The Big Butterfly Count is over for another year. Organised by registered charity, Butterfly Conservation, and promoted by Sir David Attenborough, The Big Butterfly Count asks the public to take part in the world’s largest butterfly survey and in so doing, help reverse butterfly declines. Sir David Attenborough, President of Butterfly Conservation, Alan Titchmarsh MBE, Mike Dilger and Nick Baker, Vice Presidents of Butterfly Conservation and the actress Joanna Lumley OBE all support the project.
The Big Butterfly Count encourages people to spot and record common species of butterflies and day-flying moths during three weeks of high summer. This year it was between 15 July – 7 August. Please watch the video, published by Butterfly Conservation, to help you recognise the common species.
To help you put a name to the butterflies you see, you will need to download the chart. Different charts are available, depending on where you live. The chart for Scotland contains 17 species – England has 20 species (below). Click the chart to download your own.
To make it even easier, there is now an option to download a handy free app for iOS and Android to identify and record the butterflies you spot. Full instructions are available here (http://www.bigbutterflycount.org/about).
Climate change, the use of pesticides/herbicides and the disappearance of wild flower habitat and hedgerows are all contributing to declining numbers. The recent mild winters and wet summers means many species are coming out of hibernation too early and failing to thrive.
Just had a great wander in the Autumn sunshine around Graveny Pond. Still a few butterflies about