Author Archives: John East

A red, black and brown butterfly with some white markings resting on a green leaf

Red Admiral. Photo: Brian Arnold

A red, black and brown butterfly with some white markings on a stone wall

Red Admiral: Photo: Brian Arnold

Brian sent in these photos telling us:

The sunny weather today, 02/02/2025 brought out another Red Admiral in our garden at Harman’s Cross.  I assumed it was the same specimen we saw in our garden on Thursday and Friday last week, but examination of the photos shows that it is a different specimen, assuming that it has not managed to regrow bits of its rear wings! We were out in the garden for quite a while and I was hoping to see both of them at once, but alas no. However it was warm enough to be sitting outside with ice creams – another first for 2025.

A red, black and brown butterfly with some white markings on a stone wall

Red Admiral. Photo: Brian Arnold

A very happy Brian sent in this photo telling us:

Yippee! Our first butterfly of 2025 – seen in our garden at Harman’s Cross today 30/01/2025.  This Red Admiral came out of hibernation to take advantage of the sunshine – although quite a cold day, the sheltered parts of our garden were surprisingly warm – enough for this butterfly to enjoy basking in the sunshine.

A red, black and brown butterfly with some white markings on a brick wall

Red Admiral. Photo: Shona Refoy

The first photo for the Gallery of a butterfly seen in 2025 – sent in by Shona telling us:

I saw my first butterfly of the year today, 16/01/2025 during an unexpected spell of sunshine this morning.  A Red Admiral basking on a first floor windowsill in Upton Country Park Walled Garden – luckily it flew down to a low wall so that I could take some better photos.

A pale greenish yellow butterfly on a yellow leaf

Brimstone. Photo: Sue East

A red, black and brown butterfly with some white markings on a green leaf

Red Admiral. Photo: Sue East

Sue sent in these photos of two butterflies she saw on a Choisya bush in her Hinton St Mary Garden yesterday, 30/11/2024 – she was particularly surprised to see a Brimstone this late in the year and told us it was the latest she has ever seen one.

A red, black and brown butterfly with some white markings on a green holly leaf

Red Admiral. Photo: Brian Arnold

Brian sent in this quite seasonal photo telling us:

Today, 26/11/2024 there have been 3 Red Admirals settling and nectaring on the Colletia Hystrix in our Harman’s Cross garden. One of them flew across to some adjacent holly and landed by some red berries.  I have long hoped to get a photo of a Red Admiral on holly with berries but of course it is not a plant for them to nectar on.  Some snow in the picture would make it perfect, but I think that is somewhat unlikely!!

A red, black and brown butterfly with white markings on some autumn leaves

Red Admiral. Photo: Brian Arnold

Brian sent in this photo telling us:

After a frosty morning at Harman’s Cross today, 20/11/2024 the sun was shining and the temperature went up to just 6 degrees.  Despite the cold we saw 2 Red Admirals in our garden, settling on the Autumn Leaves to soak up the sun.

A brown and orange butterfly with black and white markings

Meadow Brown. Photo: James Waterfall

James sent us this photo of a Meadow Brown he saw on the top of Beacon Hill near Melbury Abbas on 15/11/2024.  This is amazingly late for this species as the last record of a sighting of one in Dorset is usually sometime in October.