Small Blue butterfly numbers explode in Scotland with 523 at a single site - Butterfly Conservation
NUMBERS of one of Scotland's fastest-declining butterflies have exploded following warm spring weather.
One Butterfly Conservation volunteer has counted a staggering 523 Small Blues in just an hour-and-a-half at the Balnagown Estate near Invergordon, while other volunteers have discovered two new colonies of the species - one south of Wick and one at Nairn Railway Station.
Another volunteer recorded a Small Blue on 30 April - only the second time Small Blue has been recorded in April in Scotland.
The amazing results come just in time for Small Blue Week in Scotland, 31 May - 7 June, which aims to raise awareness of the beleaguered but beloved butterfly.
Butterfly Conservation Species on the Edge Project Officer Tracy Munro said: "It has genuinely been astonishing to see these numbers of Small Blue on the wing, and I have loved receiving excited messages from our volunteers along the north and east coasts as they spot them. To record numbers over 500 at a single site is staggering and really highlights the benefits of our working with landowners and volunteers to create habitat for this charismatic wee butterfly.”
Posted On: 02/06/2025
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