bidbury Lane, Bedhampton. The temperature was 17 degrees. [Posted by Roy Symonds]
First of the year in Sway. Male Brimstone in our garden at Sway today [Posted by Anthony Blakeley]
More Enham butterflies. The weekend warmth and sunshine resulted in 3 species of butterfly visiting mine and my neighbour's gardens, with at least 2 Brimstone, 2 Red Admirals and a Comma taking advantage of the local nectar sources on both Saturday and Sunday [Posted by Kevin Haggar]
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| Comma on blossom Photo © Kevin Haggar | Nectaring Brimstone Photo © Kevin Haggar | Red Admiral on blossom Photo © Kevin Haggar |
Brimstone Sighted in Waterlooville. My sister reported seeing a male Brimstone in her garden at Elizabeth Road, Waterlooville this morning. [Posted by Roy Symonds]
Brimstone at Freshwater. A male Brimstone was seen flying around my garden in Freshwater this morning.Also a Red Admiral observed basking in the sunshine at the same location on the 5th March. [Posted by Peter Hunt]
Butterfly bonanza in North Hampshire. A short walk around the Enham Alamein area this morning revealed a minimum of 7 Brimstones and a Peacock butterfly all active in the sunshine. My son reported seeing a minimum of 10 Brimstones whilst driving from Andover to Basingstoke. Unfortunately nothing settled long enough for a photo. [Posted by Kevin Haggar]
PEACOCK - DELAYED PHOTOGRAPH. At last I have been able to download the photograph of my first UK butterfly sighting at Monks Walk at 1pm in full sunshine 11 degrees Celsius. The cost, one broken leg and a lost four weeks' holiday in Cyprus. Was it worth it? [Posted by Francis Plowman]
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| Photo © Francis Plowman |
First Butterfly of the year at Freshwater.. A Peacock butterfly observed in my garden today ,basking in the sunshine on a paving slab. [Posted by Peter Hunt]
MONKS WALK GOSPORT. GIVE ME A BREAK!. One Peacock only recorded on an hour's wander through the soggy paths and glades from 1pm until 2pm (11 deg C). Then I slipped and broke my left leg! In A&E so photo awaited. Hope it was worth it! [Posted by Francis Plowman]
Comma at Peartree Green LNR. Three butterflies today!
First up was a Comma at Peartree Green LNR
(#3 for '25).
Then there was a Red Admiral enjoying the sunshine in the woods at Freemantle Common.
A just after lunch a Comma visited our front garden. [Posted by Nic Burns]
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| Comma Photo © Nic Burns | Red Admiral Photo © Nic Burns | Comma Photo © Nic Burns |
First peacock in North Baddesley. First peacock of the year on my reserve at North Baddesley today. Sorry no camera. [Posted by kevin ross]
Hummingbird Hawkmoth near Hayling Island. Very bright sunny day today and shopping at Stoke Farm shop which had several racks of flowers outside on display. In particular polyanthus which were attracting a number of honeybees.
However flying round feeding was a Hummingbird Hawkmoth that looked pretty new as wings and body in very good condition. I spoke to the staff who said they often saw them in April but never February and she too had seen this one this morning.
Stoke Farm shop is on the road onto Hayling Island. [Posted by Chris Allison]
First butterfly at last Monday work party of the season. The Monday work party volunteers moved a little way east from MHD to clear the chalk scrape adjoining the Chilcomb road - a known site for the rare Striped Lychnis moth, which is managed under an agreement with HCC - this morning. As the sun emerged and the temperature rose a male Brimstone appeared to inspect the work. A Common Plume moth had been seen earlier. A small rear party at the reserve itself also saw a Brimstone.
