This page is for first/notable records.
Please email Surrey Branch with date, species, number, site, grid ref, your name and any comment.
For general records, please use iRecord,
via computer or APP
More details are on our Recording Page
Ken Owen
Also: Archive 2015+,
National 1st sightings, BUGalert, Atropos
As the Butterfly Conservation site as a whole underwent a complete revamp during the summer, the Sightings page unavoidably could not be updated in July & August. Apologies for the disruption.
The Sightings page resumed with a flurry of late sightings in September and continued with regular sightings right into November, and our last appeared on Boxing Day, 26th December.
Dec 26 | Peacock | 1 | Albury Downs | TQ039491 | Gillian & Ken Elsom |
Dec 17 | Peacock | 1 | Denbies Hillside | TQ135500 | Matthew Woods |
Dec 4 | Red Admiral | 1 | Mullard Laboratory | TQ104425 | Ewan Shiland |
Nov 30 | Peacock | 1 | West Clandon | TQ040510 | Matt Phelps |
Nov 30 | Brimstone | 1 | Epsom | TQ210605 | Nicola Salisbury |
Nov 18 | Red Admiral | 1 | West Molesley | TQ139689 | Mick Rock |
Nov 18 | Brimstone | 1 | Thursley Common | SU902416 | Sarah Elliott |
Nov 13 | Red Admiral | 1 | Ham Riverside | TQ167730 | Stephen Reisbach |
Nov 13 | Clouded Yellow | 1 | Denbies Hillside | TQ135499 | David Hasell |
Nov 13 | Red Admiral | 1 | Denbies Hillside | TQ135499 | David Hasell |
Nov 8 | Clouded Yellow | 2 | Denbies Hillside | TQ135499 | David Hasell |
Nov 8 | Red Admiral | 1 | Chessington | TQ179653 | Nigel Jackman |
Nov 5 | Red Admiral | 1 | Upper Tooting | TQ296723 | Alan Wilkinson |
Nov 2 | Red Admiral | 1 | Polesden Lacey | TQ135522 | Judith McNickle |
Nov 2 | Small Copper | 1 | Reigate Heath | TQ237503 | Jo Hurren |
Nov 2 | Clouded Yellow | 2 | Denbies Hillside | TQ135499 | David Hasell |
By the third week of October sightings were diminishing, but the unseasonably warm weather contributed to continued sightings of 11 species until the arrival of Arctic winds at the end of the month.
Oct 31 | Red Admiral | 1 | Godalming | SU966429 | John Tallon |
Oct 31 | Red Admiral | 1 | Lloyd Park, Croydon | TQ347651 | Martyn Mance |
Oct 24 | Speckled Wood | 1 | Brockham Quarry | TQ195509 | Jo Hurren |
Oct 24 | Speckled Wood | 1 | Betchworth Quarry | TQ204514 | Helen Middlemas |
Oct 23 | Clouded Yellow incl helice |
5 | Denbies Hillside | TQ148500 | David Hasell |
Oct 22 | Large White | 1 | New Malden | TQ209685 | Bill Downey |
Oct 21 | Comma | 1 | Denbies Hillside | TQ136502 | Mike Thurner |
Oct 21 | Brimstone | 1 | Tatsfield Green | TQ419569 | Jim Yeeles |
Oct 21 | Small Copper | 1 | Headley Heath | TQ200538 | Graham Saxby |
Oct 21 | Small Copper | 1 | Brooklands | TQ071628 | Martyn Mance |
Oct 19 | Small Heath | 1 | Richmond Park | TQ200723 | Nigel Jackman |
Oct 19 | Holly Blue | 1 | Denbies | TQ135499 | Harry Clarke |
Oct 18 | Small White | 1 | Kennington | TQ315772 | Simon Saville |
Oct 16 | Common Blue | 1 | Tooting Common | TQ286720 | Alan Wilkinson |
Oct 16 | Common Blue | 1 | Addiscombe | TQ338665 | Martyn Mance |
By the last week of September, butterflies remained relatively abundant with many Small Heath, Small Copper, Common Blue, Speckled Wood, Brimstone, Meadow Brown, and Small White evident and several examples of Comma, Red Admiral, Clouded Yellow, Brown Hairstreak, Peacock, Holly Blue, Brown Argus with sightings of Chalk-hill Blue, Painted Lady, Small Tortoiseshell, Large and Green-veined White. A remarkable 19 species still in flight.
