Clearly today was THE day for Brimstone butterflies to be roused from their winter dormancy. So far I've seen 9 different reports of Brimstone seen today in Somerset.

Marbled White now starting to emerge in Somerset - with multiple sightings reported at Collard Hill this week.

Please don't confuse these with any other type of butterfly with black vein markings.

BC Somerset & Bristol
Library picture

☀️ Enjoyable afternoon observing the first Large Blue's of the year at Collard Hill plus sighting of lovely female Common Blue. BC Somerset & Bristol Butterfly Conservation 🦋 The British Nature Guide UK Butterflies andy

The first Meadow Brown of the year are now starting to emerge in Somerset. Reports of one observed last Friday and more seen today.
BC Somerset & Bristol

The warm sunny weather continues to bring reports of
exciting butterfly sightings in Somerset. The first Large Blue are starting to emerge with a few seen on the wing today at Green Down NR
BC Somerset & Bristol Somerset Wildlife Trust

First Pine Hawkmoth for the garden this morning, also a smart Eyed. Somerset Butterfly Recorder British Moths

Large Skipper now starting to emerge.
Large Skipper are the first of the 'golden skippers' to emerge in Somerset and are usually a few weeks ahead of Small Skipper.

Wow! Another unexpected appearance of Marsh Fritillary in Somerset.

First Heath Frittilary of the year Haddon Hill Exmoor

Small Blue is our smallest resident butterfly with a wingspan of about 18-25 mm. The GB butterfly red list categorises Small Blue as near threatened. They are rare in Somerset, confined to a few grassland sites with kidney vetch, on which the eggs are laid & the caterpillars feed

Wow! Marsh Fritillary are very rare in Somerset. It's been over a decade since we last received any record of them at this site. Well spotted and a lovely picture too.

What a difference a bit of sun makes!
A Brown Argus and two Green Hairstreaks were first of the year finds for us today.
Also Brimstone, Holly Blue, Dingy & Grizzled Skippers, Peacock, Orange-tip, Speckled Wood & unidentified 'whites'.
But no sign of Common Blue yet.
BC Somerset & Bristol

Orange-tip and Brimstone at Ham Wall RSPB this week BC Somerset & Bristol Butterfly Conservation 🦋 RSPB Ham Wall NatureUK OM SYSTEM Cameras

A quick visit to Thurlbear Quarrylands this morning with cloud cover proving persistent, just two butterflies seen, my first Grizzled Skipper of the year and a Green-veined White. BC Somerset & Bristol Somerset Butterfly Recorder Butterfly Conservation 🦋 @SWTTaunton OM SYSTEM Cameras UKBMS Live Data

Holly Blue female and male, seen at Shapwick Heath, Somerset and Ashton Court, Bristol respectively in the last couple of days. Butterfly Conservation 🦋

What effect is the cool spring having on our butterflies?
A Grizzled Skipper seen yesterday is provisionally Somerset's first record of this species in 2023.
Looking at BC Somerset & Bristol records from over the last 20 years, it's the latest first sighting of Grizzled Skipper since 2006.

Orange tip, finally it all seems a bit slower this year, lets hope it’s on the change
Chew valley lake
BC Somerset & Bristol Butterfly Conservation 🦋

We saw a single Grizzled Skipper today - our first of the year - along with a few Brimstone and Speckled Wood, plus single Silver Y and Treble Bar moths.
BC Somerset & Bristol

Wall Brown at the mill here today, one of very few butterflies seen here so far this spring.
BC Somerset & Bristol

Despite the hailstorm at Hawkcombe Wood today we managed to find lots of Heath Fritillary larvae amongst the cow-wheat and surrounding leaf litter Jenny Plackett Exmoor National Park BC Somerset & Bristol Butterfly Conservation 🦋