Butterflying was slow to start this year. Usually expect to see some of the emerging hibernators and over-winterers in later February. However, my first UK butterfly of the year wasn’t until 5th March, a Brimstone. My first Orange Tip last year was 17th March, and apparently it was the first UK record for 2024. I will update this article as the year progresses and the butterflies appear.
Green Hairstreak – 26th April – Church Lane, Cottenham
Holly Blue – 8th April – RSPB Lakenheath
Speckled Wood – 6th April – Les King Wood, Cottenham
Orange Tip (male) – 3rd April – Cherry Hinton Chalk Pits
Green-veined White – 1st April – Les King Wood, Cottenham
Small White – 31st March – Allotment, Cottenham
Large White – 31st March – Allotment, Cottenham
Small Tortoiseshell – 9th March – RSPB Ouse Washes, Manea
Peacock – 9th March – RSPB Ouse Washes, Manea
Comma – 8th March – Lamb’s Land, Cottenham
Brimstone – 5th March – Lamb’s Lane, Cottenham
Brimstone
Comma
European Peacock
Footnote
We were in Tenerife in early February, we saw several butterfly species: Monarch, Canarian Cleopatra (F), Small Tortoiseshell, Large White, Red Admiral