Had a fabulous voyage of discovery here back in the Spring. Do not miss out on what Sicily has to offer! 💜💖🤩

These tours are brilliant for anyone interested in wild orchids & butterflies. They are also a very different way to visit another country & feel like you have experienced what it’s like to be authentically there. Go investigate ☘️

Mariposa Nature Tours@mariposanature.bsky.social · 2d ago

Tour update 🚨 A booking overnight for Orchids of Sicily means that one is off the mark. Just three more bookings will move it to guaranteed departure status, and a guaranteed donation to support @bsbibotany.bsky.social's great botanical conservation work. www.mariposanature.com/tours/botani...

A (very) small selection of the gem-like Ophrys bee orchids I've been privileged to see on my orchid-hunting forays on Sicily with my good friend and Team Mariposa co-leader, Andrea Corso. I can't wait to return soon for these and more besides.

Ringed Cascader, just one of the special dragonflies our new Among the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Sicily tour, led by Sicilian native Andrea Corso, will be targeting next year and beyond.

Indeed, last week I saw one in Nature reserve Punthuizen, in the eastern part of Twente, right on the German border (green circle).

Fascinating to see this data from Team Mariposa tour leader Chris - these elevated numbers of Queen of Spain Fritillary in the Netherlands supportive of the many UK records in 2026, and echo arrival of Large Tortoiseshell in recent years. We should keep an eye on what's happening across the water...

Chris van Swaay@chrisvanswaay.eurosky.social · 17h ago

Max count per 1000m of Queen of Spain Frit (kleine parelmoer, I lathonia) on Dutch Butterfly Monitoring transects in 2026. Open dot=visited. Traditional high numbers in coastal dunes, but this year also lots in C and S NL. Also many near Wageningen.

New tour alert 🚨 Yesterday we launched Among the Dragonflies & Damselflies of Sicily for 2027, led by Andrea Corso. It quickly sold out, so we put on dates for 2028. And that tour filled too! We're delighted Andrea can do a second week in 2028 - here it is: www.mariposanature.com/tours/wildli...

Tour update 🚨 A booking overnight for Orchids of Sicily means that one is off the mark. Just three more bookings will move it to guaranteed departure status, and a guaranteed donation to support @bsbibotany.bsky.social's great botanical conservation work. www.mariposanature.com/tours/botani...

This morning in our moth-trap, Griposia aprilina, in English Merveille du jour (!), in Dutch Diana-uil. We had one last year too. I know it is not that rare, but a spectacular and beautiful moth it is. Would it be living in our oak?

While we make no bones about loving finding rarities for our guests, and we're good at it too, none of our tour leaders have lost their love for the less scarce butterfly species. That joy and wonder never fades. #butterflies

Jon Dunn@dunnjons.bsky.social · 3d ago

Inspired by @sarahfaulkner.bsky.social's recent Small Copper variation collage, I thought I'd share two different subspecies seen in the past year, from populations many miles apart - phlaeoides from Madeira, and polaris from Arctic Norway. @europebutterfly.bsky.social

The new (slightly revised) Red List of European Moths has been published by the EU. A summary and links to downloads can be found on our website. Moths play a vital role in ecosystems and there is also an important new document on how to plan for their conservation www.bc-europe.eu/webpage.php?...

Tour update 🚨 The last place on the 2027 edition of Spring Butterflies of the French Pyrenees has just filled. If you'd like to join Mariposa founder David Moore and our popular naturalist leader @cach22.bsky.social there in 2028, it's now open for bookings! www.mariposanature.com/tours/butter...

"Richly rewarded with rare Erebias and local specialities, evidence of the extensive site research that had been done" A lovely testimonial from a guest for our current featured tour of the week, Butterflies of the Hautes Pyrenees. Thank you, Harry! www.mariposanature.com/tours/butter...

Another lovely Colias clouded yellow species in my summer of them, this Moorland Clouded Yellow was a thoroughly obliging and decent individual, flying past me in Arctic Sweden and, the moment a cloud obscured the sun, dropping down to roost right in front of us. Sometimes a bit of cloud is good...

Postcard from the field* from Team Mariposa leader Richard - a brilliant fungus find yesterday, one of Britain's most elusive and rarer fungi species. *a very good field too, judging by this find!

