As the Olympics swing into action, another big event is on the final straight. And this one doesn’t require years of training, a specially built arena or donning lycra!

Pick a spot, any spot

Our friends over at Butterfly Conservation are running their Big Butterfly Count. Everything you need to know is on their website.

It lasts just another week, until 5 August. It’s pretty straightforward, you need to pick a spot (anywhere) and then see how many butterflies and moths you can see in just 15 minutes. See, I said you didn’t need anywhere special, or any training! Surely you can spend just a quarter of an hour this weekend counting butterflies? It’ll be fun!

I’ll be giving it a go, there probably won’t be too many butterflies in my small garden, but it is slightly overgrown and I have planted a few butterfly-attracting flowers.

And because it lasts just 15 minutes, it’s perfect to fit in during a break in the Olympics!

Red admiral. Photo by Andy Hay (www.rspb-images.com)

Reserves

Our reserves are also great for butterflies. I’m told by those in the know that they’re home to 57 of the 59 resident UK species. So they’ll be a great place to try the count too. But any open space will be perfect.

Once you’ve done your count you need to submit your results to Butterfly Conservation. But, leave a comment and let me know how you get on as well.

Go on, give it a go!

For more on our science, check out the RSPB Centre for Conservation Science web pages.

  • What I love about the Big Butterfly Count is that it's so quick and easy to do, and you can have a go as many times as you want! So I've been trying to break an 'Olympic' record for the amount of sighting I can submit!

    Natalie Windsor

    Email: nataliewindsor@live.co.uk