Transect 14 took place on the morning of Friday 3rd July in ideal butterfly spotting conditions – warm, sunny and with very little wind. It was a very busy session, and fortunately there were four of us (GH, LN, DJ and BG) to process the high number of sightings. 
The day’s total count was 779 butterflies (our 3rd highest ever count) from 22 species (exceeding last week’s record). The strong July sun brought out butterflies in good numbers across all 12 sections of the transect.
 We recorded a surge in the numbers of Meadow Browns and Small/Essex Skippers and a small increase in Marbled Whites. The Gatekeepers’ count also shot up from 1 last week to 57 this week. Purple Hairstreaks also increased from 2 a week ago to 30 – over the previous 10 years we had never reached double figures! On the minus side, the usually numerous  Common Blues are virtually absent so far this year. 
We hadn’t seen any Small Blues for 5 weeks but the sharp-eyed Duncan spotted one approaching and saw it land on Hither Field’s kidney vetch patch. It was a female and we witnessed her settle on the flower heads and lay eggs. That was nice to see and confirmation that this nationally scarce butterfly is continuing to breed on a site where years of habitat creation and kidney vetch planting are paying off.

Count details:
280 Meadow Brown
223 Marbled White
96 Small/Essex Skipper (inc. 17 Small and 4 Essex confirmed identifications)
57 Gatekeeper
30 Purple Hairstreak
20 Small Copper
8 Large Skipper
7 Silver-washed Fritillary
6 Dark Green Fritillary
6 Small Heath
6 Speckled Wood
5 Brimstone
5 Small White
4 Red Admiral
3 Large White
2 Peacock
1 Common Blue
1 Holly Blue
1 Painted Lady
1 Small Blue
Count summary:
779 butterflies from 22 species.
​

The high temperatures of the previous week had slackened off to a much more comfortably sunny 23 degrees, giving GH and BG a pleasant walk around on Monday morning. We’re now at the halfway point of the 26-week transect season and butterfly numbers are approaching their high-summer peak. 
This week’s count of 486 was the highest of this year and will probably be exceeded over the coming few weeks, depending on weather conditions.  It’s still the Marbled Whites and Meadow Browns plus a surge in the numbers of Ringlets that are responsible for the high count, but whereas at this time of year we normally record around 14 species, on this transect we counted an exceptional 18. Furthermore … new arrivals included the season’s first Purple Hairstreaks and a Gatekeeper. In short, our list of butterfly species showed a much wider range than normal.

Count details:
204 Marbled White
161 Meadow Brown
45 Ringlet
33 Small/Essex Skipper
​(including 1 confirmed Small Skipper)
8 Large White
6 Small Heath
4 Small Copper
3 Brimstone
3 Dark Green Fritillary
3 Red Admiral
3 Small White
3 Speckled Wood
2 Comma
2 Painted Lady
2 Purple Hairstreak
2 Silver-washed Fritillary
1 Gatekeeper
1 Holly Blue
Count summary:
486 butterflies from 18 species.

Saturday was forecast to be the coolest day in the midst of an early season heatwave and so GH and BG chose it as the most suitable for transect 12. The day proved to be pleasantly warm with a mainly cloudy sky, but the butterflies seemed to approve and were out in reasonable numbers. They gave us our highest count of the year so far as we approached the halfway point of the transect season.
When we reached Fames Rough we saw that the lower path, forming our transect Section 3, was fenced off down its length for conservation grazing. To compensate, we walked the upper path (section 4), counting butterflies on both our outward and return walk. We reasoned that the sheep currently on Coneyboro Hill (pictured below) may soon be moved into the fenced area of Fames Rough. Last week the count was low but numbers for this transect shot up to 430 butterflies, our best result of 2026 to date – beaten only by the week totals of 517 (2020) and 435 (2017). The rise in numbers was due mainly to the surge in Marbled Whites, Meadow Browns, Ringlets and Small/Essex Skippers.

Count details:
​188 Marbled White
157 Meadow Brown
32 Small/Essex Skipper (3 confirmed as Small Skipper)
30 Ringlet
8 Small Heath
4 Large Skipper
4 Painted Lady
1 Common Blue
1 Dark Green Fritillary
1 Red Admiral
1 Speckled Wood
Count summary:
430 butterflies from 12 species.

We had intended to do the transect on Friday but, as the weather that day looked unfavourable, we made a last-minute decision in favour of the more promising Saturday. This proved to be a good choice as we were able to walk around in continuous warm sunshine – just the sort of weather to encourage butterflies.
Although the numbers recorded have dropped back from the record highs of the early season, the day’s count of 151 from 14 species was pretty well average for the time of year. The figures were helped along by seeing the summer’s first Small/Essex Skippers, Dark Green Fritillaries, Marbled Whites and Ringlets. These new arrivals helped compensate for our recording fewer Common and Holly Blues, Brimstones, Small Coppers and Dingy Skippers, many of which are now past their peak flight period.
We also had two rare sightings of 2 separate
Roe Deer, one on the top edge of Stagbury Field and the other at the Burgh Heath end of Fames Rough.

Count details:
​ 64 Meadow Brown
24 Marbled White
23 Small Heath
10 Brimstone
8 Small/Essex Skipper (5 identified as Essex, 1 identified as Small and 2 unconfirmed)
6 Large Skipper
5 Common Blue
3 Ringlet
2 Comma
2 Red Admiral
2 Dark Green Fritillary
1 Dingy Skipper
1 Speckled Wood

​Count Summary:
151 butterflies from 14 species.

