Scottish Borders garden butterflies 2024

We are lucky enough to live in 17 acres of woodland which we have been managing to improve for butterflies and other wildlife. I am developing a wild flower meadow, planted an area of native broadleaves that produce flowers and berries, put in hedges, taken out loads of invasive Rhododendron and planted up various areas with Rockrose and other wild flowers. Our triangle of land is quite a wildlife haven, which in itself causes more challenges. Everything needs to eat, either other creatures or precious plants that I have been nurturing!

It has generally been accepted that 2024 was a lousy year for butterflies in the UK. The Big Butterfly Count confirmed low numbers for most species with record-breaking reductions from 2023 for many species. I have yet to receive all of the record for East Lothian, but my own experience at home here in the Scottish Borders concurs with the national picture.

Although this is only the fifth year that we have been living here I had noticed a pattern developing and numbers of butterflies had been increasing year on year. I can't be sure why that was, but I would like to think it was partially because of the work I have done to manage the habitats here.

In previous years the first butterfly to appear has been the Small Tortoiseshell, which would venture out on a mild spring day to feed on whatever it could find flowering that early in the year. This year, however, I didn’t see any until August and I only saw a total of four all year. I didn’t find any caterpillars either this year, which is unusual. Often I find big clusters of caterpillars on nettles.

Peacocks and Commas are the other two butterflies that over-winter here. At least they both made an appearance this spring, but in surprisingly low numbers. This was particularly disappointing for Commas after I had such a bumper year for them last year. Towards the end of last summer I had been finding caterpillars and chrysalises everywhere, so I expected them to do well. However, this year I only recorded 26 compared to 122 last year.

Despite a poor spring showing the later summer generation of Peacocks did a lot better. The number I saw was only a little lower than average, which is encouraging. Again, I didn’t find any caterpillars, which is unusual.

Orange Tips had a fantastic year here. I recorded 101 of them this year, which is way up on the previous best number of 62. I also saw an unusually high proportion of female Orange Tips.

Despite finding so many caterpillars and chrysalises last year, the number of Small Whites this spring was lower than expected. I did see them throughout the year, though, and ended up seeing 26. This seems a low number compared with the 90s I have seen in previous years, but their numbers do seem to fluctuate considerably from year to year.

I saw seven Large Whites this year, which is about average for this species.

Although I had the impression that there were not many Green-veined Whites around this year, my records show that numbers were only slightly down on previous years. They were more numerous in the spring and the summer generation wasn't so good.

Red Admirals had the worst year by far here. I only recorded 38 in total compared to last year's 474!

Ringlets were here in about average numbers. Not as good as the previous two years, but better than the numbers I had seen before then. There is more suitable ground for them now that we have taken down a large area of Spruce woodland, which has now grassed over and thinned out the trees elsewhere. With the additional habitat it is a bit disappointing that the numbers weren't higher. Certainly higher up the valley where I often walk numbers were well down on previous years.

Last year was really good here for Meadow Browns. This year their numbers dropped back to what I had previously seen here. This was disappointing, as I had thought that Meadow Browns  were appreciating the new areas of grassland. However, numbers up the valley were also considerably down on previous years.

The first Speckled Wood I saw here this year was on 2nd July. Having seen them for the first time here last year I was delighted to see them return, although I had been hoping to see some in the spring indicating that they had bred here. I continued to see them for the rest of the year and ended up seeing 18 - 4 more than last year!

Small Skippers had the worst year since I first saw them here in 2021. They had been increasing in numbers since then, so it was disappointing that I only saw seven here this year. Similarly, in the valley above the house the numbers were lower than normal.

I often chance across a butterfly and think to myself if I had been there five minutes before, or five minutes after I would have missed it. I suppose, though, that there will be hundreds of butterflies I miss because I am not in the right place at the right time. So, this year's lucky spots included one Large Skipper in my meadow. I don't know why I only saw one, as there were a lot in the valley above our house.

As I do most years, I just saw one Small Heath in our meadow. It isn't best suited for these butterflies, so it is odd that most years I see one, just one!!

This year, again, I was delighted to see a Scotch Argus. I just happened to go out to check the Buddleia on a sunny afternoon and spotted a small, dark butterfly. I am still intrigued why I have seen one five out of the last six years here. I am sure there must be a colony close by, which I am yet to find.

Last year I saw my first Wall Brown here in the meadow. This year, I was sitting having lunch outside when a Wall Brown landed on some Marjoram in our patio. They have been slowly working their way in this direction over the last few years.

Disappointingly I only saw one Small Copper here this year. I don't understand why I don't see more as there are plenty of sorrel and dockens growing here for their caterpillars to feed on.

Sadly I didn't see any Northern Brown Argus, Dark Green Fritillaries, Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries, or Painted Ladies here this year. I saw the first three species in the valley above the house, but in much smaller numbers than normal. This is the second year in a row that I haven't seen a Painted Lady anywhere in the UK!

