Help us find second brood small blues
It’s looking like we can be expecting a second brood of small blue butterflies this year! And now’s the time to go out and look for them.
The small blue came out early and en mass this year in Scotland. Records of the small blue have been coming in since 30 April this year – only the second time small blue has been recorded in April in Scotland. And in May, one volunteer counted a whopping 523 small blues in just 90 minutes at Balnagown Estate near Invergordon.
This led us to believe we could expect a second brood this year, meaning that caterpillars that emerged in spring and early summer would pupate and hatch into a whole new generation of adults in August. So now’s the time to get looking!
If you have any known small blue sites near you, whether along the north coast of Scotland, in and around the Moray Firth or all the way down to Angus, do get out and have a look if you can. The best places to have a look are at sites which still have some flowering kidney vetch , as the adults will require some open flowers to lay their egg in.
If you found it exciting to find small blue in spring, imagine the excitement of finding rare second brood small blues in August! Don’t forgot to record any sightings using the iRecord Butterflies app and please feel free to send us photos of any small blues spotted – we love to see them!
And whether you find small blues or not, do let us know that you went out looking by adding a pin to our #HelpNatureYourWay Map – share how you are helping to make a difference for your local ‘species on the edge’ and inspire others to get involved too.