Sep 23: Nigel Jackman compiled a notable list of 78 specimens in Richmond Park: 2 Red Admiral, 1 Small Tortoiseshell, 1 Painted Lady, 41 Small Copper, 23 Small Heath, 2 Meadow Brown, 4 Speckled Wood, 1 Green-veined White, 3 Small White
Website revamp resulting in no Sightings placed on this page until September when last sightings became noteworthy. Please note that your photographs need now to be at least 1 - 5 MB, i.e. much larger files in order to maintain quality of image. This is why photos from earlier in the year have had to be deleted
Oct 10 | Small Tortoiseshell | 1 | Manor Farm | TQ012469 | Peter Camber |
Oct 1 | Meadow Brown | 6 | Box Hill, Dukes | TQ183510 | Ken Owen |
Oct 1 | Meadow Brown | 1 | Lloyd Park, Croydon | TQ343649 | Martyn Mance |
Sep 27 | Clouded Yellow | 1 | Chipstead Downs | TQ267572 | Brian Gardner |
Sep 27 | Brown Hairstreak | 1 | Chipstead Downs | TQ269575 | Brian Gardner |
Sep 27 | Grayling | 1 | Chobham Common | SU973655 | David Moss |
Sep 26 | Clouded Yellow | 1 | Gatwick Airport | TQ258405 | Rachel Bicker |
Sep 25 | Brown Hairstreak | 1 | Reigate | TQ243487 | Jo Hurren |
Sep 24 | Small Tortoiseshell | 1 | Oxted Downs | TQ373538 | Richard Stephens |
Sep 24 | Painted Lady | 1 | Ashtead | TQ184577 | David Allcock |
Sep 24 | Painted Lady | 1 | Shere | TQ066490 | Rob Bonfield |
Sep 24 | Peacock | 1 | Betchworth | TQ204512 | Helen Middlemas |
Sep 19 | Small Tortoiseshell | 1 | Quarry Hangars | TQ320537 | Geoff Hewlett |
Sep 15 | Silver-washed Fritillary | 1 | Blatchford Down | TQ102485 | Cathy Mead |
Sep 15 | Silver-spotted Skipper | 1 | Blatchford Down | TQ102486 | Cathy Mead |
Sep 13 | Brown Argus | 1 | Oxted Downs | TQ388544 | Martyn Mance |
Sep 6 | Purple Hairstreak | 1 | Old Malden | TQ026666 | Lawrence de Whalley |
Sep 6 | Gatekeeper | 1 | Old Malden | TQ206666 | Lawrence de Whalley |
Sep 2 | Chalkhill Blue | 1 | Pewley Down | TQ010490 | Steve Chastell |
Jul 15: A wave of Clouded Yellows arrived this week: several at Brockham, along the North Downs as far as Oxted, and on Hutchinson's Bank.
Jul 8: Marbled White, Jul 1: White-letter Hairstreak, both 1st site records for Hurst Meadows beside the Thames at East Molesey. Mick Rock
2nd brood Small Blues have been seen in the last week by Martin Wills at Hutchinson’s Bank (TQ391605) and Peter Camber at Warren Farm (TQ230633)
Jul 1 | Grayling | 8 | Dawney Heath | SU945568 | Peter Cureton |
Jun 30 | Chalkhill Blue | 3 | Box Hill Dukes | TQ188510 | Ken Owen |
Jun 21 | Purple Emperor | 1 | Bookham Common | TQ122567 | Marian Thomas |
Jun 19 | Silver-washed Fritillary | 1 | Bookham Common | TQ126562 | Gary Margetts |
With the continued fine weather, a good number of species can now be found across our region, including migrants Red Admiral, Painted Lady and Clouded Yellow. We now await only Grayling, Chalkhill Blue, Brown Hairstreak and Silver-spotted Skipper. It is as if the so-called June gap has not occurred this year.
