Overview
Butterfly transects are a way of measuring changes in the abundance and variety of butterflies present on a site from year to year. In Warwickshire we currently walk 39 transects.
This requires a commitment to record weekly throughout the six-month period in which butterflies fly in the UK, or if monitoring a single species, the flight period of that species. By sticking to a consistent recording methodology the results are comparable from year to year.
When data from transects all over the UK are combined this can provide valuable information on changes in butterfly numbers nationally. The data also enables us to evaluate changes in butterfly populations on a single site and can reflect changes in the effects of management when compared with trends from many other sites.
Butterflies are uniquely placed to act as indicators of the state of the environment, allowing us to assess the impacts of climate change and the progress of government policy initiatives such as the UK Biodiversity Action Plan, agri-environment schemes and site condition monitoring of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs).
Timed Counts
In addition to the transects, we also carry out Timed Count Monitoring of key species at some sites that are only visited once or twice a year. 
= UKBMS Link.
Site Transects
Bishops Heaps /
Pam Reason |
Small Blue, Grizzled Skipper, Dingy Skipper, Green Hairstreak |
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Bubbenhall Meadows /
Jim Timms |
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Bubbenhall Wood /
Jim Timms |
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Deans Green Meadows /
Mary Tipping |
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Drayton /
Simom McMillan |
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Hearsall Common /
Peter Thompson |
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Lake View Park 1 /
Clive Lloyd |
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Lake View Park 2 /
Clive Lloyd |
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RSPB Middleton Lakes 1 /
RSPB Volunteers |
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RSPB Middleton Lakes 2 /
RSPB Volunteers |
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Ryton Wood & Pool /
Mike Slater |
Wood White, White Admiral, Silver Washed Fritillary |
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Ryton Wood East /
Mike Slater |
Wood White, White Admiral, Silver Washed Fritillary |
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Ryton Wood Meadows /
Mike Slater |
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Ryton Wood North /
Mike Slater |
Wood White, White Admiral, Silver Washed Fritillary |
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Ryton Wood West /
Mike Slater |
Wood White, White Admiral, Silver Washed Fritillary |
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Stockton Cutting /
Brian Sherwin |
Grizzled Skipper, Dingy Skipper, Green Hairstreak |
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Wappenbury Wood /
Terry Southgate |
White Admiral, Silver Washed Fritillary |
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Warwick Horticulture R /
Helen Mayne |
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Weddington North East /
Chris Johnson |
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Weddington North East /
Chris Johnson |
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Weddington North West /
Chris Johnson |
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Weddington North West /
Chris Johnson |
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Welches Meadow /
Jim Dean |
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Weston & Waverley Wood /
Terry Southgate |
White Admiral, Silver Washed Fritillary |
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Whitacre Heath NR /
Chris Johnson |
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Windmill Blast Bank /
Chris Johnson |
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Windmill Hill Communit /
Chris Johnson |
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Windmill Spoilbank /
Chris Johnson |
Dingy Skipper |
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Site Transects
Site Name / Recorder |
Species |
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Baddesley Spoilheap /
Keith Warmington |
Dingy Skipper |
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Harbury Spoilbank Nort /
Mike & Rosemary Hill |
Grizzled Skipper, Dingy Skipper, Green Hairstreak |
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Harbury Spoilbank Sout /
Mike & Rosemary Hill |
Grizzled Skipper, Dingy Skipper, Green Hairstreak |
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Further information about the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme can be found at the UKBMS web site: 