Tag: Butterfly Conservation

Could nature reap the benefits of people holidaying at home?

Could nature reap the benefits of people holidaying at home? New wave of citizen scientists join His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales in this year’s Big Butterfly Count

The Big Butterfly Count, the world’s biggest butterfly survey run by the wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation, is well underway and more people than ever before took part in the first five days with the average number of counts submitted over double that of 2019 at 9,132 per day.

The Big Butterfly Count, which asks people to simply spend 15 minutes in any outdoor space recording the butterflies they see, has seen its best initial response from the general public since the project began over 10 years ago.

Dr Zoë Randle, Senior Surveys Officer at the conservation charity said: “The Big Butterfly Count has fallen at a time this year when so many of us have spent more time living and working in our homes and exercising in our local areas than ever before.

“We’re taking note for the first time, of just how abundant the nature is around us and how important it is to our wellbeing. We’d love this new wave of nature-conscious people to continue to give a little something back to our environment which has been a comfort to us all through the last few months.

“After all the sunny spring weather recently we saw almost every butterfly species emerge earlier than ever before in April and May. This means that those butterflies such as the Large and Small Whites, which have two generations in one season, will now be on their second generation and that’s why there’s so many out there to spot right now, along with plenty of other beautiful species.”

However, the charity is also urging people to keep counting as the more data that the general public can submit the better.

Zoë continues: “Butterflies are key indicators of the health of our environment and as factors like changing weather patterns and other human activity affect our local habitats and ecosystems, we need to understand what this means for nature.

“By understanding our butterfly populations, we are taking the pulse of nature.

“There’s no limit to how much data we can collect and we’re urging everyone to get involved, not just from gardens and parks, but from your window boxes, in our city streets and on your camping staycation holiday!

“So why not continue to take part while you holiday in the UK and see how your counts compare to ones taken at home?”

Completely mobile and a great activity for children as well as adults, counts can be submitted from anywhere in the UK and as many times as you like in as many places as you like using the free Big Butterfly Count app or website Bigbutterflycount.org. The Count runs until 9 August.

His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales has already taken part in this year’s Big Butterfly Count, spotting Peacock, Holly Blue and Comma butterflies among others from his gardens at Highgrove and posting support for the Count on Twitter and Instagram.

Chris Packham, Vice-President of Butterfly Conservation said: “It’s really encouraging to see so many people recognising the importance of looking out for butterflies and our wider environment, but we need more counts so please do take part.

“The butterfly counts you make will truly contribute to science and help us understand how to conserve and protect our fantastic wildlife. My garden is brimming with butterflies this year, and once you’ve done one count, it’s hard to stop!”

This year the Big Butterfly Conservation is sponsored by B&Q as part of their sustainability programme as well as the DFN Foundation, a commissioning charity committed to influencing sustainable change in special needs education, supported employment, healthcare and conservation.

Spot a special species in Scotland this summer

The wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation (BC) is asking people in Scotland to keep an eye out for a small but brightly-coloured butterfly, the Small Copper. 

Small Copper populations have fallen by a third in Scotland over the past decade, and sightings from members of the public are important in helping researchers find out what’s happening to this beautiful butterfly.

Project Officer Anthony McCluskey said: ‘Small Coppers are delightful little butterflies, and their declines in Scotland are a great concern for us. Finding out more about where they are can help us to conserve them.

“Observing wildlife is known to have a wide range of mental health benefits. This can be a mindful activity during these uncertain times and one which will help contribute to scientific research too.’

The butterfly can be seen in gardens and parks, and also found along paths and cycle routes so it may be seen on daily exercise outings. The charity is urging people to respect Government advice on social distancing by only recording the butterfly if they happen to find it as they take their normal exercise, and not to travel anywhere to find it.

Small Coppers can often be seen basking in sheltered sunny places, especially where there is some bare ground. Their caterpillars feed on wild sorrels, which are the smaller relatives of the Docks that people use to relieve nettle stings.

With their wings open they are a little larger than a 50p coin, but they are easily overlooked as they are rarely seen in large numbers. The upper sides of the wings have distinctive bright orange and black markings.

Depending on the spring weather the butterfly can emerge in Scotland between the middle of April and middle of June, disappearing until late summer, when a second brood emerges. You can report your sighting of Small Coppers at www.butterfly-conservation.org/scottishsmallcopper.

This survey is being supported by Scottish Natural Heritage and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, through the Helping Hands for Butterflies Project.

Butterfly Conservation launches plea to public to help monitor butterflies

Leading wildlife charity, Butterfly Conservation, known for its sector-leading butterfly and moth population data going back over 50 years, has launched a plea to the public to help contribute to assessing the effects of climate change while it’s scientists and volunteers are unable to carry out monitoring of wildlife sites during the lockdown.

A vital indicator of the effects of climate change in the UK, butterfly phenology (the study of the timing of natural events) recording is going to be severely affected this spring due to the restrictions on movement to halt the spread of coronavirus. And the charity is calling for anyone at home with an outdoor space to help.

Richard Fox, Associate Director Recording and Research said: ‘studying the changing flight times and locations of butterfly species across the UK is vital to understanding the impacts of climate change on our native wildlife.

