Astronauts are not the only ones setting distance records. UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS) volunteers have collectively walked around 950,000 miles since 1976 – equivalent to roughly twice the distance to the Moon and back. In recent years, their annual survey effort is estimated at 120,000–160,000 miles, or about 140,000 miles per year, reflecting thousands of weekly transect walks carried out across the UK each butterfly season.
For our latest contribution to that remarkable total, on Walk 2 of our season LN and BG were joined by GK, making a welcome return to butterfly counting. Although the afternoon began warm with a brisk south-easterly wind, conditions soon deteriorated into cloud and a cold, unpleasant breeze. 
While the weather was still just about butterfly-friendly, we recorded 8 Peacocks (in Hither Field and Fames Rough), 7 Brimstones (all in Hither Field), and a single Comma (in Fames Rough). After leaving Fames Rough the temperature dropped further, and no additional butterflies were seen – bringing a modest but meaningful addition to the millions of steps that underpin this extraordinary long-term record.

Easter Monday provided ideal conditions for launching the new butterfly recording season, with GH, LN, and BG completing the first transect of the year in fine, mild weather. The walk covered all 12 sections of the standard route, with the south-facing slope of Fames Rough producing the majority of observations.
In total, 23 Peacocks were recorded, 16 of them on Fames Rough, along with 13 Brimstones, of which 9 were also seen there. Additional species included two Commas, two Holly Blues, two Orange Tips, and a single Speckled Wood.
Not a bad haul, making a strong start to the 2026 monitoring season, reflecting both favourable early-spring conditions and good species activity across the site. 
As in previous seasons, records from this and future walks will contribute to the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS), helping to build a long-term picture of national population trends and habitat health.

 
​One of the early flyers this year ...
 Orange Tip (Anthocharis cardamines)  pictured above – a springtime splash of colour with hidden talents.

• Only the males have the bright orange wingtips – females have mostly white upper wings and are often mistaken for other white butterflies.
• It’s one of the first butterflies to appear in spring, often seen darting through hedgerows and along woodland edges.
• In south-east England, the flight period is typically from early April to late June, with peak activity in May.
• Orange Tip caterpillars are cannibalistic and will sometimes eat their own kind to eliminate competition for food. 

GH and BG completed Transect 26, bringing this year’s butterfly season to a close under fine, warm skies. While the overall count was modest at 23 – an average score for week 26 – the transect still held plenty of interest. A lone Brown Hairstreak put in an appearance on Great Parsons Field, while most of the activity was centred on Fames Rough and Coneyboro Hill.
The butterflies seen up close looked remarkably fresh, suggesting newly emerged individuals: Common Blues, Brown Argus, Brimstones and Small Coppers all showed off their bright colours. We also recorded a late-season Peacock, the first since July.
But the real story of 2025 lies in the season as a whole. With persistently high summer temperatures, this became our busiest butterfly year since records began in 2016. We counted an astonishing 7,140 butterflies, comfortably surpassing the previous high of 5,763 in 2019. Average counts per transect jumped from 240 in 2019 to 275 in 2025, a leap mirrored in reports from across the UK, confirming 2025 as an exceptional butterfly year.
Highlights weren’t limited to big numbers. We had three rare sightings of Silver-spotted Skippers on Great Parsons Field, a species of national conservation interest. A UKBMS team, intrigued by the record, carried out a detailed survey and discovered 18 Silver-spotted Skipper eggs on sheep’s fescue grass, the larval food plant. Their verdict: the site is highly suitable for supporting a permanent colony.
And, in July, another first: two Purple Emperors soaring over Hill Wood Field – their debut appearance in nine years of transects.
From record-breaking counts to rare and regal encounters, 2025 will be remembered as one of our finest butterfly years.

​Count details:
​7 Common Blue
4 Brimstone
4 Meadow Brown
2 Brown Argus
2 Small Copper
1 Brown Hairstreak
1 Large White
1 Peacock
1 Speckled Wood

Count summary:
23 butterflies from 9 species.

For more info on these species visit butterfly-conservation.org
​​
​Click here for a spreadsheet
​detailing the counts of 2025 and previous transect seasons.

For the penultimate transect of the season, BG was once again flying solo. After days of heavy rain, blustery winds, and a dip in temperatures, the return of wall-to-wall sunshine tempted out the hardy survivors for one last show.
Overall numbers were noticeably down on last week’s 118, a reminder that the season is drawing to its natural close. But there was one curious twist: no fewer than eight Brimstones were recorded – well out of season. Normally these bright yellow butterflies are among the earliest to appear in spring and then vanish into summer dormancy before re-emerging the following year. Their unexpected appearance at this late stage may reflect this year’s unusual weather patterns or the resilience of a species finely tuned to the ebb and flow of seasonal change.

