Martin Partridge

False Apollo

Southern Festoon

Scarce Swallowtail

Grecian Copper

With temperatures on the rise, I'm looking forward to a 'spring break' in Northern Greece with @greenwingstours.bsky.social (greenwings.co/our-holidays...). Some photos from last year, a trip that led to Martin Partridge's interesting article on the False Apollo: www.sbbt.org.uk/latest-news/....

Still time to grab a spot on this superb trip. It makes for a lovely way to begin your spring butterfly watching campaign...
greenwings.co/our-holidays...

A donation from this and *all* our butterfly tours also goes to support the conservation work of @europebutterfly.bsky.social too.

Very surprised to see a Stoat or Ermine (Mustela erminea) in my garden in Swainby, North Yorkshire, caught on my #Naturespy camera. Rather apt the the 2026 Winter Olympics mascot is a Stoat called Tina. @northyorkmoors.org.uk @mammalsociety.bsky.social

The 2025 Butterfly Sightings for Yorkshire have now been uploaded to the yorkshirebutterflyatlas.org.uk
@savebutterflies.bsky.social @bcyorkshire.bsky.social @northyorkmoors.org.uk

Wildlife Queensland wins Australian Quarry Life Award for Richmond birdwing butterfly recovery
Wildlife Queensland’s Richmond Birdwing Conservation Network (RBCN) has been working to restore essential breeding habitat at quarry sites within the butterfly’s natural range.

Providing students with hands on experience in biodiversity research whilst supporting eco-tourism and environmental stewardship.

The Bhutan Glory Wildlife Trail created in an area of Bhutan where both the Bhutan Glory and Ludlow's Bhutan Glory (The National butterfly of Bhutan) can be seen. It has been set up to provide a living classroom for young people and conservation.

YouTube video by Butterfly Conservation Yorkshire Yorkshire Butterfly Atlas Update December 2025

There is a short youtu.be/kVVKBJQa2JI on our branch YouTube channel describing the functionality of the Atlas. @savebutterflies.bsky.social @bcyorkshire.bsky.social

The yorkshirebutterflyatlas.org.uk has just had a major overhaul. Now you can view the sightings by year and by day in the new animated feature. Plus the sightings can now be viewed as heatmaps. @savebutterflies.bsky.social @bcyorkshire.bsky.social

My system went by the wayside many years ago

YouTube video by g Fun Facts online Conservation Science: Cryopreservation: Can Freezing Eggs Save the Iconic Swallowtail Butterfly?

What is cryopreservation, find out more about this project by listening to this video. can Freezing Eggs save the iconic British Swallowtail (Papilio machaon britannicus)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsW3...

Rare swallowtail butterfly project trialled at Ipswich farm Jimmy's Farm is collaborating with Anglia Ruskin University in an attempt to boost its numbers.

Cryopreservation of eggs will be used by researchers at Anglia Ruskin University in an attempt to boost numbers of one of the UK's rarest and largest butterflies, the Swallowtail (Papilio machaon britannicus). www.bbc.co.uk/news/article....

A Red Underwing (Catocala nupta) found in our garden today. @savebutterflies.bsky.social @bcyorkshire.bsky.social

All set up for the day at Leeds CC’s Lotherton Hall. @bcyorkshire.bsky.social

YouTube video by orpeken Purple Emperors National Forest Michael Williams

An awesome video from Michael Williams taken a few days ago in South Derbyshire of Purple Emperors exerting their power over Comma's and Red Admiral's. Yorkshire has also 'fallen' purple with three sightings of 'HIM' this year from Sprotbrough, Guisbrough and York confirmed. youtu.be/ZSKUQgC1tHM

It's the Big Butterfly Count and we are at Tropical World Leeds. The Privet Hawk is proving a real crowd pleaser along with a very full moth trap. Lots of interest from visitors.

Thanks Matt

Jobs Join us!If you are passionate about the environment, conservation and tackling biodiversity loss you couldn’t be in a better place!Butterfly Conservation is committed to delivering the biggest possibl...

Job Opportunity: Peatland Project Officer. An opportunity to help reverse the decline of some of the UK's rarest butterflies like Large Heath and Dark-bordered Beauty by restoring their habitats. Full time, fixed-term contract for 2 years 7 months). Closing 29 July butterfly-conservation.org/jobs

There must have been more than 50, a spectacular sight watching them in their aerial tumbling routines. Then dashing back to take in the late day sun wings open.

Many Purple Hairstreaks seen in most of the oak trees around Swainby, North Yorkshire on a warm summer's evening.
@savebutterflies.bsky.social @bcyorkshire.bsky.social @northyorkmoors.org.uk

Discover the beauty of butterflies this summer at Tropical World, Roundhay Park from 19th to 31st July and find out about their habitats. We’re taking part in the Big Butterfly Count 2025 (19 July to 10 August) Join BCY team with live insects 19-20th July tropicalworld.leeds.gov.uk/tropical-wor...

Pictures of White-letter Hairstreak and Purple Hairstreak.

White-letter Hairstreak

Purple Hairstreak

My first visit to the Floodplain Meadow in Great Ayton, North Yorkshire. Butterflies were numerous and I managed to record two new species for the area, the Brown Argus and the White-letter Hairstreak, classified as Vulnerable in the UK. @bcyorkshire.bsky.social @nymnptrust.bsky.social
📷 Library

Large Heath butterfly (Coenonympha tullia), a brown butterfly with a row of black eyespots along the wing edge, rests on a green flower bud. Photo by Peter Eeles. Butterfly Conservation.

🌿🐛🦋📢 Two exciting new Peatland Project Officer jobs with @savebutterflies.bsky.social in northern England! Adventurous ecologists wanted to investigate how Large Heath and other butterflies & moths can benefit from extensive peatland restoration. butterfly-conservation.org/jobs

A bit surprised to find a Roesel’s Bush-cricket in our garden in North Yorkshire. They are certainly moving north at a pace. @northyorkmoors.org.uk According to www.inaturalist.org/observations... one of the furthest north ever recorded in UK.

Our work is not done / never done! With around 300 species assessments still to publish on the IUCN Red List, there is still a lot to learn about the conservation status of these amazing species!

Another incredible day on the @greenwingstours.bsky.social tour in the Italian Alps. Among the 57 species found today, it was the Apollos that really provided the 'wow' factor - a nice male showing all of its red spots & a mated female with a 'sphragis' on her abdomen that prevents further pairings.

Large Heath after a couple of years absence on Fen Bog has returned with 4 seen on the transect yesterday which is very good news. Butterfly conservation are involved with a large new habitat restoration project nextdoor to expand habitat for this species.

Great to see so many Small Tortoiseshells this year. A good number enjoying our patch of thyme in the garden. @savebutterflies.bsky.social @northyorkmoors.org.uk @bcyorkshire.bsky.social

A short trip to Commondale in the North York Moors to see the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries. @northyorkmoors.org.uk @savebutterflies.bsky.social @bcyorkshire.bsky.social