Listen to @upperthames.bsky.social Nick Bowles on R4 Today this morning

Its that time of year. Have you seen a Green Hairstreak yet?

A small butterfly with orange tipped white wings is taking nectar from a plant with fresh green leaves and a tiny cluster of white flowers at the top. To the left another plant of the same kind. The background is diffuse green and black.

Lots of male Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines) butterflies patrolling the sunny banks of the Valley yesterday. A huge patch of Garlic Mustard proved to be a popular refuelling stop!
#UKWildlife #UKButterflies #OX3 #iRecorded
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Just left of and below centre a medium sized white butterfly with black body and bright orange tips to its wings is resting on a plant with small light purple flowers.

Better late than never! My first Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines) butterfly of 2026, nectaring on Honesty flowers.
#UKWildlife #UKButterflies
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There is a film coming out in cinemas that may well be of interest to our members. 'Searching for Satyrus'. Two links below, one is an article by Patrick Barkham in the Guardian, the other is for ticket orders.

www.undergroundslate.com/searchingfor...

www.theguardian.com/film/2026/ma...

A small pale blue butterfly with white edging to the wings. It has black and white striped antennae with black ends. it's perched on a damaged Ivy leaf which is a shiny dark green.

My first Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) of the year just now in the garden. Just in time for #InsectThursday!
#inverts #UKWildlife #iRecorded @upperthames.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

One of life's simple pleasures is seeing Brimstones on those first sunny spring days after a long wet winter. This one was at Otmoor, Oxfordshire.

A large reddish coloured butterfly with blue and yellow "eyes" on its wings is resting amongst small white flowers on thin twigs. It's pointing downwards facing towards the bottom left corner of the photo.

A Peacock (Aglais io) butterfly refuelling on Blackthorn blossom in the warm Spring sunshine. 😍
#inverts #UKWildlife #SignsOfSpring #BlossomWatch
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Genomic Monitoring of a Reintroduced Butterfly Uncovers Contrasting Founder Lineage Survival Genetic factors can have a major influence on both short- and long-term success of reintroductions. Genomic monitoring can give a range of insights into the early life of a reintroduced population an...

Important new study on the reintroduction of the Chequered Skipper Carterocephalus palaemon to England. The two Belgium sources did very differently (not sure why the link shows Orangutans! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Great news on one level... but also an example of nature being pushed to the absolute fringes, in isolated, inaccessible places. Is this as good as it gets for nature in Britain? Are railway and roadside verges the few places nature can exist in modern Britain?

🦋Join @upperthames.bsky.social for upcoming events on identifying, surveying and recording #Butterflies in Berks and Oxon!

Next event: Sat 14 March, Coleshill: www.upperthames-butterflies.org.uk/event_calendar

Learn new skills and help support butterfly conservation!

📷Brian Walker

A quick Brown Hairstreak egg survey today at the recently colonised site at Bugs Bottom, Caversham. 10 found in total. Great to see a butterfly that is doing well!

Don't forget to book your place @savebutterflies.bsky.social @ldnwildlifetrust.bsky.social @hnhsoc.bsky.social @lnhs.bsky.social @upperthames.bsky.social @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social @hertswildlifetrust.bsky.social

It's always lovely this time of year to grab your wellies, coat and torch, and go for a woodland walk to look for those wonderful winter moth species!

Looking good!

A very enjoyable UTB Members Day and a big thank you to the 4 excellent speakers. And a thank you to all UTB members working behind the scenes to make the day run smoothly and of course all who attended!

Evergestis limbata

Vestal

Clifden Nonpareil

Clifden Nonpareil

Trapping around Cothill Fen this week produced some nice moths including Clifden Nonpareil! Evergestis limbata was the rarest to turn up, and it was nice to see Vestal and other migrants #teammoth @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social @upperthames.bsky.social @bbowt.bsky.social @migrantmothuk.bsky.social

It wouldn't have been seen in this area a few years ago, but it is a butterfly that is extending its range fairly rapidly.

Brown Hairstreak, adult and egg, recorded on the outskirts of Caversham, near Reading, Berks, today.

The annual Barberry Carpet survey yesterday, at the only Upper Thames site. 22 larvae from 23 bushes sampled, so seems to be holding on okay. A couple of Vestal also seen which is always a nice bonus!

Just a sliver of deadwood with some bark on? Fresh from the rearing pot, a Red Sword-grass Xylena vetusta. Caterpillar swept from meadowsweet & fed on it. what a docile spectacular #moth Oxon, Hinksey Hts fen. @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social @upperthames.bsky.social

Doing moth trapping in the UK this weekend?
Can you help us gather lots of images of moths on egg cartons from your trap?
Help us develop a tool making moth recording easier for more people
Tks! #mothsmateer #teammoth
@richardfoxbc.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social
@upperthames.bsky.social

I'm thinking this is the last Gatekeeper sighting of 2025 for me. @upperthames.bsky.social Walking on the water at 50 Acre Piece. 16/08/25

Silver-spotted Skippers, seen yesterday at Aston Rowant NNR, Oxon.
@savebutterflies.bsky.social @upperthames.bsky.social

Adonis and Chalkhill Blues from Aston Rowant NNR, Oxon, and Common Blue from Hazelborough Woods, Northants today.
@savebutterflies.bsky.social @upperthames.bsky.social

@upperthames.bsky.social . Thanks to Grahame Hawker for guiding us at 50 Acre Piece today. Despite overcast and cool weather we saw plenty of the target species. My first ever Grayling. And a Potter Wasp "pot". A valuable addition to the mosaic of habitats in transition.

A pale brown butterfly with white "streaks" through both its upper and hind wings. The edge of the hind wing is tinged orange and it has a small "tail" sticking out near the bottom. It's perched on a piece of dried brown grass, facing to the right of the photo. Its black eye is visible, as are its orange tipped black and white striped antennae. Its legs are also striped. The background is a messy mix of mostly green blades of grass.

Delighted to spot this pristine Brown Hairstreak butterfly this morning in the Lye Valley, Oxford, the first adult I've ever seen there!
#Recorded #UKWildlife #WildlifePhotos #inverts #OX3
@friendlyevalley.bsky.social @tverc1.bsky.social @upperthames.bsky.social

In roughly the centre of the photo a small blue butterfly is sitting on a purple flower with its wings closed. It's facing to the left of the photo, and its striped antenna and left eye is visible. The underwing has a number of small mostly black dots, while the hindwing has a row of orange heart shapes markings. Front left is another Marjoram flower, not fully in focus, while the background is a mix of diffuse greens and purples from other flowers.

The "scrapes" we created and sowed with native plants in the amenity grassland at Rock Edge are proving popular with the last of the summer's butterflies. Here a Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus) is nectaring on the copious Marjoram still in flower.
#UKButterflies @upperthames.bsky.social #Oxford

Chalkhill Blue in cop

Adonis Blue male

Silver Spotted Skipper

Common Blue male and female

Added Adonis Blue and Silver Spotted Skipper to species sighted in '25 . Aston Rowant NNR today in better weather than was forecast. @upperthames.bsky.social