Dr Richard Bate@thenewgalaxy.bsky.social · 4d ago

7/10/26 #Cumbria - Today’s find was one of my highlights of the year so far. The Date Waxcap (Hygrocybe spadicea) is one of the UK’s rarest #chegd fungi and one that is notoriously difficult to nail down. Hopefully will come across some better examples next time…

It goes without saying our leaders have excellent knowledge of butterfly ecology - we wouldn't be as good at finding rare species as we are otherwise! Our Hautes Pyrenees tour is led by Chris van Swaay, BCE co-founder and European butterfly expert. www.mariposanature.com/tours/butter...

We make absolutely no excuse for our commitment to show our guests as many of the iconic species as possible wherever we go. In the case of the Hautes Pyrenees that includes special Erebia ringlets. Quantity *and* quality - you shouldn't have to choose between one or the other. tinyurl.com/4hthe3uw

Looking like it's been dragged down a sooty chimney, the next Colias to feature in my clouded yellow summer is the dark and enigmatic Northern Clouded Yellow. To say these gave me the runaround in Arctic Norway would be an understatement! They fly faster than I can run... but eventually settled.

"As on all Mariposa holidays, I had a wonderful time getting to know both the butterflies and the people who love them just as much as I do" A Mariposa butterfly tour is about more than just butterflies - it's an inclusive and enjoyable gathering of like-minded friends.

The next species to feature in my summer of European clouded yellows is Mountain Clouded Yellow, found in the dizzy heights of the Austrian Alps in July. All Colias clouded yellows are restless souls, particularly on sunny days. This was a rare opportunity for a photo!

Orchid bookings flying in today. Orchids of Cyprus now fully booked for 2027 - so we've put the 2028 edition on our website for booking. Places remain on 2027 Italian orchid tours - see Tour Calendar for details. All generate donations to @bsbibotany.bsky.social: www.mariposanature.com/calendar

A train journey from Cambridge to Brighton this morning, followed by a walk up Whitehawk Hill. At the top, I was treated to some courtship from a pair of Long-tailed Blues on the Everlasting Pea. Several other LTBs were seen. @bcsussex.bsky.social

Good morning & welcome to a new week! Our featured tour this week is Butterflies of the Hautes Pyrenees, a wonderful holiday that encompasses a wide range of spectacular species, including some very localised scarce, or downright rare, delights. #butterflies www.mariposanature.com/tours/butter...

A wonderful #wildflowerhour, huge thanks to all who shared pics! Still plenty in flower but with cooler weather on the way, will they still be blooming next week? Let’s meet again next Sunday to find out! 😉☺️

David Harris@cycle4nature.bsky.social · last wk.

Lot's of nice wildflowers around still in Cambridge. And the sun came out, so a chance to try out the new phone camera! Names in ALT text. #WildflowerHour @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Tour update 🚨 As of this afternoon, just one place remaining to join the dream team of @thenewgalaxy.bsky.social & Dave Fairhurst for Orchids of Cyprus next spring. Naturally, the tour generates a donation to support the work of @bsbibotany.bsky.social. www.mariposanature.com/tours/botani...

It's been a classic Clouded Yellow year here in the UK, with many autumn insects still on the wing now we're moving into October. I've seen a lot of other Colias clouded yellows on my travels this year - here are my favourites, starting with Pale Arctic Clouded Yellow in Sweden. #butterflies

We’ve been bowled over by the standard for this year's Botanical Photographer of the Year. It's now time for public shortlisting. Use the links below to view the entries into this year's competition and vote for all those you think are particularly impressive. Shortlisting will run until 31 Oct.

Botanical Photographer of the Year

The BSBI is for everyone who cares about the wild plants of Britain and Ireland.

bsbi.org

Tour update 🚨 🦋 There's a reason why our tours fill fast, months or years in advance: we're dedicated and reliable at finding our guests the Western Palearctic's rarest and most beautiful butterflies. Two places secured today for Marvellous Morocco 2028: www.mariposanature.com/tours/butter...

Tour update 🚨 Those of our 2027 edition orchid tours that are fully booked now have their 2028 editions open for booking. Orchids of Crete, with @thenewgalaxy.bsky.social & @dunnjons.bsky.social as your leaders, has taken its first booking already. www.mariposanature.com/tours/botani...

I'm beyond excited for next years @mariposanature.bsky.social Orchids of Basilicata, Campania & Puglia tour - it's a renowned orchid-hunting destination, and a potent place for hybrid finds. Two places to join me and Miki Vigano there have just opened up... www.mariposanature.com/tours/botani...