The Big Butterfly Count Survey

The Big Butterfly Count takes place this year between 16th July and 7th August.

This event is organised by Butterfly Conservation and supported by Sir David Attenborough, it's a nationwide survey that I will be joining and you can get your family and kids involved and have fun with this, an ideal project for the school summer holidays!

Last year, 2010, an amazing 10,000 people joined in counting Butterflies. You simply identify and count butterflies for 15 minutes from a fixed position, during daylight-sunny, dry bright weather is ideal.

I'm going to be counting at the Buddleia bush (pictured here) outside as there has been a glorious amount of activity out there recently, but if you don't see anything or not much-this is still important information to record.

If you go to the website www.bigbutterflycount.org all the information you need can be found as well as a butterfly identification wall chart you can download.

Your sighting is then submitted online and helps to form a nationwide picture.

Butterflies are described as the 'pulse of nature' their numbers can indicate important changes in biodiversity, wildlife losses, climate change and the general health status of our environment.

Our fixed position pictured here, just off to download the ID chart!