Search Results for: Duke of Burgundy

Buterfly with detailed orange and brown markings

Duke of Burgundy. Photo: Mike Lewis

Mike says:

I was just looking at the gallery page and I see that Shona Refoy has submitted a photo of a DoB on Hod Hill.

I was amazed as I had recorded one on the transect yesterday (10th May) too! I do wonder if it was the same one, because I don’t think there’s been one recorded there before, at least not for many years.

Like Shona I could hardly believe what I was seeing!

Butterly with mainly orange-brown wings, and white marks on the underside of the hindwing

Duke of Burgundy. Photo: Roy Norris

Roy saw the Duke on 10 May on Giant Hill at Cerne Abbas – the one site in Dorset where you can be reasonably sure to find them at this time of year. He says he saw two, both at the far (Northern) end of the foothill of the Giant.

An orange butterfly with brown and black markings resting on the brown seed head of a plant

Duke of Burgundy. Photo: Shona Refoy

A brownish and orange butterfly with some black and white markings on a green leaf

Small Heath. Photo: Shona Refoy

Shona sent in these two photos including one which rather surprised her telling us:

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw this male Duke of Burgundy on Hod Hill this morning, 09/05/2024 – how did he get there?  He was flying in the South gully, along with Small Heaths (this is one of the five I saw), Dingy Skippers and Burnet Companion moths.

An orange butterfly with brown and black markings resting on a pale green leaf

Duke of Burgundy. Photo: Nick Galer

This is the second photo of a Duke of Burgundy on the Gallery this year – this one was taken by Nick at Giant’s Hill, Cerne Abbas yesterday, 08/05/2024 who sent it to in with the following comment:

I see that 3 were recorded there yesterday, very exciting news.

An orange butterfly with brown and black markings resting on a green leaf

Duke of Burgundy. Photo: Shona Refoy

An orange butterfly with brown and black markings resting on a green leaf

Duke of Burgundy. Photo: Shona Refoy

Shona sent in these two photos telling us:

It was a misty start on Giant Hill today, 07/05/2024 but when the sun did come out, so did the butterflies!  One of the first was this female Duke of Burgundy, looking somewhat the worse for wear, followed a while later by this male. I saw another male, paler in colour, shortly before leaving the hill.

A brown and orange butterfly with black and white markings on a green leaf

Duke of Burgundy. Photo: Kevin Denham

Kevin sent in this photo telling us:

An excellent Dorset Butterfly Conservation guided walk led by Nigel Spring at Telegraph Hill last Sunday, 21/05/2023 recorded 10 species of butterfly with the highlight being 21 Duke of Burgundy. In addition dragonflies, damselflies, moths, bees, hornets, and a rather confident roebuck were also seen. Towards the end of the walk we were fortunate to observe a female Two-coloured Mason Bee Osmia bicolor carrying dried grass stems to camouflage her snail shell nest.

A brown and orange butterfly with black and white markings on some green vegetation

Duke of Burgundy (male). Photo: Shona Refoy

A brown and orange butterfly with black and white markings on a green leaf

Duke of Burgundy (female). Photo: Shona Refoy

Two photos from Shona sent in telling us:

I went to Giant Hill today, 14/05/2023 hoping to see some Duke of Burgundy, and was not disappointed – I saw a total of nine. This male was the first I saw, perching on the still wet grass, showing his four fully formed legs (his forelegs are vestigial). Later on I saw my second ever female – here she is, sitting on a leaf, showing off her six legs!