Sightings of
Butterflies in Suffolk - 2025
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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
and an example is on the Recording page
(click
here)
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April |
SwT
DS
ES SS LS OT LW
SW GvW SSW CY B
WB SpW
SH
R MB GK MW
Gr SwF
MF 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 11 |
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(📷
photo
click here) |
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13 Apr |
Spent today at Lackford Lakes 5 male Orange Tips. 4 Peacocks. 3
Green Vein White . 1 Holly Blue. |
SWT Lackford Lakes |
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Steve & Anne Green . |
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12 Apr |
SWT Carlton Marshes Butterfly Transects 10 to 13 walked, Peacock
5. Sunny intervals but a moderate cool wind from the South so
not many butterflies seen today. |
SWT Carlton Marshes |
|
x Robert Quadling |
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10 Apr |
Butterfly Species update for SWT Lound Lakes, with Speckled Wood
seen on the 9/4/26 we now have 9 species seen on the reserve to
date. |
SWT Lound Lakes |
|
x Robert Quadling |
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9 Apr |
Butterfly Species update for SWT Lound Lakes. With Large White
reported today we now have 8 species seen on the reserve to
date. Butterfly Transects 1 to 6 walked today it was a
disappointing count. Peacock 12, Speckled Wood 2, Small
Tortoiseshell 1, Brimstone 1 (m), Orange Tip 1 (m) |
SWT Lound Lakes |
|
x Robert Quadling |
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9 Apr |
Two Brimstones ovipositing on buckthorn bush in my garden at
Trimley St. Martin, the buds only just breaking. |
Trimley St. Martin |
|
David Tipple |
|
8 Apr |
Afternoon mooch with David
Basham. Loads of bees, probably 25/30 species recorded.
Early record for county
Green Hairstreak butterfly, and much more .
Speckled Wood 1 , Peacock 20 , Comma 4 , Orange tip 6, Small
Tortoiseshell 10, Bimstone8, Green-veined white 1, Small White 2 |
Earl Stonham?, Suffolk |
|
x Graham Denny |
|
8 Apr |
During a long walk through much of Kings Forest west of North
Stow this morning, I saw the following butterflies: 2 Orange
Tips (males), 4 Green-veined Whites, c17 Brimstones, 1 Speckled
Wood, c25 Peacocks, 4 Commas. |
Kings Forest |
|
Martin Peers |
|
8 Apr |
Butterfly transects 1 to 9 walked, Peacock 67, Small
Tortoiseshell 11, Small White 2, Brimstone 2 (m + f).
Butterfly Species update - with Orange Tip Butterfly reported,
we now have 9 species seen on the reserve to date |
SWT Carlton Marshes |
|
x Robert Quadling |
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8 Apr |
Butterfly Species update for SWT Lound Lakes. Warden Andrew
reported today,Orange Tip and Green-veined white on the reserve,
so we now have 7 Species seen on the reserve to date |
SWT Lound Lakes |
|
x Robert Quadling |
|
8 Apr |
A few sightings in the wood this afternoon - several Peacock,
two Green-veined white, one male Brimstone and a male
Orange-tip. Good for woodland flowers too - wood anemone, wood
sorrel and bluebells just beginning to open. |
Mutford Wood |
52.444, 1.658 |
Peter Norfolk |
|
8 Apr |
Mill Stream this afternoon, Peacock, Comma, Brimstone, and 2x
Speckled Wood. (📷
photo
click here) |
Mill Stream, Ipswich |
|
Phil Watkinson |
|
7 Apr |
Butterfly Transects 10 to 13 walked today by Peter Norfolk,
Peacock 15, Small Tortoiseshell 1, Brimstone 1. |
SWT Carlton Marshes |
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x Robert Quadling |
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7 Apr |
Speckled Woods spiralling over a sunlit shaft in the woodland
belt of Landseer Park. |
Landseer Park. |
|
Julian Dowding |
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6 Apr |
Small Tortoiseshell egg laying on Common Nettle, |
Landseer Park. |
|
Julian Dowding |
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6 Apr |
We saw our first Holly Blue in the car park at RSPB Boyton
Marshes this afternoon. (📷
photo
click here) |
RSPB Boyton Marshes |
|
Margie and David Carter |
|
6 Apr |
SWT Carlton Marshes Butterfly Species update, with Small White
seen today we now have 8 species seen on the reserve to date. |
SWT Carlton Marshes |
|
x Robert Quadling |
|
6 Apr |
Lovely sunny day in shafto road garden our first male
Orange-tip and a single Peacock. |
Ipswich |
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Steve & Anne Green |
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6 Apr |
At Mill Stream this afternoon (approx. 2pm), Peacock 10+,
Brimstone (all male) 10+, Comma x5 and one male Orange Tip.
