Thursday 24th July 2025

There are between 50 and 60 species of resident butterflies in the UK, with a few more migrant species that can be seen when conditions are right.

I have seen most of the UK and Irish species, with a couple of exceptions, so the possibility of a new migrant which might become resident in Kent is tantalising.

Climate change, whether you believe in it or not, will change many things, and will help Mediterranean species liver at higher latitudes. And the Southern small white butterfly, has rapidly spread from there northwards, reaching Calais about five years ago.

And with it being 23 miles across the Channel, expectations that the species will be seen in Kent have been high.

Problem is, differences between the Southern small white and our native Small white as fairly small, so people could easily miss it.

As we live at the nearest point to mainland Europe, it seems logical to keep an eye out here, and so I have been chasing Small whites around the garden and neighbourhood for five years.

This week has seen a increase in numbers of small white butterflies, so the task is to photograph as many as possible in the hope that one might be a Southern.

So far, so good.

Thursday started out fine, but clouded over later and soon the rain began to fall.

Before then I had been in the garden, and seen many species: Red admiral, Painted lady, Large white, Wall, Common blue and some small whites.

The garden is all a hum with other insects too: bees, wasps, hoverflies and beetles too, as well as our old friend the Hummingbird hawkmoth.

One small white seemed yellower than others, I stalked it, snapped it, but the tiny butterfly refused to open its wings to show the tell-tale obvious difference, the concave forewing spot.

The afternoon brought cards at Jen's.

All played in good spirits with Jen winning Meld and Jools scooping the kitty in Queenie, meaning we went from nearly being out of pennies to a half-full tin.

I then took Jools into town so she could have an ECG, as a test at the surgery last week showed a possible issue. Nothing found, but I sat in the car near ASDA, watching the rain hammer down, and the car park turn into a very shallow pond.

No issues found, so back home for a quick supper, and me sitting down to watch the whole stage of Le Tour in the Alps, which lasted until it was dark.

Yes, dark now by half nine, earlier if cloudy and raining.