Butterflies in UK

Plenty here ,all types 

That’s good to know HD. 

A few whites around. Earlier in the year some brimstones. A skipper, a couple of holly blue, one small tortoiseshell, a speckled brown. Not the variety of species we used to get a couple of years ago and nothing like the numbers. Mind, last year was not good, plus a bad winter, so was expecting another poor year. We are in Lincolnshire, plenty of flowers in the garden, many selected for pollinators, suburban area but near a stream and canal. However we do have far more birds this year with young chaffinch, blackbirds, dunnock, great tit around. And house sparrows in the back garden which is a first. They have always been in the roadside hedge and occasionally in our front rose hedge after the greenfly but not in the back garden. They are feeding on insects and sunflower hearts. So whether this is a good development or a sign of a problem elsewhere I don’t know, but will enjoy seeing them in the meantime.

Nothing like the quantity or variety of species I remember as a child. The data suggests that across the UK we have a bit of a problem regarding insects in general. Hoped to see a swallowtail obn our recent tour. Although a tad early we saw not a single one and very few others. Damsels and dragons were more abundant.

We have noticed a decline in butterflies visiting the garden over the last couple of years. 

I was given membership of Butterfly Society a couple of years ago, so made sure I tried to record each and every one I saw, and continued last year as well. Those results weren’t too bad, but this year seems dire. Garden has lots of plants they like, plenty of water around, in fact nothing much has changed, but I was wondering if the intense heat of last Summer might have been a factor.

We aren’t short of birds, lots of different ones, I wonder if they are a factor as well🤔

We noticed a lack of them in May but have started to see normal figures this last week or so. Hopefully they'll now have a good year.

Talking with a bee keeper friend today, he was saying his bees are behaving in usual ways this year. Regular swarming and colony division. He was saying the whole conundrum is complex. His hives all have varroa infection and he’s not sure if a resistance has built up or that the animals themselves have learnt how to tackle the issue to some degree. Maybe regular swarming reduces the density of infection. He also questions climate change, unusual seasonal weather patterns and the use of herbicides/pesticides altering the very behaviour of the bees themselves. As he says things are odd but he can not be certain as to why thus, may be, he says, it’s not one thing but a combination that has lead to this issue. He also intimated that other insects may be effected by these pressures in their own ways. Finally, he suggested that No Mow May may help them as flowering plants have been available to them in increased numbers during this period despite the colder than usual Spring we experienced.

Been keeping an eye out in the garden for the Bees and Butterflies, more than normal that is, and have noticed a decline in the number visiting in both categories, the Bees not as big a drop off.

Sat out for an hour enjoying the warm weather today with plenty of raw materials for both to get stuck into and only the 3 Butterflies but the White Lavender did have quite a few Bees. Something wrong somewhere, maybe the cold Spring destroyed too many larvae and caterpillars.

Did read that Midges are going to do well so beware those visiting Midgeland any time soon.

A coupe of Tortoiseshells and a single Admiral today. I guess that when the buddleja is in full flower we will have a better indication as to the state of play. A decade ago ours was absolutely covered in all sorts of bees and butterflies.🤞