Can you spare 15 minutes? Butterfly Conservation’s annual Big Butterfly Count takes place from 20 July until 12 August. They are asking people to find a sunny spot and spend 15 minutes there looking for butterflies and moths. A Big Ask, I know. This could be your garden, a local park, an allotment or the school grounds. Up to you. Of course, you can do it more than once, if you like. This is a good way of introducing children to local wildlife.
Likely observations for the Big Butterfly Count would include:
Pieridae: Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Brimstone.
Satyrinae: Marbled White, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Speckled Wood.
Lycaenidae: Small Copper, Common Blue, Holly Blue.
Nymphalidae: Comma, Painted Lady, Small Tortoisehell, Red Admiral, Peacock.
Moths: Silver Y moth, six-spot Burnet.
Of course, you may see other creatures too. Go to www.bigbutterflycount.org to download a chart with pictures.
Cheers, Ben Barker, BS3 widlife group.