I used to think that the Meadow Brown was probably the most common butterfly in East Lothian. I had memories of seeing hundreds of them on grasslands on the coast, along field edges and up in the hills. However, over the last few years I haven't seen many at all. Possibly I have been out and about at the wrong time, or maybe my memory is letting me down.

I collect the butterfly records from the East Lothian Countryside Rangers and about 40 volunteers. At the end of the season I put together an annual round-up that I send to the volunteers to let them see how their records fit into the big picture. Below is an edited version.

In addition to the fabulous butterflies I saw this year on our property, I went on a few trips around the Borders to look for other species.
On 10th May I drove over to the Berwickshire Coast to look for Small Blue butterflies. These are such endearing wee butterflies that I feel it is well worth the drive over to see them.

The weather was fantastic here in 2025. After a very wet 2024 it was so lovely having dry and sunny weather. We didn't have the drought seen in England and we had just enough morning dew and occasional shower to keep the grass and wild flowers growing.
I record butterflies all the time when I am outside on our property, taking the dogs for a walk, or working in the woods and ...