As we said in an earlier article, we are trying to beat our previous record of filling 2609 (89.5%) of the kilometre squares in Dorset with at least one butterfly record.
As of now (1 December) we are up to 2,606: just 4 squares short of beating our record. Continue reading
We need your help in recording butterflies in Dorset in the areas where none or few have been reported over the last four years. Butterflies across the UK are counted in five-year cycles, and 2024 is the last of the current set. Continue reading
A small number of butterflies were seen in Dorset in January, despite poor weather at the start of the year, Continue reading
We hope you are all sending in at least one record for the national Big Butterfly Count, but we need your help filling White Holes in Dorset too.
For full details of what to do for the Big Butterfly Count, see our earlier news item. You have until Sunday 6 August to spend 15 minutes looking for butterflies at a set location.
In Dorset, we need you to help us fill what we call White Holes. The map of Dorset is divided into kilometre squares and our dream would be to have sightings from all of them. There is a map on this website showing you where no sightings have been received, leaving the unfilled squares as ‘White Holes’.
We are in the penultimate year of a five-year recording cycle, so we need a good push before the end of the butterfly season.
Small Copper. Photo: Sharon Towning
At the beginning of 2023 we had 666 White Holes, but this has been reduced (as of the end of July) to 567, so 99 White Holes have been filled this year, 59 of which were done in July! An excellent effort, and we send our thanks to all of you who helped.
To find out more, visit our White Holes page. For help with identification, see our detailed Species Pages, which tell you when and where each species is usually seen as well as giving help with telling them apart.
If you want something different to do on 8 May, why not sign up for our Great Dorset Butterfly Scramble, which is Continue reading
Massive thanks to all of you who have sent in 59,128 butterfly sightings of 49 species so far this year! We would love to have even more. Don’t forget to do one (or more) 15 minute counts for the Big Butterfly Count, but think about investigating some of our White Holes, too. Continue reading
You can see what species are flying by going to our Recent Sightings page. Continue reading
The butterfly recordings gathered by this website reached an all-time high of 89,204 last year, being 99% up on 2018! Our very grateful thanks to anyone who sent in a sighting. Continue reading
North Dorset still has areas where no butterflies have been reported for five years – could you help fill the gaps? Continue reading
Earlier in June we appealed for records in an area around Ibberton in North Dorset where nothing had been reported in five years. We are delighted that John and Sue East stepped up and found butterflies in Continue reading