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The Yorkshire Branch general editor feels that it is time to step back.They are happy to stay on for twelve months and support whoever takes on the role. Mail:penny.relf@yorkshirebutterflies.org.uk www.yorkshirebutterflies.org.uk/publications...
An opportunity to help out with the Leeds Wild Spaces project sowing wild flower seeds at Middleton Park on 24th April 10am
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/leeds-wild...
The final zoom talk rounds up 2025 Butterfly season and what a season it was! An Annus Mirablis some would say. We look at the effects of the heat and drought on the fortunes of our species on different habitats as well as exploring a record breaking early start www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/yorkshire-...
Another early spring (though has recent cool slowed it a bit)
The latest from @patrickbarkham.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
An update on the Orange-tip butterfly chrysalis. The orange of the wing tip is looking more obvious now. Hoping for a still, warm day for the emergence.
#butterflies #chrysalis #UKwildlife
A rare wetland plant is returning to East Yorkshire to support the nationally scarce Swallowtail butterfly. A joint project between Wassand Estate and Tophill Low are planting Milk Parsley to see if it is possible to bring this butterfly back to Hornsea mere. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
There are 8 species now on the wing in Yorkshire with Speckled Wood spotted along the south facing woodland roadside at Wentbridge yesterday. Emergences are running a week early and in the Midlands Holly Blue, Orange Tip and Green Hairstreak have already been spotted! Please report your sightings
Fascinating.
If this spread continues will we start to see more and more in SE England?
And will any re-establishment be clouded by questions over rogue releases?
Its 2 weeks today until the start of the official Butterfly Monitoring season
But for any keen beans you can do early transect walks before April 1st if the weather is warm, above 13oC, dry, bright and still.
Early counts can be entered on our website as weeks -3, -2, -1, 0 etc.
@savebutterflies.bsky.social now considers Large Tortoiseshell a resident species once again.
It is yet to recoloniese our region. But with a continent-facing coastline and abundant elm surely soon.
@richardfoxbc.bsky.social @patrickbarkham.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Get ready for survey season!
Its just less than a month to go until the start of UKBMS Transect surveys. Brush up on the survey method with our resources here - buff.ly/Qo4kgNX
📣 New paper 🎉 Proud to have helped with this nice study by @wlangdon12.bsky.social showing a trade-off between nutritional quality & microclimate of host plants for Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas). Here in England, they choose warmth over nutrition resjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
The recording of Charlie Fletcher's review of the 2025 Moth year is now available. Its been another very busy moth year with record number of moths a lots of new earliest and latest recorded dates let alone record abundance for hundreds of species... Phew! youtu.be/-s8RWBO-_nI
The video will indeed be available shortly on the bcy YouTube channel as soon I've had a bit of time to edit and tidy.
A final reminder; the highlight of every moth year is Charlie's entertaining and enthralling stories and revelations around our resident and so many new species. Its Tonight so dont miss out... book now www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1977023474...
Butterfly Conservation Leeds Wild Spaces Project has three vacancies for volunteers. Including Conservation Work Group Volunteer , Events Volunteer and a Volunteer media editor see volunteer.butterfly-conservation.org/opportunitie...
Did you know the mostly likely Yorkshire species you will see first, each year, is a Brimstone. They are rarely the earliest but awoke in force in the warm sun of 25th Feb. More than 5 times as many were seen than any other species, 2nd was Peacock, 3rd Comma and Red Admiral so far is zero!
Now a brief visit from a Hummingbird Hawk-moth to the Paper Bush in our Corfe Castle garden @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social
At long last the weather is improving this weekend. So if you want to get outdoors its a great opportunity to join one of our Duke of Burgundy Work Parties and help save the Dukes Please do come and help.
3 speakers on the YNU zoom tonight see www.ynu.org.uk/news-events
https://www.pressreader.com/uk/western-morning-news/20260128/281698326164784
New Science found moths tend stay put under LED lights, wasting precious time! 800 moths from 23 species were exposed to LED lights of various colours and brightness at street lighting levels. Moths moved 85% less than in natural nighttime conditions See www.pressreader.com/uk/western-m...
The firing gun has gone off on the Yorkshire butterfly season a Small Tortoiseshell on 24th Jan by Jane Greenwood over in Bilton Small Torts are usualy the first species in Week 3 month and by end of this month we would expect to have seen Peacock and Red Admiral. It doesnt look very hopeful!!
Its been a better year for the Clouded Yellow and they are now making their way south for the treacherous trip home. This individual was captured by Chris Cox at Spurn yesterday where there have been regular sightings recently. Also flying currently are Red Admiral, Small Copper and Holly Blue.
There is no reason why this species is not spreading through Yorkshire in our warming world and is already present at Pleasley Park just over the border in Derbyshire
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gcb.70425
A fascinating study at Leeds University reveals for the first time how its possible to use weather radar data to estimate total numbers of flying insects. They found 11 trillion insects daytime increasing with climate warming while at night strong decline after LED's in urban heat and light islands
With a massive third generation will Small Copper be Yorkshire's Butterfly of the year? Please submit your butterfly records by 16th November 2025 for them to be included in the Annual Report. Please submit on iRecordbutterflies, the Sightings site on the branch website or UKBMS for transects
On another site ,Green Hairstreak ,Adonis Blue and incredibly a Duke of Burgandy ! have been seen and photographed in the last few days . What next ..............Orange-Tip !😂
Front cover of the European Butterfly Red List, showing Polyommatus humedasae. The report can be downloaded at https://www.bc-europe.eu/webpage.php?name=red-list-butterflies-2025
The new European Butterfly Red List is published today, with worrying findings. Over 1/4 (28%) of Europe’s 442 species are threatened with extinction or are close to being so. The situation is far worse for our 148 endemic species, 40% are now threatened or nearly so www.bc-europe.eu/webpage.php?...
This graph from @metoffice.gov.uk says it all about this summer's weather. Every month was at least a degree warmer than the average 20 years ago. Butterflies mostly did well but how will the drought have affected them? @savebutterflies.bsky.social
Still plenty of third gen Walls on Corfe Common, how are they doing elsewhere? @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social