‘This spring we are going to have a gap in our phenology data as our scientists and volunteers are not able to carry out their usual monitoring at nature reserves and across the UK countryside.

‘So, we are asking the general public to please help us out. This is something you can do for science and climate change in your own back garden. We know that climate change is making butterflies emerge earlier in spring and some are spreading to new parts of the UK. We need you to tell us where and when you saw them.’

Two new studies by the University of York, in collaboration with Butterfly Conservation and other partners have shed some light on how butterflies and moths are responding to climate change, but there are still many unanswered questions and trends are continuing to change.

As the climate has warmed, butterflies have tended to fly earlier in the year and, in some cases, produce more generations each year, but it’s not yet clear how these changes will affect their fortunes in the long term. Recent research suggests that an earlier start benefits some species but is detrimental for others.

Richard continues: ‘Keep a look out in your garden for butterflies such as the Brimstone, Comma, Speckled Wood, Holly Blue and Orange-tip. We want your records, and to know when you saw them on the wing.

‘If you live in certain areas, particularly in northern England and in Scotland, we’re particularly interested in your observations as all of these butterflies are spreading northwards, colonising areas where they didn’t occur previously.

“The Comma, for example, has spread hundreds of miles northwards since the 1970s. Just this week we received a sighting from a garden in Fife which was the first Comma that the volunteer had seen there in 60 years.

‘Monitoring the changing distributions of butterflies is important to understanding the effects of climate change on our environment. We know that for some species climate change has helped to boost numbers, while for others it has had an adverse effect, but there’s still so much to learn.

‘You never know what you might see. There has even been a scattering of Painted Lady butterfly sightings across the country in the last week. This species is a migrant from warmer parts of Europe, which normally arrives at the end of May or early June.

‘We can’t gather data in our usual ways this spring, so we need the help of everyone who is at home, with a garden or outdoor space, during the lockdown period. Each recording is important for our work to conserve UK butterflies and we would love the public to get behind us.’

To submit a recording, simply go to 

www.butterfly-conservation.org/mysightings.

Find comfort in nature

Tackling anxiety and isolation at home with Butterfly Conservation

As we’re all being encouraged to spend more time in our homes and feeling the worry and anxiety of 24/7 news coverage of the global pandemic, Butterfly Conservation is suggesting a way to look after your mental health by spending time in your garden or outdoor spaces. 

For those who are able to get outside, and who now perhaps have more opportunity to do so than normal, gardens across the UK are waking up to spring and there are plenty of species of butterfly to look out for.

Richard Fox, Associate Director (Recording & Research) at Butterfly Conservation suggests a few top butterfly species to spot: “There are a surprising number of species of butterfly which are coming out of hibernation ready for spring. In just the last few days we have had recorded sightings of Brimstone, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell and Red Admiral all getting active as the weather is warming.

“The three common White butterflies (Large, Small and Green-veined) have also all been sighted already this year in the UK and before long it will be possible to see Orange Tips and Speckled Wood, both of which are early flying butterflies. We’ve not had any recorded sightings yet, but we’d love to receive one!

“The Holly Blue is the only blue butterfly that people are likely to see in their gardens in suburban or urban areas, which should be flying before too long. There are moths flying at night too, though they are a little harder to see in large numbers before the weather starts really warming up.”

Butterfly Conservation Chief Executive Julie Williams said: “While it’s crucial that we all stay safe and take steps to keep ourselves and others physically well at the moment, it’s also important that we take care of our mental health too.

“Anxiety, isolation and feeling stuck at home can have detrimental effects for our mental health and we’re encouraging anyone who can access an outdoor space to take a break in nature, while respecting the guidance on social distancing.

“There’s so much life waking up for Spring in our gardens and outdoor spaces and many of us might have a bit more opportunity to explore them than usual. It’s a proven fact that spending time in nature can have beneficial effects on your mental health.

“Take some mindful time to watch for our first Spring butterflies, record what you see and share it online. You could also plant some wildflower seeds now, ready for our summer pollinators.”

Stephen Buckley, Head of Information at Mind, the mental health charity, said: “We know being told to stay indoors and avoid others can be a very daunting prospect. There are a variety of things you can do to maintain wellbeing in these circumstances, one of which is engaging with nature and green space.

“For many of us, we don’t have access to our own green space in the form of a garden, so in this time of social distancing, we welcome Butterfly Conservation’s suggestion of taking time to watch for the first Spring butterflies. Even something as simple as going to a local public park or sitting by a window to watch butterflies can be beneficial to our mental health.”

If you’d like to take a break in nature, you can identify the butterflies in your garden on the Butterfly Conservation website.

We’d also love you to share your sightings on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. You can also contribute your sightings online to the Garden Butterfly Survey scheme which is run by the Butterfly Conservation.

Go outdoors and join the Big Butterfly Count

Chris Packham is urging wildlife lovers to take part in the world’s largest insect citizen science survey to help reveal if the UK is experiencing a once in a decade butterfly phenomenon.

Unusually high numbers of Painted Lady butterflies have been reported across Europe over the spring and early summer with large numbers now spotted crossing over into the UK. Continue reading Go outdoors and join the Big Butterfly Count