This was the last reserve work party of the year in which much has been achieved by the loyal volunteers under the inspiring leadership of our landscape officer, Fiona Scully. Given the uncertainty that has been created by the restructuring at BC, it is impossible to predict whether or not this work will restart next autumn, but let us all hope for a good outcome for the sake of our reserves which mean so much to many of our members. [Posted by Rupert Broadway]
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| Common Plume near Chilcomb Photo © Rupert Broadway |
First sighting in N Baddesley. First sighting of the year today on my reserve at North Baddesley (Red Admiral) Another first for me seeing it nectar on snowdrops. [Posted by kevin ross]
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| Photo © kevin ross |
First local butterfly sighting of the year. A male Brimstone flying in the early afternoon sunshine in Enham Alamein, no photos, but spring's on the way. [Posted by Kevin Haggar]
Red Admiral display at Funtley. 6 Red Admirals seen enjoying the afternoon sunshine by Reg Pink in his Funtley garden. [Posted by Andrew Brookes]
First sightings. My first sightings of the year today at Hilliers in Romsey of 2 Red Admiral and 1 female Brimstone. Also a Red Admiral at Abbotswood. [Posted by kevin ross]
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| Photo © kevin ross |
Another Red Admiral today.. I was out for a couple of hours this morning and half expected to see something fluttering about but it wasn't until I returned home and was halfway up the drive that I spotted the Red Admiral. It kindly settled for a photo on a neighbour's car. [Posted by Nic Burns]
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| Red Admiral Photo © Nic Burns |
Red Admiral - Thornhill. Spotted a Red Admiral on Bursledon Road, Thornhill this morning.
And yesterday I saw what I believe was a Comma at Mansbridge - it flew off low down into the sun. [Posted by Nic Burns]
Portsdown Hairstreaks. I explored new area of Portsdown hill yesterday adjacent Fort Purbrook and pleasingly found three Brown Hairstreak eggs. They were in an area adjacent the golf course where there is a good amount of suckering Blackthorn. You can just see one of the eggs has taken on a slight green tinge from the lichen which happens to some eggs later in the winter when they have been in situ for a few months. [Posted by Mark Tutton]
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| Egg 1 Photo © Mark Tutton | Egg 2 Photo © Mark Tutton |
Red Admiral. Feeding in the garden today. Ward Avenue, Cowes, Isle of Wight. [Posted by Mick Sivell]
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| Red admiral Photo © Mick Sivell |
Hairstreaks at Chalton. One of three Brown Hairstreak eggs that I found on a Blackthorn rich hedge near Chalton south of Petersfield.
I have found eggs here before but the hedge has had some significant ‘pruning’ so I am sure a few will have been lost. I checked Chalton Down itself again, but despite it only being 3/4 mile from where I found these eggs, and having prodigious amounts of suitable Blackthorn, I couldn’t locate a single one in my half hour visit. [Posted by Mark Tutton]
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| Survived the flail Photo © Mark Tutton |
Brown Hairstreak eggs on Portsdown. I spent a couple of hours walking the dog along my unofficial Brown Hairstreak egg transect on Portsdown Hill this morning in cold but bright conditions and with a snowy Butser Hill on the horizon. The eggs showed well in the low sun and I found nine in total on the 1/2km route, including only my second ever double at this site.
This is a bit down on the last two years when I have found 20+ but I guess that is a reflection of the generally dire butterfly year that was 2024.
Adults were scarce having only seen a solitary female back in August and unusually most eggs were found on an east facing shady hedge in the general location where I had seen her. [Posted by Mark Tutton]
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| Single egg Photo © Mark Tutton | A double Photo © Mark Tutton | Single egg Photo © Mark Tutton |
First butterfly of the year!. I saw my first butterfly of the year this morning, unsurprisingly a Red Admiral, at Mayfield Park near the wall between the nursery and the gardens. [Posted by Nic Burns]
25-year butterfly transect trends. I thought people might like to know that the latest 25-year trend graphs (2000-2024) for all Hampshire & Isle of Wight butterfly species are now available (including a downloadable .pdf) via the 'Transects' tab of this website. Production of such graphs is only possible thanks to the recording effort over many years of all those involved in the 200+ Hampshire & Isle of Wight transects that are currently active. Such data is vital for objective assessment of conservation priorities, so many thanks to all involved!
