Small Tortoiseshell. Photo: Warren Port
Taken at Breach Common, Shaftesbury on 9 June, Warren says that it’s only the second he’s seen this year, though last year he only saw one.
Tag Archives: Small Tortoiseshell
Brimstone. Photo: Ann Barlow
Small Tortoiseshell. Photo: Ann Barlow
Ann says:
Today (30/5/25), to our great joy, we saw a female brimstone egg- laying on our three buckthorn trees. This is the first time we’ve seen this for several years. She also decided to take a break and rest on our gravel at one point, so I took a photo.
The second photo attached is of a small tortoiseshell taken in our garden on 25/5/25, again a lovely surprise as we haven’t seen one around here for several years. Let us hope it’s shaping up to be a better year for butterflies.
Small Tortoiseshell. Photo: Brian Arnold
Brian tells us:
Yesterday (25th May) we tried out a walk for the Swanage Walking Group starting at Martin Down which is in Hampshire, then crossing into Dorset to walk to Pentridge and upand then along Pentridge Down and Penbury Knoll. We saw lots of butterflies, and near Pentridge we found this Small Tortoiseshell. Continue reading
Small Tortoiseshell. Photo: Caroline Stringer
Orange Tip. Photo: Caroline Stringer
Caroline caught these two beauties in her garden in Okeford Fitzpaine. She said she was very pleased to have the Small Tortoiseshell, and we share her pleasure: a lovely little butterfly not seen as often as it used to be. Our transect (butterfly monitoring) walks in 2023 recorded the lowest total in ten years.
Small Tortoiseshell. Photo: Shona Refoy
Shona sent in this photo telling us:
I went to Holme for Gardens with my daughter this morning, 01/03/2025 and was delighted to see this Small Tortoiseshell there, nectaring on the heathers. We also saw a Red Admiral, but there was no sign of the Painted Lady – the bees however were still there!
Small Tortoiseshell. Photo: Sue East
Sue sent us this photo of a Small Tortoiseshell she spotted whilst gardening in her Hinton St Mary garden today, 01/03/2025 – she told us this is the first one of this species she has seen this year and that she also saw a Red Admiral.
Small Tortoiseshell. Photo: Sue East
Silver Y Moth. Photo: Sue East
Two photos from Sue sent in telling us:
Amazing the difference 24 hours and a bit of warm sunshine can make. Today, 09/09/2024 in our Hinton St Mary garden after all the wind and rain of recent days we have seen 3 Small Tortoiseshells, numerous Small, Large and Green-vein Whites, a Comma, 3 Red Admirals and this Silver Y moth.
Small Tortoiseshell. Photo: John East
John sent in this photo telling us:
This is only the second Small Tortoiseshell we have seen in our Hinton St Mary garden this year – it settled in the garden for about 10 minutes just moving from flower to flower allowing me to capture this photo which was taken today 23/08/2024.
Small Tortoiseshell. Photo: Mike Kirby
Brimstone. Photo: Mike Kirby
Two photos from Mike sent in telling us:
I took a final trip to Alner’s Gorse today, 17/08/2024 in the hope that there may still be a Brown Hairstreak around. No luck with that however but very pleasing to see a pristine Small Tortoiseshell – they’ve been so scarce this year. There were a lot of Meadow Browns around together with quite a few Speckled Woods and this stunning Brimstone which for a change posed nicely for me.
Small Tortoiseshell. Photo: Jane Hopper
Red Admiral. Photo: Jane Hopper
Two photos sent in by Jane with the following comments:
What a difference a couple of warm sunny days has made to the butterflies in my Chalmington garden! Lots of fresh new butterflies have appeared from Meadow Browns and Gatekeepers to Peacocks and Red Admirals. The plural is quite symbolic: the attached photos, both from today, 28/07/2024 show one of three Red Admirals feeding on the Verbena all at the same time along with the first Small Tortoiseshell that I have seen in my garden this year. In fact I have only seen three Small Tortoiseshells all year and one of those was in Hampshire!