Had a interesting encounter with my fave #butterfly at Lorton Meadows, Weymouth. 🦋 Could this be Small Copper courtship with the wing fluttering akin to batting eyelashes? Or perhaps it's a go-away message? Does anyone speak Small Copper? @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

I'm still seeing clouded yellows wherever I go and I think they look even more beautiful against the Autumn colours. @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

Enjoyable walk at Durlston Country Park lunchtime even though a little overcast. Highlights - lots of Hummingbird hawk-moth on budliea, late Adonis Blue and lovely 3rd gen Wall. @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

Rather amazing to hear of this very late Grayling sighting at Arne yesterday, less surprising is Wall which seem to be having a good third brood in the south of the County www.dorsetbutterflies.com/2026/09/gray...

Grayling and Wall, Arne

Two photos from Matt sent in saying: Another trip out today, 26/09/2026 this time to Arne. Short supply of butterflies, not even any Clouded Yellows!!  I did spot this smart Wall Brown and also thi…

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Large numbers of Clouded Yellows on my Durlston East transect. Last week we counted 44 including 3 Helice, and I was told by the rangers at Durlston that they counted over 70 on the Durlston West transect. @savebutterflies.bsky.social @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

Even with an onshore breeze and intermittent 🌞 at Southbourne lunchtime I still managed to count 59 Clouded Yellows on our Seafront transect. On the undercliff sectons many were sheltering from the wind among the grass. @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

Wow, that’s a lot of butterflies and may be a record for a UK transect! I feel sure this year will break all records for this migrant species? @ukbms.bsky.social @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social @richardfoxbc.bsky.social

garyh-56.bsky.social@garyh-56.bsky.social · last wk.

Out at Southbourne today, and on the transect there was an total count of 153 Clouded Yellows. There were more outside the transect walk. It's the most we've had in a single count since we started recording in 2022. Simply amazing. Also 3rd brood Small Copper, Whites and C'mon Blue. Sbourne Dorset

Painted Ladies are gathering along the Dorset coast today, having vanished from my garden a few weeks ago. They will head south to France at altitude, probably waiting for favourable winds that are due tomorrow @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

Courting Wall Brown butterflies in our front garden today. Central Dorset. @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

Wall lizards and Wall Brown, Durlston Castle wall. @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

Extraordinary scenes on our Southbourne transect, must have been an amazing sight.

garyh-56.bsky.social@garyh-56.bsky.social · last wk.

Out at Southbourne today, and on the transect there was an total count of 153 Clouded Yellows. There were more outside the transect walk. It's the most we've had in a single count since we started recording in 2022. Simply amazing. Also 3rd brood Small Copper, Whites and C'mon Blue. Sbourne Dorset

104/30 in the Upton garden traps this morning, albeit 1/2 of which were LYU. Notables incl'd another Golden Twin-spot, plus Pediasia contaminella & Acrobasis suavella, whilst Autumnal Rustic & Brindled Green were NFY. A box fresh SM Willow was my 1st in a while too #TeamMoth @dorsetmoths.bsky.social

Experimenting with my new camera, trying to get upperside photos of Clouded Yellows at Durlston last Wednesday. Not easy and much to learn, and will have to try out different settings to get the best results. @savebutterflies.bsky.social @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

STOP PRESS: Queen of Spain seen at Melcombe Bingham in mid Dorset. This remote location is likely to be a genuine migrant rather than a release but please keep a look out for others and report any sightings www.dorsetbutterflies.com/2026/09/quee...

Queen of Spain Fritillary, Melcombe Bingham

This photo of a Queen of Spain Fritillary, a rare migrant from the near continent, was taken at 14:22hrs on 12/09/2026 in a garden at Melcombe Bingham.  They have bred occasionally in England but t…

dorsetbutterflies.com

A flurry of Painted Lady in south-east Dorset, presumably heading south to cross the channel, which they do at altitude so are rarely seen, unlike Red Admirals and Clouded Yellows which you can see heading out to sea at this time of year @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

Painted Lady #butterflies are beautiful from every angle. Vibrant colours on top, delicate markings underneath. Gorgeous! 🦋 Double figures in my allotment these last 2 weeks, nectaring on Buddleia & later in the day resting, wings closed, near invisible on the path. @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

Lovely mild night with lots of moths in Corfe Castle. 42sp/182. Lots of Centre Barred Sallow and Sallow. Of interest, one second brood Blackneck, a Cypress Pug and a few Vestal. Also beautifully marked Blood Vein and Pink Barred Sallow (shown) @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @dorsetmoths.bsky.social

Always good to see a Convolvulus Hawk-moth, one of the largest #migrantmoths to reach our shores. Other migrant species included this Ni Moth. West Dorset (VC9) last night. @dorsetmoths.bsky.social @migrantmothuk.bsky.social @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social #teammoth

Its the start of week 25 of the transect walking season. Several species are having a reasonable third brood including Common Blue, Brown Argus, Wall and Small Heath, but the standout star once again is Clouded Yellow. A record 94 were counted on the Lydlinch transect and most recorded double figs

The results are in 🦋📢 A huge thank you to the 101,565 of you who took part in this year's #BigButterflyCount! While many widespread butterfly species had a good summer, drought and record heat could impact next year’s populations. Read the full results 👉 buff.ly/V75ZHi7

STOP PRESS: Long-tailed Blue seen at Chalmington in central Dorset. Worth looking out for this rare migrant butterfly anywhere in southern England www.dorsetbutterflies.com/2026/09/long...

Long-tailed Blue, Chalmington

Two photos from Jane of an unexpected garden visitor sent in telling us: There are some days that catch you completely by surprise and Friday 11/09/2026 turned out to be one of those in my Chalming…

dorsetbutterflies.com

Wonderful weather for my #Butterfly Transect walk at Lorton Meadows, Weymouth today. The yellow Ragwort & Fleabane attracting many gorgeous Clouded Yellow, plus Common Blue and my favourite butterflies the fabulously feisty Small Copper. 🦋 @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

Another second brood Peacock in my garden today, but there seem to be v few about despite lots of caterpillars. I suspect parasites killed many of them., probably Sturmia bella? @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

Two from last night The. Ventral and Angle Shades Rodwell Road Weymouth @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @dorsetmoths.bsky.social

I’m getting regular Clouded Yellow in my garden in Corfe Castle in the south of the UK these days, probably feeding up before their long journey south to France and Spain @europebutterfly.bsky.social @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

This one at Mudeford Quay last week

Elephant hawk moth larva found today - what a beast. @dorsetmoths.bsky.social @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

Plenty seen both on and off my Transect at Lorton Meadows, Weymouth last weekend. Lovely to see - here are a few of them:

Common blue in my Bridport garden.🌞🌞 #photography #insectThursfay #nature @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

It’s week 24 of the @ukbms.bsky.social recording season and Clouded Yellows are steaming ahead of their rivals for perhaps the first time ever in Dorset. Huge numbers on some transects last week, 50++