As you might anticipate, the picture for 2024 is very disappointing for most species, but there are still a few positive stories in there as well. I'll leave to each of you to draw your own conclusions and see whether the graphs agree with your own observations. I've included the Brimstone graph below so that you can see how well this butterfly is doing at Magdalen Hill Down. Also notice how closely the average Hampshire trend mirrors that of the national (England) trend. [Posted by Andy Barker]
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| 2000-2024 transect trend (Brimstone) Photo © Andy Barker |
Caterpillar at Alice Holt. After a good few hours searching, and quite a few false prophets, I finally tracked down a Purple Emperor caterpillar at Alice Holt Forest. It was nicely curled up against a scar but looked like it was eager to move even in these low temperatures. I found it by looking for the dangling Sallow leaves that it had carefully silked onto the spray to stop it loosing its home before it was ready to hibernate for the winter. Their silk must be pretty strong stuff to have survived storm Bert! Let’s see if it survives - they are very susceptible to predators at this time, particularly hungry birds. [Posted by Mark Tutton]
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| Dangling leaves Photo © Mark Tutton | Waiting for spring Photo © Mark Tutton |
Monks Walk, Frater Fields & Woods, Gosport. A brief one-hour wander to the sunniest spots of Monks Walk from 1215 saw the temperature stand at a startling 14.5 degrees Celsius! I was hoping to see at least one butterfly but probably for the first time ever recorded two on the last day of November. In the butterfly meadow I disturbed a Peacock which was lying low on very dewy grasses in the butterfly meadow; immediately it flew away but fortunately perched on a nearby tree. Then by the sea shore on the south-facing bank of the beck I found the Red Admiral. As it had found full sun it tolerated my photography. All in all, two species and a golf ball! Total: Peacock (1); Red Admiral (1) [Posted by Francis Plowman]
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| Peacock Photo © Francis Plowman | Red Admiral, prob female Photo © Francis Plowman |
Red Admiral in Bitterne. Red Admiral enjoying the sunshine in a spot sheltered from the wind.
(Also saw one on the Shoreburs Greenway yesterday) [Posted by Nic Burns]
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| Red Admiral Photo © Nic Burns |
Monks Walk, Frater Fields & Woods, Gosport. Just 45 minutes around one or two sunny areas (from 12:45, 8 deg C in full sun) and only one Red Admiral found and a distant and twitchy/flighty thing at that. Might have had more success around noon. [Posted by Francis Plowman]
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| Red Admiral Photo © Francis Plowman |
Painted Lady in my garden at Freshwater. A Painted Lady seen in my back garden at Freshwater today enjoying some sunshine. I disturbed its basking and it eventually fluttered over the fence into a neighbours garden. [Posted by Peter Hunt]
Painted Lady near Keyhaven. Very surprised to see a fresh Painted Lady between Milford-on-Sea and Keyhaven today - never encountered one this late in the year before. Earlier we had a brief sighting of a Red Admiral near Pennington Marshes. [Posted by Rupert & Sharron Broadway]
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| Painted Lady near Keyhaven Photo © Rupert & Sharron Broadway |
Monday morning sunshine at Miller's Pond!. Visited Miller's Pond LNR this morning and chanced upon a Red Admiral in a sheltered patch.
Then popped over to Mayfield Park and checked an area I had seen a quite tatty Red Admiral a week ago. I found again this morning along with 2 others! [Posted by Nic Burns]
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| Red Admiral - Miller's Pond Photo © Nic Burns | Red Admiral - still hanging around Photo © Nic Burns | Red Admiral - resting having been dog-fighting with the other two. Photo © Nic Burns |
Gosport - Broadway Co-op Wall. Under full sun, blue skies and a temperature around 12 degrees C at midday it was with the hope of finding a Red Admiral sunning itself that I walked to the local Co-op. There at the hole in the wall I promptly lost my bank card (swallowed whole) but was immediately compensated by the sight of a nearby Red Admiral! It was a toss-up between telephoning the bank or photographing the insect. No contest really was it? [Posted by Francis Plowman]
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| Red Admiral at the Co-op Photo © Francis Plowman |
Monks Walk, Gosport. A brief wander for an hour from 1pm realised sighting of just two Red Admiral. [Posted by Francis Plowman]
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| Photo © Francis Plowman |
Portsdown Hill (East). Today in autumn sunshine I walked the paths at the East end of Portsdown Hill immediately below Fort Widley. Here I saw a Speckled Wood in flight along with a Red Admiral feeding on Ivy blooms and another landing at rest on the path. Maybe my last sightings this season. [Posted by Roy Symonds]
Female Brimstone at Highland Water. Flying around Highland Water early afternoon. [Posted by Elaine Rice]
Speckled Wood & Red Admiral in Bitterne. More sunshine around Bitterne, happy days after all the grey ones we have been having, and on this morning's local walk I came across a Speckled Wood on Montgomery Road and yet another Red Admiral - this time in Hum Hole.
