Bedfordshire First Sightings of 2026


Please report all butterfly observations to Keith Balmer the Bedfordshire County Recorder for Butterflies.

You can report butterflies online.

The season is being summarized HERE.

Species 2026 2025* 2024 2023 10yr Avg
Dingy Skipper 12/04/25 05/05/24 27/04/23 28 Apr
Grizzled Skipper 11/04/25 30/04/24 30/04/23 26 Apr
Essex Skipper 13/06/25 26/06/24 22/06/23 24 Jun
Small Skipper 08/06/25 18/06/24 17/06/23 15 Jun
Large Skipper 21/05/25 19/05/24 28/05/23 29 May
Orange-tip 30/03/25 26/03/24 08/04/23 31 Mar
Large White 08/03/25 26/03/24 03/04/23 31 Mar
Small White Lower Stondon 25/02/26 21/03/25 14/03/24 22/03/23 22 Mar
Green-veined White 26/03/25 30/03/24 03/04/23 31 Mar
Clouded Yellow 17/04/25 27/08/24 07/07/23 28 Jun
Brimstone Caddington Golf Course 24/01/26 05/02/25 03/01/24 13/02/23 05 Feb
Wall Brown Not seen Not seen Not seen N/A
Speckled Wood 31/03/25 23/03/24 07/04/23 25 Mar
Small Heath 16/04/25 08/05/24 03/05/23 03 May
Ringlet 01/06/25 08/06/24 12/06/23 13 Jun
Meadow Brown 23/05/25 29/05/24 03/06/23 02 Jun
Gatekeeper 15/06/25 08/06/24 22/06/23 20 Jun
Marbled White 01/06/25 16/06/24 16/06/23 12 Jun
Silver-washed Fritillary 21/06/25 26/06/24 24/06/23 23 Jun
Dark Green Fritillary 01/06/25 21/06/24 18/06/23 14 Jun
White Admiral 16/06/25 18/06/24 24/06/23 24 Jun
Purple Emperor 19/06/25 24/06/24 03/07/23 29 Jun
Red Admiral Totternhoe 31/01/26 24/01/25 22/01/24 30/01/23 21 Jan
Painted Lady 13/04/25 30/04/24 20/04/23 27 Apr
Peacock Bedford & MVMCP 12/01/26 21/02/25 25/01/24 13/01/23 20 Jan
Small Tortoiseshell Sandy & Flitwick STW 03/03/26 06/03/25 13/01/24 07/02/23 31 Jan
Comma Maulden Wood 24/02/26 30/01/25 15/02/24 19/02/23 01 Mar
Duke of Burgundy 12/04/25 20/04/24 29/04/23 25 Apr
Small Copper 08/04/25 13/04/24 02/05/23 22 Apr
Purple Hairstreak 16/06/25 14/06/24 24/06/23 25 Jun
Green Hairstreak 07/04/25 12/04/24 29/04/23 17 Apr
White Letter Hairstreak 16/06/25 25/06/24 24/06/23 25 Jun
Black Hairstreak 30/05/25 07/06/24 16/06/23 12 Jun
Small Blue 26/04/25 11/05/24 14/05/23 14 May
Holly Blue 03/04/25 26/03/24 03/04/23 31 Mar
Brown Argus 22/04/25 09/05/24 10/05/23 07 May
Common Blue 22/04/25 08/05/24 17/05/23 09 May
Chalkhill Blue 25/06/25 11/07/24 09/07/23 05 Jul

* As indicated by the 24,299 records analysed on 31/12/2025