Latest News
19th May 2025
The first Silver-studded Blue of the season was spotted on 19th May 2025. This sighting is the earliest recorded on the reserve since purchase in 2006, and 11 days earlier than the previous earliest recorded sighting, and is far from normal. The trend has been for earlier sightings, but this is on a different level.
2024: A Unique Butterfly Year
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Prees Heath Common as an Educational Resource
New Benches and More. Click HERE to view.
Turf-stripping and Botanical Surveying on the Reserve
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Silver-studded Blue Butterfly Report 2023
Another Good Year for the Silver-studded Blue, and Recording Birds on the Reserve. Click HERE to view report.
9th August 2023 – A Day on Prees Heath Common
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Clouded Yellow
A Clouded Yellow butterfly was seen on the former WW2 airfield runway on the reserve on Tuesday 4th July 2023 during a guided walk, the first such sighting for several years. It can be distinguished from the Brimstone butterfly, which is also to be seen occasionally on the reserve at this time of the year, as in flight it shows both orange and yellow colours rather than just yellow as is the case with the Brimstone, and is a different size and shape.
It is a migrant species that flies here from continental Europe, with some specimens managing to survive our winters in southern England, so it is possible that the specimen we saw successfully survived the winter in this country. In some years they can arrive on our shores in large numbers, becoming known a Clouded Yellow Years.
Unfortunately I was not able to photograph it, but here is a photograph of a Clouded Yellow taken by Lucy Lewis of one we saw on the reserve on 6th August 2014.'
Gynandromorph Silver-studded Blue
Gynandromorph Silver-studded Blue
A gynandromorph Silver-studded Blue has been seen at Prees Heath earlier this month (June 2023). It was photographed by Roger Littleover and shows the upperside of one forewing is blue (signifying male) whilst the upperside of the other forewing is brown (signifying female). This is extremely rare and notable.
Silver-studded Blue
The first Silver-studded Blues of the season were seen on Monday 5th June 2023 and the following day about 100 were seen roosting in the evening, so we expect numbers to build soon. Please be aware when parking on the side of the track that it is essential that cars, lorries and, if needs be, emergency vehicles can access the two properties at the end of the track. And please do not park in front of the gates. Consideration for others costs nothing.
Prees Heath Common ReserveJune to September 2022
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