Since 2010 Butterfly Conservation has organised a yearly nationwide survey where people can spend 15 minutes counting the number of butterflies they see in their garden or other location and then submit their records. Last year 60,000 people participated submitting 62,500 counts of butterflies and day flying moths. It is now the world's largest butterfly survey.
Butterflies are excellent biodiversity indicators as they react rapidly to environmental change. Therefore declines in butterflies provide an early warning of potential losses in other species. The Big Butterfly Count also helps to identify trends in species allowing plans to be made to protect those in decline and it will also help scientists to understand the effects of climate change.
This year the survey runs from 20th July until 12th August and you can submit as many counts as you like.
I know many of you enjoy taking part in this count too and I look forward to discovering what others have seen.
I've done three counts so far - all in the garden.
Big Butterfly Count 1
Brimstone x 1
Small White x 2
Large White x 1
Holly Blue x 1
Gatekeeper x 2
Peacock x 1
Big Butterfly Count 2
Holly Blue x 1
Gatekeeper x 1
Speckled Wood x 2
Green-veined White x 1
Small White x 7
Large White x 2
Brimstone x 1
Big Butterfly Count 3
Speckled Wood x 2
(Sorry rubbish photo I couldn't get any closer without it flying off!)
Large White x 1
Small White x 3
Gatekeeper x 1
Holly Blue x 1
Worryingly, I have only seen one Peacock and no Red Admirals, Painted Ladies or Small Tortoiseshell.
Although not seen during the counts, we have had several sightings of Skippers
Small Skipper
Large Skipper
I was also thrilled just before one of the counts started to see a Small Copper in the garden. Sightings of this butterfly here are so unusual that I thought at first I it was a new garden "tick" but on my checking my records the last sighting was in 2006.
Garden Bees
Buff-tailed Bumble Bee
Common Carder
Bees on echninops
Garden Hoverflies
Golden Rod is flowering in the garden and Hoverflies just love this flower.
I need a better photo to be able to identify this species.
One of the Eristalis species possibly tenax.
Myathropa florea
Marmalade Hoverfly
Volucella zonaria
Flies
Tachina fera - thanks to Kevin for id help.
Greenbottle
Garden Moths - I haven't been trapping moths as often as usual this year so it was good to see a day flying moth on a buddleia in the garden.
Mother of Pearl
Hairy Shieldbug - I found this shieldbug amongst the washing. If my id is correct it would be a new species for the garden
Wooden Bee - This lovely little carved bee was a lovely surprise in the post from a friend who enjoys carving the most wonderful objects out of wood. Thank you Peter.
Butterfly Pin Badges
For a few years now I have been collecting beautiful limited edition butterfly pin badges designed and produced by Paul (many thanks to Paul). These are the two latest.
Weird Effect
When I was looking out of the bedroom window a few nights ago it looked as though the sky was floating above a neighbour's garden.
The effect was caused by the reflections of the eastern sky in the open window I was looking through. I am not sure if the photos bring out the effect that well but it was a strange experience!
D has started to grow vegetables again.
Green Peppers are doing well and
the tomato plant brought back from the Isle of Wight now has baby tomatoes on several trusses.
16 comments:
The butterfly count is a splendid idea. You are quite right to say that butterflies are early warners of environmental change. We don’t have such a day here, but it would be good to initiate one. I will talk to a few people I know who belong to organized Lepidoptera clubs and societies to see if they might be interested. Bioblitzes have become popular here when everything is tallied and I suppose in some ways the same result is accomplished. Great pictures too, by the way. A butterfly on a flowers beats a weathered gargoyle on a church any day in my book!!
David Gascoigne - Thank you. The Citizen Science projects many wildlife organisations arrange are a brilliant way to gather information and interest the general public in wildlife. You must let me know if you arrange an event in your country - great idea and good luck :) Bioblitzes have become very popular over here too in the last few years - especially good when organisations share findings.
You can't beat a photo of a wildlife species although I do have a fondness too for old buildings :)
If I were to do a garden butterfly count there would only be one species this year - Cabbage White.
There were more Small Tortoiseshell and Red Admirals about in the Spring. I think 'the Beast from the East' came at a bad time in the breeding season and wiped out many.
