Butterfly Conservation is a registered charity dedicated to the conservation of butterflies and moths. You can find out more about the national organisation here.
The SxBC photo competition is back!
We're inviting photographers to submit their best Sussex butterfly photographs to our annual competition. Whether it's a rare species in flight or a perfect close-up of delicate wing patterns, we want to see it.
The results will be announced at the Members Day held on Sunday the 22nd November. For more information click here.
To see the 2025 winning entries click here.
Our branch is organising many butterfly walks in the summer across the county.
Our next events are:
22 Nov: Members Day 2026 - More details to come later.
Information on all our walks and other events can be viewed here.
Anyone can post photos of butterflies they have seen in Sussex. Recent sightings include:
04 Sep: Val and I walked east from Lancing Beach Green to Widewater and Shoreham. Windy but humid and occasionally slightly sunny. Before we reached Widewater we spotted one distant Clouded Yellow and one right by our path - it was a helice too. The sun went in and it dropped onto an ivy leaf becoming almost invisible. Otherwise, we saw just a couple of Small Whites.
04 Sep: My garden Clouded Yellow records are slowing down but they do keep coming, in dribs and drabs. My total for the year reached 30, on August 25th. I recorded another in August, and two more in September, which takes the total to 33 different Clouded Yellows, for this year. Just to remind everyone, 2-3 per year is an average annual count for my garden. I rather think this species has done well, in 2026. Today's weary individual nectared on Devilsbit Scabious, Field Scabious, Birdsfoot Trefoil, Lesser Hawkbit and Anise Hyssop. It got me thinking that one of the reasons this species is so successful is that it can extract nectar from a wide variety of plants. On an entirely un-related subject, I planted some Mouse-ear Hawkweed last year, and it did quite well in 2025. With the six heatwaves and months of drought it disappeared from view. I have never watered any of my wildflower meadows. Either the wildflowers can cope, or they can't. And anyway, as I have mentioned before, my garden is one big experiment as to what can cope with climate change, and what can't. With the recent rain in the past six days, they have all popped up again, and look very healthy. For those of you who have sandy soil in your garden; this is a survivor. It has a lovely lemon-yellow flowerhead, and is a worthwhile addition to any garden (thrives on chalk and sand; needs good drainage).
04 Sep: Did a walk in the Alfriston area today taking in the Cuckmere Valley, Alfriston Church and Greenway Bank. The cloud thinned enough for some weak sunshine and the butterflies poured forth! 11 species seen: Meadow Brown (20+), Small Heath (30+), Common Blue (20+), Small White (20+), Clouded Yellow (20+), Wall (10+), Speckled Wood (1), Brown Argus (1), Small Copper (1), Red Admiral (1) and Chalk Hill Blue (1 female). There was also a possible QoS on Greenway Bottom but frustratingly it didn't settle so I can't be sure. I need to return asap! A great day though, especially with the abundance of Clouded Yellow.
04 Sep: Nine species seen on the Horseshoe Plantation and Belle Toute butterfly transect this afternoon. Warm, but a bit cloudy and reasonably sheltered from the west wind. Species included two Walls, Small Heath, Small White, Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown, Small Copper, Clouded Yellow and plenty of Common Blue. A very tatty Chalk Hill Blue was seen right at the end of the transect . A total of 65 butterflies in all, definitely starting to tail off a bit....
04 Sep: A brighter day today has brought out a few butterflies. The constant dead-heading of the Buddleia means there are still plenty of fresh flower spikes for the bees, butterflies, and moths etc. I've also started dead-heading a long neglected Buddleia in the cemetery where I volunteer, and will check it for new flower spikes and hopefully butterflies next week.
04 Sep: The monthly highlights are a very useful reminder of the major records in recent weeks. They are worth a read. This facility was set up by Paul Shepherd, our website manager, and "Claude" is our AI assistant. Claude does make errors and my monthly task is to correct the more glaring errors. I try and keep this monthly check to less than 30 minutes and so I will allow the odd little error to creep in. For example, the Grayling paragraph fails to mention the single male Grayling that hitched a ride on JC's trouser leg. As the main message was the Grayling colony has failed this year, I left Claude to his spiel. Otherwise it all takes too long. Anyway, it's a wet morning, and so if you have nothing better to do (like work or hoovering) then do have a read!
03 Sep: Despite the lack of sunshine, a Blue made a brief visit to our back garden. So brief I didn't get a view of its top-side, but not a male Common Blue and I think it lacks the figure of 8 on the underside that Martin uses as a guide, so a female Common Blue rather than Brown Argus. I also disturbed a moth - a Turnip Moth, I think.
03 Sep: Had a walk in Brooklands between noon and 1 pm, not expecting to see anything as it was very overcast. It's looking in good shape shape for butterflies these days and I got lucky with a Small Copper at the start of my walk and a Small White at the end.
Click here for more sightings.
Photo by Graham Hubbard
New colonies of Wood White were recently discovered in West Sussex and our branch is planning to learn more about this rare butterfly.
We are organising a coordinated survey and are looking for volunteers. For more information on the Wood White Project in Sussex click here.
Photo by Graham Hubbard
Throughout the year we receive interesting sightings records. We have started an exercise to identify notable sightings and look for patterns during a month with a little help from an AI assistant.
To read more click here.
07 Aug: Annual Cotoneaster bashing on the Buckle by-pass (A259), Seaford
30 Jun: Martin Kalaher's Open Garden Sunday 12th July.
24 Jun: Scotney Castle - More opportunity to explore
27 Mar: Butterfly Recording Training at National Trust Woolbeding
22 Mar: 2026 walks now appear on the Events Page
28 Feb: Liz Williams Butterfly Haven work day
16 Jan: A summary of Sussex BC work parties in 2026
23 Oct: SxBC Members' Day - Saturday 22nd November 2025 1.30pm – 4.30pm. Latest Update
White Admiral, photo by Maurilio Tesa
Martin Kalaher has written a very interesting article titled 'Partial broods in 2025' to read the article click here.
Last month Martin published 'Second brood Dingy Skippers'. To read that article click here.
Photo from our 2025 competition.
Sussex is one of the best counties in the UK to see a wide range of interesting butterfly species.
More information on species can be viewed here.
There are many important sites for butterflies in our county.
Information on some of them can be viewed here.
The 2025 edition of our magazine has just landed! Members should receive a paper copy in mid November. A digital version can be viewed here.
Orange-tip by Gary Faulkner
The results of the 2025 SxBC photo competition were announced at the recent Members' Day.
To see the winning entries click here.
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