Richard Tripp
@richardtripp.bsky.social
Often seen starring into bushes. Amateur wildlife gardener and frustrated butterfly photographer. Leeds & Menai Bridge, sometimes further afield. BC Yorks volunteer. 💚🦋 🦆🫖
We look back at the 2026 Butterfly season with less than 20% of season remaining in terms of butterfly numbers. 11 species had their best or 2nd best summers ever with representatives from every family. Gatekeeper for the Browns but it was also very much a Vanessid, Lycaenid and Pierid summer.
This self seeded Ragwort has been a great addition to the garden attracting various bees, hoverflies as well as Gatekeeper, Holly Blue, Small White and today a garden first, a fresh Small Copper.
Ignoring the nearby Ivy, Holly and Dogwood, this Holly Blue chose Alder Buckthorn in the garden this morning.
All ready for the day at Leeds CC’s Tropical World, Roundhay Park #BigButterflyCount @bcyorkshire.bsky.social
A couple of weeks ago Karen, Rob and I had a great day in the Gredos area of Ávila with friend Keith from Finca La Sayuela. We saw a remarkable number of butterflies including a new species for me, Marbled Fritillary. Many more photographs on the blog, please search lojawildlife and have a look.
Final morning in Spain and my last butterfly. A tiny African Grass Blue on the lawn of the hotel garden in San Pedro.
Penultimate day of my Spanish trip and a fantastic day in the eastern hills of the Sierra Nevada butterfly watching with @lojawildlife.bsky.social . Silver-spotted Skipper, Niobe Fritillary and Apollo amongst the highlights.
A few more butterfly highlights from my last couple of days in the high Sierra Nevada. This fresh Escher’s Blue was hunkering down against very strong winds at 2,675m. In a more sheltered valley at 2,250m, Nevada Blue, Black Satyr & Southern Marbled Skipper on its LHP. @europebutterfly.bsky.social
A couple of interesting plants (stonecrop & gentian) I’ve seen over the last couple of days whilst exploring the high Sierra Nevada, where they are endemic.
A fresh Spanish Argus sheltering from strong winds at 2,781m on the slopes of Veleta, Sierra Nevada NP today. Also its LHP. @europebutterfly.bsky.social
View across the Sierra de las Nieves NP with Gibraltar & Morocco just visible. The long trek up to the Pilones pass at 1,600m was well worth it for great views of a dozen or so Black Satyr patrolling males. Tricky to photo though.
Beautifully marked Dusky Heath on the track up to the Pilones pass in the Sierra de las Nieves NP.
Chapman’s Blue were a plenty today at Alto de Hondonero, Sierra de Camarolos.
First day of my trip to various sierras in Andalucia . This Mediterranean Skipper was seen on a short detour to the coast near Malaga airport.
View across the Nida Plateau, Crete. Cretan Small Heath were the most abundant butterfly on the slopes of Mount Ida, other highlights included seeing the endemic Cretan Grayling and Cretan Argus.
First day of Crete family holiday. The hotel garden look promising for butterflies starting with this stunning Scarce Swallowtail.
I spotted these from the bus last week. and went to investigate today. All now well past their best but an incredible 100+ Bee Orchids on various traffic islands on the Sheepscar Interchange in Leeds City Centre.
Yorkshire's Butterflies Spring 2026: After a record breaking 2025 numbers are only down 7% but 35% up on 5 year average. It illustrates the carry over with good numbers of Lycaenid species but also poor survival in last year's drought of Small Tort. Wall & Small Heath docs.google.com/document/d/1...
My small garden patch of Garlic Mustard had a bit of interest from passing Orange-tip and Green-veined White but I only saw a Large White laying and here are the results. Had a good look for caterpillars of the others but no sign.
NWWT Mariandyrys NR on Anglesey, a limestone outcrop and a great place to see butterflies especially roosting blues, Small Heath, Dingy Skipper and a good population of SP-bF.
Silver-studded Blue on the Great Orme late yesterday afternoon just before roosting time.
Grayling on the Great Orme this afternoon (29 May). A nice surprise and one of several seen.
Spanish Zephyr Blue (Plebejus hespericus), several seen today in Granada Province, at least 4 mating pairs and a good number of individuals flying around their food plant. www.lojawildlife.com
The first egg laying visitor I’ve noticed to my small garden patch of Garlic Mustard 🙌
A day studying blues puddling in the sun today in Spain . Polyommatus Thersites, Glaucopsyche alexis , Glaucopsyche Melanops,and Cupido Minimus with @lojawildlife.bsky.social
An opportunity to help out with the Leeds Wild Spaces project sowing wild flower seeds at Middleton Park on 24th April 10am www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/leeds-wild...
Leeds Wild Spaces - Middleton Park Wildflower Meadow Seeding
(ACCESS CODE: MIDDLETON) - Join us as part of Butterfly Conservation's Leeds Wild Spaces project!
eventbrite.co.uk
