🤣🤣 Yes, the Devil's Dyke butterflies are in Cambridgeshire - I don't want to start a war. We did have a Dark Green in Suffolk last year, presumably a wanderer from the Dyke. We also have a tiny CHB colony near Higham/Cavenham. The Watsonian boundaries cause confusion with Norfolk too.
Will do if we still have it. We had one in each garden, front and back, but we have a rabbit with a taste for Dandelion...
I, too, have read that Cuckooflower (on wet soils) and Garlic Mustard (dry soils) produce more successful pupations than Honesty but I don't know if it's anecdotal or statistical evidence. Will check my notebook when I get back to it.
Are there any similar species? We have had Taraxacum very much like this in our garden among the more typical species.
Cuckoopint (Arum maculatum) flower spikes with emergent leaves around the base.
Lords and Ladies (Arum maculatum). A plant with so many local names - cows and bulls, Jack in the pulpit, cuckoopint to name but a few.
The most I have seen for a few years. Suffolk.
#WildFlowerHour @wildflowerhour.bsky.social
Lovely image.
Freshly emerged from the looks of things.
In my five years or so of hoverating I have noticed it fluctuates wildly in numbers. I guess we are very dependent on migrants to top up our population. Let's hope they're doing well in mainland Europe.
Yes, but only a few in March. All quite dark specimens. Not many M. auricollis about at present either. Good numbers of Eupeodes though. East Suffolk.
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Glass-winged Dronefly nectaring on Alexanders, Lowestoft, Suffolk. UK. A rare migrant species of hoverfly.
Delighted to have seen my first Glass-winged Dronefly (Eristalis similis) yesterday in Lowestoft. A rarity indeed and a complete surprise. Confirmed by the Hoverfly Recording Scheme experts.
#Pollinators #Hoverflies @hoverflyspotter.bsky.social
A single flower spike of a Bluebell.
Spanish Bluebell escapee in Lowestoft, Suffolk today. English and hybrid bluebells just getting going here on the east coast.
#WoodlandPlants #WildFlowerHour
Want to know where to see butterflies in Cambridgeshire?
I prepared a short guide to many of the best sites across the county. From the Small Blues of Magog Down, to Wall Brown in the Fens, to the Skippers of Swaddywell.
butterfly-conservation.org/in-your-area...
Interesting to see the Clouded Yellow, perhaps a new emergence from surviving immature stages? I hear they regularly overwinter nowadays at Bournemouth and along the Dorset coast.
Holly Blue at RSPB Boyton Marshes this afternoon. @bc-suffolk.bsky.social
Largest ever govt investment in threatened species recovery. A total £90 million funding for species recovery across England...
www.gov.uk/government/n...
Astonishing.
Hello! County Recorder for Suffolk and all round butterfly fanatic here. Welcome aboard, hope you enjoy it. 🦋
A guess - an insect mandible.
Thank you Matt and I am glad you like it. High praise indeed from a photographer like you.
I had a reliable report of a Small Copper in Suffolk on 18th March, at Upper Hollesley Common. @savebutterflies.bsky.social
Peacock butterfly nectaring on blossom in full sun
One of my favourites, a Peacock butterfly nectaring on blossom in full sun and looking good for it. East Suffolk.
@savebutterflies.bsky.social @bc-suffolk.bsky.social @suffolk-nats1929.bsky.social
Scarlet Tiger moth caterpillars?
Watched it. Fascinating. I do love flowers and their pollinators.
Remarkably similar to UK trends. Coastal populations are quite stable but it has almost completely vanished from inland sites, except for hilly areas, some nature reserves and wild areas. I am very interested in knowing why this species has declined in this pattern.
A few butterflies were out in sun yesterday at Rushmere Common Ipswich in an hour and half whilst my other half visited a friend in hospital 2 Small White nfy, 4 Brimstone, 2 Comma and 9 Peacock noted
The sort of butterfly moment you dream of today - wandering around the office (Epping Forest) in the late afternoon sun when I flushed a lovely old Large Tortoiseshell from the sunny wall next to this old plum - just wonderful. Seems to be the second recent record from the forest #Butterflies
Brimstone and Comma Butterflies seen in Santon Downham Churchyard today, @bc-suffolk.bsky.social
We had our first Small Copper yesterday.
Wow, what a coincidence. I was typing up some notes on pharate species earlier this morning - Silver-studded Blue will be nibbling their way out of eggs about now on our Suffolk heaths, plus Essex Skipper and the hairstreaks have fully developed and enclosed larvae (PH not fully?), now emerging.