Butterflies in the Stevenage area

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Archive: 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017

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20 Jun - Knebworth week 12. Transects 0940-1245 hrs (23-26c, 70% sun, SE3) - 278 butterflies (138 Meadow Brown, 64 Marbled White, 17 Ringlet). First Small Copper of the year in Knebworth Park where first transect Small Tortoiseshell of the year also seen. Silver-washed Fritillary (another first) at Norton Green

19 Jun - Painted Lady. First Painted Lady of the year just outside my front door basking on the ground at 0745 hrs

17 Jun - Stevenage week 12. Transect 1005-1150 hrs (22c, 94% sun, SW 3) - 132 butterflies (90 Meadow Brown, 18 Marbled White, 8 Small Skipper). Meadow Brown highest weekly count since 2019.

16 Jun - Brimstones in garden. Male & female Brimstones fluttering around in the evening - probably home-grown

14 Jun - Knebworth week 11. Transects 1005-1245 hrs (21-24c, 97% sun, SW 4) - 86 butterflies (62 Meadow Brown, 7 Large Skipper plus 1st Marbled White(2) & Red Admiral of the year). A very tatty Peacock near Pigeonswick Cottage - unusual for June; could be from last years 2nd generation in the autumn

11 Jun - Stevenage week 11. Transect 1030-1200 hrs (20c, 78% sun, SE3) - 24 butterflies (12 Meadow Brown, 6 Large Skipper, 4 Speckled Wood + 1st Small Skipper (female) of the year & one of the earliest ever).

8 Jun - Knebworth Woods week 10. Transect (1025-1115 hrs, 15c, 78% sun, NW4) - 11 butterflies (Large Skipper 8, Meadow Brown 2 (1st of year), Speckled Wood) all in section 4 (Norton Green Common)

6 Jun - Stevenage week 10. Transect 1320-1440 hrs (19c, 98% sun, S4) - 5 butterflies (Large Skipper 3, Speckled Wood & Meadow Brown (1st of the year))

31 May - Knebworth week 9. Transects 1025-1255 hrs (21-23c, 85% sun, SW 3) - 15 butterflies (Speckled Wood 8, Large Skipper 4, Small Heath 2). 4 Chimney Sweeper as well as a Cinnabar moth in Knebworth Park

30 May - Stevenage week 9. Transect 1025-1155 hrs (21c, 98% sun, S4) - 8 butterflies (5 Speckled Wood, Large Skipper, Holly Blue, Small White). The Large Skipper & Holly Blue firsts of the year here

25 May - Fairlands Valley Park. Despite the blustery conditions, saw a female Orange-tip and a Common Blue

23 May - Knebworth week 8. Only the woods transect (1045-1130 hrs, 15c, 50% sun, W3) - just one butterfly Speckled Wood in ride west of Newton Wood

20 May - Stevenage week 8. Transect 1055-1220 hrs (15c, 100% sun, NE3) - 4 butterflies (Large White, Small White, Common Blue (1st of the year), Small Heath). First garden Green-veined White

17 May - Knebworth week 7. Transects 1235-1500 hrs (15-16c, 90% sun, N3) - 17 butterflies (6 Speckled Wood, 4 Small Heath,3 Small White) plus first Common Blue of the year on the park transect. Also Burnet Companion & Mother Shipton

16 May - First Common Blue and Large Skipper. Firsts of the year for the butterflies in the field south of Norton Green Common. For the Large Skipper. equals the earliest ever known recorded date in the TL22 square. 6 Small Heaths also seen but no whites

13 May - Stevenage week 7. Transect 1030-1150 hrs (19c, 100% sun, E3) - 6 butterflies (3 Speckled Wood, Orange-tip, Peacock & Small Heath)

12 May - Astonbury Wood May. Good work done over the winter - coppicing and construction of landmarks. 1045-1120 hrs (20c, 100% sun, SE3) - just one butterfly - Orange-tip.

