Big Butterfly Count

The UK's summer counterpart to a winter bird count, and possibly the most relaxing fieldwork there is. Between mid-July and early August you sit somewhere sunny for 15 minutes and record the butterflies and day-flying moths you see, using a free identification chart. You can do as many counts as you like. It works as an early-warning system. The 2024 count was the lowest in its history, a result that alarmed conservationists, while 2025, with more than 125,000 people taking part, gave the Large White and Small White their best results on record.