Tag Archives: Duke of Burgundy

View of a brown and orange butterfly with white markings to the fringes of the wings resting on green vegetation

Duke of Burgundy. Photo: Shona Refoy

View of brown and orange butterfly with white markings resting on a green leaf

Duke of Burgundy. Photo: Shona Refoy

Shona has sent us these two photos of a female Duke of Burgundy taken at Giants Hill, Cerne Abbas on 17/05/2020 with the following comments:

She sat on this leaf while a cloud passed overhead, so I was able to photograph her from different angles. As soon as the sun came out again, off she went! I was so pleased to see my first ever female.

View of a brown and orange butterfly with some white markings resting on a green leaf

Duke of Burgundy. Photo: Shona Refoy

View of a perching brown and orange butterfly

Duke of Burgundy. Photo: Shona Refoy

Shona has sent us these two photos with the following comments:

I was so pleased to be able to visit Giant Hill on 15/05/2020) for my second ever attempt to see the Duke of Burgundy. It took me a while, but I eventually found at least 6, so here are photos of two males.

This beautiful Spring flying butterfly with a fritillary-like appearance is readily identified by the two parallel bands of white spots on the underwing and the white spots along the fringes of both the forewing and hindwing which can be clearly seen in these photos.

View of a brown and orange butterfly resting on a green leaf

Duke of Burgundy. Photo: Mark Pike

View of a green butterfly nectaring on a blue flower

Green Hairstreak. Photo: Mark Pike

A couple of shots from Giant Hill at Cerne Abbas, taken on 15/05/2020 and sent to us by Mark Pike with the following comments:

A nice Duke of Burgundy and a Green Hairstreak unusually captured whilst it briefly took nectar from a flower, although they do take nectar it is quite rare to actually witness it, they are far more likely to be seen guarding their territory in a nearby bush.

Orange butterfly with brown markings.

Duke of Burgundy. Photo: Mark Wright

A lovely shot of a Duke by Mark, taken at Cerne Giant Hill, which has the only publicly accessible colony of this butterfly in Dorset. Butterfly Conservation Dorset Branch regularly undertakes conservation work on the site to ensure its survival.

Dark brown butterfy with extensive orange marking plus paler underwing marks

Duke of Burgundy. Photo: John Woodruff

Spotted by John on Giant Hill, Cerne Abbas on 16/05/2019. He reports that all the Dukes out were to be see at the base of the hill, in the undergrowth. Catching this specimen among the grass really gives you an idea of how small this butterfly is.

Side view of a small brown and white butterfly on a cowslip

Duke of Burgundy. Photo: Richard Belding

Richard has sent us this lovely reminder of last spring, to cheer up these gloomy days. It was taken on Cerne Giant Hill in 2017.

We hope to be seeing His Grace on the wing again in late May – all of the Dukes are chrysalises at the moment.