The Big Butterfly Count is back on! It runs from today, 20 July until 12 August. Here’s our first counts for 2018:
Around the Wheatland Farm wildlife pond
Comma 1
Small white 6
Ringlet 3
Meadow Brown 4
Small skipper 1
Brimstone 2
Silver Washed Fritillary 1
And in the garden around Wheatland Farm farmhouse
Peacock 2
Small White 1
Ringlet 2
Gatekeeper 1
Silver Washed Fritillary 1 (seems to be a good year for silver washed fritillaries).
We’ve been taking part in the Big Butterfly Count since 2015 now (here’s last year’s counts) – why don’t you join us? The more the merrier. All you need is the app from Butterfly Conservation (or a piece of paper and a pencil – we can enter the info for you if you don’t want to) and 15 minutes to relax and watch the butterflies! You can walk about or just sit down. How about a count from Otter Cottage garden if you’re staying there? You could just watch from your veranda at the lodges. We’ll certainly be doing some repeats and more locations – it’s not a case of just one 15 minute count per year.