Woodland butterflies

Speckled wood butterfly

Speckled wood butterfly - Vicky Nall

Where to see woodland butterflies

Woodland butterflies

Look to the skies for canopy-dwelling butterflies like the hairstreaks, scanning the treetops for the chance to spot them in flight. Bramble patches or sunny glades are a good place to spot speckled woods: one of the few butterflies expanding their range.

Some searching may be needed for these specialists, but the reward makes the effort worthwhile.

Find butterflies in a woodland near you

A visit to any of our woodland nature reserves will provide an opportunity to see butterflies.

What to look out for

Sunny glades, rides and woodland edges are some of the best places to look for a variety of species. Bringing along your binoculars is a good idea; whilst locating the larval foodplant of specialist butterflies can make searching that bit easier. 

If you can't get to these places

If you can't get to our woodland nature reserves, why not chase butterflies vicariously - read Patrick Barkham’s ‘The Butterfly Isles: A Summer In Search Of Our Emperors And Admirals’.

More wildlife experiences

From seeing colourful wildflowers to spotting magnificent birds of prey, we can help you get closer to wildlife across North Wales.