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Butterfly Blog

Numbers dipping

11/6/2025

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Transect 10 brought a sharp drop in butterfly numbers – a reminder that nature doesn’t always follow a smooth curve. With skies turning overcast and winds picking up, conditions weren’t ideal. We may also be entering the well-known ‘June Dip’, a seasonal lull when spring butterflies fade and summer species are still on the rise.
But it wasn’t all doom and gloom. Despite lower overall numbers, we recorded 17 different species –our highest species diversity since July 2020. Even better, several first appearances of the year brightened the count: Large Skippers, Large Whites, Marbled Whites, and both Small and Essex Skippers made their seasonal debut.
So while the numbers took a dip, the variety hints at exciting things to come. We’re now on the cusp of the main summer emergence, when butterfly activity traditionally soars – so keep your cameras ready and your eyes sharp!
Count details:
32 Meadow Brown
11 Small Heath
10 Common Blue
  9 Marbled White
  4 Small Blue
  3 Dark Green Fritillary
  3 Dingy Skipper
  2 Brimstone
  2 Green Hairstreak
  2 Grizzled Skipper
  2 Large Skipper
  2 Small/Essex Skipper
  1 Holly Blue
  1 Large White
  1 Painted Lady
  1 Red Admiral
  1 Small Tortoiseshell
Total: 87 butterflies from 17 species.
For more info on these species visit
​ 
butterfly-conservation.org

Active this week

Marbled White (Melanargia galathea) – a strikingly patterned beauty of summer meadows.
  • Despite its appearance, the Marbled White is actually part of the brown butterfly family, not the whites.
  • It prefers unimproved grasslands and thrives in areas rich in wildflowers and tall grasses like red fescue.
  • The caterpillars hatch in late summer but don’t feed right away – they enter hibernation almost immediately, only beginning to eat the following spring.
Picture
Marbled White feeding - Brian Gardner
Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris) – a tiny burst of orange with big energy.
  • Often mistaken for a moth, this butterfly rests with its forewings angled upwards, giving it a distinctive, jet-plane posture.
  • Males can be identified by a bold black line across the forewing – called a sex brand – used to release pheromones and attract females.
  • Its caterpillars feed on Yorkshire Fog grass, and cleverly spin a cocoon on to the grass blades as a shelter from predators.
Picture
Small Skipper, Fames Rough - Graham Kenward
Picture
One of the threesome currently grazing on Coneyboro Hill.
Survey by Brian G, Graham Harris, Liz North and Graham K submitted to Butterfly Conservation (UKBMS). ​Report by GK & AI.
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    The Transect Team

    Here you'll find details and pictures from the team carrying out our regular  butterfly surveys (known as transects) over 26 weeks during Spring and Summer.

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  • Home
  • About Us
  • The area we cover
  • Featured creatures
  • Our Butterflies
    • Butterfly Blog
  • Bird Count
  • Toolkit
  • Photo Calendar
  • Countryside Videos
  • CONTACT/MORE INFO
  • Grassland Survey
  • SAFE WORKING