This has been a very strange year in so many ways! The coronavirus pandemic has turned our lives upside down, but through the heartbreaking news stories there have been glimmers of hope and joy. The lockdown period has seen more people than ever spending time in their gardens and nearby outdoor spaces appreciating nature. Spending time in nature has really helped people find mental peace and a distraction from these uncertain times. Noticing the finer detail on a regularly walked route, listening to birdsong and spotting previously unnoticed wild flowers and insects, can bring such pleasure. I have enjoyed hunting for Orange Tip larvae after spotting the butterfly laying eggs in a patch of garlic mustard in a lane close to my home, and keeping an eye on ‘my’ Cinnabar moths as they lay their eggs on the patches of groundsel I’ve left on my allotment.

The extraordinary weather we have enjoyed over the spring and early summer has not only made our time outdoors all the more enjoyable, but it has also contributed to the earliest emergences of butterflies that we have seen since we started recording first sightings in 2002. The fabulous weather provided them with excellent opportunities to fly, seek nectar, find a mate and breed, benefitting the early summer flying species. It’s difficult to know whether the early emergence and the long spell of warm and dry weather will be beneficial for butterflies overall, though, as some species may be impacted by droughting of their caterpillar’s foodplant, so the results of the Big Butterfly Count in July and August will be especially eagerly awaited!

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In 2019 our Big Butterfly Count data showed that some of our common wider countryside species had a bumper year, with high numbers of Peacock, Gate Keeper and Red Admiral, whilst the Painted Lady butterfly, a species which migrates to the UK from northern Africa, had it’s best year since 2009. It wasn’t good news for all species, though, with declines seen in the Large White, Small White and Green-veined White, as well as the Holly Blue butterfly.These species all experienced a bumper Big Butterfly Count in 2018, so it’s possible that for some of these species, the 2019 drop in sightings could be the result of increased predation by parasitic wasps, populations of which may have been boosted by the butterflies’ good fortunes the previous summer.

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Last year 113,500 people took part in the survey and recorded more than 1.6 million butterflies. This year we expect the count to be the best ever, with all the additional participation from all of these wonderful new nature champions keen to help us do something positive for nature conservation.

Please do get involved in the Big Butterfly Count – make your pledge today!

Jenny Plackett, South West Regional Officer @savebutterflies

Click here to find out more about the Big Butterfly Count and to make your pledge.

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