Search Results for: Badbury Rings

A brown butterfly with creamy white and black markings on a greenish yellow leaf

Speckled Wood. Photo: Lynda Lambert

Lynda sent in this photo telling us:

I walked up to Badbury Rings this afternoon, 29/09/2025 and spotted this lovely fresh Speckled Wood on Old Man’s Beard.  It was the only butterfly I saw apart from a very worn Common Blue.

A cluster of blackish caterpillars in a web on some green vegetation

Peacock Caterpillars. Photo: Nick Galer

Nick sent in this photo with the following comments:

There is always something to see at Badbury Rings, even today, 04/08/2025 on a wet and windy Monday morning!!

I believe this to be 3rd instar Peacock larvae – it feels a bit late in the season but they hopefully will make it in the last couple of months of this summer.

A blue and brown butterfly amongst some brown vegetation

Chalkhill Blue. Photo: Nick Galer

Nick sent in this photo telling us:

Went to Martin Down yesterday and as I saw clouds of Chalkhill Blues there thought I would try Badbury early this morning, 12/07/2025 and eventually found a solitary one on its overnight roost.

Orange butterfly with black dots and lines on a knapweed flower

Dark Green Fritillary. Photo: Ann Barlow

Small butterfly. Forewings are orange with black spots and a brown edge, while the hindwings are brown with an orange edge.

Small Copper. Photo: Ann Barlow

The Dark Green Fritilalry was taken at Badbury Rings on the very breezy evening of 21 June and was the only one she saw. The Small Copper turned up in Hamworthy on 24 June, which she says was a very pleasant surprise.

Small Coppers have up to three broods a year, so could be seen any time between April and October: see our Species page for more detail on flight times

Side view of butterfly with dark brown rings heavily patterned with white and black

White Admiral. Photo: James LeRouge

Butterfly with open wings which are orange with complex dark brown markings

Silver-washed Fritillary James. Photo: LeRouge

James tells us:

I found not only a very early White Admiral BUT also a Silver-washed Fritillary in the space of about 10 minutes in a glade near to Badbury Rings on 2 June. I could not quite believe my luck. I was actually going to go and look for possible early Dark Greens but never made it due to this distraction and time constraints.

Cinnabar Moth, Near Badbury Rings

Cinnabar Moth. Photo: Rob Haynes

Rob spotted this Cinnabar moth when walking his dog near Badbury Rings on 29/05/25 and commented that it looked a very vivid colour.

Very similar colouring to burnet moths, flying at the same time, but the Cinnabar has red stripes as apposed to the red spots or blotches associated with the Burnets. The striking caterpillar is yellow with black bands and found mainly on Ragwort, sometimes in great numbers.