(📷
photos of B & O-t
click here) |
Mill Stream |
|
Phil Watkinson |
|
6 Apr |
First Holly Blue
of the year. Also two Large
White, one Brimstone, one Peacock. |
Broom Hill, Ipswich |
|
Malcom Farrow |
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5 Apr |
Male Brimstone in Kesgrave/Dobbs Wood this morning. Peacock and
Small White in the garden. |
Kesgrave/Dobbs Wood |
|
Gary Plank |
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5 Apr |
One male Orange Tip seen in a Saxmundham garden today |
Saxmundham |
|
Bob Turner |
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4 Apr |
First walk for Butterfly Transects 1 to 6, Peacock 17, Comma 1 |
SWT Lound Lakes |
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x Robert Quadling |
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4 Apr |
Two species seen at Suffolk Sands Felixstowe today a Peacock and
nfy for me a Green-veined
White |
Felixstowe |
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b William Brame |
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1 Apr |
I saw a male Orange Tip and 2 male Brimstones in King's Forest,
near West Stow |
King's Forest |
TL8070 |
Martin Peers |
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1 Apr |
First transects 1 to 9 walked today butterflies recorded, 18
Peacock, 2 Comma |
SWT Carlton Marshes |
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x Robert Quadling |
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March |
SwT
DS
ES SS LS OT LW
SW GvW SSW CY B
WB SpW
SH
R MB GK MW
Gr SwF
MF 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 11 |
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29 Mar |
Holly Blue -
in the early afternoon in a garden in Hayman Rd, flitting over a
tall Privet hedge. This is behind All Hallows Church, where they
have 9 Swift boxes installed and a wildlife patch and bug hotels |
E Ipswich |
|
Julian Dowding |
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26 Mar |
An early male Orange Tip in my garden |
Trimley St Martin |
|
David Tipple |
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26 Mar |
I saw a male Orange-tip
butterfly today in Polstead I believe this may be the first
sighting of this species in Suffolk for 2026. - |
Polstead |
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Val Lockwood |
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25 Mar |
Had a walk round today, despite the cold strong breeze, I did
find 3 Peacock and 2 Small Tortoiseshell butterflies. |
SWT Carlton Marshes |
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x Robert Quadling |
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24 Mar |
Butterfly Species update, just had a reliable report of 1
Painted Lady
butterfly seen on the 24/3/26 ,we now have 7 species seen on the
reserve to date. |
SWT Carlton Marshes |
|
x Robert Quadling |
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24 Mar |
Several Peacock on the Blackthorn blossom around the perimeter
of Shalford Meadow, Gt Cornard. Good to see two or three Small
Tortoiseshell too, one of which was trying to court a Peacock!
