Sightings of
Butterflies in Suffolk - 2025
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go to the National Butterfly Conservation website to join.
Send
Us Your Sightings
The Branch is always grateful for butterfly records and a
recording form can be downloaded from the Recording
page.
We are always interested in
sightings of any butterflies in any location in Suffolk but we are particularly grateful for records away from the
coast and information on the following species:
BAP species; Dingy Skipper,
White Letter Hairstreak,
Silver-studded Blue, White Admiral, Grayling, Small Heath, Wall Brown
Others;
Green Hairstreak, Purple Hairstreak, Silver-washed Fritillary, Purple
Emperor, Chalkhill Blue
(not Devil's Dyke)
Send Sightings by email to
(please make sure you enter a
subject) and they will appear below within a few days.
Clicking on
the link should launch your usual email program. If this does
not seem to work just use the email address.
Please include the date, how many of
each butterfly species seen, location
with an ordnance survey grid reference if possible, and your name (if
you want to).
If you would like to contribute to the annual survey
please read the notes on the Recording
page.
If you report a
Brimstone this record will also
be passsed to the Brimstone and Buckthorn
project
Regular recorders are urged to use
this sightings page to inform others of interesting sightings, but please do
continue to send all your records to the county recorder, James
Corton, at the end of
the season. This can be done using a simple Excel spreadsheet
amd an example is on the Recording page (click
here)
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March |
SwT
DS
ES SS LS OT
LW
SW GvW CY B
WB SpW
SH
R MB GK MW
Gr SwF
DgF MF GF HBF SPbF QoSF
WA
PE
RA
PL
P ST
C LT CmB
SC
PH GH
WlH
BH HB
SsB
BA CB
ChB
SB LtB
- Total
species seen 8 |
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(📷
photo
click here) |
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24 Mar |
Holly Blue.
Peacock, Red Admiral, Comma and Brimstone seen around the
village, but still no Small Tortoiseshell. |
Waldringfield, Woodbridge |
|
Peter Maddison |
|
22 Mar |
While walking at RSPB Lakenheath Fen, I saw the following
butterflies: Brimstone 4, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock 9. |
RSPB Lakenheath Fen |
|
Martin Peers |
|
20 Mar |
1 male Brimstone in my garden |
Saxmundham |
|
Bob Turner |
|
20 Mar |
Today (March 20th), I saw a
Green-veined White at Adastral Park, Martlesham.
Also noted on site were singles of Brimstone, Comma and Peacock. |
Martlesham |
|
Gi Grieco |
|
20 Mar |
Commas and peacocks recorded during my walk early this
afternoon, along with brimstones |
Northfield Wood |
|
s Mark Brewster |
|
20 Mar |
Couldn't resist a wander around The Grove in Felixstowe and
Felixstowe Ferry for butterflies in the spring sunshine
resulting in 4 male Brimstone, 3 Peacock and a Comma at The
Grove ... |
The Grove in Felixstowe |
|
s William Brame |
|
20 Mar |
... plus 4 Peacock at Felixstowe Ferry (📷
photo
click here) |
Felixstowe Ferry |
|
s William Brame |
|
20 Mar |
Species Update with Comma seen today we now have 5 species seen
on the reserve to date |
SWT Carlton Marshes |
|
b Robert Quadling |
|
20 Mar |
Butterflies showing today North Lowestoft NR32, Peacock, Comma,
Brimstone |
North Lowestoft |
|
b Robert Quadling |
|
20 Mar |
There was a male Small White, a male Brimstone and a Red Admiral
in my garden at West Road, Bury St Edmunds today. |
Bury St Edmunds |
|
Martin Peers |
|
20 Mar |
Brimstone female around the ivy in the garden. Amazing. Also a
Peacock and two commas on Pipers Vale. |
Pipers Vale |
|
Julian Dowding |
|
19 Mar |
Saw my first of the year lovely male Brimstone |
Landseer Park |
|
Julian Dowding |
|
19 Mar |
A few butterflies about at Landguard and Peewit Hill saw 2 new
for year a Small White
