Our first Grayling of the year (above left) was seen during our eventful trip to Kynance Cove on The Lizard (see Cornwall Moths post). Typically it was sitting with wings closed on the ground, cryptically blending in with its surroundings … Read More
There haven’t been any big influxes of migrant Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) butterflies into the south west of Cornwall so far this year. Since April there have been odd ones scattered about and this worn specimen was seen at Windmill … Read More
Walking up a lane from Helford Passage on the Helford Estuary in Cornwall we passed this male Meadow Brown butterfly nectaring on Navelwort (Umbilicus rupestris). Insight into Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina): common throughout Cornwall and the UK it has a … Read More
This just goes to show you don’t have to travel very far to enjoy some of the best wildlife moments. This Common Blue butterfly was nectaring on Catmint in Queen Mary Gardens by Gyllyngvase Beach right in the heart of … Read More
These dazzling butterflies have been flying in numbers since the beginning of May here in south west Cornwall. This was one of several seen yesterday at Windmill Farm Nature Reserve on The Lizard. Insight into Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene): … Read More
You won’t believe this but the Green Hairstreak is in fact a brown butterfly! It’s just that you never get to see them settled with their wings open and so always see the brilliant metallic green undersides as shown. Insight … Read More
This male Orange-tip butterfly was showing its beautiful underwing as it sat on Ragged-robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi) at Windmill Farm Nature Reserve on The Lizard in Cornwall. There were a good number of both sexes when we last visited on 4 … Read More
Last Sunday, 8 May, we saw our first Large Skipper of the year in the shelter of a hedgerow on the South West Coast Path at the mouth of the Helford River. According to Cornwall Butterfly Conservation this is 10 … Read More
Despite the first real rain we’ve seen for weeks here in Cornwall we found 8 Grizzled Skipper during a quick visit to Penhale Dunes on the north coast. One was of the form taras (below right), an aberration having the … Read More
Along the hedgerows of the South West Coast Path near the Helford River, these beautiful butterflies were seen patrolling up and down the path before settling on a favourite perch. Insight into Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria): a common butterfly in … Read More
The recent fine weather systems pulling warm air up from the continent seem to have brought migrant butterflies into Cornwall. We’ve seen several Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) (above left) and a few Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) (above right) in most … Read More
The fine weather continues to encourage butterflies to emerge earlier than normal. Yesterday, during a successful and extremely eventful search for the caterpillars of the Silver-studded Blue (Plebeius argus) butterfly amongst the Penhale Dunes on the North Cornish Coast, we … Read More
If it’s early spring then it’s almost certainly a Holly Blue. The first blue butterfly to emerge, it can be seen flying along hedgerows throughout most of the UK. See latest species page on Holly Blue life cycle, identification, caterpillars, … Read More
We found our first Wall, also known as Wall Brown, butterfly of the year sunning itself on the path at Godrevy on the north coast of Cornwall. This is an early date for Cornwall. Last year the first record was … Read More
Two Holly Blue, seen flying along a Blackthorn hedge at the bottom of a south-west facing grass field yesterday, may be the first records of this butterfly in Cornwall this spring. Last year the first records for Cornwall were on … Read More
Our first Comma butterfly of the spring and a single Peacock were basking in the sun on a south facing bank leading to Trefusis Point on the shores of the Carrick Roads, Falmouth. Insight: Both Comma (Polygonia c-album) and Peacock … Read More