(📷
photo
click here) This is the second observation of this
behaviour reported this year. Is this why Small Tortoiseshells
are becoming scarce? |
Great Cornard |
|
James Corton |
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22 Mar |
Butterfly Species update, a
Speckled Wood Butterfly was reported. We
now have 6 species seen on the reserve to date |
SWT Carlton Marshes |
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x Robert Quadling |
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21 Mar |
I saw the following butterflies: Small White 1, Small
Tortoiseshell 1, Peacock 1. |
Friar's Meadow, Sudbury |
|
Martin Peers |
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19 Mar |
While walking with friends in Onehouse Wood on 19th March, we
saw the following butterflies: 8+ Brimstones, 5 Peacocks and 2
Commas. |
Onehouse Wood |
|
Martin Peers |
|
19 Mar |
Brimstone and Comma Butterflies seen in Santon Downham
Churchyard today |
Santon Downham |
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David & Maggie Carter |
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19 Mar |
A few butterflies were out in sun yesterday at Rushmere Common
Ipswich in an hour and half whilst my other half visited a
friend in hospital 2 Small
White nfy, 4 Brimstone, 2 Comma and 9 Peacock
noted |
Rushmere Common |
|
b William Brame |
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19 Mar |
At Mill Stream this afternoon (approx. 4pm) Comma x1 and Peacock
x1. (📷
photo
click here) |
Mill Stream |
|
Phil Watkinson |
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19 Mar |
SWT Carlton Marshes Good to meet up with James Corton, Suffolk
County Butterfly Recorder, looking for butterflies on reserve. A
warm walk around Carlton Marshes today with Volunteer Warden and
Wall Brown Species Champion, Robert Quadling. An impressive
total of 20+ Peacock, including two or three courting pairs, a
Comma, a few Brimstone and 4 or 5 Small Tortoiseshell. (📷
photos of C & P
click here) |
SWT Carlton Marshes |
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x Robert Quadling & James Corton |
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18 Mar |
A Small Copper
was reported from Upper Hollesley Common by J. Richardson.
Two days earlier than our earliest record |
Upper Hollesley Common |
|
James Corton |
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18 Mar |
In the Spring sunshine, we had 3 x Peacock butterflies and a
Brimstone (📷
photo click here) in
our Wickham Market garden. |
Wickham Market |
|
Rob and Kerry Reeve |
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18 Mar |
Butterfly Species update, with Comma seen today we now have 5
species seen on reserve to date. |
SWT Carlton Marshes |
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x Robert Quadling |
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18 Mar |
I saw a Small Tortoiseshell nectaring on Goat Willow in my
garden (close to Bury cemetery) today. Also seen were 2
Brimstones (m.,f.), Peacock and Red Admiral. |
Bury St Edmunds |
|
Martin Peers |
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5 Mar |
Butterflies seen Landseer Park Ipswich 9 Peacock 3 Small
Tortoiseshell 3 Comma surprisingly no Brimstone were on the wing
at this very good site for that species 05/03/2026 |
Landseer Park Ipswich |
|
William Brame |
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5 Mar |
Peacock and Brimstone in our Melton garden today. |
Melton |
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Steve Fryett |
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5 Mar |
Peacock and Comma at Gunton Meadow today. Lowestoft. (📷
photos
click here) |
Gunton Meadow |
|
James Corton |
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3 Mar |
Butterfly Species update for ,with a Comma seen today we now
have 4 species of butterflies seen on the reserve to date |
SWT Lound Lakes |
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x Robert Quadling |
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2 Mar |
Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly seen today |
SWT Lound Lakes |
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x Robert Quadling |
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2 Mar |
Male Brimstone and a Comma in our shafto road garden . |
Ipswich |
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Steve & Anne Green |
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February |
SwT
DS
ES SS LS OT LW
SW GvW SSW CY B
WB SpW
SH
R MB GK MW
Gr SwF
MF 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 5 |
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25 Feb |
I saw 3 male Brimstone driving through the Moreton Hall area of
Bury St Edmunds on this gloriously spring-like day. |
Bury St Edmunds |
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James Corton |
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25 Feb |
A Small Tortoiseshell was at Brundon Mill, Sudbury |
Sudbury |
|