The Red Admiral was most entertaining to watch. It would settle on the path or up in one of the Rhodies and then shoot up every time a leaf came down. As there was plenty of breeze today it was up and down like a yoyo! [Posted by Nic Burns]
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| Speckled Wood Photo © Nic Burns | Red Admirals Photo © Nic Burns |
Cryophilic White larva at Great Fontley. Too cold for butterflies, but last of the army of Large White larvae that have demolished the Honesty clump still surviving the gloom. [Posted by Andrew Brookes]
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| Large White larvae on Honesty Photo © Andrew Brookes |
My latest Peacock recorded. Parked up at Chilling Barn at around 11:00 and did the circuit via Chilling Copse, Brownwich Farm and back along the Brownwich Cliffs coast path. There was a cool northerly breeze, so while the car had shown 13C, it felt colder in the less sheltered places.
Three Red Admirals were out in the sun and there were plenty of Large White caterpillars on the cabbages along the coast path. Surprise of the day came towards the end of the walk - a lovely Peacock (ab. diopthalmica) which is now my latest recording of this species to date. [Posted by Nic Burns]
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| Red Admiral Photo © Nic Burns | Large White caterpillars Photo © Nic Burns | Peacock ab. diopthalmica Photo © Nic Burns |
Red Admirals come out with the sun.. This morning saw the lifting of the anticyclonic gloom we have been experiencing and Southampton got lucky with a couple of hours of sun before the clouds closed in again around noon.
In Bitterne, even before the sun came out, there was a Red Admiral on the move by Spring Rd shops. At Mayfield Park I came across another warming up on a large stone (and a Ring-tailed Parakeet squeaking in the trees). And then on the way up Shoreburs Greenway there was a further Red Admiral on some bracken. [Posted by Nic Burns]
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| Red Admiral Photo © Nic Burns | Ring-necked Parakeet Photo © Nic Burns | Red Admiral Photo © Nic Burns |
Red Admiral sighting 08 Nov 24. A Red Admiral was seen purposefully migrating at tree top height at 12:00 today. Quite a surprise as there was no sunshine and the air temperature was around 9C! Visiting Lancs & Cumbria Branch member. Near Holybourne Grid Ref: SU725440 [Posted by Steven Graham]
Browndown (North) Gosport. With the temperature around 16 degrees and some long periods of sunshine I went around the northern sector of Browndown (1115-1300) finding just three species. The day belonged to Speckled Wood and Red Admiral yet a solitary almost skeletal Holly Blue put in a cameo performance! It's been a while since I saw one and an unusual addition to my October sightings for sure. The other interest was watching a formation pair of Spitfires fly overhead and their return to Daedalus. Wonderful. Total: Speckled Wood (M)(16)(F)(4); Holly Blue (1); Red Admiral (7). [Posted by Francis Plowman]
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| Holly Blue (just about!) Photo © Francis Plowman | Red Admiral (male) Photo © Francis Plowman | Speckled Wood (female) Photo © Francis Plowman |
Seafield Park and Monks Hill Promenade Field - Hill Head. Between 1305-1410 the sunshine (16C) beckoned me to one final wander through the field beside the prom at Monks Hill and then one circulation of Seafield Park. No sign of Clouded Yellow although both areas still have sufficient flora to attract insect life. Just one male Common Blue and the female Red Admiral was recorded in the promenade field today with the remaining numbers found across the lane into the park where the Brimstone was seen on the wing. Total: Red Admiral (3)(incl. 1 female); Common Blue (M)(2); Speckled Wood (M)(2); Brimstone (M)(1). [Posted by Francis Plowman]
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| Female Red Admiral Photo © Francis Plowman | Common Blue male with some damage Photo © Francis Plowman | Distant and damaged Speckled Wood male Photo © Francis Plowman |
