There is growing acknowledgement of the importance of biodiversity in the wider countryside. Butterfly populations are an excellent way to monitor the health of an environment.

UK butterfly monitoring currently focuses on nature reserves and butterfly-rich places. This has led to a lack of monitoring in vast areas of the wider countryside. These areas include farmland, plantation woodland, uplands and urban green spaces


Purple Hairstreak (female/upperwing) - Bob Eade
Purple Hairstreak

Do you enjoy being out and about during the warm summer months watching butterflies?

Would you like to learn or develop further your identification skills of these beautiful creatures?

Are you interested in citizen science, being part of a valuable and highly respected scientific survey?

If you answered 'Yes' to any or all of these questions then contact David Prince for further information below and "get surveying, get involved"!!!

Below is a video of a butterfly transect in Scotland

WHAT

Monitors butterfly abundance in the wider countryside away from hot-spots.
The scheme is run in partnership with the British Trust for Ornithology.

WHERE

There are 79 random 1km squares allocated to Norfolk

WHEN

Twice in July and August with at least 10 days between visits.

Two extra visits in May and June (these are optional)

HOW

Walk the fixed transect, 10.45-15.45 in good weather.
Submit records online HERE
Full details: WCBS website

Legend


Monitored - Green markers are allocated 

Vacant - Yellow Walked but not for the past few years

Old - Red markers Not Walked for several years

New - Blue markers are fresh available routes not walked before

 

 

 

Peacock, Exeter, 12.4.19 (Richard Fox)
Swallowtail (upperwing) - Pete Withers
Speckled Wood (upperwing) - Bob Eade