Count details:
​11 Meadow Brown
8 Brimstone
6 Common Blue
4 Small Copper
4 Small White
3 Large White
2 Brown Argus
2 Speckled Wood
1 Small Heath
Count Summary:
41 butterflies from 9 species.
​
For more info on these species visit
​​butterfly-conservation.org

LN and BG walked Transect 24 on a morning of shifting skies – a mix of warm sunshine and passing cloud. The overall species list remained much the same as in recent weeks, but the balance of numbers told a different story.
As expected for late summer, Meadow Browns, Large Whites, Small Whites, and Small Heaths are now gradually declining. However, the downturn was offset by a strong showing from second-brood species. Common Blues were out in good numbers, but the real stars were the Brown Argus and Small Copper, both enjoying an exceptionally strong season. Their late flush added to a count that might otherwise have shown the first clear signs of autumn.

Count details:
43 Meadow Brown
25 Common Blue
15 Brown Argus
15 Small Copper
  8 Small White
  5 Small Heath
  3 Speckled Wood
  2 Chalkhill Blue
  2 Large White
Count Summary:
118 butterflies from 9 species.
​​​For more info on these species visit
​​butterfly-conservation.org    

With the butterfly team short on numbers this week, BG took on the challenge of completing Transect 23 solo. The conditions were kind – warm early autumn sunshine lit the way – and although the overall count dipped slightly from last week’s figures, it still came in above average for the season.
The species list remained much the same, though with a few interesting changes: the Chalkhill Blues and the elusive Purple Hairstreak were absent, but in their place came a welcome addition to this week’s tally – a lone Speckled Wood.

Count details:
53 Meadow Brown
10 Small White
  9 Common Blue
  6 Small Copper
  5 Brown Argus
  3 Small Heath
  1 Speckled Wood
Count summary:
87 butterflies from 7 species.

​​For more info on these species visit
​​butterfly-conservation.org                                                                        

GH and BG set out early for Transect 22 in classic British summer conditions – a mix of sun and cloud, interrupted by a brief rain shower and accompanied by an almost constant strong south-westerly wind. Unsurprisingly, the blustery conditions held numbers down, leaving us with a lower-than-average late-season count. Even the usually reliable Meadow Browns were noticeably fewer than last week.
The day’s highlight, however, more than made up for the dip in numbers: our first Brown Hairstreak of the year, spotted and photographed beneath the oaks on Hill Wood Field. Moments later, a second individual may have zipped past us in the same section – a fleeting but tantalising possibility.
The Brown Hairstreak is always a special find. It is the last of our regular butterfly species to emerge each season, with adults often proving elusive because they spend much of their time high in the treetops. To find one low down is a rare treat – and a memorable reward for a windswept walk.

Count details:
​68 Meadow Brown
10 Common Blue
  5 Small White
  4 Small Heath
  4 Brown Argus
  3 Chalkhill Blue
  3 Small Copper
  1 Brown Hairstreak

​Count summary:
98 butterflies from 8 species.

​For more info on these species visit
​​butterfly-conservation.org

Butterfly numbers on this week’s walk were a little below the late-season average, reflecting the natural slowdown as summer draws on.
Despite the decline, Meadow Browns still dominated with 139 recorded. Interestingly, the usually modest Small Copper took second place with 14 individuals – an unusual and welcome rise for this fiery little butterfly. In third place were the hardy Small Heaths, holding on with 11 sightings.
Our hoped-for Silver-spotted Skippers were absent this time, after their exciting appearances on the past two transects. Fortunately, they had already shown themselves just days earlier, when UKBMS experts Bill Downey and Gail Jeffcoate joined us on Stagbury Field and successfully located their eggs – a promising sign for the future of this rare species on our patch.

Count details:
​139 Meadow Brown
  14 Small Copper
  11 Small Heath
  10 Common Blue
    8 Brown Argus
    8 Chalkhill Blue
    8 Large White
    5 Small White
    5 Speckled Wood
Count summary:
208 butterflies from 9 species.

​For more info on these species visit
​​butterfly-conservation.org

The weather for this week’s transect was kind to GH, LN and BG – warm sunshine with a refreshing breeze to take the edge off the heat. GH had seen several Brown Hairstreaks on his local butterfly transect and we were therefore on the lookout for them on our circuit too. Sadly, we didn’t see any BH this time around, but we were more than compensated by seeing two rare Silver-spotted Skippers on Stagbury Down, where we saw a single individual last week. We’re very much hoping that these late-season celebrities will, in the future, become established on our patch.

​Butterfly numbers this week were down on those of last week, so although the count of Meadow Browns and Common Blues were very similar, there were reductions in the Chalkhill Blues, Gatekeepers and Small Heaths, and no Purple Hairstreaks or Brown Argus. Even so, the discovery of those Silver-spotted Skippers ensured the transect was far from ordinary.

​Count details:
232 Meadow Brown
  45 Common Blue
  15 Small Heath
  14 Chalkhill Blue
    7 Small White
    6 Gatekeeper
    5 Small Copper
    4 Large White
    2 Holly Blue
    2 Silver-spotted Skipper
    2 Speckled Wood
Count summary:
334 butterflies from 11 species.
​
For more info on these species visit
​​butterfly-conservation.org