Tag Archives: Small Tortoiseshell

A black and brown butterfly with a hint of orange resting on a green leaf

Small Tortoiseshell. Photo: Warren Port

Warren sent in this photo saying:

I managed to photograph this Small Tortoiseshell at Castle Hill, Shaftesbury today, 21/07/2025. I have recorded it as a part of the Big Butterfly Count. It looks very fresh.

Greeny-yellow butterfly against an orange gravel background

Brimstone. Photo: Ann Barlow

Striking butterfly with orange, yellow, black and blue on its wings

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.

Butterfly with orange and brown wings, marked with black and yellow and a row of blue studs round the eges

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 →

Open-winged butterfly showing orange wings marked with yellow and black, with blue edging spots to the wings.

Small Tortoiseshell. Photo: Caroline Stringer

Butterfly with orange tips to its white wings, and a mottled green underwing

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.

An orange butterfly with white, black, yellow and blue markings on a pink flower.

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!

An orange butterfly with white, black, yellow and blue markings on a Daphne bush

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.

An orange butterfly with black, white, yellow and blue markings on a pink flower

Small Tortoiseshell. Photo: Sue East

A brown coloured moth with some paler markings on a yellow flower

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.

An orange butterfly with black, white, yellow and blue markings on a purple flower

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.