Share your Dorset butterfly and moth related photos
Speckled Wood. Photo: Edmund Mackrill
Speckled Wood, Lodmoor RSPB
Posted on: 11 April, 2021
Green-veined White. Photo: Martin Wood
Martin sent us this photo of a male Green-veined White he spotted at Longham Lakes on 04/04/2021. It is the first photo of one sent in for the Gallery this year and may well be the first sighting of one in Dorset this year.
Green-veined White, Longham Lakes
Posted on: 5 April, 2021
Orange Tip. Photo: Brian Arnold
This is the photo of the Orange Tip referred to in the earlier posting showing Brian’s photos of the Green Hairstreaks. This was also taken on 04/04/2021 along the footpath from Ailwood Down to Corfe Castle below Challow Hill.
Editor’s Note: Whilst this is not the first record of an Orange Tip reported to Dorset Butterfly Conservation this year (that was on 27/03/2021) it is the first photo of one sent in for the Gallery and what a joy it is to see.
Orange Tip, Challow Hill
Posted on: 5 April, 2021
Green Hairstreak. Photo: Brian Arnold
Green Hairstreak. Photo: Brian Arnold
Two photos from Brian sent in telling us:
Today, 04/04/2021 we walked today along the footpath from Ailwood Down to Corfe Castle. Below Challow Hill we saw a single Green Hairstreak and a couple of Orange Tips plus several other species. Is this the first Green Hairstreak seen in Dorset this year I wonder?
I have attached a couple of photos of the Green Hairstreak showing how well camouflaged it is when against a green background. It stood out quite well when perched on gorse.
Editor’s Note: To date this does appear to be the first record of a Green Hairstreak reported to the Dorset Branch of Butterfly Conservation this year. A photo of one of the Orange Tips Brian saw will be added to the Gallery later in a separate posting.
Green Hairstreak, Challow Hill
Posted on: 5 April, 2021
Speckled Wood. Photo: Ann Barlow
Speckled Wood. Photo: Ann Barlow
Ann sent in these two photos of a Speckled Wood she saw in her Corfe Mullen garden on 04/04/2021 telling us that the butterfly was rather uncooperative when it came to having its photo taken.
Speckled Wood, Corfe Mullen
Posted on: 5 April, 2021
Peacock. Photo: Paul Godier
The Easter Sunday sunshine was quite a bonus for the butterflies including this Peacock which was just one of several Paul spotted in the lane to Wick from Hengistbury Head on 04/04/2021. He also mentioned that he saw a Comma and a Brimstone there as well.
Peacock, Wick
Posted on: 5 April, 2021
Red Admiral. Photo: George McCabe
Red Admiral. Photo: George McCabe
Two photos from George sent in telling us:
l have been out on a number of walks lately and it has been hard work spotting any butterflies. Today, 03/04/2021 on a two-hour walk along the Ridgeway near Weymouth then down the old coach/roman road into Upwey I saw nothing until l spotted some blossom out where I saw this Red Admiral and then nothing more. One thing l did notice however was how small these Red Admirals were but this does not show in the pictures.
Red Admiral, Upwey
Posted on: 4 April, 2021
Peacock. Photo: Ann Barlow
A super sharp photo from a very happy Ann sent in telling us:
It was a real joy for me to get a photo of a Peacock feeding on Blackthorn yesterday, 02/04/2021 in Spetisbury – at last as I tried last spring without any success. This followed on from my best sighting yet of Dartford Warblers the day before. What a wonderful area we do live in.
Peacock, Spetisbury
Posted on: 4 April, 2021
Small White. Photo: Donald Simcock
Donald sent in this photo of a Small White he saw yesterday, 02/04/2021 telling us:
We were in our garden in Moordown fence painting and gardening when a Small White flew in to look at what we were doing. My wife Val commented that we hadn’t seen a Small White this early before. It visited us a few times taking an interest in the Honesty plants which have just come into flower.
Editor’s Note: To date we have had 15 sightings of Small Whites reported to our website so far this year, the first one being on 09/03/2021 (last year the first one reported to us was seen on 01/03/2020). This however is the first photo of one sent in for the Gallery this year.
Small White, Moordown
Posted on: 3 April, 2021
Comma. Phoro: Brian Arnold
Brian sent in this lovely photo of a Comma nectaring on a Celandine telling us:
Today, 02/04/2021 at Harman’s Cross we have had quite a cold wind, but being from the north our garden has been quite sheltered and by this afternoon it was really warm. We had our first sighting in the garden of a Brimstone and Comma, bringing our species total to 5 (also Red Admiral, Peacock and Speckled Wood a few days ago). The garden is currently awash with Primroses and Celandines which really are a magnet for the butterflies.
Comma, Harman’s Cross
Posted on: 3 April, 2021
More photos: Gallery archive