More than three quarters of the UK’s butterflies have declined in the last 40 years, but some reports say this is an unusually good year for butterflies.
The warm weather has given some butterflies a head start, but ecologists warn this could be a mistaken perception given 2016 was the fourth worst year for butterflies since scientific monitoring began.
Marbled whites and ringlets have benefitted from the warmer weather, and some regular butterfly recorders have counted 1,000 butterflies on their weekly counts, according to natural history writer Patrick Barkham.
More than three quarters of the UK’s butterflies have declined in the last 40 years, with numbers falling quicker in towns and cities.
The Big Butterfly Count begins on Friday, and scientists hope the data gathered will help them to understand why species such as the gatekeeper has declined by 44% since 1976.
Take part
If you’ve taken a photograph of a butterfly this year, we’d like you to share your photograph – along with details of where, and when you took it. Click on the blue GuardianWitness button at the top of this article to upload your photograph and description.
You can also fill in the form below, and upload your photograph. Or you can email: carmen.fishwick@theguardian.com
We’ll feature a selection of submissions over the summer.
