Dartmoor rewards citizen scientists in Big Butterfly Count 2024

Nature lovers on Dartmoor are being encouraged to take part in the Big Butterfly Count this month.

This nationwide citizen science survey aims to help assess the health of the natural environment by counting the amount and type of butterflies, along with some day-flying moths, that are seen.

It begins on Friday, July 12, and will run until Sunday, August 4. And on Dartmoor in particular, eager eagle-eyed butterfly spotters could be in for a treat.

The experts at Butterfly Conservation, a charity dedicated to saving butterflies, moths and the environment, told The Moorlander: “Dartmoor is a fantastic place for butterflies - it's home to 38 species and amongst them some of Britain's rarest fritillaries, like the High Brown Fritillary.”

The Big Butterfly Count was launched in 2010 and has rapidly become the world's biggest survey of butterflies. Over 64,000 citizen scientists took part in 2022, submitting 96,257 counts of butterflies and day-flying moths from across the UK.

This year’s count reopened on Monday, July 1, ready for the main event between July 12 and August 4.

Butterfly Conservation said: “We count butterflies because not only are they beautiful creatures to be around but they are also extremely important. They are vital parts of the ecosystem as both pollinators and components of the food chain. However, they are under threat. Numbers of butterflies and moths in the UK have decreased significantly since the 1970s.

This is a warning that cannot be ignored.

“Butterfly declines are also an early warning for other wildlife losses. Butterflies are key biodiversity indicators for scientists as they react very quickly to changes in their environment. Therefore, if their numbers are falling, then nature is in trouble. So tracking numbers of butterflies is crucial in the fight to conserve our natural world. That's why taking part in this massive citizen science enterprise is of great importance.

“Counting butterflies can be described as taking the pulse of nature and we depend on you, our citizen scientists, to help us assess how much help nature needs. The data from this and other counts will also help us to identify important trends in species that will assist us in planning how to protect butterflies from extinction, as well as understanding the effect of climate change on wildlife.”

To take part, simply count butterflies for 15 minutes during bright (preferably sunny) weather during the count. Butterfly experts have chosen this time of year because most butterflies are at the adult stage of their lifecycle, so more likely to be seen. Records are welcome from anywhere: from parks, school grounds and gardens, to fields and forests.

Butterfly Conservation said: “If you are counting from a fixed position in your garden, count the maximum number of each species that you can see at a single time. For example, if you see three Red Admirals together on a buddleia bush then record it as three, but if you only see one at a time then record it as one (even if you saw one on several occasions). This is so that you don't count the same butterfly more than once.”

If you are doing your count on a walk, then simply total up the number of each butterfly species that you see during the 15 minutes.

Butterfly Conservation has provided a list of target butterfly and day-flying moth species they would like you to count. By restricting the list they say they minimise counting errors and therefore obtain a clearer view of actual butterfly numbers across the country.

If you have spotted species which are not on the target species list there is a handy way you can record them too using the iRecord Butterflies App which is available online.

If you don't see any butterflies you should still let the Butterfly Conservation people know that too. It is very important that they know if there are areas where butterflies are not being seen - this may indicate a wider problem.

There is an identification chart online that you can download to help you work out which butterflies you have seen.
You can do as many counts as you want to. You can submit separate records for different dates at the same place, and for different places that you visit. And your count is useful even if you do not see any butterflies or moths.

Butterfly Conservation said it cannot accept any counts sent in on paper or by email, text or phone.

The Butterfly Conservation team told The Moorlander: “Some of the fritillary species to keep an eye out for that should be flying during the summer holidays include the High Brown Fritillary (July), Dark Green Fritillary (July) and Silver-washed Fritillary (July and August). You might also spot Brimstones, Purple Hairstreaks, Graylings and Small Heath butterflies, as well as lots of colourful day-flying moths like the Cinnabar, Six-spot Burnet and, if you're lucky, the Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moth.”

The High Brown Fritillary is a large, powerful butterfly that is usually seen flying swiftly over the tops of bracken or low vegetation in woodland clearings. In flight, the males are almost impossible to separate from those of the Dark Green Fritillary, which often share the same habitats. However, both species frequently visit flowers such as thistles and Bramble where it is possible to see their distinctive underside wing markings. The Dark Green lacks the orange ringed 'pearls' on the underside of the hindwing.

The High Brown Fritillary was once widespread in England and Wales but since the 1950s has undergone a dramatic decline. It is now reduced to around 50 sites where conservationists are working to save it from extinction.

There is a walking route to spot fritillaries which goes to Aish Tor, in the Dart Valley.

Aish Tor is a great place for butterflies.

Managed by the Devon Wildlife Trust, this nature reserve is home to five species of fritillary butterfly. In spring the first to emerge is the Pearl-bordered Fritillary (April-May), closely followed by the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary (May-June), then as you move into the summer months the High Brown Fritillary (July), Dark Green Fritillary (July) and Silver-washed Fritillary (July-August) all emerge to put on a dazzling display as they glide gracefully over the warm bracken slopes.

It’s not just fritillaries that are found here, you can also see Brimstone, Green Hairstreak, Grayling, Purple Hairstreak, Small Heath and Wall.

The reason why this site is so good for the fritillaries is because of the warm south facing bracken slopes, which contain a healthy population of violets (the fritillarie’s foodplant). Butterfly Conservation and the Devon Wildlife Trust work together to manage the site for these rare butterflies, carrying out works to care for the habitat found here.

The walk features in a guide called Butterflies the Dartmoor National Park. It is a circular walk that starts and finishes at the Newbridge car park and takes you through the prime fritillary areas. From the car park walk down the asphalt surface lane, keeping the river on your left. Take the footpath that branches off to the left, walking through the woodland.

Soon the path exits the woodland and you reach the lower slopes of Aish Tor. Keep an eye out for Fritillaries here as they fly over the bracken.

Take the right hand path that branches off up the slope, enabling you to climb up to the higher ground. The path bends round to the right, veering east and heading back towards the minor road. When you reach the road follow it back down the hill and it will take you back to the car park.

The walk is 2.8km and can take up to an hour to complete. The location is Newbridge car park postcode is TQ13 7NT.