Count details
​6 Small White
4 Brown Argus
4 Meadow Brown
4 Small Copper
2 Clouded Yellow
2 Common Blue
2 Red Admiral
1 Brown Hairstreak
1 Comma
1 Small Heath

​Count summary
27 butterflies from 10 species.

 The weather was forecast to be warm for Monday (14th Sept) and GH, LN and BG were set for a 10am start but as the damp gloom was slow to clear, we delayed the start until 11.50. But even then, the cloud persisted until we were well into our walk around. It was, however, very humid and oppressive despite the temperature being only around 23 degrees. The conditions obviously suited the butterflies, because their numbers were slightly up on the last couple of transects, even for this late stage in their flying season when we’d expect a rapid fall-off in numbers.
To date in this season, we’ve counted butterflies from 35 species across our site, and of these it’s worth mentioning that the previously rarely recorded Clouded Yellows have been seen for the past 8 weeks, giving us an exceptional total of 51. Also still flying are the Small Heaths, who opened their season on 22nd April, Meadow Browns on 20th May, and Small Whites on 24th June.
​With only two remaining transects before we finish the present season, the total count stands at 6,730 and, unless there’s a totally unexpected surge in butterflies, this year should be our second highest count (the top score being 2025’s 7,140).

Count details
17 Small Heath
13 Common Blue
7 Brown Argus
5 Meadow Brown
4 Clouded Yellow
4 Small Copper
3 Small White
2 Speckled Wood
1 Brown Hairstreak

​Count Summary:
56 butterflies from 9 species.

If you would like to know more about any of the butterfly species mentioned, 
​visit ​butterfly-conservation.org

GH and BG did this week’s transect on Monday 7th September. The weather was mainly cloudy with an occasional glimpse of the sun, but it was surprisingly warm and humid. The count of 47 butterflies was one short of last week’s tally, but with one less species. 
With the once-mighty numbers of Meadow Browns reduced to single figures, it was the 24 Small Heaths who provided the bulk of week 23’s count. 
​The numbers were helped along by 8 Brown Argus and 7 Small Coppers. We may have seen only a single Clouded Yellow this time but it was the rarer helice, a paler female-only variant of the Clouded Yellow. Even more remarkably, this was the second helice we’ve seen this season (the first was recorded on week 19’s transect of 7th August.

Count details:
​24 Small Heath
8 Brown Argus
7 Small Copper
3 Common Blue
3 Meadow Brown
1 Clouded Yellow
1 Small White

Count summary:
47 butterflies from 7 species.

GH and BG walked transect 22 on the morning of 31st August. The weather was mild with a mixture of sun and cloud.
As we’d anticipated, the 30-minute torrential cloudburst of three days earlier had a dramatic and detrimental effect on the number of butterflies still flying: last week’s total of 199 plummeted to only 48 for this week. It was the Meadow Browns who were hit hardest, with a reduction from 108 last week down to only 13. Small Heaths were also reduced, down to 21 from last week’s 51. Once again, there was a single Brown Hairstreak in the oak trees bordering Hill Wood Field but this time he/she settled long enough to be photographed. 
​It is the sixth week in succession that we’ve recorded Clouded Yellows. This is remarkable because in previous years we’ve thought ourselves lucky to have seen a single CY, yet so far this season we’ve counted a mighty 46.

​Count details:
​21 Small Heath
13 Meadow Brown
4 Clouded Yellow
4 Small Copper
3 Brown Argus
1 Brown Hairstreak
1 Common Blue
1 Small White

​Count summary:
48 butterflies from 8 species.