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 the well being of UK butterflies.
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.
Sir David, president of Butterfly Conservation, said: "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.
"Butterflies are vitally important. Their presence acts as a barometer of the health of our environment. Their ongoing decline tells us that all is not well in the British countryside. Future generations may not be lucky enough to see butterflies in the same numbers we will experience this summer.
"But, it is not too late. You can help ensure that butterflies still bring that sense of magic to our summertime by taking part in the Big Butterfly Count. The Count will tell us if butterflies are recovering after a terrible year and it lets us know how they are faring in our back gardens, parks, fields, towns and cities."
The Big Butterfly Count is a 'citizen scientist' survey where the public are invited to record the insects flying in their local green space.
They are provided with a chart of 19 common garden butterflies and two day-flying moths and asked how many of each can be spotted in 15 minutes.
Last year more than 220,000 butterflies were counted with 15 of the 21 species declining compared with the previous year's survey.
The Big Butterfly Count takes place from the 20 July to 11 August.
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