This page, edited by Ken Owen, is for first/notable sightings. Please email @email with date, species, number, site, grid ref, your name and any comment.
For general records, please use iRecord website or iRecord Butterflies app
More details are on our Recording Page
First Silver-spotted adult recorded this far east along North Downs
Aug 6
Silver-spotted Skipper
1
Oxted Downs
TQ386544
Richard Stephens
1st Chalk Hill Blues to be recorded at Polesden Lacey
Aug 4
Chalk Hill Blue
8 (m)
Polesden Lacey
TQ131521
Jenny Sparks
Adonis Blue, Hutchinson's Bank, 8th August, Martin Wills
Aug 3
Adonis Blue (2nd brood)
1
Dukes, Box Hill
TQ184511
Ken Owen
Jul 31
Wall
fem
Denbies Hillside
TQ14615021
John McGloin
1st Surrey record since 2020-07 at Colley Hill
Jul 21
Dingy Skipper
1
Box Hill Dukes
TQ184510
David Hasell
possible 2nd brood male, pale aberration
Silver-spotted Skipper completes the regular list of Surrey species for 2022, the earliest ever. Also included this year are Large Tortoiseshell, Marsh Fritillary and Duke of Burgundy. With Glanville Fritillary and Black Hairstreak, that makes 46 species so far.
Jul 16
Silver-spotted Skipper
3
Headley Heath
TQ200533
Andrew Kingston
Jul 12
Clouded Yellow (f)
1
Hutchinson's Bank
TQ382614
Martin Wills
Steve Read
Jul 11
Jersey Tiger Moth
1
TQ333759
Denmark Hill
"lethalfizzle"
Jul 10
Silver-washed Fritillary (f) ab. valezina
1
Bookham Common
TQ133568
Colin Kemp
Remarkably early Brown Hairstreak on Apricot bush in Beddington garden. RB
Jul 1
Brown Hairstreak
male
Beddington
TQ305646
Robert Bourton
First I have seen in 60+ years playing on, as a child, and subsequently walking Witley Common. MU
Jun 29
Purple Emperor
1
Witley Common
SU929407
Martin Underwood
Jun 28
Grizzled Skipper
1
Selsdon Wood
TQ36686178
Martyn Mance
Jun 28
Gatekeeper
1
Bookham Commons
TQ127566
Sheila Hart
Jun 26
Grayling
1
Brentmoor Heath
SU932612
Philip Draper
Jun 25
Ringlet ab. arete
1
Surbiton
TQ177657
Marian Thomas
Jun 22
Chalkhill Blue
6
Denbies Hillside
TQ136499
Bill Downey
Jun 22, Bookham Commons: 100+ White Admirals, along with 4 Purple Emperors, at least one female, around the "master tree", TQ123567.
Jun 20, Richmond Park: 214 Purple Hairstreaks around TQ195735 in first of a series of evening surveys. Sarah Elliott, Christopher Hedley et al.
Ab caeca, apical spot of forewing blind, no trace of white pupil
Jun 19
Meadow Brown ab. caeca
1
Mercers Park
TQ300530
Ian Kehl, Gordon Hay
June 18
Purple Hairstreak
1
Richmond Park
TQ195735
Sarah Elliott
Jun 18
Purple Hairstreak
1
Ashtead Common
TQ179592
Nikki Campana
Jun 17
Purple Emperor
1
Bookham Common
TQ123567
Colin Kemp
Once again, note the black antennae
Jun 15
Essex Skipper
5
Molesey Reservoirs
TQ121685
Mick Rock
Jun 12
Silver-washed Fritillary
1
Epsom Common
TQ185607
Sally Ewen
Adrian Clark
Jun 10
Hummingbird Hawkmoth
1
Epsom
TQ211605
Nicola Sainsbury,
Adrian Clark
Jun 8
Ringlet
1
Sidney Wood
TQ018336
Tom Parker
Colin Kemp
Jun 8
White Admiral
2
Bookham Common
TQ125566
Colin Kemp
Jun 7
White Admiral
1
Ashtead Common
TQ188597
Gareth Tilley
Jun 7
White-letter Hairstreak
1
Tooting Graveney Common
TQ288715
Alan Wilkinson
Jun 4
Black Hairstreak
1
Nonsuch Park
TQ229638
Phil Kirk
Jun 4
Silver-studded Blue
1
Fairmile Common
TQ116617
David Miller
Jun 2
Small Skipper
1
Chipstead
TQ263572
Brian Gardner
Jun 2
Marbled White
1
Molesey Reservoirs
TQ124685
Chris Cutcliffe
May 28
Black Hairstreak
1
Epsom Common
TQ189603
Gareth Tilley
May 24
Meadow Brown
1
Hutchinson’s Bank
TQ384613
Martin Wills
May 22
Dark Green Fritillary
1
Blatchford Down
TQ103487
Cathy Mead
May 22
Narrow-bordered
Bee Hawk-moth
1
Hutchinson's Bank
TQ384613
Kate Pickering
May 21
Marsh Fritillary
1
Hutchinson's Bank
TQ384613
Martin Wills
May 18
Large Skipper
1
Hill Park, Tatsfield
TQ421560
Ruth Yeeles
May 17
Dingy Skipper
1
Holmethorpe SP
TQ302513
Gordon Hay
May 16
Painted Lady
2
South Godstone
TQ354468
Richard Stephens