and Small Tortoiseshell at Landguard with 2 Comma's at Peewit
Hill |
Landguard and Peewit Hill |
|
s William Brame |
|
19 Mar |
Five Comma and four Peacock at Gunton Meadow and Pleasurewoood
Hills, Lowestoft today. (📷
photo
click here) |
Lowestoft |
|
James Corton |
|
16 Mar |
Lovely sunny day in shafto rd Ipswich had 3 male Brimstones
feeding on violets and 3 commas feeding on daisies in the lawn |
Ipswich |
TM1445 |
Steve & Anne Green |
|
10 Mar |
Brimstone and comma in the churchyard in Holbrook. |
Holbrook |
|
Malcolm Farrow |
|
10 Mar |
I saw my first Red Admiral of the year flutter past me yesterday
at Beccles Marshes. A welcome sight! |
Beccles Marshes |
|
x Julie Durrant |
|
9 Mar |
In warm and sunny conditions, we had 4 x Brimstones and 3 x Red
Admirals. |
Martlesham Wilds |
|
Rob and Kerry Reeve Steve and Anne Green |
|
9 Mar |
Our first Comma of the year at Bawdsey Quay picnic site today,
(📷
photo
click here) |
Bawdsey Quay |
|
Margie and David Carter |
|
9 Mar |
Small Tortoiseshell reported for 9th March ,we now have 4
species seen on the reserve to date |
SWT Carlton Marshes |
|
b Robert Quadling |
|
9 Mar |
Brimstone male and Peacock in our garden today. |
Flowton |
TM085 470 |
Rob Clements |
|
9 Mar |
1 Peacock in my garden |
Saxmundham |
|
Bob Turner |
|
9 Mar |
Red Admiral reported for 6th March ,we now have 3 species seen
on the reserve to date |
SWT Carlton Marshes |
|
b Robert Quadling |
|
9 Mar |
Comma 2 together on Cherry Plum, (📷
photo click here of one
on garden shrub) |
Kelsale |
|
Charles Cuthbert |
|
8 Mar |
I saw my first Peacock on Saturday 8th Mar in my garden in
Lowestoft. First butterfly of the year |
Lowestoft |
|
x Julie Durrant |
|
8 Mar |
1 Peacock; 2 Brimstone, separate sightings from different
locations; 4 Comma, separate sightings |
Kelsale |
|
Charles Cuthbert |
|
8 Mar |
A male brimstone and a comma are the first butterflies to grace
my Charsfield garden this year. |
Charsfield |
|
Steve Aylward |
|
8 Mar |
First proper butterfly walk of the year, and we’re up and
running with commas. Several seen taking heat on the ground, in
and beyond Northfield Wood, Onehouse, earlier this afternoon (📷
photo
click here) |
Northfield Wood |
|
s Mark Brewster |
|
8 Mar |
With Peacock reported this morning, we now have 2 species seen
on the reserve to date |
SWT Carlton Marshes |
|
b Robert Quadling |
|
8 Mar |
Mill Stream this afternoon, 1x Red Admiral, 4x Comma (📷
photos
click here) |
Mill Stream, Rushmere St Andrew |
|
Phil Watkinson |
|
8 Mar |
Saw my first male Brimstone in my garden in Shafto Rd |
Ipswich |
TM1445 |
Frankie Ryan |
|
8 Mar |
Comma (📷
photo click here) |
Northfield Wood |
|
s Mark Brewster |
|
8 Mar |
Butterflies for the year just doubled with a Comma at Landguard |
Landguard |
|
s Will Brame |
|
8 Mar |
We've just had two comma butterflies in the garden. First we've
seen this year. |
North East Ipswich |
|
Lynne Hall |
|
8 Mar |
What a delight! A male Brimstone fluttering along the hedgeline
from the Buckthorn to the Apple tree this morning. a definite
sign of spring. |
Framlingham |
TM287634 |
Geraldine Smith |
|
7 Mar |
Our first butterfly of the year - a Comma enjoying the sunshine
in our garden at Flowton this afternoon. |
Flowton |
TM085470 |
Rob Clements |
|
6 Mar |
Male Brimstone and a rather tatty Comma |
Alton Water |
|
Michael Bamford |
|
6 Mar |
Today at the lakes - brimstone and peacock butterflies |
SWTLackfordLakes |
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6 Mar |
A pleasant walk through the The Grove Felixstowe yesterday
afternoon produced a singing Chiffchaff a Firecrest and my first
Butterfly of the year a single Red Admiral |
Felixstowe |
|
s Will Brame |
|
6 Mar |
Today we had a Peacock butterfly nectaring on perennial
wallflower in our front garden (📷
photo
click here) |
Wickham Market |
|
Rob and Kerry Reeve |
|
6 Mar |
