Butterfly Conservation Kent & SE London

Today marks one year since I started with @savebutterflies. What a year it's been! Some of the many highlights...

EVENT UPDATE: If you planned to attend this Friday's Fisher's Estuarine Moth Survey Evening with has been CANCELLED due to the strong winds predicted for the evening.

Fisher's Estuarine moth survey was fun science as always, first time I'd seen Autumnal Rustic, and I forget the name of the last. #moths #mothsmatter Thanks as always to Rebecca at @BCKentBranch @savebutterflies @mothsinkent

A few weeks ago I joined colleague @kentdowns6 to see a species that was on the brink of UK extinction in the mid-1990s. Since then, nearly 30 years of work & partnership with multiple farmer clusters means the future for Black-Veined Moth in Kent looks hopeful once more...

It’s time for @savebutterflies #BigButterflyCount! 🦋 Here’s how to take part: 😎 Find a sunny spot ⌚ Spend 15 minutes spotting butterflies & moths 📱 Record how many & what species you see Help take nature’s pulse by getting out for the Count 👉 bigbutterflycount.org

@_jdbirder @tom_wright16 @Sandwichbirdobs @ukorchids @KentishPlover @BDSdragonflies @kent_field Great that you saw the Heath Fritillaries and White-spotted Sables. We don't get many records submitted for these moths in the Blean. Are you able to submit your sightings in iRecord or message us the approximate locations where you saw them? Thanks!

A full day in the field catching up with @tom_wright16! Enjoying Heath Fritillaries and White-spotted Sables in the Blean, before botanising around @Sandwichbirdobs complete with Dainty Damselflies, a noisy Black-headed Gull colony and singing Turtle Dove 🌿

@savebutterflies Hypercallia citrinalis this afternoon and added bonus of a wasp in pseudocopulation with a fly orchid @BCKentBranch @mothsinkent @ukorchids @dartfordtrapper @DavidKentNature

Black-veined moth survey today and highly successful with 30+ individuals located at their Kent stronghold. Photos show an individual on Chalk Fragrant orchid. Some botanical interest as well with Late Spider orchid seen in a new area for me.

A treat to see Four spotted moth, man, bee, fragrant & greater butterfly orchid on newly created grasslands on our black veined moth guided walk today, showcasing the work of our east kent downs farmers, creating wildflower grasslands at scale to drive species recovery🦋🐝

Most fabulous day @RSPBDungeness Open Day yesterday running the ‘Moth Man’ table. Some great crowd pleasing moths and amazing engagement with young and old. Over 300 people through the gate several of whom went home to get a moth trap. Job done! @mothsinkent @BCKentBranch

Heath Fritillary. Whitstable Kent an absolute stunning surprise in my coastal Whitstable Garden .Only one a UK's rarest Butterflies! A welcome wanderer from the Blean woods. @BCKentBranch @kent_field @savebutterflies @ukbutterflies

So many different moths in Denge Wood this afternoon, including Arched Marble, Mother Shipton, Burnet Companion and at least 100 White-Spotted Sable!! Have never seen so many…they were everywhere! @savebutterflies @KentWildlife @BritishMoths @dunnjons

Another record season for the Duke of Burgundy in east kent with a total peak count of 524 spread over 13 colonies, with a new confirmed new colony, & individuals seen on newly created wildflower grasslands… Thx to @BCKentBranch vol' surveyors. Farmers leading 🦋🐦🪲 recovery

Great to have been part of this weekends caterpillar ID course led by @PhilSterling3 and @henwood_barry beating trees by day, searching by torch and UV by night. Some great tips learnt by everyone involved. @BCKentBranch @savebutterflies @Sandwichbirdobs

A field and classroom study day at @Sandwichbirdobs with @BCKentBranch yesterday - Caterpillars. Just used google lens to remind me of the first, initially came up with python... perhaps not the best app! (I think it was Magpie moth) #moths #caterpillars

Denge woods last Wednesday. Wonderful. Lady orchid brimstone and Duke of burgundy butterflies, bluebells. @savebutterflies @BCKentBranch @KentWildlife @BBCSpringwatch @bbcsoutheast @NaturalEngland @ForestryEngland @ForestryComm

Run the moth trap for a couple of hours last night before the rain started, small but quality catch 2 common Quaker 1 Shuttle-shaped Dart 2 Ruby tiger 1 silver -y 1 Light Brown Apple Moth And a spectacular Emperor Moth @BCKentBranch @mothsinkent

Great day to start the duke of burgundy season off this year with 1st dukes emerging on this arable reversion area along with black veined moth larvae, green hairstreak, wall and adders tongue fern. Thx to @BCKentBranch vols for hunt for BVM larvae

The Kent's Magnificent Moths Project is the UK’s biggest-ever dedicated moth conservation scheme 🙌🦋 Since its launch in 2021, more than 26,000 people have joined 345 events aimed at helping eight target species. We celebrate the team's successes 👇 butterfly-conservation.org/news-and-blog/…

60 Dew Moth caterpillars were seen camouflaged among the lichens they feed on during a @nationaltrust Species Recovery Project survey today near Dover! Get involved in the National Trust's rare moth surveys around Dover this year by emailing melanie.wrigley@nationaltrust.org.uk