The recording of butterflies sightings that are submitted to the Norfolk branch are one of the ways to monitor our local butterfly population. The first and last sighting gives use information on how our local population are changing, the health of the environment and helps us assess how effective current conservation work is.

To count as first or last sightings, butterflies must be seen outside and be active (i.e. not in hibernation). Some of our sightings have also been the first for the UK. You can use the list below to assess the likelihood if your sighting might be a first or last sighting. 

You can submit your butterfly sightings to the Norfolk branch in a number ways. Please use one of the methods on the Recording Page

Thank you for your support

First Seen

Species                          2012     2013     2014     2015     2016     2017     2018     2019  
Brimstone 18 Feb 01 Mar 16 Feb 17 Feb 31 Jan 16 Feb 11 Mar 22 Jan 
Brown Argus 12 May 19 May 15 Apr 10 May 06 May 28 Apr 07 May 21 Apr
Chalk Hill Blue 24 Jul 18 Jul 07 Jul 15 Jul 07 Jul 21 Jun 18 Jul 22 Jul
Clouded Yellow 07 Aug 20 Jun 14 May 14 Apr 07 Jul 29 May 07 Jul 06 Jun
Comma 08 Jan 05 Mar 02 Jan 04 Mar 10 Mar 14 Feb 01 Jan 22 Feb
Common Blue 15 May 14 May 04 May 22 Apr 04 May 09 Apr 06 May 18 Apr
Dark Green Fritillary 05 Jul 10 Jun 23 May 22 Jun 23 Jun 14 Jun 18 Jun 17 Jun
Dingy Skipper 12 May 16 May 23 Apr 01 May 04 May 19 Apr 15 May 11 May
Essex Skipper 12 Jun 17 Jun 12 Jun 24 Jun 17 Jun 19 Jun 24 Jun 06 Jun
Gatekeeper 02 Jul 17 Jun 08 Jun 16 Jun 23 Jun 14 Jun 13 Jun 23 May
Grayling 12 Jul 13 Jul 20 Jun 01 Jul 03 Jul 16 Jun 01 Jul 09 Jul
Green Hairstreak 05 Apr 16 Apr 13 Apr 17 Apr 20 Apr 06 Apr 21 Apr 13 Apr
Green-veined White 23 Mar 19 Apr 01 Apr 01 Apr 02 Apr 09 Apr 16 Apr 24 Mar
Grizzled Skipper 11 May 03 May 14 Apr 22 Apr 04 May 17 Apr 07 May 18 Apr
Holly Blue 25 Mar 21 Apr 16 Mar 13 Mar 31 Mar 24 Mar 01 Apr 24 Feb
Large Skipper 17 May 14 May 13 May 04 Jun 29 May 31 May 25 May 25 May
Large White 24Mar 21 Mar 07 Mar 10 Mar 02 Apr 15 Mar 04 Apr 17 Mar
Meadow Brown 6 Jun 29 May 20 May 30 May 21 May 18 May 28 May 23 May
Orange Tip 23 Mar 24 Mar 17 Feb 21 Mar 25 Mar 19 Mar 05 Apr 21 Mar
Painted Lady 08 Jan 20 May 09 Apr 13 Apr 03 May 13 Mar 21 Apr 21 Feb
Peacock 08 Jan 06 Jan 04 Jan 04 Jan 04 Jan 20 Jan 01 Jan 01 Feb
Purple Emperor           26 Jan 18 Jul 15 Jul
Purple Hairstreak 19 Jun 19 Jun 20 Jun 09 Jul 06 Jul 19 Jun 19 Jun 25 Jun
Red Admiral 05 Jan 24 Jan 08 Jan 09 Jan 05 Jan 28 Jan 05 Jan 14 Feb
Ringlet 06 Jun 30 May 07 Jun 15 Jun 06 Jun 06 Jun 06 Jun 18 Jun
Silver-studded Blue 17 Jun 27 May 06 Jun 06 Aug 19 Jun 03 Jun 11 Jun 06 Jun
Silver-washed Fritillary 07 Sep 06 Jul 21 Jun 29 Jun 02 Jul 15 jun 22 Jun 02 Jun
Small Cooper 27 Mar 05 Mar 30 Mar 16 Apr 10 Feb 08 Apr 08 Mar 05 Mar
Small Heath 22 May 23 May 02 Apr 10 May 06 May 15 Apr 27 Mar 23 Apr
Small Skipper 08 Jun 17 Jun 09 Jun 23 May 23 May 14 Jun 13 Jun 16 Jun
Small Tortoiseshell 23 Feb 17 Feb 13 Jan 09 Feb 27 Jan 15 Jan 25 Jan 14 Feb
Small White 20 Feb 29 Mar 16 Mar 12 Jun 22 Mar 02 Mar 01 Apr 20 Mar
Speckled Wood 18 Feb 20 Apr 24 Feb 13 mar 30 Mar 29 Mar 17 Apr 24 Mar
Swallowtail 22 May 16 May 13 May 13 May 20 May 10 May 15 May 02 May
Wall Brown 02 May 27 May 22 Apr 04 May 08 May 05 May 22 Apr 30 Mar
White Admiral 05 Jul 19 Jun 13 Jun 26 Jun 01 Jul 13 Jun 17 Jun 22 Jun
White-letter Hairstreak 20 Jun  26 Jun 20 Jun 17 May 06 Jul 17 Jun 18 Jun 23 Jun

