Butterfly report 2026 from Kate
Hi all
Tremendous thanks to everyone that participated in scything last month! We managed to cut and collect approximately 30,000 sq. metres of wildflower meadow - well done to all of our scythers!
We have two hedge maintenance sessions this week on Tue 6/10 and Fri 9/10 from 10:00 to 15:00 meeting at the wildlife hedge https://maps.app.goo.gl/vaTqDGyGCbNSFDRU8.
2026 Butterfly Surveys Recap
The results are in! In 2026, we walked the transect 24 times, which equated to 38 hours and 57 minutes of surveying. In total, we recorded 1,354 individual butterflies across 26 species. Two of these species (Clouded Yellow and Brown Argus) were recorded for the first time ever on the transect that was established in 2022. For a bit of context, there are 59 species of butterfly that have been recorded in the UK, and we've managed to record almost half of them at Wormwood Scrubs!
Drumroll please for our top 5 most frequently recorded species of the year.....
Gatekeeper - 263 records
Small/Essex Skipper - 171 records
Meadow Brown - 147 records
Small White - 131 records
Large White - 123 records
Other species recorded this year (in order of frequency) included: Small Heath, Marbled White, Large Skipper, Common Blue, Green-veined White, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood, Painted Lady, Brimstone, Holly Blue, Ringlet, Orange Tip, Peacock, Comma, Small Copper, Brown Hairstreak, Purple Hairstreak, Clouded Yellow, Brown Argus, Small Tortoiseshell and White-letter Hairstreak.
Kate McVay 5/10/26