Tag Archives: Duke of Burgundy

Side view of small rich brown butterfly with pattern of cream marks

Duke of Burgundy. Photo: Wren Franklin

Small open-winged brown butterfly with orange markings

Duke of Burgundy. Photo: Wren Franklin

There is a group of Dorset Branch members surveying Duke of Burgundy on Dorset sites. The first sightings came from Giant hill on the 29 May and they are now being reported from many of their known locations. Wren sent us these two photographs Continue reading →

Side view of small butterfly with strong white markings on a rich brown background

Duke of Burgundy. Photo: Shona Refoy

Shona tells us:

It was a hot and humid walk to the far end of Giant Hill yesterday (1 May) afternoon. Once there I was rewarded with my first Duke of Burgundy of the year (which I think is the first reported in Dorset).

She is right about it being the first reported to the website this year; the earliest last year was not until 7 May.

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.