Also at Winkworth Arboretum etc: immigration gaining momentum, including Red Admirals
May 14
Glanville Fritillary
1
Hutchinson's Bank
TQ384613
Miguel Santos
May 6
Green Hairstreak
1
Mitcham Common
TQ2885674
Richard Thomas
May 5
Brown Argus
1
Hawks Hill
TQ161554
Helen Middlemas
May 4
Adonis Blue
3
TQ137499
Denbies Hillside
Colin Kemp
May 2
Grizzled Skipper
1
TQ238618
Howell Hill
Ray Smith
May 2
Dingy Skipper
1
SU870480
Tice's Wood
Paul & Gillian Bamford
Apr 30
Small Blue
1
Denbies Hillside
TQ137499
Colin Kemp
Apr 30
Large Tortoiseshell
1
Headley (private site)
TQ1953
Gary Margetts
Apr 25
Wood White
4
Chiddingfold
SU986337
Francis Kelly
Apr 24
Common Blue
1
Buckland Hills
TQ228524
Helen Middlemas
Apr 24
Common Blue
1
George Hill
TQ260635
Paul Tiller
Apr 24
Small Blue
1
Chapel Bank
TQ386607
Martin Wills
Apr 21
Small Copper
1
Quarry Hangars
TQ320537
Brian Smith
Apr 18
Painted Lady
1
Molesey Reservoirs
TQ124686
Mick Rock
Apr 18
Small Heath
1
Oxted Downs
TQ385544
Richard Stephens
Louise Kahan
Apr 15
Duke of Burgundy
1
Chapel Bank
TQ386607
Loise Kahan, Malcolm Kerley
Apr 12
Dingy Skipper
1
Denbies Hillside
TQ138501
Colin Kemp
Apr 11
Large White
1
Sanderstead
TQ336620
John Birkett
Apr 11
Green Hairstreak
2
Headley Warren
TQ186535
Gary Margetts
Apr 11
Dingy Skipper
1
Putney Heath
TQ232731
Jennifer Mason
David Miller
Apr 10
Grizzled Skipper
1
Denbies Hillside
TQ133498
David Miller
David Miller
Apr 10
Green Hairstreak
2
Denbies Hillside
TQ138501
David Miller
Long days of sunshine in the week beginning 20th March with correspondingly warm temperatures brought increasing sightings of Speckled Wood, Holly Blue, Small White and Orange-tip to complement the Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Comma and Red Admiral frequently seen
Mar 26
Green-veined White
1
Godstone
TQ350525
Gordon Hay
Mar 23
Orange-tip
1
Godstone
TQ349524
Gordon Hay
Mar 22
Green-veined White
1
New Addington
TQ378641
Rachel Johnston
Mar 22
Orange-tip
1
Goldsworth Park
SU978593
Neil Bew
Mar 19
Holly Blue
1
Putney Heath
TQ229731
Les Hill, Angela Evans
Mar 18
Small White
1
Battersea Park
TQ285774
Simon Saville
Mar 18
Small White
1
Smallbrook
SU897397
Bryony Chapman
Mar 18
Small White
1
Tooting Common
TQ291723
Alan Wilkinson
Mar 15
Speckled Wood
1
Burgess Park
TQ333799
Simon Saville
With temperatures reaching the low teens on 10th March, there were sightings of Red Admiral, Peacock, Brimstone, Comma and Small Tortoiseshell across the whole of the Surrey and South West London area
Mar 3
Small Tortoiseshell
1
Mitcham Common
TQ286680
Richard Thomas
February saw widespread sightings of Red Admirals in between the storms: Painshill and Winterfold (1st), North Holmwood (2nd), Haslemere, West Ewell and Tooting Bec (5th), Lingfield (7th), Winkworth (9th), Chiddingfold and Morden (11th), Houndown, Bookham and Wimbledon Common (25th), Wisley, Lightwater and Bookham (27th).
Peacocks were again seen at Godalming (11th), BWC Lingfield (17th), and Worplesdon (22nd) and there were further appearances of Brimstone at Selsdon Wood (7th), Coulsdon (23rd) and Sutton (27th). For detailed records, please refer to iRecord.
Feb 1
Brimstone
1
Belmont
TQ256520
Martin Wills
Feb 1
Peacock
1
Godstone
TQ349515
Gordon Hay
Red Admirals continued to be seen on warmer sunny days during January, for example: Hindhead and Sanderstead (14th), Windlesham (20th), Esher and London SE1 (29th); Peacocks were also noted at Juniper Hall and Ashtead (29th), Burgh Heath and Tadworth (30th), and Ash Vale (31st).
Jan 14
Red Admiral
1
South Croydon
TQ338626
Clare Seymour
Jan 13
Peacock
1
Tatsfield
TQ423559
Jim Yeeles
Jan 13
Red Admiral
1
Hatchlands
TQ067520
Sally Hooper
Jan 13
Red Admiral
1
Croham Hurst, Croydon
TQ337631
Stephan Morris
Jan 9
Comma
1
Farnham
SU834485
Cheryl Turkington
Jan 7
Brimstone
1
British Wildlife Centre, Lingfield
TQ365433
Stephan Morris
The record warmth of the last days of December continued into 2022
