Can our butterflies bounce back?
July 2013. Sir David Attenborough has warned that UK butterfly numbers are at a historic low and is urging the public to take part in the world's largest butterfly count to assess if species are recovering after their worst year on record.
Butterfly emergence delayed by 3 weeks
This spring, the coldest for 50 years, saw butterfly emergence delayed by around three weeks. The cold start followed washout 2012 - the worst year on record for UK butterflies with the majority of species suffering declines. These difficult conditions, coupled with long-term declines in abundance and population, leave UK butterflies at a historically low ebb with many species struggling in our gardens and the wider countryside.
Help the count
The warm start to July has given many species a much needed boost and Butterfly Conservation is calling for nature lovers everywhere to take part in the Big Butterfly Count to help assess if UK butterflies can recover this summer.
Sir David, President of Butterfly Conservation explained: "The washout weather of 2012 proved a disaster for our butterflies; these conditions, coupled with long-term declines, means there are probably fewer butterflies in the UK than at any point during my lifetime.
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