Butterfly Surveys: Priority Species & Habitat Analysis
Delivering specialist flight-period surveys for priority butterfly species to identify habitat suitability and ensure robust environmental legislative compliance for your site.
E3 Ecology.
Expert surveys for environmental legal standards.
A number of key National Priority and Local Biodiversity Action Plan butterfly and moth species are present within the north of England, including dingy skipper, white letter hairstreak and grayling. These species, and others, are material considerations within the planning system, and sites should be assessed for their presence, with appropriate mitigation and/or compensation provided where necessary.
Butterfly surveys will be recommended where the initial ecology survey indicates that suitable habitats (including brownfield land, some grasslands, coastal areas, quarries and open woodland) are present on site.
What do butterfly surveys involve?
Where suitable habitats are identified, further butterfly surveys will be recommended, specific to the species targeted. Typically this will include three survey visits within the flight period of the target species. A surveyor will carry out a walkover survey during suitable weather conditions to identify, count and map butterfly species present, using a butterfly net where necessary for closer inspection. In some cases, such as surveys for white letter hairstreak, egg searches may be more appropriate.
Results of butterfly surveys will typically be incorporated into existing ecological appraisal reports, providing an impact assessment and recommendations for mitigation and/or compensation.
When can butterfly surveys be carried out?
Ecological appraisals to assess habitat suitability for invertebrates can be carried out at any time of year. Detailed butterfly survey work is constrained by the flight periods of specific species which may be present. Timings for some key species in the north of England are included below:
- Dingy Skipper: mid-May to mid-June
- Grayling July to August
- White Letter HairstreakJuly to March (egg searches) and mid-June to August (adults)
How Can E3 Ecology Help?
E3 Ecology has extensive experience of completing surveys for priority butterfly and moth species at a wide range of projects/sites. We are also highly experienced in providing successful, tailored mitigation schemes in relation to priority butterfly species.
If you think you require or have been asked for a butterfly survey, please don’t hesitate to get in touch and we will be happy to help.