It is difficult to know exactly why butterfly numbers were so low this year. I am sure it is a combination of factors. There has been much in the news recently about herbicides and loss of habitat impacting on insect populations. I am sure this is true, but I can't see that would explain this year's sudden reduction in butterfly numbers. Last year was really dry throughout spring and summer and I am sure this must have resulted in a reduction of food plants for caterpillars. I noticed how the wild flowers I had planted struggled. Then from September last year more or less until September this year we had so much rain. A damp winter and then limited sunshine later in the year must have had an impact.

It will be really interesting to see what next year brings. I really hope that butterfly numbers bounce back

Three year garden butterflies

It has been almost three years since we moved to our house in the Scottish Borders. We have actually owned the house since 2016, but only popped down at weekends while we were having building work done. We finally moved in two days before lockdown for the Covid pandemic, which means I have been mostly working from home, allowing me pop out at lunchtime to look for butterflies.

I have a set lunchtime dog walk, past all the best butterfly spots and around a little path through my meadow and each day I walk the route I keep a note of the butterflies I have seen.

I have just had a look at all of my sightings over the last three years to see if there are any increases in butterfly numbers, which may be a result of the work I have done to try to enhance the place for butterflies.

I have seen 19 different species of butterflies here, which I am very pleased about. The numbers of some of the more common species seem to fluctuate quite a bit, so don't really show anything. Each year I have seen good numbers of Orange Tips and 2022 was a particularly good year for Green-veined Whites. Small White had a really poor year in 2020, a great year in 2021 and an average year last year! Large Whites tend to be seen in much smaller numbers than the other whites, but they had a particularly good year in 2021. I am expecting to see a good number this year, as I planted nasturtiums last year and the house is currently covered in Large White chrysalises!

Ringlet and Meadow Brown numbers have increased year on year. Possibly these grassland species are benefiting from the management of the meadow area and I have seen them in the area that had been a spruce plantation, so they are certainly benefiting from the grass that is growing amongst the young broad leaves there.

The other grassland species, the Small Heath, hasn't done so well. Each year I have only seen one or two  here. It seems strange, as they are really common in the valley above the house and I would have thought the habitats here are perfect for them.

The number of Small Tortoiseshells has gone up and down. 2021 was particularly good, but numbers dropped back down last year. I think the cool and cloudy spring didn't help them this year. In the past I have found several groups of caterpillars on nettles, but I didn't find any this spring.

However, the Peacock, which has a similar life cycle to the Small Tortoiseshell did really well in both 2021 and 2022. I did find a couple of groups of caterpillars, so they were possibly more successful breeding. In 2019 I recorded 48 Peacocks, in 2020 99 Peacocks, 2021 I saw 196 and last year I recorded 192 Peacocks. Maybe the numbers reflect how my Buddleia bushes have grown over the last four years.

Red Admirals have been remarkably consistent and I have seen almost the same number each of the last three years. In late summer the Buddleia bushes are covered with them and they remain here long after the first frosts.

Commas are not considered a common butterfly in Southern Scotland, but their numbers have increased year on year here. Since 2018 the numbers I have seen each year were 9, 20, 25, 38 and 58. It is lovely to see them doing so well and I hope their numbers continue to increase.

The number of Painted Ladies varies considerably, as it does all over the country. Last year was the best year I have seen here, with 11 sightings, but in 2021 I didn't see any at all.

In 2020 I was happy to see 13 Dark Green Fritillaries feeding on thistles in my meadow. I thought that my new cutting regime was really paying off, but in 2021 I only saw 3 and last year only 5, despite there being really good numbers on the hill above the house.

I was really excited in 2020 to see a Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary in the meadow. Unfortunately, I didn't see any here in 2021, but last year I saw another here for a few days. There are good numbers in the valley above our house and we have a lot of violets growing in our woodland, so I am hopeful I may continue to see them here in future years.

I am really pleased that the number of Small Coppers I have seen has increased over the last three years. In 2020 I only saw 1, in 2021 I saw 8 and last year I saw 17. I don't really understand why I don't see more as the place is covered in Common Sorrel and Dock Leaf. Maybe their numbers will continue to increase.

I saw one Large Skipper zipping around the meadow in 2020 and another in 2022. I have seen them in the valley above the house, but only one or two.

I didn't see any Small Skippers in 2020, but I was excited to see 7 in 2021 and 17 last year. I am hoping that they will like the way I am managing the meadow, but I am always a bit worried that I may be destroying their eggs when I cut the vegetation in the autumn. There are areas that I leave uncut in the hope that it will help.

I have been amazed that every year since 2019 I have seen a Scotch Argus on our land. A couple of years I have recorded 2, but I can't be sure they were different individuals. Strangely, we don't have any Purple Moor Grass here, but I have seen one egg laying on another species of grass. The other strange thing is that there are no records of any Scotch Argus anywhere near. I can only assume that there is a colony somewhere nearby that hasn't been recorded.