Jun 19 |
Essex Skipper |
1 |
Richmond Park |
TQ186719 |
Nigel Jackman |
Jun 19 | Comma ab. suffusa | 1 | Bookham Common | TQ128569 | Tim Saunders |
Jun 18 |
Essex Skipper |
1 |
Colekitchen |
TQ084489 |
Anita Bathurst |
Jun 15 |
Purple Hairstreak |
1 |
Richmond Park |
TQ197720 |
Peter Camber |
Jun 11 |
Gatekeeper |
1 |
Hurst Meadows |
TQ147687 |
Mick Rock |
Jun 11 |
Small Blue |
3 |
Woldingham |
TQ364568 |
Martyn Mance |
Jun 10 |
Dark Green Fritillary |
1 |
Box Hill |
TQ175517 |
David Hasell |
Jun 9 |
Marbled White |
2 |
Box Hill Dukes |
TQ185512 |
Ken Owen |
Jun 9 |
White Admiral |
3 |
Bookham Common |
TQ126562 |
David Hasell |
Jun 8 |
White-letter Hairstreak |
1 |
Tooting Common |
TQ288715 |
Alan Wilkinson |
Jun 6 | Ringlet | 1 | Hutchinson's Bank | TQ381616 | Malcolm Bridge |
Jun 6 | Small Skipper | 1 | Denbies Hillside | TQ146501 | Mike Metherall |
Jun 3 | Purple Emperor | 1 | Oaken Wood | SU998388 | Phil Darley Gillian Pullinger |
BC considers this extremely early Purple Emperor (Gillian Pullinger) to have been a release.
It will not appear on records.
The main period of invasion by the immigrant Painted Lady has begun. It was first sighted in late April, but has been seen in the first week of June across the county from Oaken Wood in the south west, several places along the Downs, and on Hutchinson's Bank in the east.
Jun 2 |
Silver-studded Blue |
1 |
Fairmile Common |
TQ119617 |
David Hasell |
May 28 |
Meadow Brown |
1 |
Howell Hill |
TQ236622 |
Steve Nevard |
May 26 |
Large Skipper |
3 |
Hutchinson's Bank |
TQ384613 |
Martin Wills |
Surrey's rarest butterflies are out in numbers: Wood White at Oaken Wood, Adonis Blue along the North Downs from Pewley Down to Reigate, and Small Blue on the North Downs between Pewley Down and Box Hill, and also at Warren Farm and Hutchinson's Bank. Please consult i-record for more details.
May 18 |
Glanville Fritillary |
1 |
Hutchinson's Bank |
TQ382614 |
Martin Wills |
May 18 |
Adonis Blue |
20 |
Denbies Hillside |
TQ152501 |
Gordon Hay |
May 17 |
Adonis Blue |
4 |
Box Hill Viewpoint |
TQ178510 |
Bill Downey |
After the record-breaking hot May Day Bank Holiday weekend, our butterflies have almost caught up. Wood Whites are out in Oaken Wood; a Clouded Yellow made it across the Channel to Cranleigh; Green Hairstreaks were noted in Clandon, Abinger, Leatherhead, Chaldon, and Oxted; Small Heaths were on both sides of the Mole and at Ganger's Hill; a second Common Blue appeared at Denbies, a Small Copper was on Mitcham Common; and the first appearance of Brown Argus and Small Blue.
May 10 |
Small Blue |
1 |
Hutchinson's Bank |
TQ385610 |
"Greenie" |
May 10 |
Common Blue |
1 |
Box Hill Dukes |
TQ177510 |
David Hasell |
May 9 |
Grizzled Skipper ab. taras |
1 |
Hutchinson's Bank |
TQ383613 |
Richard Stephens |
Aberration taras, identified as long ago as 1780, where the white spots on the forewing are confluent, hindwings with spots reduced to single one in centre and row of small white marginal spots
May 9 |
Clouded Yellow |
1 |
Cranleigh |
TQ062371 |
Tony Fox |
May 9 |
Small Heath |
1 |
Ranmore Common |
TQ141503 |
Paul Craven |
May 9 |
Wood White |
6 |
Botany Bay |
TQ027346 |
David Hasell |
May 8 |
Brown Argus |
1 |
Denbies Hillside |
TQ142498 |
Bill Downey |
May 4 | Green Hairstreak | 4 | Ganger's Hill | TQ376541 | Richard Stephens |
Apr 26 |
Painted Lady |
1 |
Norbiton |
TQ208697 |
Ellie Hage |
Apr 22 |
Grizzled Skipper |
1 |
Blatchford Down |
TQ110486 |
Cathy Mead |
Apr 19 |
Dingy Skipper |
1 |
Chipstead Downs |
TQ264572 |
Brian Gardner |
Apr 18 |
Green Hairstreak |
1 |
Newlands Corner |
TQ039492 |
Mary Stuart-Jones |
Apr 17 |
Small Copper |
1 |
Foxley Wood |
TQ316602 |
Andrea Bessant |
Following the exceptionally cold and wet end to March and Easter, sunshine on April 6 once more brought sightings of Brimstone, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock and Comma. We then had to wait until April 14 for what finally promises to be the true beginning of spring with the same species being observed across the county and in London, in some numbers. In addition were reports of Holly Blue, Orange-tip, plus Green-veined, Small and Large Whites.
