Discover the latest news and sightings from Snakeholme Pit Butterfly Reserve below...
You can report your sightings and send your photos from Snakeholme to John Davison @email
If you would like to visit the site or any of our other sites in Lincolnshire, please take a look at our Events.
Work parties usually run 10 am - 4 pm.
Workparties: Due to Covid-19 restrictions, workparties will be on an ad-hoc basis with limited numbers decided on availablity.
You can also take a look at all the wildlife discovered at Snakeholme, from birds to flowers and everything in between, here:
David Lawrence Drone Video
Snakeholme Pit Blog 2021
Photographers, please don't trample the vegetation.
I know most have long lenses, so please try a distant in-focus shot from the path and crop later.
Thursday 4th November
Managed to clear the Pit Meadow.
Thursday 21st October
Rained Wednesday and during the night but luckily grass not that bad and managed to mow the paths.
Not a lot about now but quite a few Inkcaps in the meadow.
Saturday 16th October
Autumn workparty and a decent day for it.
Far bank cut and raked off and some Sallows taken out. Still a White flying (unidentified) and a Buzzard flew overhead. A Bug, Corizus hyoscyami survived the carnage together with Dark Bush-cricket.
Tuesday 21st September
Nice day but starting to get the Autumn feel.
Still a few butterflies about - Large & Small White, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood and a Painted Lady.
Dragonflies still making the most of the good weather.
A few regulars still around - Figwort Sawfly Larva, Dock Bug and Green Shieldbug.
Together with new.
Thursday 16th September
Butterflies mainly around the Buddleia and on the Devil's-bit Scabious. Plenty of Red Admiral plus Large & Small White, Small Tortoiseshell, Brimstone, Speckled Wood. Common Blue and Brown Argus.
Quite a few Dragonflies around with lots of Willow Emerald, nearly all mating.
Two examples of the "slug" Sawfly larva - Caliroa cinxia & Caliroa cerasi.
Together with..
Tuesday 7th September
Hot and sunny day
Lots of Red Admiral & Brimstone about. Others included Speckled Wood, Small & Green-veined White, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma and Peacock.
I met Peter Cawdell later in the evening and he reported seeing a Brown Hairstreak late afternoon together with a small but very active female Brown Argus on the open embankment.
.Sunday 5th September
Richard Davidson reports..........
I was at Snakeholme Pit today with Lincoln Conservation Group raking up the hay in the meadow area. After the others departed I had a mooch round looking at insects etc and it was then that I found a cluster of 6 Brown Hairstreak eggs on the roadside hedge! I had a quick look further along the hedge and at the Blackthorn regrowth on the embankment and couldn't spot any more but the bushes are still in full leaf so there could be others and the butterflies are also still probably laying eggs at the moment. If it stays warm all week and beyond as they say it might then that will give them further opportunity. So on top of the 50 eggs that I found at Goslings Corner Wood last Tuesday it's already looking like they're having a good season.
There were also large numbers of Willow Emerald Damselflies at the site today particularly in among the Willow bushes on the left as you go down the slope towards the pit and then along the edge of it. Must have seen 60+ including many mating pairs.
Wednesday 25th August
Sunday 15th August
At last, a decent day with good numbers of butterflies. The Purple Loosestrife and Devil's-bit Scabious were looking magnificent.
Several butterflies including Silver-washed Fritillary and Peacock took advantage.
Other butterflies included Large, Small & Green-veined White, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper & Ringlet, Common Blue, Brown Argus, male & female Brimstones, Small Tortoiseshell and Comma. Lots of Red Admiral but alas, no skippers.
Silver Y and Latticed Heath in adult moths but larvae of Buff-tip ( again) and Herald.
Other Fauna.......
Caused by the Thistle Gall Fly - Urophora cardui
Wednesday 4th August
Peter Cawdell reports.....
Popped in to lay-by this evening in late sunshine. Haven't seen Purple Hairstreaks there for a few years so delighted to watch 2 at tops of 2 large Oaks near gate flying around at 7.30 pm. Also Green-veined White still flying at ground level.
Tuesday 3rd August
Nice sunny day with, for a change, quite a lot of butterfly activity.
