Tag Archives: Hengistbury Head

An orange butterfly with black and yellow markings on some green vegetation

Large Tortoiseshell. Photo: Mike Kirby

An orange butterfly with black and yellow markings on a tree trunk

Large Tortoiseshell. Photo: Mike Kirby

Two photos from Mike sent in telling us:

I finally got to see the Large Tortoiseshell at Hengistbury Head today,  05/03/2026. It didn’t hang around for too long and was very active – a long lens was essential to be able to photograph it without spooking it. 

It’s looking a little ragged – obviously had some attention from a bird, but was enjoying the sun in areas out of the wind.

EDITOR’S NOTE: I was delighted but very surprised to receive these photos and the one taken by Shona Refoy (which can be seen in a separate post) of Large Tortoiseshells, a butterfly not often now seen in the UK.  Definitely worth having a good close look at any Tortoiseshells you may see.

Painted Lady, Hengistbury Head

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View of an orange butterfly on heather

Painted Lady: Photo: David Wareham

David writes “I was at Hengistbury Head on Thursday 10/08/2019 photographing reptiles there. As I walked through the heather I was flushing Painted Lady butterflies in their dozens, possibly five or six with every step. Just in an area the size of a tennis court there must have been four to six hundred. It was an amazing and magical sight and one I’ve never witnessed before”.

It really has been an incredible year for Painted Lady’s with sightings in most areas of the county – they have been wonderful to see this summer in such quantities.