Great day on our Southbourne Seafront transect supporting @savebutterflies.bsky.social Big Butterfly Count. Nice to show visitors the Clouded Yellows zipping along the undercliff. Thanks to all who helped with the display 😀 @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @ukbms.bsky.social

I was down at Southbourne today and it was nice to meet up with fellow Transect walkers who were manning a stall for Dorset Butterfly Conservation. These Clouded Yellows and Painted Lady were seen on S7. It's great to see that so many reported around the county. Southbourne Dorset

Sand Martins nesting on the Undercliff of the Southbourne Butterfly Transect. Southbourne Dorset.

Week 17 and out on the Southbourne Butterfly Transect today. Numbers low due to dry ground and lack of nectar, most butterflies seen on upper cliff. Highlights 7 Painted Ladies. A few SW and Gatekeeper. Also good to see some Sand Martins still nesting on the undercliff. Southbourne Dorset

☀️ Continued heatwave reducing nectaring opportunities for butterflies on the transect. Here are a few pics from this mornings round. @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @ukbms.bsky.social

The Big Butterfly Count 2026 is here and butterflies need our help! 🦋 From now until 9 August, spend just 15 minutes outside counting the butterflies you see and help us take nature's pulse. The best part? Anyone, anywhere can take part. Count yourself in 👉 https://butrfli.es/3SVFepj

☀️ Fairly pleasant 24c at 10.30 for start of todays walk. 🦋 New this week Clouded Yellow and fresh brood of Small Copper. 5 Spotted Burnet moth around on overcliff uncut area's. @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

Not only a good place for butterflies the Southbourne transect has a good selection of reptiles. During this mornings round was lucky to see a Slow Worm keeping cool 😀

Week 13 and it was a scorching 🥵 morning out on the Southbourne Butterfly Transect. Plenty of Whites about (including this Large White). A couple of fast moving Painted Lady and a equally quick Clouded Yellow and that was about it. Southbourne Dorset

🌞 22c on Seafront at 11am this morning - had our first transect Clouded Yellow for a while, also Gatekeeper plus nice Orange underwing moth. @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

Not much on the Southbourne Butterfly Transect this lunchtime, due to a brisk cooling wind coming in from the sea. Only butterflies seen were a few Small Heath low down, other highlights, two unidentified larva burrowing into Birds foot trefoil and deceased Privet Hawk Moth ! Southbourne Dorset

Highlight of this mornings walk witnessing a large influx of Painted Lady 🦋. A count of 26 on 3 sections of the transect. I must assume there are many more high on the underciff, lots of nectaring opportunities before they move on. @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @migrantmothuk.bsky.social

A beautiful day on the Southbourne transect this morning. Common Blue on the wing with caterpillars found on the top cliff. Holly Blue, Small Heath and Small White also seen although overall numbers are on the low side. The Beach Daisy and Thrift today was simply stunning. Southbourne Dorset

Out on the Southbourne transect this morning before the cloud rolled in. Only two butterflies seen , one Small White and this tatty looking Clouded Yellow. Presumably one that's overwintered as a caterpillar ? Southbourne Dorset

17c humid with intermittent 🌞. Good count of butterflies with Clouded Yellow still present. Highlight 3x Green Hairstreak in one spot. Surprisingly no Painted Lady seen @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

Yay, Corfe Common is alive with Painted Ladies! Here are 4 of 20+ in 30 mins at 17:45, several getting stuck into Bluebell as the only nectar source! Assume these have come direct from Africa seeing as my car is covered in Saharan dust! @savebutterflies.bsky.social @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

It's week 4 on the Southbourne Butterfly Transect and in the brisk wind and bright sunshine there was plenty to see on the Undercliff. The highlights: 3 CY ,2 Sm Cop, 2 Grn Hairstreak and a Silver Y moth. Southbourne Dorset

From lunchtime transect walk of note - 3 active Clouded Yellow zigzagging along undercliff. First Painted Lady of the monitoring season seen. Very lively individual so poor quality in flight shot .

👏 Hurray the cycle is complete. Adult Clouded Yellow x3 on our Southbourne transect today. All stages monitored overwinter to demonstrate successful overwintering. Thanks to all who helped 👍 @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

I was out at Southbourne Undercliff this lunchtime with Andy M, for our first week 1 transect walk of the season. In reasonably warm, calm conditions we saw Small Whites, Peacock and this lovely Small Copper. Plus a Common Lizard (according to A.I.) sunbathing without its tail !

We're enjoying the UK Butterfly Recorders meeting today! Fascinating talk on using UV torches to monitor Black Hairstreak larvae. More great talks to come... If you couldn't make it today the recording will be up on YouTube in a week or two. 📷: Iain H Leach

🦋 First Small Copper emerging on Southbourne Undercliff - reported Sunday 22nd March 😀

A great way to start the month of March down at the Undercliff today. Met up with Andy M and saw my first Peacock of the year 4 in total. Male Kestrel displaying well, plus another Clouded Yellow caterpillar found. Southbourne Dorset

I met up with fellow transect walker Andy M at Southbourne today to see if we could find any Clouded Yellow caterpillars. We found one, its great to see this individual is still surviving well into mid February. Fingers crossed there are more in the areas of the cliff which are inaccessible 🤞🐛

I found the first Clouded Yellow caterpillars of 2026 today on the transect. Only 2 seen, but clear evidence that they continue to overwinter at Southbourne despite what the British winter weather is throwing at them. Southbourne Dorset

Lesser Celandine beginning to show on the underciff today plus few brave bees nectaring in sheltered spots.

Yikes, a Boxing Day Speckled Wood in Boscombe. The 2025 season will certainly break some records with flight periods! www.dorsetbutterflies.com/2025/12/spec...

Speckled Wood, Boscombe

Paul sent in this photo saying: I was rather surprised to see this fresh-looking Speckled Wood flying around near Boscombe Pier on Christmas Day, 25/12/2025. Yet more evidence of global heating I s…

dorsetbutterflies.com

Many thanks to @bcpcouncil.bsky.social for completing the pre Christmas planned transect land management. Nice suprise of 3 Painted Lady (Library pic) on the Undercliff lunchtime. Maybe migrants after recent warm southerly winds. @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @migrantmothuk.bsky.social

After a tip off from @cloudedyellows.bsky.social I went down to Southbourne Undercliff hoping to see (presumably) my last Clouded Yellow on the wing for the year. In the lunchtime sun it popped out, briefly nectaring for a while before disappearing. My first British CY seen in December, amazing.

🎅 December Clouded Yellow on the transect today👏

Mike Gibbons@cloudedyellows.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Lucky to re-find a Clouded Yellow at Southbourne Undercliff on 2nd December. It was roughly in the same area as it was a few days ago on a seaside daisy. On my walk back it had gone. A nice present for my birthday today.