Big Butterfly Count — How to Take Part and Create a Butterfly-Friendly Garden

What Is the Big Butterfly Count?

Launched in 2010, the Big Butterfly Count has grown into the world's largest butterfly survey. Participants pick a sunny spot, spend 15 minutes counting the butterflies they see, and submit their results via the free app or the Butterfly Conservation website. That's it. No special equipment needed, just a bit of patience and a willingness to sit still on a warm day.

The 2026 count runs from Friday 17 July to Sunday 9 August. The data collected feeds directly into conservation research, helping scientists understand which species are thriving and which are struggling. In recent years, the results have highlighted worrying declines in common garden species like the small tortoiseshell and peacock butterfly, making every submission valuable.

How to Take Part — Step by Step

1. Download the App or Grab an ID Sheet

The easiest way to take part is to download the free Big Butterfly Count app (available for iOS and Android). It includes an identification guide with photos of the most common species you're likely to see. If you prefer paper, you can download and print an ID chart from the Butterfly Conservation website.

For those who want a more detailed reference, "Butterflies (How to Identify)" by Richard Lewington is the go-to field guide — compact enough to take into the garden and packed with illustrations that make species identification straightforward.

2. Pick Your Spot

Choose a sunny spot in your garden, a local park, an allotment, or even a window box on a balcony — butterflies are cold-blooded and need warmth to be active. Aim for a time between 10am and 4pm on a day when the temperature is above 15C and the wind isn't too strong.

3. Count for 15 Minutes

Set a timer for 15 minutes and note down every butterfly and day-flying moth you see. Don't worry about counting the same individual twice — record each sighting as it happens. The app handles the recording for you. If you're using a paper sheet, just tally the species you spot.

4. Submit Your Results

Upload your count through the app or the Butterfly Conservation website. Each submission — even a count of zero butterflies — is valuable data. It helps researchers understand where populations are present and where they're absent.

Six Common UK Butterflies to Spot in July

July is peak butterfly season in the UK. Here are the species you're most likely to see during the count:

• Peacock — Instantly recognisable by its four large eye spots on deep maroon wings. Common in gardens, especially on buddleia.
• Small Tortoiseshell — Bright orange and black with a row of blue crescents along the wing edge. One of the most frequent garden visitors.
• Red Admiral — Dark brown wings with striking red bands and white spots. A strong flyer that loves buddleia and sedum.
• Comma — Easily identified by its ragged, scalloped wing edges. Orange and brown with a distinctive white comma mark on the underside.
• Gatekeeper — Warm orange-brown with a small white dot on the forewing (each dot contains a tiny black "pupil"). Often seen flitting along hedgerows.
• Meadow Brown — The UK's most widespread butterfly. Brown wings with an orange patch and a single black eye spot. Found in grasslands and gardens alike.

How to Create a Butterfly-Friendly Garden

Making your garden attractive to butterflies isn't complicated. The key is providing three things: nectar for food, host plants for caterpillars, and shelter from wind and rain.

Plant Nectar-Rich Flowers

Butterflies are drawn to brightly coloured, nectar-rich flowers, especially those with flat, open heads that give them a stable landing platform. Top choices include buddleia (often called the butterfly bush), lavender, sedum, verbena bonariensis, echinacea, and marjoram. Planting a mix that flowers from early spring through to autumn ensures a continuous food supply.

The GardenersDream Buddleia Davidii 'Nanho Blue' is a compact, free-flowering variety that reaches about 1.5 metres — perfect for smaller gardens and containers. Its fragrant blue-purple flower spikes are a magnet for peacock and red admiral butterflies throughout July and August.

Go Wild with Flowers

If you have a patch of bare soil or an unloved corner, scattering wildflower seeds is one of the quickest ways to create butterfly habitat. A Wildflower Bee & Butterfly Meadow Mix containing annuals and perennials like cornflower, poppy, and ox-eye daisy will establish quickly and provide nectar from June through September. For larger areas, a 100g wildflower seed mix covers around 25 square metres and includes over 21 native species — plenty to create a buzzing mini-meadow.

Provide Shelter and Sunning Spots

Butterflies need warmth to fly. A flat stone or a patch of bare soil in a sunny spot gives them a place to bask. Shelter from wind is equally important — a south-facing fence or hedge creates a warm microclimate. Leaving an undisturbed corner with long grass and leaf litter provides overwintering habitat for species that hibernate as adults, like the peacock and small tortoiseshell.

Offer a Butterfly Feeder

A butterfly feeder filled with a simple sugar solution (one part white sugar to four parts water, boiled and cooled) can supplement natural nectar, especially in dry spells when flowers produce less nectar. Hang it near nectar-rich plants and clean it every few days to prevent mould.

Build an Insect Hotel

A Large Wooden Insect Hotel provides shelter for butterflies, bees, and other beneficial insects. Position it in a sheltered, south-facing spot, raised off the ground to stay dry. Different-sized cavities suit different species — hollow bamboo canes attract solitary bees, while larger gaps suit ladybirds and lacewings that help keep aphid numbers down.

Skip the Pesticides

This is the most important rule. Systemic pesticides and broad-spectrum sprays don't distinguish between pests and pollinators. If you're seeing aphids, try washing them off with a hose or introducing companion plants like nasturtiums that act as trap crops. A butterfly-friendly garden is a messy, imperfect garden — and that's exactly right.

Butterflies and the UK's Changing Climate

The 2026 gardening predictions from the RHS highlight climate change as the main driver of change in British gardens, and butterflies are on the front line. Warmer springs are causing some species to emerge earlier — the orange-tip butterfly now appears up to two weeks earlier than it did in the 1970s. Meanwhile, drought conditions reduce the nectar available in late summer, and extreme weather events can wipe out local populations of less mobile species.

This is why the Big Butterfly Count matters. Year-on-year data reveals these shifts in timing and distribution. A garden planted with climate-resilient, nectar-rich perennials doesn't just look good — it acts as a stepping stone for butterflies moving through fragmented landscapes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Verdict

The Big Butterfly Count is one of the simplest, most rewarding things you can do in your garden this July. It takes 15 minutes, requires no special equipment, and the data you collect genuinely influences conservation decisions. Pair it with a few butterfly-friendly plants and a feeder, and you'll turn your garden into a vital pit-stop for these declining but beautiful insects.

Whether you count from a cottage garden or a window box, your 15 minutes matter. The butterflies are counting on it.