Butterfly Survey - anyone joining in?

[Kiki-frog]

Is anyone doing the Butterfly Conservation survey this year?

http://www.bigbutterflycount.org/

I did it last year - a great excuse to sit out in the sunshine with a glass of wine! But I can't help thinking that the numbers will be significantly down this year with the appalling weather.

[tenrec]

I've only seen a handful of butterflies this year.

[Kiki-frog]

Yes, I saw quite a few in the spring, but now you mention it, tenrec, I don't think I've seen any at all since May. Not that I've been in the garden much as it always seems to be tipping it down with rain!

[tenrec]

I saw a tortoiseshell yesterday for the first time in ages.

[johnk]

Not seen this, I'll give it a go

[Robinia]

I haven't seen any since the spring either but my pink buddleia's just come into flower and they (and the moths) particularly like that one.

[starone]

I can't say I have seen any at all this year kiki. I saw some bees of some sort buzzing round a clump of daisy type flowers. Must be about somewhere because the blackberry bushes have flowered and now have green berries on them and the apple trees have blossomed and now have small apples and we need them - bees and butterflies - to pollinate. Think I shall have a look at your link. It might be an interesting thing for me to do.

[starone]

Down-loaded it and printed a copy. Now all I need is a nice sunny day.

[Frank97]

I had a go last year, not very successfully, I found it difficult to tell weather the one I was looking at on one side of the garden was the same one I'd just seen on the other side or not.

[Kiki-frog]

LOL, Star, a sunny day. That could possibly pose a problem.

But seriously, it is a bit worrying that so few people have seen any butterflies recently. We have a lot of butterfly- and bee-friendly plants, but the insects are just not around. It'll be interesting (but possibly a bit depressing) what the survey shows.

[bensmum]

I've seen very few this year - it's been so wet most of the time that numbers are bound to be down but I'll take part anyway.