Surrey sightings 2023

This page, edited by Ken Owen, is for first/notable sightings. Please email @email with date, species, number, site, grid ref, your name and any comment.

For general records, please use iRecord website or iRecord Butterflies app
More details are on our Recording Page

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Also see: National 1st sightings & Archive 2015+

November: Despite extremes of weather in recent weeks, in addition to species noted below, there have continued to be regular sightings of Red Admiral and Speckled Wood. In addition, Small White were seen on the 26th October in Copthorne, 28th in Clapham Junction and 30th in Vauxhall Park.

On 6th November, Red Admirals were reported in Richmond Park (3), Ash Green, Copthorne and Farnham, and Speckled Wood again in Richmond Park (2), Wimbledon, and Kingston.

By the 9th, it was Red Admirals only, noted in Normandy, Hankley Common and Worplesdon and again, on the 11th at Surbiton, Longdown, Wimbledon, Upper Hale and Sanderstead.  Sightings continued with four noted in Richmond Park on the 17th and one in Chessington on the 18th, one in Reigate on the 23rd and four more in Richmond Park. On the 24th the butterfly was seen in London Wetland Centre and Claygate and on the 25th at Polesden Lacey.

Occasionally, other species were seen, as noted below:

A relatively common Small Copper aberration worth looking out for is caeruleopunctata referring to the additional blue markings on the hind wings

Big Butterfly Count, July 14 to Aug 6, gives an opportunity to record the Red Admiral. Large numbers are across our area, for example, 22 Oxted Downs (17th), 12 Box Hill (18th).

It is relatively unusual to see a Purple Hairstreak descend and then open its wings.

Silver-spotted Skipper completes the list of regular Surrey & SW London species. In addition so far this year: one Camberwell Beauty, Duke of Burgundy, Marsh Fritillary, Black-veined White, making for 47 species in all.

1st recorded sighting: Cox's Walk, Sydenham Hill Wood, LNR (further sightings 12th/19th July)

Jun 28

White Admiral

1

Sydenham Hill

T1345727

Ernest Thomason/ Julian Allen

 

 

Colin Kemp's discovery of a colony of Holly Blues in St Martin's Churchyard, Dorking allows for an early season reminder of how to distinguish between male and  female. On the uppersides of the wing wing, the female has broad black borders which are absent in the male.

 

 

 

 

 

One of four Comma butterflies seen, the first photograph received, the others were noted at Wimbledon, Thornton Heath and Egham and are almost six weeks later than our first

 

 

Following several weeks of cold grey weather, temperatures at last began to rise in the middle of the month with Brimstones seen across our area on 16th -  in Sheen, Oxshot, Blackwater and Lingfield

There were numerous sightings of Brimstone on the 14th and 15th of February, for example, in Pirbright, Guildford, Dorking and Banstead

Please ensure you place all your sightings on i-record.

 

Spring slowly makes it's approach and it is worth being on the lookout for butterflies anywhere in a sheltered sunny spot. Red Admirals, for example,  were seen (3rd Feb), two in Barnes, four in Richmond Park and one in Croydon, all in the Greater London area. The first photograph of the year came three days later, (6th Feb, Beddington Farmlands), when there were also sightings of Red Admirals in Surrey, at Wisley and Reigate.