Highlights were a pair of Silver-washed Fritillaries.
Others included the usual Browns & Whites (nice to see Ringlet still going strong), Red Admiral, Peacock, Brimstone, Small Tortoiseshell, Large Skipper (faded), Small Copper, Common Blue and Comma.
Buff-tip larvae now fully grown. Other moths included Silver Y and Yellow Shell.
Disturbed a Tawny Owl. Dragonflies quite active.
Other Fauna......
Thursday 29th July
Overcast but enough break between showers to get the paths cut.
Again few butterflies apart from Whites & Browns.
Buff-tip moth larvae have grown.
Wasp, Symmorphus gracilis (Eumenidae).
One of its most frequent prey items is the larva of the weevil Cionus hortulanus, which is associated with figworts. Probably more widespread than the 6 records for Lincolnshire indicates
Tuesday 20th July
Hot day which seems to suit the Browns and Whites but little else apart from this Comma.
Quite a few Dragonflies about including a big emergence of Willow Emerald Damselfly.
Other Fauna...
Thursday 15th July
Plenty of Ringlets and Meadow Browns around but the arrival of Gatekeeper always makes me think that summer has arrived.
Probably the wrong time to air this view as it is overcast and a bit windy.
Only damselflies out due to the weather but came across a couple of Dragonfly exudia.
Five-spot Burnet last week - Six-spot this.
Couple of larval stage moths about as well.
Other Fauna.......
Thursday 8th July
Still not many butterflies - Green-veined White, Large Skipper but thank goodness for Meadow Brown & Ringlet.
Dragonflies in good number including Emperor.
A couple of day-flying moths.....
Together with their larva on Ragwort.
Other Fauna.......
Sharing the same leaf...
Common Striped Woodlouse (Philoscia muscorum) & Common Red Soldier Beetle (Rhagonycha fulva).
Wednesday 30th June
Warm but overcast and not a lot flying.
Just dropped in to mow the paths and cut the hedge around the gate. Green-veined White was on the wing and this Large Skipper was resting.
Other Fauna.....
Tuesday 22nd June
Again, not a bad day with sunny intervals but still a dearth of butterflies.
Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Common Blue, Speckled Wood and Large Skipper about.
Dragonflies showing well and managed a Common Blue Damselfly amid all the Azure.
Other Fauna.......
Tuesday 15th June
Lovely warm day but butterflies still refusing to come out in any great number.
Brimstone, Brown Argus, Green-veined White, Speckled Wood and my first Meadow Brown of the year.
Brimstone larvae on the Buckthorn now getting bigger.
Lots of Dragonflies about now.
It was really a Beetle day though...........
Most recent records for above from the limewoods but a couple dotted elsewhere eg Callans Lane Wood. Less than 20 records in Lincolnshire.
Monday 14th June : Derek Fox reports.........
Butterflies still in small numbers but I did record 8 species - 2 Brimstone, 2 Common Blue, 1 fresh Speckled Wood, 1 Orange-tip and four new sightings for this season, 3 Large Skipper. 1 Small Copper, 1 Large White and 1 Red Admiral.
So pleasing to see fresh butterflies emerging.
Also lots of other great things.........
I found 4 Banded Demoiselle - 3 males and 1 female
4 Bee Orchids in the meadows and one Common spotted-orchid.
The bank looked fabulous with hundreds of Ox-eye Daisies in flower.
Also 3 day-flying moths - Cinnabar, Latticed heath and Yellow Shell.
Tuesday 8th June
Nice warm day.
Still very few butterflies, mainly Orange-tip & Brimstone. Odd singletons of Speckled Wood and Common Blue.
Brimstone larvae, though very small so far, on the Buckthorn.
Other Fauna.....
Tuesday 1st June
Lovely warm morning.
Male and female of Brimstone & Orange-tip on the wing, along with Green-veined & Small White, Brown Argus and Common Blue.
Cinnabar and Latticed Heath moths on the wing. Small Tortoiseshell on Nettle and early instars of Emperor Moth on Birch.
The first of the true dragonflies now emerged.
Other Fauna.......
