A blue butterfly with a white fringe to the wings on a yellow flower

Common Blue. Photo: Mike Brooke

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

Clouded Yellow. Photo: Mike Brooke

Mike sent in these two photos he took at Stour Meadows yesterday, 08/10/2026 telling us:

I was primarily photographing Kingfishers but took a break to cross the river and explore a small patch of Toadflax and was surprised to find this Clouded Yellow and an almost pristine Common Blue male, together with a rather weatherbeaten Common Blue female, a Small White and a Small Ccopper. I also managed to photograph a Kingfisher with a fish before I left for home.

Common Blue and Clouded Yellow, Stour Meadows
Posted on: 9 October, 2026

a grey/brown moth with orange underwings approaching a food source with curled up proboscis

Hummingbird Hawkmoth . Photo: Ian Julian

Grey/ brown bird like moth with orange underwings approaching a food source , a buddleia out of shot

Hummingbird Hawkmoth, Photo: Ian Julian

On 5/10/26 Ian spotted two Hummingbird Hawkmoths feeding on buddleias which luckily are still in full flower, outside his central Poole flat.

Hummingbird Hawkmoth, Poole
Posted on: 7 October, 2026

dusky light grey/brown moth with furry thorax and showing small round spots on forewings

Maize Wainscot. Photo: Paul Harris

Paul was excited to find this rare visitor in his Weymouth garden trap on 1/10/26. A migrant moth, Maize Wainscot, currently the 7th UK record and 3rd for Dorset.

Commonly known as as a corn borer, its colouration gives it the perfect camouflage against maize stalks and dried grasses.

Maize Wainscot, Weymouth
Posted on: 7 October, 2026

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

Clouded Yellow. Photo: Nick Galer

A yellow butterfly with bright green eyes resting on a green and purple coloured leaf

Clouded Yellow. Photo: Nick Galer

Two photos from Nick sent in saying:

In anticipation of the weather cooling tomorrow, had a quick visit to Lydlinch Common today, 06/10/2026 hoping to see any remaining Clouded Yellows and managed to find just one pristine looking male who was willing to tolerate my presence for some close up shots.

Clouded Yellow, Lydlinch Common
Posted on: 7 October, 2026

An orange and dark brown butterfly with some blackish markings on a magenta coloured flower

Small Copper. Photo: Stewart Balmain

Stewart sent us this photo he took in his Bourton garden on 05/10/2026 saying:

I just couldn’t resist snapping this one.  Such wonderful colours.

Small Copper, Bourton
Posted on: 7 October, 2026

A brown butterfly with white, black and orange markings on a pink flower

Long-tailed Blue. Photo: Mike Brooke

A brown butterfly with white, black and orange markings on a pink flower

Long-tailed Blue. Photo: Mike Brooke

Mike sent in these photos telling us:

During my survey this morning, 01/10/2026 I came across what I thought was a jaded female Common Blue but on closer inspection it wasn’t. The patterns on the underside of the wings and two small tails led to the ID of a Long-tailed Blue which was confirmed by the black spots on the open upper surface of the rear wings. My apologies for the not very good photos but it was perched for only a very few seconds.

Editor’s Note:  the Long-tailed Blue, a migratory butterfly is a rare and irregular visitor to southern England, usually in late summer. The distinctive “tails” and two adjacent black spots can clearly be seen in the first photo.

Long-tailed Blue, Brownsea Island
Posted on: 2 October, 2026

A yellow butterfly with two black spots and a wide black fringe to the wings

Clouded Yellow. Photo: Nick Galer

A white buttterfly with two black and two yellow spots and a wide black fringe to the wings

Clouded Yellow f.helice. Photo: Nick Galer

Nick sent in these two photos saying:

It really has been a joy to be amongst all these Clouded Yellows this year.  Had a quick hour at Lydlinch Common this afternoon, 30/09/2026 and there were a few still around.

Clouded Yellow and Clouded Yellow f.helice, Lydlinch Common
Posted on: 1 October, 2026

A yellow and black butterfly nectaring on a pink flower

Clouded Yellow. Photo: Ian Julian

A yellow and black butterfly near a green leaf

Clouded Yellow. Photo: Ian Julian

Ian sent in these two photos he took very recently telling us:

There is a single stem of Buddleia outside the Lighthouse Theatre in Poole with no other suitable plant nearby and I watched this Clouded Yellow leaving it and then returning so I was able to anticipate it landing each time and got loads of pictures of it with wings open.

Clouded Yellow, Poole
Posted on: 28 September, 2026

An orange butterfly with brown and blackish markings on some mixed vegetation

Wall. Photo: Matt Cooper

A pale brown butterfly on some green and dark pink vegetation

Grayling. Photo: Matt Cooper

Two photos from Matt sent in saying:

Another trip out today, 26/09/2026 this time to Arne. Short supply of butterflies, not even any Clouded Yellows!!  I did spot this smart Wall Brown and also this distinctly not smart Grayling. The only others were a couple of Whites which didn’t settle.

Grayling and Wall, Arne
Posted on: 27 September, 2026

An orange and brown butterfly with black spot markings on a magenta coloured flower

Small Copper. Photo: Stewart Balmain

Stewart sent in this photo he took in his Bourton garden yesterday, 26/09/2026 telling us:

I always get Small Coppers on the Michaelmas daisies but the hard part is getting them to pose on the brilliant flowers.

Small Copper, Bourton
Posted on: 27 September, 2026

More photos: Gallery archive