I book a trip to Norwich today. It was unseasonably warm and beautifully sunny- the first really lovely springtime day. Along the way I saw not one but 7 Brimstone butterflies! Brimstones have quite large, leaf-shaped wings and hibernate over winter. The males have bright lemon colored wings and the females greenish white-cream wings. Larvae feed on Buckthom and Alder Buckthorn. They always rest with their wings closed. They are widespread as Buckthorn is found on calcareous soils and Alder Buckthorn on moist acid soils. Therefore they are rated as being of “Least Concern" on the GB Red List (2022). From 1976-2019 they've become 22% more abundant but -3% less widely distributed. One possible origin for the word "butterfly" comes from the colour of the male brimstone butterfly.
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I blog about nature in the Norfolk countryside and about my wildlife garden. My blog blends digital photos with an analogue nature journal.
Nature journalling blends nature observation and citizen science with a written diariy or art journal to build a deeper connection with nature and cultivate curiosity, creativity and flow.