Discover the latest news and sightings from the Southrey Wood butterfly reserve below...
You can report your sightings and send your photos from Southrey Wood to John Davison via email.
If you would like to visit the site or any of our other sites in Lincolnshire, please take a look at our Events.
2024 Workparties:
Dates arranged are as follows. (All 10 til 3ish)
Month Date and Day
January 2025 9th Thursday
12th Sunday
23rd Thursday
26th Sunday
February 2nd Sunday
5th Wednesday
16th Sunday
19th Wednesday
It is area 1 this winter, the piece nearest the eastern car park. This is a large area and may not get finished so as many volunteers as possible please.
At present, we are still not able to use chainsaws so are limited to hand tools only, and will just have to get on as best we can.
As a consequence, I would ask that people who can come out help cutting down the trees and shrubs, rather than just taking out wood for themselves- we can spend so time towards the end of the day clearing out cut material.
View the Southrey Wood Blog 2023
Southrey Wood Blog 2024
Tuesday 3rd December
4 volunteers continued the winter work.
Sunday 10th November
Thursday 19th September
Warm overcast afternoon.
Lots of Whites and the odd Comma but little else on the wing.
Fauna......
Tuesday 17th September
Peter Cawdell reports.........
After a foggy/cloudy morning it turned into a very pleasant warm, sunny and calm afternoon. I was on my way elsewhere so only had time for about an hour's look between about 1pm and 2pm.
Along the main, rather overgrown, track in from Horncastle Road I found what I was expecting here at this time of year with 3 Commas feeding on the Scabious flowers and old Bramble. fruit. There were also about 10 Green-veined White and 3 Large White. Apart from that just one Red Admiral showed, plus a male Brimstone exhibiting rather curious behaviour in flying slow and low through the Bramble briars at ground level. It seemed to be either searching out the perfect spot to spend the winter months, or perhaps it smelt a female in the vicinity?
In the turning circle area there was 1 more Comma, a Green-veined White and a Large White.
In our BC Coppice Area (in Section 5) most of the Scabious had finished flowering and there was only 1 Comma and 1 Green-veined White.
However, along the Primrose Ride running south from the old deer tower up to the fenced orchid patch (Section 9), the Scabious was still largely in flower. Here I found at least 9 Commas, a Red Admiral, and about a dozen Green-veined Whites with a couple of Small and Large Whites.
Thursday 29th August
Nice sunny morning.
Lots of Red Admirals about today, especially on the Devil's-bit Scabious.
Other butterflies included Large & Small White, Speckled Wood, Peacock and Comma.
Tuesday 13th August
Warm morning with the Devil's-bit Scabious now in full flower.
Butterflies included Small Skipper, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Brimstone, Large, Small & Green-veined White, Red Admiral, Peacock and Silver-washed Fritillary.
There was also a couple of Eyed Hawk-moth Larva on sallow.
Friday 19th July
Very warm morning but still surprisingly few butterflies on the wing (quantity-wise).
Large, Small & Green-veined White, Red Admiral, Meadow Brown, Ringlet & Gatekeeper and a couple of Silver-washed Fritillary.
Wednesday 17th July
Peter Cawdell reports.........
Set off about mid-day along main ride from Horncastle Road towards turning circle. Quite warm with sunny periods:
Thursday 27th June
Warm morning with intermittent sun.
First Silver-washed of the year together with White Admiral, Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Red Admiral, Large Skipper and Green-veined White.
Quite a few Dragonflies showing.
Thursday 13th June
Chris Cox e-mails.......
One White admiral spotted today. A few common blues but that was all.
Friday 7th June
Cloudy and cool.
Only Orange-tip on the wing.
Tuesday 21st May
Warm enough but cloudy day.
Friday 17th May
Sunny morning but only a few butterflies about.
Heard 2nd Cuckoo of the year.
Thursday 11th March
Peter Cawdell reports.........
A walk around Southrey Wood yielded 7 species: A couple of dozen of Green-veined White, Brimstone and Peacock, 4 Comma, and singles of Speckled Wood, Holly Blue (male) and Red Admiral.
The worn Red Admiral is probably the earliest I have personally seen one although there has been a smattering of sightings around the County already. So the "Butterfly of 2023' has managed to survive the long, wet but comparatively warm winter in small numbers.
Brimstone sightings were of course mostly males but I did manage to find this courting pair, following them for 10 mins in our Coppice Area. The only time you can view the topside of the wings naturally.
Sunday 10th March
Despite the drizzle, a dedicated band of volunteers turned up for the last workparty of the season.
The area was made tidy and although looking like a mud-bath at the moment will hopefully
produce spring flora in the not-too-distant future.
Friday 23rd February It's a devil when even Butterflies have a problem with Fly-tipping.
Sunday 18th February
The rain stopped and it turned out to be a very nice day. 11 volunteers came out for the penultimate workparty and were even greeted by a male Brimstone. Lesser Celendine and Primrose now showing.
Sunday 4th February
11 Volunteers turned out on what proved to be a pleasant day.
Sunday 21st January
10 volunteers made a considerable impact on the site.
Sunday 7th January
Must be the New Year resolutions - 12 volunteers today.
