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Experts say Scotland could be witnessing ‘once-in-a-decade butterfly phenomenon’

Picture by Denise Irvine, Butterfly Conservation.
Picture by Denise Irvine, Butterfly Conservation.

Nature experts believe Scotland could be in the midst of a “once-in-a-decade” butterfly phenomenon.

Unusually high numbers of Painted Lady butterflies have been reported across Europe over the spring and early summer, with large numbers in the UK.

There have already been around 300 sightings reported across Scotland, including 70 along the coast from Aberdeen to Inverness, and several on the Isle of Tiree and Islay.

And now, TV wildlife enthusiast Chris Packham is urging people to take part in a survey to help keep track of the number of butterflies in their area.

He said: “The Painted Lady migration is one of the wonders of the natural world.

“Travelling up to 0.6 miles in the sky and at speeds of up to 30mph, these seemingly fragile creatures migrate hundreds of miles to reach our shores each year.

“This butterfly undertakes an extraordinary 7,500-mile round trip from tropical Africa to the Arctic Circle every year – almost double the length of the famous migrations of the Monarch butterfly in North America.

“Signs across Europe are looking very promising, meaning that 2019 could be a very good year for the Painted Lady with high numbers already being recorded.”

About once every 10 years, the UK experiences a Painted Lady “summer” when millions of the creatures arrive en masse.

The last mass immigration took place in 2009 when around 11 million of the popular insects descended on every part of Britain.

There have also been 33 sightings in Edinburgh and more than 20 in Glasgow in recent weeks, and the Big Butterfly Count will take place across the next three weeks.

People are being encouraged to take part in their gardens, a nearby park, or while out walking the dog.

There are also a number of Butterfly Conservation meetings and guided walks taking place where people can get involved, with events in Kingussie on July 25 and in Aberdeen on July 28 and 30.

Mr Packham added: “The mental health benefits of spending time outdoors watching nature have been blindingly obvious to me for as long as I can remember.

“Immersing yourself in nature, even if it’s just for a few minutes, changes your perspective, it helps you slow down and notice what’s going on around you and it opens a door to the overlooked beauty and drama of our natural world.”

Last year, more than 100,000 people counted more than one million butterflies in total during the count, which runs from today to August 11.

People taking part can submit sightings online at www.bigbutterflycount.org  or via the free Big Butterfly Count mobile phone app.