New Forest BTG 2024 season headlines. A frustrating season mainly down to the weather, especially the cool and wet spell just as the summer butterflies were emerging. The total number of butterflies recorded across 54 transects was 44262 at a density (butterflies per kilometer walked) of 13.10. This was our second lowest density, only 12.08 in 2016 was worse. Five transects improved on 2023, although one was due to limited access in 2023, with three under 50% of their 2023 total. Overall the transects recorded 78% of their average. Of the recorded species only Purple Hairstreak, Green Hairstreak, Orange-tip and Brimstone improved on 2023 and Holly Blue, Small Tortoiseshell, Pearl-bordered Fritillary, White Admiral and Red Admiral all declined by over 70%. No Grizzled Skipper, Purple Emperor or Clouded Yellow were recorded but a single White-letter Hairstreak and a (first) Marsh Fritillary meant that total species was 33, down by one of 2023. [Posted by Bob Taylor]
Monks Walk, Frater Fields & Woods, Gosport. From 1245-1430 the boggy morass of Monks Walk yielded four species, surprisingly given the amount of rain lately. With a few sunny interludes the temperature hovered around 17.5 deg C under mostly cloudy skies. The large field adjacent to DM Gosport has been cut-back completely so no surprise that nothing seen there. Speckled Wood have obviously found sufficient protection to survive the rain and strong winds and fifteen were recorded including just one female. A Buzzard and Kestrel overhead, a family of six swans on the foreshore and two Crested Grebe noted diving in the briny on a very high tide. (No pictures - getting to grips with a new camera!). Total: Red Admiral (4); Speckled Wood (M)(14)(F)(1); Small White (2); Large White (2). [Posted by Francis Plowman]
Late developers at Great Fontley. Some long-overdue sunshine this morning encouraged the emergence from pupation of two Commas, while Large White final instar larvae basked on Honesty leaves. Later, a Brimstone was seen in the elm plantation and a Speckled Wood in the garden. [Posted by Andrew Brookes]
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| Comma drying wings Photo © Andrew Brookes |
The season that never was.... I've deliberately kept this photo in reserve as a little light relief at the end of what has certainly proved to be one of the most frustrating and disappointing butterfly seasons I've known for many years. As ever, one of my regular haunts in search of the Purple Emperor (even more elusive this summer than in most!) was the Straits Inclosure, one of the famed and apocryphal haunts of this species within the Alice Holt Forest. As always, it was a pleasure to meet up with old friends, even when (as was most frequently the case!) the butterflies failed to put in an appearance, and here are Dan, Mark T, and Flossie, the "Emperor Dog" on one such occasion back in late July, when we saw precisely nothing. Still, it's always better to travel than to arrive, or so they say, and this image really does sum up the great summer of 2024 and the butterfly season that never was. Where did that one go...this way or that? Thanks for your good company and friendship guys, and see you next year! [Posted by Michael Jameson]
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| Where did that one go? Photo © Michael Jameson |
Portsdown Hill, Paulsgrove. After a week of dismal days I took advantage in a slight lull in the weather and walked most of Portsdown Hill (east-west and return) from 1100-1250. At the start the temperature stood at 19 deg C but felt much cooler under mostly grey skies and increasing severity of breeze off The Solent. Nevertheless, having not recorded Meadow Brown this month I was satisfied to see at least nine, all females and all down in the grasses. Total: Meadow Brown (9); Speckled Wood (1); Red Admiral (2); Large White (1). [Posted by Francis Plowman]
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| Female Meadow Brown Photo © Francis Plowman | Red Admiral on ivy floret Photo © Francis Plowman |
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