Dorset counts 38,438 butterflies in a hot, dry summer

Dorset had a bumper summer for butterflies. In the 2026 Big Butterfly Count, 2,672 people across the county logged 38,438 butterflies and day-flying moths over three weeks, the Bournemouth Echo reported on 24 September, but the charity behind the count warns the good news may not last.

The count is run by Butterfly Conservation, the wildlife charity whose headquarters is at East Lulworth near Wareham. Across the UK, its national results show 101,565 people recorded almost 1.4 million butterflies and moths, the second-best year in the count's history.

Which butterflies were seen most in Dorset?

The Gatekeeper, a small brown butterfly with bright orange patches, was the species recorded most often in Dorset, followed by the Small White and the Meadow Brown. The standout was the Painted Lady, with 3,027 sightings in the county alone, in what the charity is calling a Painted Lady summer.

Nationally, Painted Lady numbers were up 335 per cent on 2025. These butterflies reach Britain over several generations, each flying one leg of a journey from Africa across the Sahara and the Mediterranean. Butterfly Conservation also reports best-ever counts for the Holly Blue and the Gatekeeper.

Why is the charity worried?

Because the weather that suited adult butterflies was hard on caterpillars. Richard Fox, head of science at Butterfly Conservation, said adults love hot, sunny days for flying, feeding and breeding, but the lack of rain could put populations on course for a crash that takes years to recover from.

In August the National Drought Group declared more than 70 per cent of England in drought, and many caterpillar food plants died before the larvae had finished feeding. The charity expects the full effect to show in 2027. Mr Fox pointed to the droughts of 1976 and 1995, after which some species never fully recovered, and noted that 80 per cent of the UK's butterflies have declined since the 1970s.

Three things gardeners can do

Butterfly Conservation is asking people to drought-proof their gardens in three ways: plant more trees and shrubs, fit water butts, and leave patches of grass to grow long. Its national release suggests holly, ivy and buckthorn among the shrubs. Each step gives caterpillars and adults food, shelter and cooler spots during heatwaves.

What it means for visitors and residents

Autumn is not the end of the season. On warm, still days late flyers can still be seen in parks and on heathland, and the Bournemouth area has plenty of both. Hengistbury Head, the headland between Southbourne and Mudeford, mixes heath, woodland and wetland, and our guide to walks and wildlife at Hengistbury Head explains the routes.

In town, the Bournemouth Guide's page on the Lower Gardens and our roundup of parks and gardens in Bournemouth cover the green spaces a short walk from the West Cliff. Further west, the Jurassic Coast, which marks 25 years as a World Heritage Site this year, is home to rare species of its own.

For guests on a longer stay, the count is a reason to come back: next year's runs from Friday 9 July to Sunday 1 August 2027. Flexiestays offers monthly stays from 28 nights, and the Help Centre sets out what counts as a long stay.