The other really exciting record has been Northern Brown Argus. I saw one in 2020 and another here in 2022. There is a good colony in the valley about 800 metres above the house, but I have always understood that Northern Brown Argus don't travel any distance. Even more exciting last year was that I found Northern Brown Argus eggs on the Rockrose that I have planted on a little bank near the house. I am really looking forward to seeing if I now have my own little colony here and I am already planning to extend the area of Rockrose.

There are two species of butterfly that I watched arrive and spread across East Lothian when we lived there. Speckled Woods arrived in 2010 and are now a really common site across the county. Wall Browns arrived in 2011 and they have also spread right along the coast and along river valleys and are now seen regularly. It has always seemed odd not having either species here, but being further from the coast, we have a shorter season, so they haven't made their way here yet. However, last year Speckled Woods were recorded about three miles from here and there was a Wall Brown seen in the village less than a mile from here. So, both species are spreading in this direction and I live in hope that I may see them later in 2023.

There has also been a lot of excitement here in the Borders with more and more sightings of White-letter Hairstreaks and Purple Hairstreaks, particularly in the east of the county. White-letter Hairstreaks are heading along the river valleys in this direction and there used to be a colony of Purple Hairstreaks just the other side of the valley from here. So, there is much to look forward to.

Scottish Borders Butterflies 2021

Due to Covid travel restrictions our planned holiday to Spain was cancelled for the second year in a row. I always look forward to a trip abroad and the opportunity to see different butterflies.  On previous trips to Spain I have managed to see about 40 species of butterflies, so for the second year in a row my tally was going to be particularly low.

I am lucky that we have some land where we have done much to encourage butterflies and just a few hundred metres above our house there is an amazing valley where there are a lot of interesting species. There are a few interesting species that occur a few miles away, so I decided this year to see how many species I could find in the Scottish Borders.

The year started off well with a couple of Small Tortoiseshells, Aglais urticae,  visiting the garden in March and in April Peacocks, Aglais io, and Commas, Polygonia c-album,  joined them. Despite the good start to the season the weather was cold and wet later in the spring and I didn't find any caterpillars of these species, which is unusual. However, they obviously did manage to breed as there were more adults later in the summer, but not in as good numbers as normal.

I am always pleased to see the first Orange Tip, Anthocharis cardamines, of the season, as to me they mark the start of the butterfly season. This year they did well here and were seen in good numbers.

Of the other three species of whites, the Green-veined White, Pieris napi, didn't do as well as normal for some reason. Unusually, it was outnumbered by the Small White, Pieris rapae. Large Whites, Pieris brassicae, are never really numerous, but they were a regular visitor.

In early  June I drove over to Burnmouth to look for Small Blues, Cupido mimimus. Although there was a cool breeze coming in off the sea I still saw quite a few, along with Small Heaths, Coenonympha pamphilus, Small Coppers, Lycaena phlaeas, and Wall Browns, Lasiommata megera.

Back home and a walk up the valley added Northern Brown Argus, Aricia artaxerxes, and Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Clossiana selene, to the count along with loads of Small Heaths, Ringlets, Aphantpopus hyperantus, and Meadow Browns, Maniola jurtina.

Red Admirals, Vanessa atalanta, arrived in June and in September their numbers picked up as the new generation appeared. I was amazed how long they remained here with the last one I saw being on the 25th October, long after the first frosts.

At the beginning of July I headed towards Treepwood where I had seen old records of Large Heaths, Coenonympha tullia. It was difficult to find a suitable location amongst the fields grazed by sheep, but eventually I managed to find a boggy area with Cotton Grass growing. After much stumbling about I was delighted to find one Large Heath. I am not sure if numbers would have been higher earlier or later in the year, but hopefully they are doing well there.

In another visit up the valley above the house that month there were a few Dark Green Fritillaries, Argynnis aglaja, and loads of Small Skippers, Thymelicus sylvestris. Amongst them I spotted one Large Skipper, Ochlodes sylvanus.

Towards the end of July I went to Kelso to look for White-letter Hairstreaks, Satyrium w-album. Iain Cowe, the Borders butterfly recorder, had previously shown me how to find eggs on Elm trees, so I headed to the same spot. Within a few minutes I spotted some butterflies high in the trees and a little later one kindly flew down and landed on a branch next to me.

I was planning on a visit to a valley a few miles away to see Scotch Argus, Erebia aethiops, but the weather at the weekends was disappointingly poor. However, one lunchtime when I was walking around my meadow, I spotted a dark butterfly which turned out to be a beautiful fresh Scotch Argus. Of course, I didn't have my camera with me and I couldn't find it once I had run back to the house to get it! However, six days later I spotted a quite faded Scotch Argus in the meadow. Unfortunately, I will never know if it was the same butterfly!

So, I managed to see 23 species of butterflies in the Scottish Borders this year. I don't think there are many more species that I could have seen. Green Hairstreak, if I had been in the right place, possibly Grayling somewhere on the coast and Painted Lady, had there been more around this year. I was very pleased to have seen a Large Heath and White-letter Hairstreak - two butterflies I have never seen before.