This weekend...look out for butterflies

RSPB nature reserves aren’t just great for birds. Amongst the mammals, insects, reptiles and arachnids, over the years we’ve recorded a grand total of 57 species of butterflies – that’s most of those recorded in the UK.

Save Our Butterflies Week

Butterflies are amazing creatures. I love spotting one flutter past on a spring or summer’s day – it’s truly a sign that warmer weather is here. And our nature reserves are a perfect place for hungry caterpillars to grow strong and then, almost miraculously, turn into adults.

So to help celebrate Butterfly Conservation’s Save our Butterflies Week, we’re running some events on a selection of our reserves. The week starts on 19 May and is celebrating the beauty of butterflies and promoting ways to stop their decline. Take a look at the Butterfly Conservation events page for all Save our Butterflies Week events, including those on our reserves.

Good spots

Even if there isn’t a Save our Butterflies Week event on a reserve near you, there’s still plenty of other reserves where you can look out for butterflies. There’s a full list of good spots on our website, but below are a few selected ones.

Try Strumpshaw Fen, just outside Norwich, for the majestic swallowtail. In this swathe of broadland, the best time to see this large, fast-flying beauty is from late May to early July. The Norfolk Broads is the only place in the UK where you’ll regularly encounter them, and Strumpshaw is well worth a trip.

Ancient woodland

The ancient woodland of Blean Woods in Kent is also a butterfly hotspot. Here, the caterpillars of the rare heath fritillary feed on cow-wheat, before the orange and brown adults take to the air from late May. However, the first adult was seen on May 12 this year, so the reserve is expecting an earlier peak than last year’s. So why not take a visit in the next couple of weeks?

Heading into Wales, there’s Cwm Clydach, a peaceful woodland north of Swansea. It’s only a small reserve, but on a summer’s walk you could easily spot a silver-washed fritillary or a speckled wood.

Somewhere better known for its winter flocks of ducks and geese is Loch of Strathbeg. However, the dunes are alive with flowers in summer. Amongst the impressive display of dog violet you can spot a range of butterflies, including the dark green fritillary. The UK’s commonest fritillary is actually named for colour of its underwings – it’s actually mainly orange and brown on top.

Butterflies in your garden

Of course, you don’t need to go to a reserve to spot butterflies. If you want to encourage more of them into your own garden, it’s surprisingly simple. Visit our Homes for Wildlife pages and sign-up for free advice tailored to your garden. Who knows, next year we could be saying the best place to see them is your garden!

Do you get many butterflies in your garden? How do you attract them? Are you planning on getting out looking for them over the next week? Leave a comment below and let me know....