10 May - Knebworth week 6. Transects 1030-1255 hrs (16-18c, 90% sun, E3) - 29 butterflies (8 Orange-tip, 8 Small Heath, 4 Green-veined White). 7 of the Small Heath were in the field south of Norton Green Common including a mating pair and several males fighting for attention of the female. Also probably an early new generation Comma at the common

9 May - Stevenage week 6. Transect 1225-1345 hrs (16c, 100% sun, E3) - 11 butterflies (3 Speckled Wood, 2 Small White, 2 Green-veined White, 2 Orange-tip, 2 Small Heath (first of the year))

2 May - Knebworth week 5. Transects 1030-1300 hrs (18-19c, 100% sun, NE 3) - 14 butterflies (4 Speckled Wood, 3 Orange-tip, 3 Small Heath - earliest ever). Also in garden moth trap - first-evers for Herald and Acleris literana

1 May - First garden Holly Blue. Of the year in garden. Also Orange-tip egg on garlic mustard in garden

29 Apr - Stevenage week 5. Transect 1025-1145 hrs (17c, 100% sun, SE2) - 16 butterflies (10 Speckled Wood, 5 Orange-tip & Green-veined White). Good to see so many Speckled Woods after poor year in 2024 when only 33 counted in total and maximum of 7 on 13 August (week 20). First garden Orange-tip & Brimstone (both females possibly egg-laying)) of the year

28 Apr - First Holly Blue of the year. Seen on the western side of Knebworth Park. Other species: Speckled Wood, Small White, Green-veined White, Orange-tip and Peacock

27 Apr - Knebworth week 4. Transects 1045-1330 hrs (15-18c, 95% sun, S2) - 35 butterflies (12 Orange-tip, 8 Speckled Wood, 7 Green-veined White)

22 Apr - Stevenage week 4. Transect 1410-1525 hrs (16c, 59% sun, S2) - 12 butterflies (6 Peacock, 2 Orange-tip, 2 Brimstone)

21 Apr - Website updated. New data for 2024 (branch area & UKBMS) added. New charts added for each species account

19 Apr - Knebworth Woods week 3. Transect 1400-1440 hrs (16c, 90% sun, E4) - 21 butterflies (7 Peacock, 4 Green-veined White, 4 Orange-tip)

17 Apr - Stevenage week 3. Transect 1240-1405 hrs (14c. 86% sun, E1) - 18 butterflies (8 Orange-tip, 5 Peacock, 3 Green-veined White & first Speckled Wood of year here)

12 Apr - Knebworth week 2. Transects 1055-1330 hrs (15c-18c, 100% sun, SE3) - 24 butterflies (10 Peacock, 4 Brimstone, 4 Orange-tip, 3 Speckled Wood - last 2 of which firsts of the year). 3 male Orange-tip by cycle track south of the Leisure Park

8 Apr - Stevenage week 2. Transect 1255-1410 hrs(13c, 98% sun, E2) - 8 butterflies (5 Peacock, Green-veined White, Small White & Brimstone)

7 Apr - 3 firsts of the year. Green-veined White, Large White (x2) and Orange-tip in and around Fairlands Valley Park. 6 Peacock and 6 Small White also seen.

4 Apr - Knebworth week 1. Transects 1110-1340 hrs (15c-18c, 100% sun, NE 4) - 19 butterflies (14 Peacock, 5 Brimstone). Small White by the Leisure Park

2 Apr - Stevenage week 1. Transect 1255-1410 hrs (14c, 100% sun, NE 4) - 6 butterflies (5 Peacock, 1 SW). First garden Small White of the year

31 Mar - Peacocks to the fore. Visit to FVP northern section - 14 Peacock, 4 Brimstone & 3 Comma

26 Mar - Stevenage week 0. First transect of the year 1245-1350 hrs (15c, 93% sun, S2) - 3 Comma, 3 Brimstone & Peacock. In garden, Brimstone & Peacock (feeding on Bowles Mauve)

24 Mar - Brimstone & Comma. Only butterflies (one of each) seen in the northern section of Fairlands Valley Park in cool weather (11c)

20 Mar - More Brimstones. One near Stevenage Police Station, 2 around Norton Green and one in the garden. Peacock also close to Pigeonswick Cottage

19 Mar - First Small White of the year. In Fairlands Valley Park close to Six Hills Way plus 4 Brimstone, 4 Comma & a Peacock elsewhere in the park

9 Mar - First garden butterfly of the year. Comma on ground and 2 more at Norton Green

8 Mar - Commas at FVP. 2 seen in the northern section of Fairlands Valley Park on the eastern side sheltered from the wind

6 Mar - Comma. At around 3pm at Norton Green

5 Mar - First Peacock of year. In the northern section on sheltered bank by stream close to the footbridge (TL253247)

4 Mar - First butterflies of the year. At Fairlands Valley Park: Male Brimstone in flight in southern section and Comma on ground at the Shackledell Grassland. 10c, SE 1 and unbroken sunshine between 1 and 2 pm

2 Jan - Happy New Year. Hopefully on better weather in 2025 we'll see more butterflies than last year