A waiting game for this year’s broods

Now that we’ve had some decent weather, the last couple of days, several butterflies have woken up from their winter slumber and the question now remains when the newly emerged butterflies, from this year, will appear? Typically the first to emerge are the Whites such as the Large White, Small White, Green-veined White and the Orange tip. The Small White or Green-veined White are usually the first to be reported with the Large White slightly later. This is not always the case, however, and occasionally others such as the Orange tip have been spotted first.

As we enter April up to 17 species of butterfly can be seen throughout the UK although quite what you see varies from region to region. In Wharfedale, as the Bilberry comes into leaf, Green Hairstreaks emerge, sometimes as early as the 12th of April. There are one or two good sites along the moorside between Burley in Wharfedale and Ilkley. The Otley Chevin is another of their favourites. So that’s something to look forward to in the next couple of months.