Apr 14 |
Green-veined White |
1 |
Streatham Common |
TQ310709 |
Edwin Malins |
Apr 14 |
Small White |
1 |
Gangers Hill |
TQ376541 |
Richard Stephens |
Apr 14 |
Small White |
2 |
Nonsuch Park |
TQ228635 |
Peter Trew |
Apr 14 |
Large White |
1 |
Ganger's Hill |
TQ377542 |
Richard Stephens |
Apr 14 |
Orange-tip |
1 |
Staffhurst Wood |
TQ413480 |
Sharon Rooth |
|
Apr 14 |
Orange-tip |
1 |
Brentmoor Heath |
SU939610 |
Paul Batham |
|
Apr 14 |
Orange-tip |
fem |
Cucknells Wood |
TQ039430 |
Francis Kelly |
|
Apr 14 |
Holly Blue |
1 |
Chessington |
TQ179653 |
Nigel Jackman |
|
Apr 14 |
Holly Blue |
1 |
Howell Hill |
TQ237621 |
Stephen Nevard |
|
Apr 14 |
Holly Blue |
1 |
Guildford |
SU995503 |
Keith White |
|
Apr 10 |
Speckled Wood |
1 |
Wotton |
TQ132474 |
Mike Thurner |
|
The unexpected warmth and sunshine on March 16th saw Brimstones reported in Ashtead, Burgess Park, Carshalton, Chiddingfold, Denbies, Headley Heath, Leith Hill, New Addington and Woodmansterne; the return of the Red Admiral at Hutchinson's Bank, Clandon Wood and Chiddingfold; two Commas and a Small Tortoiseshell in Burgess Park; and further Commas in Ashtead and Redhill.
After the exceptional snows and bitter cold of recent weeks, as if to celebrate the 50th anniversary weekend of Butterfly Conservation, a butterfly appeared, as a true harbinger of spring
Mar 11 |
Brimstone |
1 |
Egham |
SU998711 |
Richard Hewitt |
With two days of glorious sunshine at last, and, despite the morning frosts, Red Admirals were seen again in Albury, Knaphill, Polesden Lacey, Banstead, Box Hill and Wisley along with Brimstones at Box Hill and Reigate and the first Peacocks detailed below:
Feb 17 |
Peacock |
1 |
Merrow |
TQ028505 |
Gillian Elsom |
Feb 17 |
Peacock |
1 |
Dorking |
TQ168496 |
Andy Jackson |
Feb 15 |
Comma |
1 |
Hutchinson's Bank |
TQ380616 |
Martin Wills |
With gradual warming and the occasional sunny day, January Red Admirals have also been reported in Godstone, Godalming, Guildford, Denbies Hillside, Hutchinson's Bank, Redhill and Coulsdon.
Jan 22 |
Small White |
1 |
Redhill |
TQ282400 |
Sarah Finch |
Jan 22 |
Brimstone |
1 |
Thursley |
SU924425 |
Simon Riley |
Jan 18 |
Small Tortoiseshell |
1 |
Redhill |
TQ282506 |
Gordon Hay |
Jan 10 |
Red Admiral |
1 |
Thames Ditton |
TQ155675 |
David Hasell |
Jan 10 |
Red Admiral |
1 |
Betchworth |
TQ189502 |
Keith Lelliot |
Jan 10 |
Red Admiral |
1 |
Betchworth |
TQ209520 |
David Stubbs |