Please take part in the Garden Butterfly Survey and help us find out where our Small Tortoiseshells are

The Big Butterfly Count might be over
Futures Forum: The Big Butterfly Count >>> join in 15th July - 7th August
Futures Forum: The Big Butterfly Count: if you go down to the woods today

...but there's still plenty of counting to do:

Have you seen a Small Tortoiseshell this summer? Concern is growing as sightings of this previously common butterfly are significantly down across the UK. The Small Tortoiseshell is an easy species to identify. The butterfly's uniquely patterned orange and black wings are framed with a border of small blue crescents. If you spot one of these pretty little butterflies in your garden before the end of the season, please submit your sightings. Submit Your Garden Sightings Small Tortoiseshell populations plummeted by 73% since the 1970s, but its numbers have risen over the last few years and hopes were high that it was on the path to recovery. But this summer’s poor showing could mean the species is set for yet more years of decline. We're not sure what is causing the long-term decline of this familiar and much-loved butterfly. Theories involve climate change, pollution and parasitic flies that kill the butterfly’s caterpillars, but we need more information. Please take part in the Garden Butterfly Survey and help us find out where our Small Tortoiseshells are.

Have you seen a Small Tortoiseshell?
.
.
.