Yesterday, the family and I went on a long walk through Ynysymaengwyn (try saying that with a piece of salmon in your mouth!) to take part in the annual UK-wide Big Butterfly Count!
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| The Gatekeeper Butterfly in Tywyn |
The Big Butterfly Count is our way of "taking nature's pulse," as the campaign eloquently puts it. This is because butterflies react with great rapidity to the changes that are happening in our environment. If a species of butterfly disappears from a given area, it is a pretty good indication that certain subtle changes are occurring that could have a serious implication on the wildlife there.
To take part, all you have to do is sit in a flower rich area for fifteen minutes, and count the number of butterflies and the different species that you see. Once you have done this, send your results to The Big Butterfly Count website before July 31st. Last year, over 10,000 people took part, and over 250,000 butterflies were observed!
As for our sightings, we came across two Gatekeepers, a large Cabbage White butterfly, and a mini version of the Cabbage White. Quite a success, I'd say!
Note to readers: Yes, I am a cat, but NO, I did not chase the butterflies! I was perfectly restrained throughout the entire fifteen minutes (and stuck to chasing birds instead)!
Sir David Attenborogh on The Big Butterfly Count
2 comments:
Hi Fluffy, and Heather. Thanks for stopping by our blog :) That Big Butterfly Count sounds pretty important!! We hope there are lots of butterflies too as we would hat to see them disappear!
We think you are a pretty cool cat and look forward to following you :)
Purrs Tillie and Georgia
Thanks Tillie and Giorgia! It is pretty fascinating. It is so easy just to give a passing glance to butterflies, but to actually observe them is another story. There are just so many varieties, especially here in Wales! See you soon! F & H
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