Big Butterfly Count

I've had a relatively relaxed weekend, catching up with some of the chores that were ignored during last week's rushing around and preparing for another busy week of fieldwork to come. Thankfully, although I still have a number of site visits to make during August and September, the pace should be a lot easier. Alex and I made a start on the uncut grass using our new battery powered strimmer - not as powerful as the old petrol one which stopped working last year, but much lighter, quieter and easier for me to use. I've decided that we no longer really do gardening, but now undertake nature reserve management!

I couldn't go a whole weekend without some recording though, so this afternoon I popped down to Woodwalton Marsh to complete the last five quadrats. I also took the opportunity to do my first count for the Big Butterfly Count, which runs from the 20th July to 11th August. There were so many butterflies flitting around, particularly meadow browns and marbled whites, that it was quite hard to count accurately. If you have a spare fifteen minutes do have a go - there's even an iPhone app to make it easier!