Date: 23 July 2026
Location: Tice’s Meadow Nature Reserve
Duration: 1.5
Habitat: Wetland, meadow and grassland
Species encountered: Small White (Pieris rapae), Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria), Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina), Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus), Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus), Green-veined White (Pieris napi)

Field Notes

Today I completed the weekly butterfly transect at Tice’s Meadow in noticeably cooler and more overcast conditions than on recent surveys. Butterfly activity was much lower than during the previous few weeks, with relatively small numbers recorded across the route.

Despite the quieter conditions, there was still a good variety of species on the wing.

The difference compared with the much higher counts recorded during the recent warm spell was particularly noticeable. It was a useful reminder of how strongly butterfly activity and detectability can be influenced by the weather conditions at the time of a survey.

Although today’s numbers were relatively low, quieter transects are still an important part of long-term monitoring. Recording these changes alongside the conditions on the day helps build a more complete picture of butterfly activity and populations at Tice’s Meadow throughout the season.

Photographs