Down the lane end I have seen quite a few blue and brown flutters but none have stayed in one place to identify.
Midmarsh John - Thank you. It will be interesting to see when the results are published the effect weather has had this year on butterflies.
I tried to do a count when out Saturday but had trouble identifying the blues and whites - too many of them flitting about and not staying in one place to get positive id.
Some good butterfly counts, I've only seen two Red Admirals all year so far! Lucky to get the Holly Blue photo, they are constantly on the move in my garden.
Aren't Peter's carvings wonderful, he's very talented!
The effect of the sky is definitely weird!
Pam - Thank you. I was lucky with the holly blue - they never stop still usually here either!
I take it you have seen Peter's work on Twitter? As you say he is so talented and I have bought a few of his pieces and they are much loved :). His wife does some lovely paintings too. At times I wish I was creative!!
You saw quite a few different butterflies during your counts. We've had mostly whites in the garden with a few small browns flitting by and not staying long enough to let us see what they are. I did see a little blue butterfly at the lavender farm on Friday but my photo of it was awful as I tried to take it quickly before it moved on. The reflection in your window is very unusual and the carved bee is lovely:)
Rosie - Thank you. Butterflies can be very elusive when you try and get a photo! We saw loads of "blues" last Saturday and I took dozens of photos and only a few weren't blurred and even they were pretty poor!
Yes I follow him on twitter I think after I saw you retweet something of his. I've seen his wife's paintings too, they are lovely!
Pam - He and his wife are both very talented - he only took up wood carving after retiring, or so I understand, and raises funds for a charity.
Hello again! I think I have now caught up on Bloglovin' though it has taken an absolute age to do so.
Butterflies have been few and far between here, I saw a male Brimstone and lots of white ones and a few dark brown ones but none of them have sat for me. I do manage to see a lot of my little Mint Moths feeding on the Budleija (which, this year, is the best and biggest I have ever seen it) but very little else. I have spotted a few other small moths but have been unable to identify them. I seem to be unable to use iSpot now, perhaps it has changed since I was last there.
Love your little lapel pins.
Toffeeapple - Hi there and thank you :) Sorry have been doing a lot of posts recently!!
Glad to hear your little Mint Moths are still around. Our Buddleias seems to be flowering profusely this year :)
A friend who also uses i-spot mentioned some time ago that that it had changed. I think you have to re-register - not 100% sure but I also think she mentioned all her old records had disappeared. I haven't tried to go on there for ages I must admit as I tend to find people on twitter are very helpful helping with id. A shame about i-spot being problematical though as it was useful at times. I will have to look into it.
A good butterfly count. I have seen several Red Admirals hereabouts, and a Fritillery (possibly Queen of Spain, but they fly so fast and don't stay still for long), one Blue (tonight), a couple of Tortoiseshells, the usual common ones like Speckled Woods, Gatekeepers, Whites, etc. Fewer large dragonflies about too, but myriads of Damselflies earlier in the year.
Bovey Belle - Thank you. I saw a Red Admiral again today in the garden and Holly Blues and Speckled Woods but the latter two always seem to do well here. What a shame about the Fritillary flying so fast! - so many times that has happened to me with butterflies! Not many dragonflies in the garden this year - just a few and again they dart about and never stop so impossible to id!
Great job and the photos are wonderful. I like the photos of the Hoverflies especially Volucella zonaria, stunning insect.
Not as many butterflies as you but did have Peacock's and one Admiral on the Buddleia in the front garden. Good garden tick the Hairy Shieldbug.
How nice of Peter to send you a carved bee, always think of you when I see anything with a bee on it. Have you gone out with your bee book looking for bees yet or just used it for reference so far ?
Veg looks good too.
Look forward to your next church visit, gargoyle on every photo :)
Amanda xx
Amanda - Thanks so much for your lovely comment. Hoverflies are hard to get pictures of so was lucky with some of them!
Just finished the new bee book - will make some notes! It is VERY useful - I need to concentrate on bumble bees before going further into the solitary bees!!! It was so kind of Peter :)
Promise you a church post very soon with lots of history and gargoygles as long as I don't get the cold going round the family!!
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