GH, LN and BG chose to go for transect 9 on a day when the week’s stifling heat was forecast to cool. What we got was warm, muggy weather with dense high cloud and only a few brief glimpses of the sun. 
The butterflies didn’t seem to think much of it either; this week’s count was our lowest since mid-April. 
But it wasn’t all gloom: the well established and now widespread kidney vetch is beginning to flower on Hither Field and here we saw 10 Small Blues, not forgetting a single SB on Great Parsons Field. 
This total of 11 SBs is our highest ever day’s count of these special little butterflies, a great reward for the work of the WoodChips in planting the kidney vetch to encourage them to take up residence on our site. 
Adding to the day's interest, we also recorded our first Large Skippers of the season, another sign that summer species are now beginning to emerge in earnest.

Count details:
​ 30 Common Blue
29 Small Heath
16 Large Skipper
11 Small Blue
7 Dingy Skipper
5 Meadow Brown
3 Holly Blue
2 Small Copper
2 Speckled Wood
1 Brimstone
1 Painted Lady
Count summary:
107 butterflies from 11 species.
If you would like to know more about any of the species mentioned, visit 
​butterfly-conservation.org

GH, LN and BG walked transect 6 on a gloriously warm and sunny afternoon. Amazingly, this latest count of 252 butterflies followed those of weeks 4 and 5 by exceeding the previous week's total by around 50 and giving us another record count for the third successive week. This was mainly due to the continuing increase in Dingy Skipper numbers but also a strong showing from Brimstones, Grizzled Skippers, Holly Blues and Small Heaths and the first Common Blues, Brown Argus and Small Blues of the season. 
​And finally, after our disappointment last week, we also had the pleasure of recording our first Painted Lady of the year!

Count details:
​104 Dingy Skipper
51 Brimstone
22 Small Heath
21 Holly Blue
19 Grizzled Skipper
10 Green Hairstreak
8 Common Blue
6 Small Copper
4 Peacock
3 Orange Tip
1 Brown Argus
1 Painted Lady (pictured above)
1 Small Blue
1 Speckled Wood
Count Summary:
​252 butterflies from 14 species.

Week 5’s transect was carried out by GH, LN, BG and by new-girl Luka, who clearly showed her keen interest and willingness to learn about butterflies. 
​Friday afternoon was selected for the survey as it was forecast to be very warm and sunny before the weather was set to deteriorate. Just as last week’s count was a week 4 record, week 5’s tally broke the record once again with 196 butterflies seen from 13 species. This was largely due to the surge in Dingy Skipper numbers. 
Our records for the past 10 years show that it’s extremely rare for count numbers to reach into the hundreds at this point in the year, let alone to surge as high as 159 and 196.
Just after we’d finished our walk we saw a Painted Lady, the first of the season but, sadly, off the transect.

Count Summary:
​76 Dingy Skipper
56 Brimstone
19 Holly Blue
11 Green Hairstreak
7 Small Copper
7 Small Heath
6 Peacock
5 Orange Tip
5 Grizzled Skipper
1 Comma
1 Large White
1 Small White
1 Speckled Wood
Total Summary:
196 butterflies from 13 species.

The spring’s sunny and dry weather continues, and the strong cool winds we’ve experienced slackened for Friday’s transect, allowing the temperature to rise pleasantly to around 18 degrees: great for spring butterflies. 
GH, LN, BG and DJ headed out on transect number 4 at midday and even though the count was a bit slow to start, upon arriving in Fames Rough the butterfly numbers shot up rapidly. 
Highlights included first sightings of the year for Grizzled Skippers, Small Heaths and Green Hairstreaks, joined by strong showings of Brimstones, Dingy Skippers, Holly Blues and Peacocks. We also recorded our first Small Coppers of the season. 
​The total count for the transect was 159 butterflies (from 9 species), our highest ever week 4 count by almost 100.

Count Summary:
​50 Brimstone
46 Dingy Skipper
17 Grizzled Skipper
10 Green Hairstreak
10 Holly Blue
9 Peacock
7 Orange Tip
7 Small Copper
3 Small Heath

Week 3’s transect was carried out in much improved conditions on our previous walk, with warm temperatures and spells of sunshine – though it quickly became clear just how dependent butterflies are on the sun. Each time the clouds rolled in and the temperature dipped, activity dropped off almost instantly as butterflies retreated into cover.
While the overall count remained modest, there was encouraging progress in species diversity – rising from six last week to eight this time.
As so often, Fames Rough proved to be the standout location. Its south-facing, sheltered slopes acted as a natural sun trap, hosting the majority of sightings – 19 Brimstones (out of 23 recorded) and 10 Peacocks (from a total of 13). It was also here that we recorded our first Dingy Skippers of the year – a welcome sign that the season is beginning to build.
Elsewhere along the 12-section route, sightings were more scattered but still rewarding – 1 Comma, 1 Holly Blue, 3 Orange Tips, 1 Small White, and 1 Speckled Wood.
A slow start in numbers perhaps – but a clear sign that spring is gathering momentum.

                 First of the year
Dingy Skipper (Erynnis tages) – pictured above.

• Despite its modest colouring, the Dingy Skipper is actually a day-flying moth lookalike and a master of camouflage, sometimes mistaken for a dead leaf or a patch of bare earth.
• It prefers sunny, sheltered spots with sparse vegetation, often basking with wings outstretched to soak up the warmth.
• Its caterpillars live in silken shelters made by folding leaves of bird’s-foot trefoil, their essential food plant.
• When it’s on the wing: Typically seen from April–June, with a possible second brood in July–August in warm years.

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.