UK butterfly sightings 2013

Small tortoiseshell were seen on January 1st in Dorset and Sussex

March 2013. With British Summer time officially happening at the end of March, you might have expected that we would be seeing a few butterflies taking ot the wing; A few is the opeartive word here, as the snow and miserable weather continues to plague the UK. Just 10 species have been spotted this year, compared with 16 by this time last year.

So far, after a surprising number of butterflies spotetd on 1st January, there have just been a trickle since. Small white (Berkshire) and Small copper (Norfolk) were both seen on 5th March, an Orange Tip (Oxfordshire) on 27 February, and a Comma in Kent on 8th January.  

Remarkably, 6 different species of butterfly were recorded in the UK on January 1st, some in several locations according to Butterfly Conservation. There are always a few early sightings, but we think it is very unusual to have 5 different species on January 1st.

The species and locations are:

• A Brimstone was spotted in Bedfordshire
• Red admirals were spotted in Hampshire Gloucester & Surrey
• Painted Lady were seen in Dorset, Isle of Wight and Sussex
• Small Tortoiseshell in Dorset and Sussex
• Peacock in Staffordshire and Sussex
• Speckled Wood in Cornwall

If you think you might have seen a first butterfly of the 2013, let Butterfly Conservation know.