Butterflies are one of the most recognizable types of insects. They come in different sizes, with different colours and patterns, but their shape is unmistakable. When they first begin to appear in spring, they are a welcome sign that summer is well on the way. And you don't have to go far to spot one on nice sunny days.

Like other insects, butterfly numbers have been declining for decades, but there have been dedicated conservation efforts to create and protect special habitats for a variety of butterflies across the UK and there are ongoing monitoring efforts to track numbers. Our friends at Butterfly Conservation are running the 2023 Big Butterfly Count from 14th July until the 6th August and we encourage as many people to take part as possible to help give a picture of current butterfly numbers. Why? Because by constantly monitoring the numbers of any types of wildlife allows conservation organisations to gather essential data on how successful conservation efforts have been and what could be done to make them even more effective.

Some species of butterfly are dependent on very specific habitats such as heathland or grasslands, but some of our most common species benefit from a good mixture of different habitats to find nectar through different months. And gardens play an important role for them...which means that your garden is a great place to start counting!

Some of species you might see in your garden, feeding on flower beds or even flower pots, include:

Some butterflies need woodlands and forests and are adapted to living around trees and the plants associated with tree cover. While a few of the species can be easy to spot as they flutter around and feed close to the ground, others are much more challenging, as they spend much of their time flying around and resting in the canopy layer above our heads. There are also woodland butterflies that are only spotted around the edges of woodland, where they feed on the flowers that grow well thanks to the direct sunlight.

Wood white butterflies are associated with the forests of southwest Shropshire, particularly in sections of Forestry England's Bury Ditches, which have been managed specifically for the disappearing species. Speckled woods can be seen fluttering around glades and woodland trails anywhere in the county, including small patches of woods in urban areas.

Recognise your woodland butterflies:

To see an array of meadow butterflies, Melverley Meadows nature reserve near Whitchurch offers good opportunities to get close enough to hone your identification skills. Anywhere with abundant cover of wildflowers is likely to be a haven for butterflies and other insects. This can also include fenn habitat, like that seen around Sweeney Fenn near Oswestry, where fritillary butterflies are often seen. The Oswestry Hills are benefitted from a project a few years ago to protect key butterfly habitats for silver-washed fritillaries and small pearl-bordered fritillaries.

Old disused quarry sites and industrial sites are often very good refuges for butterflies too, particular those like Dolgoch Quarry and exposed mine workings on the Stiperstones, the latter of which attracts very rare grayling. A master of disguise, graylings are hard to spot as they sit sunbathing on areas of exposed rock, with wing patterns perfectly evolved to look like the surface of stone that they sit on.

A particularly special site for butterflies can be found 5 minutes south of Whitchurch. Prees Heath Common, managed by Butterfly Conservation and purchased with the support of Shropshire Wildlife Trust in 2008 is now the only area in the Midlands where the silver-studded blue can be found. These small blue butterflies require lowland heath, which provides the heather that they usually lay their eggs on. Silver-studded blues have found refuge on the site thanks to presence of black ants, which they form a symbiotic relationship with. When the butterfly eggs hatch in spring, the ants protect them and keep them free of parasites, in return of taking advantage of a sugary liquid secreted by the caterpillars as a source of energy. 

Butterflies are a great example of both the beauties and complexities of nature and like other insects, they play a key role in pollinating plants and managing their habitats. Below are some more examples of the butterflies that you see in Shropshire, but if you sign up for the Big Butterfly Count, Butterfly Conservation offer comprehensive guidance to make sure you know your butterflies when you start counting!

Sign up here

And don't forget to update us of your butterfly sightings on social media!