Big Butterfly Count.

Jack Straw · Jul 15, 2017

Anyone else doing this?
http://www.bigbutterflycount.org
You don't need to go out anywhere special. You could perhaps spend 15 minutes whilst looking out of your window in to your garden whilst eating your dinner? Waiting for someone in your car somewhere? Even reporting "none seen" is important information which helps to get a picture of the state of our butterfly nation. I played football this morning at Sussex University, whilst keeping half an eye on any butterflies and scoring two wonder-goals!! You can easily incorporate a "count" in to many activities without going out of your way, then send in your sightings or non-sightings. You can do as many counts as you fancy.

Rod Marsh · Jul 15, 2017

I quite often see them in my garden. Just usual white cabbage ones....that's what i've always known them as anyway!

Cheeky Monkey · Jul 15, 2017

Working the occasional night shift I'm more up on moth activity. Some stunningly beautiful moths out there.

Thunder Bolt · Jul 15, 2017

I saw a Red Admiral yesterday, resting near a begonia. I get Painted Ladies in the front garden.

seagull_special · Jul 15, 2017

Yep heading up to Herefordshire will be stalking the in laws garden regularly with my 4 yr old daughter.

Worried Man Blues · Jul 16, 2017

We get loads of painted ladies, very excited till I was told they are common over here, now see them every year. Saw a comma the other day, plus the usual butterfly suspects luckily there are still loads of wayside flowers over here.

jevs · Jul 16, 2017

Common blue, small copper and comma yesterday in the rockery among the other more common varieties.

The Clamp · Jul 16, 2017

As part of my job involves being out in the gardens I will certainly be doing this. Thanks.

Jack Straw · Jul 16, 2017

jevs said:
Common blue, small copper and comma yesterday in the rockery among the other more common varieties.

Is reporting them on the Big Butterfly Count web site on your "list"? :kiss:

jevs · Jul 16, 2017

Jack Straw said:
Is reporting them on the Big Butterfly Count web site on your "list"?

Very much so...all done. Have a look at my Rockery page mate and ID the butterfly for me...pretty sure it was a small copper

Giraffe · Jul 16, 2017

Did some of this today whilst out and about.

It strikes me there are a few flaws in this when compared to the similar RSPB bird count.

Firstly, weather matters. If the sun is out you are likely to see many more.

Identification - when the little buggers won't hold still its very difficult to identify the less obvious ones.

Thirdly - moths. Is it a moth or a butterfly. Hard to distinguish the difference.

But still a good thing to do. I've planted a lot of bee and butterfly friendly plants in our garden in the last year so hoping both will increase in the next few years.

Jack Straw · Jul 16, 2017

jevs said:
Very much so...all done. Have a look at my Rockery page mate and ID the butterfly for me...pretty sure it was a small copper

It most certainly is Stanley!

Thunder Bolt · Jul 16, 2017

Giraffe said:
Did some of this today whilst out and about.

It strikes me there are a few flaws in this when compared to the similar RSPB bird count.

Firstly, weather matters. If the sun is out you are likely to see many more.

Identification - when the little buggers won't hold still its very difficult to identify the less obvious ones.

Thirdly - moths. Is it a moth or a butterfly. Hard to distinguish the difference.

But still a good thing to do. I've planted a lot of bee and butterfly friendly plants in our garden in the last year so hoping both will increase in the next few years.

Thirdly, I was watching Springwatch a few weeks ago when they had an expert on. The public was asked to tweet questions. Mine was Is it right that a butterfly's wings are vertical when resting, & a moth's are flat?
They read out my question & the answer is generally, but it's not 100%.

AmexRuislip · Jul 16, 2017

Tried to do a count on my allotment today, but ended up with cabbage white butterflies and a couple of lesser stag beetles.

Raleigh Chopper · Jul 16, 2017

Just come back from a day at Buckland Abbey on Dartmoor.
A beautiful place in the middle of stunning Devon countryside.
We was given a peice of paper with pictures of about 20 butterflies to hopefully identify and how many of each species we see.
We set off on a middle distance walk of about 1.5 hours through the estate.
If you are going to see butterflies, this was surely the place, we even have some rare ones and some only found in the southwest.
But sadly this was not the case, we saw 2, and 1 was a cabbage white and the other flew off before we could identify it.
Pathetic!

West Hoathly Seagull · Jul 16, 2017

We had quite a few commas in the garden yesterday, as well as a peacock on the buddleia. That was a very encouraging sight, as we haven't seen them on it for years.

Binney on acid · Jul 16, 2017

Sadly it really is a big event to see anything but a cabbage white these days.

Jack Straw · Jul 16, 2017

Binney on acid said:
Sadly it really is a big event to see anything but a cabbage white these days.

There are plenty of really good places, especially in Sussex and Brighton has its hot-spots. In just a short while this afternoon at the Roedean Butterfly Bank, in the field immediately to the west of Roedean School, I reported 8 species of butterfly, and loads of Six-spot Burnet moths. A total of 82 in not much more than 15 minutes. This site is really worth a visit, and you can park virtually on it, for free.

Wardy's twin · Jul 16, 2017

I had a monarch butterfly in my garden last year in woodingdean. Reported it to the butterfly experts and they were very interested in the details and teh picture.

edna krabappel · Jul 16, 2017

Oooh. I shall get on this tomorrow.

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