James Corton |
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25 Feb |
An obliging Comma
at nearby Long Melford Country Park, which settled on my arm
twice to sunbathe (📷
photo
click here) |
Long Melford |
|
James Corton |
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25 Feb |
My first Brimstone of the year in my Ipswich garden |
Ipswich |
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William Plumb |
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25 Feb |
Brimstone 3 (2M 1F), Peacock 4; Brett Vale Golf Course |
Raydon |
IP7 5LR |
Michael Bamford |
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25 Feb |
Today we had the first garden butterfly of the year, a Peacock,
here in Wickham Market. (📷
photo click here) |
Wickham Market |
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Rob and Kerry Reeve |
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25 Feb |
A few Brimstone on the wing at Ickworth. Can't blame them it's
lovely out |
Ickworth |
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25 Feb |
One Small Tortoiseshell
in our Barnby garden and one Peacock at Kessingland sluice this
morning. |
Barnby |
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Peter Norfolk |
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25 Feb |
A Peacock was seen flying in the warm sunshine at North Warren
RSPB reserve today. . |
North Warren RSPB |
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Bob Turner |
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25 Feb |
My first butterfly of the year - Male Brimstone spotted flying
along Aspall Road, Debenham at approx. 1pm. |
Debenham |
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Phil Watkinson |
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25 Feb |
At the south end of the Wickham Market by-pass this morning we
saw our first Brimstone of the year. |
Wickham Market |
|
Rob and Kerry Reeve |
|
25 Feb |
Seen 6 Peacock Butterflies and 3 Small Tortoiseshell Butterflies
(📷
photos
click here) A Peacock was being harassed by a Small
Tortoiseshell (📷
photo
click here) |
SWT Carlton Marshes |
|
x Robert Quadling |
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24 Feb |
Brimstone and Small Tortoiseshell seen |
SWT Carlton Marshes |
|
x Robert Quadling |
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24 Feb |
Peacock, Lackford TL794709. Brimstone (📷
photo
click here) , Lackford TL792710 |
Lackford |
TL7971 |
Arthur Rivett |
|
24 Feb |
A Peacock was on the wing in our Garden at Melton this morning. |
Melton |
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Steve Fryett |
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24 Feb |
Had 2 Peacock in the garden today |
Lowestoft |
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x Chris Mutimer |
|
24 Feb |
And we are off 1st Butterfly sightings for 2026. SWT Lound Lakes
1 Peacock and 1 Brimstone |
SWT Lound Lakes |
|
x Robert Quadling |
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24 Feb |
SWT Carlton Marshes 1 Red Admiral. |
SWT Carlton Marshes |
|
x Robert Quadling |
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24 Feb |
I saw 3 male Brimstones today in TL7472, along the track towards
Cavenham Heath from Tuddenham village. |
Cavenham Heath |
TL7472 |
Martin Peers |
|
22 Feb |
My first butterfly this year is a Peacock at Felixstowe Dip
beach huts. |
Felixstowe |
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Steve Fryett |
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22 Feb |
I saw a Brimstone in my Bury St Edmunds garden (West Road) |
Bury St Edmunds |
|
Martin Peers |
|
22 Feb |
I have just seen my first
Brimstone of the year (Twice), Flying strongly,
in fact too strongly for photo! |
Shimpling |
|
Peter Byford |
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21 Feb |
I had a male Brimstone in our garden on Saturday 21st Feb. It
went into/ under ivy leaves on a south-facing wall, and I fancy
it stayed there overnight. I saw it again next morning, the 22nd
(but not today 23rd). |
Beccles |
TM4291 |
Paul Douch |
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January |
SwT
DS
ES SS LS OT LW
SW GvW SSW CY B
WB SpW
SH
R MB GK MW
Gr SwF
MF 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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(📷
photo
click here) |
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14 Jan |
Our first Red Admiral for 2026 in our Shafto
Road garden . |
Ipswich |
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Steve & Anne Green |
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13 Jan |
Lucie discovered this Peacock inside our home
today. Not sure if this counts as a first of my year sighting or
even when and how it got in but it's now safely settled down in
our unheated summerhouse
(📷
photo
click here) |
Lowestoft |
TM5393 |
James Corton |
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Photographs from 2026 Sightings (all
pictures are the copyright of their owners)
