The female Orange-tip butterfly lacks the vivid splash of orange that the males have. The underside of the hindwing of each is, however, similar, carrying lovely green mottling. Once settled with their wings closed, they can be quite difficult to spot! (Bristol - 16.04.26) #ukbutterflies #ukwildlife

Yesterday saw my first Green Hairstreak of 2026, a full 12 days earlier than my previous record.

Easily overlooked due to its small size and restless nature, there can be few finer butterflies in the UK than this verdant wonder.

#ukbutterflies #butterfly #butterflies #nature #wildlife

2x Red Admirals and several Green-veined Whites out at RSPB Worth Marshes this morning. #KentNature @savebutterflies.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social #UKButterflies @kentfieldclub.bsky.social

A photo of a Dingy Skipper, a brown butterfly, on a leaf in the sun

A photo of a Grizzled Skipper, a small brown butterfly with white spots on grass in the sun

A photo of a Green Hairstreak, a small green butterfly, on a leaf in the sun

Great to see my first Dingy Skipper, Grizzled Skippers, Green Hairstreak and Small Tortoiseshell of the year at Magdalen Hill Down this afternoon. Also good to see Holly Blue, Orange-tips, Brimstone and Red Admiral. #UKButterflies #UKWildlife #Bugsky

A Swift feeding over Seaton at 10:30 this morning was my first of the year. Later on, a good yomp around the back lanes of Axmouth didn't show any unexpected birds but I did see a Painted Lady! #ukbirding #ukbutterflies

Yetminster Mill Walk this morning, nice Comma, and a rarity - a Holly Blue not only with its wings open, but also on Holly! @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social #ukbutterflies #ukwildlife #uknature

Holly Blue butterfly resting.

The first Holly Blue of the year! I noticed it behind our garden fence in Durham this morning when returning from a dog walk. #Butterflies #UKbutterflies #invertebrates 🦋

A photo of a male Orange-tip butterfly, a white butterfly with orange ends to its wings, on a brown fallen leaf in the sun

Orange-tip at Lakeside Country Park #UKButterflies #Bugsky #UKWildlife

More from Ham Hill yesterday, Green-Veined White, Holly Blue, Bloody-Nosed Beetle and Violet Oil Beetle @savebutterflies.bsky.social #ukbeetles #ukwildlife #uknature #ukbutterflies

Female Orange Spot

Male Orange Spot

St Mark's flies

White-Footed Hoverfly

A goodly haul at Ham Hill today - my first Orange Spot butterfly photos of the season, a White-Footed Hoverfly and two St Mark's flies making more St Mark's flies. @savebutterflies.bsky.social @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social #ukbutterflies #ukhoverflies

UK butterflies declining after 50 years of data Volunteers led by Dorset-based Butterfly Conservation have gathered more than 44m records.

#ukbutterflies www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

A male Orange Tip butterfly on a Lesser Celandine flower.

A male Orange Tip butterfly on a Lesser Celandine flower.

Crostwight, Norfolk, yesterday.

#UKButterflies #butterfly #UKWildlife

A female Orange-tip butterfly roosting on pale pink Cuckoo Flower with her wings closed, exposing the patchy green-looking camouflage markings on the underside of the white hindwing. On close inspection, the green is actually made up of a combination of yellow and black scales.

It’s amazing how the green markings on the underside of an Orange-tip’s wings are actually an optical illusion created by a mixture of yellow and black scales 🖤💛💚💛🖤 This lovely lady was roosting near my house on Cuckoo Flower (Cardamine pratensis), their caterpillar foodplant. #ukbutterflies #bugsky

Speckled Wood butterfly at Lamplighters Marsh (Bristol). 13.04.26 #ukbutterflies #ukwildlife @ukbutterflies.bsky.social

A short video of the Large Tortoiseshell which showed well on the sheltered side of the east side of the Long Pits, Dungeness this morning

#ukbutterflies

Speckled Wood and Jay, #yeovilcountrypark Ninesprings this morning - surprisingly, my first photos of either there. @somersetwt.bsky.social @somersetbirds.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social #ukwildlife #uknature #ukbirds #ukbutterflies

So there I was photographing this female Holly Blue butterfly in the back garden, when she suddenly gained a suitor! Bristol 08.04.26 #ukbutterflies #ukwildlife @ukbutterflies.bsky.social

@cnhs1857.bsky.social Speckled wood butterflies today and the male is trying to mate with the female and is wafting pheromones over her. The female is not interested and eventually plays dead to try to discourage the male. #ukbutterflies

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
@savebutterflies.bsky.social @upperthames.bsky.social

My first Speckled Wood of the season, Lyde Road end of the #yeovilcountrypark Riverside Walk. Holly Blue also flittering around, and a good few Blackcaps singing. @ukbutterflies.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social @somersetwt.bsky.social #uknature #ukwildlife #ukbutterflies

A Holly Blue butterfly at rest on a gravel path in a churchyard.

First Holly Blue of the year at Gimingham church on yesterday's bike ride in North Norfolk with @vannabartlett.bsky.social.

We also saw our first Orange Tips of the year and (a rare sight these days) a Small Tortoiseshell, both near Trimingham.

#UKButterflies #Butterflies #UKWildlife

A Comma, an orange butterfly, on stony ground in the sun

A photo of a Holly Blue butterfly on a green leaf in the sun with blue sky behind

Comma and Holly Blue on walks at Lakeside Country Park today. Also good to see Peacock, Brimstone, Speckled Wood and my first Orange-tips of the year. #UKButterflies #UKWildlife #Bugsky

Speckled Wood butterfly

Small Tortoiseshell butterfly

Green-veined White

More #ukbutterflies locally over the Easter weekend. Having seen five species of butterfly at Lamplighers Marsh, Bristol, on Saturday, I found three more species yesterday (Monday, 06.04.26): Speckled Wood, Small Tortoiseshell and Green-veined White. That's a good start for the year! #ukwildlife

A very good number of Orange Tips today at Ham Wall, one of my favourite Spring butterflies. Speckled Wood, Brimstone, Holly Blue & Peacock also seen making the most of the sunshine. #somersetbutterflies #rspbhamwall #ukbutterflies

Ten mile walk on local patch today in lovely sunshine with @dmesg.bsky.social lots of flighty Brimstone, 2 male Orange Tips, Peacock and Comma, a few Dark-edged Bee-fly, lovely Goldcrest and some friendly Donkeys
#birdingwales
#beefly
#UKButterflies

Not UK! Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
I think these are Provence Orange-tip, Scarce Swallowtail...
#lepidoptera #UKButterflies
@upperthames.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social
@drtonygillie.bsky.social

Not UK! Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
I think these are Cleopatra, Green Hairstreak, GV or Southern Small White???, Lunar Double-stripe..
#lepidoptera #UKButterflies
@upperthames.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social
@drtonygillie.bsky.social

Not UK! Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
I think these are Baton Blue...
#lepidoptera #UKButterflies
@upperthames.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social
@drtonygillie.bsky.social

First Holly Blue of the Year in the garden.
#ukbutterflies

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
@upperthames.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social