Sightings 2017

The sun and warmth returns with an extremely rare 3rd brood Holly Blue and, less surprising, two other species, Brimstone and Red Admirals. Red Admirals were, in fact, noted in Woking, Guildford and Holmwood Common (2).

With a return of the sunshine, even after a frost, the Red Admirals were also seen in Richmond Park, Redhill and, once again, in Cranleigh on the 17th

Despite the first hard frost of the season, the sun also brought out Red Admirals on the 6th in Bookham Common, Headley Heath, Putney Heath and Shalford, with two in a South Godstone garden and six seen in and around Cranleigh.

This record of Small Coppers matches the last sighting in 2016

After the first frost, another sunny day continued to bring out the butterflies. Eleven species recorded in the last full week of October is exceptional.

More exceptionally warm weather on Oct 27 saw seven species on the wing, including Red Admirals, particularly the five together in South Godstone, and Speckled Wood in Richmond, Redhill and Cranleigh

The final fling - Red Admirals remain ubiquitous; the warm sunshine of Oct 25 saw widespread sightings in, for example, Box Hill, Chessington, Clandon, Cranleigh, Long Ditton, Walton Downs, Redhill, Richmond Park, Walton Downs and Woking.  Commas, Meadow Browns and Speckled Woods are still to be seen in ever decreasing numbers.

In the first week of October, butterflies are becoming fewer, with twelve species so far noted.

We are now moving to the period of the year when last sightings become significant. We still have many reports of Large and Small White, Small Heath, Small Copper, Speckled Wood, Comma, Red Admiral and Meadow Brown with occasional sightings of Brimstone, Common Blue, Brown Hairstreak, Peacock, Painted Lady, Small Tortoiseshell and Clouded Yellow.

Sep 26, for example, Nigel Jackman in Richmond Park saw 8 species: 19 Small Copper, 5 Red Admiral, 2 Comma, 5 Small Heath, 4 Speckled Wood, 2 Small White, a Painted Lady and 1 Meadow Brown

Adonis Blue, 2nd brood, seen on Hutchinson's Bank by Martin Wills (TQ382615), Aug 5th, by which time there had been sightings at Denbies and Dukes

Jul 18	Purple Emperor	fem	Broadstreet Common	SU969514	Field Trip
Jul 17	Purple Emperor	male	Ashtead Common	TQ173600	Frank Boxell
Jul 17	Clouded Yellow	2	Headley Warren	TQ194538	Gary Margetts Richard Stephens
Jul 17	Clouded Yellow	2	Cranleigh, Little Mead	TQ043396	Francis Kelly
Jul 17	Brown Hairstreak	male	Cranleigh, Little Mead	TQ043396	Francis Kelly
Jul 15	Brown Hairstreak	1	Blindley Heath	TQ368446	John Madden
Jul 15	Silver-spotted Skipper	1	Juniper Top	TQ374530	Gillian Elsom
	With sightings of Brown Hairstreak and Silver-spotted Skipper, all of Surrey's 42 butterfly species have now been seen.

Jun 26	Gatekeeper	1	East Molesey	TQ145690	Mick Rock
Jun 22	Dingy Skipper 2nd brood	1	Hutchinson's Bank	TQ380617	Martin Wills
Jun 18	Purple Hairstreak	1 male	Chiddingfold	SU983339	Nick Broomer
Jun 16	Essex Skipper	3	East Molesey	TQ142689	Mick Rock
Jun 13	Glanville Fritillary	1	Farnham	SU835463	Richard Saunders
Jun 12	White-letter Hairstreak	5	Nunhead Cemetery	TQ352755 TQ355753..	Simon Saville
In the next few days White-letter Hairstreaks were reported in Ham, Petersham, Tooting Bec, Clapham Common, Tolworth, Hogsmill, Epsom, including this ground photo from Judith McNickle June 14 (TQ192634). See i-record for details.
Jun 11	Purple Emperor	male	Bookham Common	TQ123567	Rob Hill
Jun 11	White Admiral	1	Ash Ranges	SU932537	Steve Marshall
Jun 9	Silver-washed Fritillary	1	Bookham Common	TQ133567	David Hasell
Jun 7	Small Skipper	1	Box Hill, Dukes	TQ187511	Mike Thurner
Jun 7	Ringlet	2	Box Hill	TQ173520	David Hasell
Jun 7	Dark Green Fritillary	male	Box Hill	TQ176518	David Hasell
Jun 2	Ringlet	1	Dungeon Hill, Woodmansterne	TQ270590	Duncan Jennings

May 28	Meadow Brown	1	Hutchinson's Bank	TQ381615	Martin Wills
May 24	Glanville Fritillary	1	Hutchinson's Bank	TQ385610	Martin Wills
May 24	Map	1	Richmond Park	TQ207745	Piers Eley
May 21	Large Skipper	2	Gangers Hill, Oxted	TQ375542	Richard Stephens
May 6	Small Blue	1	Hutchinson's Bank	TQ382614	Martin Wills
May 5	Adonis Blue	1	Denbies Hillside	TQ134499	Peter .../Dom Greves
May 5	Brown Argus	1	Box Hill, Dukes	TQ184511	Ken Owen
Apr 30	Common Blue	male	Gangers Hill	TQ375542	Richard Stephens

Apr 19	Dingy Skipper	13	Box Hill, Dukes	TQ184511	Ken Owen
Apr 18	Small Heath	1	Denbies Hillside	TQ150500	Peter Brown
Apr 16	Dingy Skipper	2	Gangers Hill	TQ375542	Richard Stephens
April:  Increasing warm temperatures by day and long periods of unbroken sunshine have brought many unusually early sightings of the Whites, Orange-tip, and Holly Blue, with several sightings of Green Hairstreak and four Grizzled Skippers. See iRecord for more details.
Apr 11	Small Copper	1	Dungeon Hill, Woodmansterne	TQ269596	Duncan Jennings
Apr 8	Grizzled Skipper	2	Hutchinson's Bank	TQ379617	Martin Wills
Apr 8	Grizzled Skipper	2	Denbies Landbarn	TQ137499	Bill Downey
Apr 3	Green Hairstreak	1	Box Hill	TQ176524	Janet Cheney
Apr 2	Large White	1	Ruskin Park, SE5	TQ327758	Simon Saville
Mar 30	Painted Lady	1	Kenley	TQ314606	Bill Bessant
Mar 28	Green−veined White	1	Thames Ditton	TQ154680	David Hasell
March 26, a remarkable day, bringing four new species sightings, the two Small Heaths being the first seen this year in the UK
Mar 26	Holly Blue	1	Shalford	SU999473	Edward Paxton
Mar 26	Holly Blue	1	Knaphill	SU957582	Graham Mays
Mar 26	Orange-tip	1	Shalford	SU999473	Edward Paxton
Mar 26	Small Heath	2	Bookham Common	TQ127562	Janet Cheney
Mar 26	Speckled Wood	1	Nonsuch Park	TQ224629	Peter Camber
Mar 15	Small White	1	Nunhead Cemetery	TQ355752	Simon Saville
Mar 13	Small Tortoiseshell	3	Walton Downs	TQ216573	Howard Lambeth
Mar 13	Comma	5	Walton Downs	TQ216573	Howard Lambeth

March 9 proved to be the harbinger of spring with not only Small Tortoiseshells and a Small Copper but Brimstones, male and female, reported across the county in Banstead, East Molesey, Ewell, Dorking, Guildford, Richmond, New Addington, Polesden Lacy, Reigate, Send, and Tatsfield.
See i-record for recorders and specific locations.