Last Seen

Species                          2012     2013     2014     2015     2016     2017     2018     2019  
Brimstone 15 Nov 17 Dec 28 Oct 17 Dec 25 Dec 03 Nov 16 Nov 25 Dec
Brown Argus 16 Oct 05 Nov 04 Oct 01 Nov 04 Oct 30 Oct 28 Oct 05 Oct
Chalk Hill Blue 01 Sep 02 sep 23 Aug 22 Aug 01 Sep 29 Aug 18 Aug 30 Aug
Clouded Yellow 30 Sep 04 Nov 09 Nov 13 Sep 04 Oct 25 Oct 05 Nov 17 Oct
Comma 13 Nov 15 Nov 03 Dec 16 Dec 25 Dec 06 Nov 18 Nov 09 Nov
Common Blue 01 Oct 27 Sep 07 Oct 03 Oct 11 Oct 15 Oct 31 Oct 20 Sep
Dark Green Fritillary 19 Aug 23 Aug 24 Aug 09 Aug 24 Aug 20 Aug 15 Aug 30 Aug
Dingy Skipper 29 May 08 Jun 21 Jun 11 Jun 10 Jun 13 Jun 09 Jun 09 Jun
Essex Skipper 09 Sep 01 Sep 21 Aug 22 Aug 21 Aug 26 Aug 30 Aug 12 Aug
Gatekeeper 18 Sep 01 Oct 05 Sep 16 Sep 08 Oct 25 Oct 09 Sep 25 Oct
Grayling 19 Sep 30 Sep 12 Sep 10 Sep 24 Sep 04 Sep 28 Sep 04 Sep
Green Hairstreak 26 Jun 19 Jul 18 Jun 03 Jul 06 Jul 06 Jul 22 Jun 15 Jun
Green-veined White 11 Oct 08 Oct 30 Sep 09 Oct 06 Oct 09 Oct 12 Oct 28 Sep
Grizzled Skipper 29 May 08 Jun 21 Jun 10 Jun 06 Jun 10 Jun 06 Jun 06 Jun
Holly Blue 10 Oct 13 Sep 03 Oct 06 Nov 17 Oct 16 Oct 24 Oct 21 Sep
Large Skipper 25 Aug 29 Aug 20 Aug 21 Aug 14 Sep 28 Aug 30 Aug 08 Sep
Large White 17 Oct 01 Nov 30 Oct 25 Nov 01 Nov 03 Nov 17 Nov 22 Oct
Meadow Brown 20 Sep 21 Sep 10 Sep 04 Oct 08 Oct 25 Oct 11 Sep 14 Sep
Orange Tip 15 Aug 19 Aug 21 Jun 30 Jun 06 Sep 09 Jul 24 Jun 09 Jun
Painted Lady 11 Oct 26 Oct 27 Oct 01 Nov 04 Dec 06 Nov 25 Oct 23 Oct
Peacock 08 Dec 30 Dec 23 Dec 29 Dec 25 Dec 04 Dec 26 Dec 27 Dec
Purple Emperor           30 Jul 27 Jul 07 Aug
Purple Hairstreak 14 Sep 08 Sep 24 Aug 03 Sep 07 Sep 02 Sep 28 Aug 18 Sep
Red Admiral 26 Nov 19 Dec 26 Dec 29 Dec 25 Dec 08 Dec 03 Dec 30 Dec
Ringlet 23 Aug 03 Sep 18 Aug 01 Sep 08 Oct 01 Sep 19 Aug 20 Aug
Silver-studded Blue 23 Aug 04 Aug 17 Aug 09 Aug 06 Aug 18 Jul 17 Jul 19 Jul
Silver-washed Fritillary 19 Sep 02 Sep 12 Aug 30 Aug 31 Aug 23 Aug 02 Sep 26 Aug
Small Cooper 03 Nov 04 Nov 04 Nov 26 Nov 31 Oct 06 Nov 19 Nov 06 Nov
Small Heath 09 Sep 30 Sep 07 Oct 08 Oct 15 Sep 05 Oct 31 Oct 21 Sep
Small Skipper 01 Oct 01 Sep 15 Aug 28 Aug 08 Oct 27 Aug 19 Aug 28 Aug
Small Tortoiseshell 15 Nov 28 Dec 04 Nov 07 Dec 27 Dec 04 Dec 17 Dec 30 Dec
Small White 26 Oct 24 Oct 16 Oct 25 Nov 22 Aug 27 Oct 05 Nov 17 Oct
Speckled Wood 29 Oct 04 Nov 24 Nov 26 Oct 31 Oct 26 Oct 25 Oct 27 Oct
Swallowtail 10 Aug 20 Sep 09 Aug 20 Aug 23 Aug 20 Aug 10 Sep 17 Aug
Wall Brown 08 Sep 04 Sep 12 Oct 06 Sep 25 Oct 27 Oct 25 Oct 20 Oct
White Admiral 04 Sep 28 Aug 17 Oct 17 Aug 29 Aug 24 Oct 15 Sep 30 Sep
White-letter Hairstreak 20 Aug 19 Aug 04 Aug 10 Aug 12 Aug 05 Aug 30 Aug 07 Aug