At Santon Downham at lunchtime I saw 3 Brimstones on the Suffolk
side of the river, my first butterflies of 2025. (There were 3
more Brimstones and a Peacock on the Norfolk side). During the
afternoon, I saw a Comma in my garden. |
Santon Downham |
|
Martin Peers |
|
6 Mar |
Comma at Gunton Meadow today. (📷
photo click here) |
Gunton Meadow |
|
James Corton |
|
6 Mar |
Found a Comma on blossom (📷
photo
click here) |
Somerleyton Station |
|
David and Lilian Pitt |
|
6 Mar |
Just had reported our first butterfly seen on the reserve for
this year, a Brimstone a (male). |
SWT Carlton Marshes |
|
b Robert Quadling |
|
6 Mar |
One lovely Brimstone as I was driving into Tesco Martlesham at
11,20 today |
Martlesham |
|
Peter Compton |
|
6 Mar |
Mill Stream, Rushmere St Andrew this afternoon, 1x peacock, 1x
Comma (📷
photo click here) |
Rushmere St Andrew |
|
Phil Watkinson |
|
4 Mar |
Peacock in gorse |
Dunwich Heath |
|
Charles Cuthbert |
|
4 Mar |
1 Comma in my garden |
Saxmundham |
|
Bob Turner |
|
4 Mar |
Male Brimstone x3, Comma,
and Red Admiral. |
Long Melford |
|
Peter Byford |
|
3 Mar |
One male Brimstone in our Barnby garden this morning....the
benefits of sunny days! |
Barnby |
|
Peter Norfolk |
|
3 Mar |
Brimstone (male) this morning in my garden in Laxfield. |
Laxfield |
|
Mike Turton |
|
3 Mar |
Reported sighting of a Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly at SWT
Oulton Marshes by the moorings |
SWT Oulton Marshes |
|
b Robert Quadling |
|
3 Mar |
Lovely sunny day saw our first Male Brimstone in our Ipswich
garden |
Ipswich |
|
Steve & Anne Green |
|
2 Mar |
2 Peacocks |
Aldringham Walks |
|
Bob Turner |
|
2 Mar |
My first butterfly of the year - a Peacock at
RSPB Lakenheath
(📷
photo
click here) |
RSPB Lakenheath Fen |
|
Dawn Balmer |
|
2 Mar |
First butterfly of the year, Red Admiral,
NT Sutton Hoo. In 2024
first sighting 12 March (📷
photo
click here) |
NT Sutton Hoo |
|
David Gill |
|
2 Mar |
A Red Admiral actively feeding on winter flowering Heathers in
my Kelsale garden for about 10 minutes this morning in bright
sunshine, my first butterfly of the year. (📷
photo
click here) |
Kelsale |
|
Charles Cuthbert |
|
2 Mar |
One Peacock at
13:38 outside the RSPB Lakenheath Fen visitors centre. |
RSPB Lakenheath Fen |
|
David Bird |
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February |
SwT
DS
ES SS LS OT
LW
SW GvW CY B
WB SpW
SH
R MB GK MW
Gr SwF
DgF MF GF HBF SPbF QoSF
WA
PE
RA
PL
P ST C LT CmB
SC
PH GH
WlH
BH HB
SsB
BA CB
ChB
SB LtB
- Total
species seen 1 |
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25 Feb |
Today in our Wickham Market garden we had a Hummingbird Hawkmoth
nectaring on both pansies and perennial wallflower. (📷
photo click
here) This is three weeks earlier than last year
(19/3/24) |
Wickham Market |
|
Rob and Kerry Reeve |
|
22 Feb |
An early Small Tortoiseshell
today |
Denston |
TL 76231 52560 |
Mark Ferris |
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January |
SwT
DS
ES SS LS OT
LW
SW GvW CY B
WB SpW
SH
R MB GK MW
Gr SwF
DgF MF GF HBF SPbF QoSF
WA
PE
RA
PL
P ST C LT CmB
SC
PH GH
WlH
BH HB
SsB
BA CB
ChB
SB LtB
- Total
species seen 2 |
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30 Jan |
Whilst bird watching at Mayday Farm near Brandon on the 30th Jan
25, I saw a male Brimstone
in flight right next to the radio mast. Regards |
Mayday Farm near Brandon |
TL795835 |
Mike Harris |
|
25 Jan |
Our first butterfly sighting of the year was a Red Admiral seen
today at Upper Hollesley Common. It flew up from bracken and was
then pursued by a Blue tit from a nearby pine tree but had a
lucky escape. |
Upper Hollesley Common |
|
Rob and Kerry Reeve Steve and Anne Green |
|
25 Jan |
At home I saw the first butterfly of the year. a single
Red Admiral
(The latest first sighting since this page began in 2012) |
Thurston |
|
Trevor Goodfellow |
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