Thursday 27th May
Not a bad day for a change, though still wet from previous night's showers. Managed to get the paths cut.
Still not many butterflies - Orange-tips, Brimstone, Small & Green-veined White.
Latticed Heath Moth still around and Burnet Moths in larval stage.
Have seen Large Red Damselflies in other places for weeks but finally saw several out here today.
At least 6 Dock Bugs out today and a couple of Craneflies including a Phantom or Folded-wing.
Other Fauna.......
Thursday 20th May
Rain stopped, at least for the morning but overcast and cool - hence no butterflies.
Moorhen still trying to get the eggs off and a Barn Owl circling the field.
Although no butterflies, there were things about.......
Having come across the ThIstle Tortoise Beetle (Cassida rubiginosa) earlier, this is the other Tortoise Beetle (Cassida vibex) recorded on the Reserve. A lot of Dark Bush-cricket nymphs about as well.
Other Flora & Fauna....
Wednesday 19th May
Derek Fox reports.......
Another poor recording day although the temperature was good around 16 degrees with intermitant sunshine.
Only managed to record 3 white species, 2 male Brimstones, 3 Green-veined White and male and female Orange-tip. With all the rain the last 2 weeks the flora looked very colourful and the grasses growing rapidly. Still large numbers of tadpoles gathering in big balls.
Thursday 13th May
Nice to see some butterflies out. Small Tortoiseshell, Small & Green-veined White, Orange-tip (m &f) and Brimstone (m & f). The female was egg-laying on the Alder Buckthorn near the seat.
A few flowering heads of Arum maculatum. Lots of common names including Lords & Ladies, Cuckoo Pint and Sweethearts.
First Soldier Beetle of the season, Cantharis pellucida. Other firsts for the season include one of 2 of our Tortoise Beetles, Cassida rubiginosa and the Lilly Beetle, Lilioceris lilii.
Good day for insects. A few more.......
Other Fauna.......
Tuesday 11th May
Derek Fox reports.........
I managed to get a 30 minute sunny slot but butterflies were slow to emerge after all the heavy downpours of hail and thunder. I did record four species - Brimstone, Orange-tip (male and female), four Green-veined White and one lone Peacock.
Since the rain, Cowslips in profusion, all over the reserve. In the pond, hundreds of tadpoles busily feeding on algae.
Thursday 6th May
Knew it had rained but was not quite expecting this.......
Easing of lockdown is good - means we can now get out more.
Unfortunately, it also means we let the idiots loose again........
Moorhen on nest again with 6 eggs.
Thursday 29th April
Thursday 22nd April
Lovely sunny day but still quiet.
A few Cuckooflower out by the lake. The Greylag is still keeping its head down on the nest. Brimstone and Orange-tip the main butterflies. First Common Lizard of the year.
Saturday 18th April
Mark Schofield visited this morning.....
Made a trip with family to Snakeholme Pit this morning. Thought I’d share some photos taken – especially for those who may not have visited our reserve yet.
Small tortoiseshell, male brimstone, small white all seen on the reserve. Not photographed was a vole peeking from inside its burrow.
Tuesday 13th April
Lovely sunny day though still cool.....
Only singletons of Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock on the wing. Blackthorn in full flower everywhere. Lots of Violets on the bank and Cowslips now filling the meadows.
Tuesday 30th March
Time for the banks to receive their annual haircut.
James then went out with his camera..............
Let's not leave out the Frogs.....
Saturday 27th March 2021 - Mark Johnson emailed:
" I had a few hours trapping at Snakeholme Pit LBC Reserve and caught the following: 133 Small Quaker, 2 Chestnut, 72 Common Quaker, 4 Clouded Drab, 2 Early Grey, 1 Twin-spotted Quaker, 3 Brindled Pug, 5 Hebrew Character, 1 Grey Shoulder-knot, 1 Red Chestnut and 1 Diurnea fagella."
Clockwise from top left: Grey Shoulder-knot, Early Grey, Brindled Pug and Twin-spotted Quaker
Wednesday 17th March
Richard Davidson & the volunteer group put up a Barn Owl box on the Reserve.
